En 1792, en Hadley Green se ejecutó a un hombre por robar las joyas de la condesa de Ashwood. Quince años después, todavía no se han esclarecido los hechos.
Cuando Declan O’Conner llega a dicho pueblo para conocer a Lily Boudine, la nueva condesa de Ashwood, se da cuenta al instante de que la mujer que lo recibe no es quien dice ser. Tratando de evitar un matrimonio que no desea, Keira Hannigan ha asumido la identidad de su prima y se ha instalado en su propiedad mientras Lily viaja por el extranjero. Declan amenaza con desenmascararla, pero Keira lo convence de que guarde el secreto y, a la vez, le pide que la ayude en la investigación de las joyas robadas, pues está convencida de que acusaron a un inocente.
Incapaz de negarle algo, ni de admitir su ardiente pasión, Declan acepta su propuesta. Pero ninguno de ellos está preparado para hacer frente al peligroso desconocido que amenaza con dejar al descubierto las mentiras de la joven… aunque Declan siente que debe protegerla a toda costa, porque es la mujer que se ha apoderado de su corazón.

I'll give this book some points for keeping me reading. It had a strong plot, but I was constantly irritated by the inaccuracy of the portrayal of Ireland and the characters' relationship to it. It didn't ring true. The author apparently has no sense of the geography around Galway. Also, the characters' use of the Irish language seemed unrealistic for people of their class at that time period. ( )

Predictable and pedantic, clumsily written in places, but not a chore to read... 1.5, rounded down because the main conflict is unresolved at the end. ( )

When Keira steps in for her cousin Lily, she doesn’t mean to assume Lily’s identity as the new Countess of Ashwood, but she finds herself increasingly drawn into her lie and its growing complexity. To further exasperate her situation, Declan, a neighbor from her home in Ireland, appears bringing danger both to her secret and to her heart. ( )

This was a great book. I loved it from the beginning. Keira is a wild young Irish girl who is supposed to marry a man she's sure she doesn't love. Lily her English cousin was about to go on holiday until she because a countess. So begins the plot. Instead of Lily going to England she sends Keira in her stead and goes to Italy. Only when Keira gets there the countess is desperately needed so she must assume her Identity. What she finds when she get there is more trouble than she bargained for. There is a theft from the past that an innocent man hanged for, and a young sexy Lord from her past that she still loves but has wronged in many ways. Will she solve the crime before Lily get s there? Also will Declan help her solve this case and heal there past? ( )