In the idyllic surroundings of Trevlyn, Monica finds joy in her life with her father and step-brother. However, their happiness hangs by a thread as the estate is set to pass to a distant cousin, an arrangement entailed strictly to the male line. Can she bear the thought of her invalid brother being uprooted from the only home he’s ever known? Faced with a heart-wrenching choice, should she marry this distant cousin to secure their future at Trevlyn? Is love even possible under such circumstances? And what of her old childhood friend, whom her cousin seems to despise? With secrets lurking beneath the surface, Monica must navigate a tangled web of emotions and decisions that could change everything. (Summary by Krista Zaleski)