An Improper Suitor, by Monica Fairview

A young lady in possession of her own fortune, and raised by a Grandmother with friends such as Mary Wollstonecraft, has no inclination or desire to marry, despite society's views on the subject. But when said Grandmother has a change of heart, and places an ultimatum at your door; find a husband within 3 months or she will marry you off to a rake, one tends to pay more attention to her marriage prospects. Such is the case with Julia Swifton.

Julia's mother died when she was very young of a trifling illness, or a broken heart, whichever you prefer. Her father, a rake of the first order, abandoned them and set out to live his life on the continent, making Julia reject the idea of marrying anyone, especially a rake like her father. So, with her Grandmother's ultimatum at her door, she sets out to find a husband of the scholarly type, for who should a bluestocking want if not a scholarly gentleman? If only it was that easy. Julia is quite literally abducted into the path of Lord Thorwynn, the man her Grandmother has threatened her with, in her attempts to rescue a lady on a bolted horse.

Lord Thorwynn is a former military man, back from battle with no desire to enter into society and its matchmaking Mamas. His chance meeting with Julia brings back a foe from his military days, Neave, and he's after Julia and her money. Thorwynn cannot rest until he can prove once and for all to the ton that Neave is not to be trusted, even risking his reputation along with Julia's in the process.

The romance between Julia and Thorwynn is slow to evolve, with many missteps and returned engagements rings along the way, but that only adds to the fun of the novel. It makes for a lovely story, especially with the addition of Julia's eccentric family and Thornwynn's hypochondriac mother. There is much humor throughout the book that makes it a joy to read.