Not My Idea

Lucas Bywood's Grand Tour ends with five ominous words: "Lucas, you must return home."

He expects a brief visit. Perhaps a stern lecture. What he gets is utter chaos.

His best friend, Miles, has gambled away the family ring he needs to propose to the woman he loves. His father insists on an arranged marriage to that very same woman — who Lucas can barely tolerate and who clearly despises the arrangement as much as he does. And his mother's riding accident? Everyone calls it unfortunate. Lucas calls it suspicious.

All he wants is to escape back to the continent and resume his interrupted travels. But abandoning his family now would be unconscionable — even if staying means untangling a web of secrets no one wants exposed.

When every solution creates three new problems, what's a reluctant gentleman to do?

A witty Regency tale of family secrets, reluctant heroism, and the trouble that follows those who'd rather avoid it entirely.

Originally published by CleanReads in 2017, but has been revised since then.