Compromising the Marquess

She is Persephone to his Hades, the perfect golden goddess he can never be worthy of. To her, he is the dark Adonis and perfect Galahad of her dreams. How can they overcome the forces that keep them apart, even as passion and love draw them together? Lady Ava Layne has had a schoolgirl crush on the handsome and accomplished Jerome DeVere, Marquess of Ravenshaw, for years. But Jerome is fourteen years her senior and her brother's best friend. When she makes her debut at eighteen, she hopes to finally attract his attention, but he makes it clear that she will always be like a sister to him. Devasted, Ava does her best to get over him and try to comply with her family's desire for her to choose a suitable husband. But she can't forget the man who is her secret hero. Outwardly, Jerome DeVere is the quintessential Corinthian. He excels at everything he does, from horse riding, driving, and fencing to cards and dancing. However, behind the perfect façade is man scarred by the dark shadows of his past. As schoolgirl Ava turns into a lovely debutante and rocks his world, he cannot let her see that the little girl he loved as a sister has become the goddess he would worship, and he does his best to destroy her adolescent crush, even though it breaks his heart to hurt her. When her brother presses Ava to consider a proposal from her most eligible suitor, Jerome is determined on a marriage of convenience, fiercely determined to do what he believes is best for Ava. But Ava is equally determined not to let him. Compromised by the woman he loves, Jerome can do nothing else but marry her and hope fervently that he can become worthy of her. However, the happily ever after they both desire remains elusive when the past won't stay buried. Can their stormy, passionate love survive the horrors of Jerome's past and the scandals that threaten to tear their lives apart? Tropes You'll Love:Brother's best friend/best friend's sister Age gap Compromised/forced marriage Persephone and Hades Unrequited love Tortured hero Sunshiny heroine