The Last-Ditch Heir

King Uther of Forland is old and failing. His grandson and heir, Prince Richard, lives the good life: anything that gives him an adrenaline rush. He gives cursory attention to his duties and means to keep living the life he enjoys.

The prosperous Duchy of Westmere can only be inherited by a male. The Duke of Westmere, Prince Sean, despises the Royal Family for shunning his parents when his father married a commoner they called unacceptable.

Richard dies unexpectedly. Sean, now King against everyone's wishes, is the one man who can keep the Kingdom together. And he wants to break Forland in two.

With no choice but Sean, the Royal Family and Government plot to keep Sean in line by marrying him to a cousin.

He has other plans for his country and his heart. He wants to marry Isobel, twice-divorced, beautiful, scandalous and ambitious. She wants the advantages of being Queen. Sean is forced to meet any number of hopeful young women but plays the field. He decides to force the Family and Government to allow him to marry Isobel by selecting the least suitable girlfriend he can find.

Pam is a clerical temp, a foreigner, and the opposite of princess material. She's no Cinderella, beautiful under her rags, but a tired young woman who lives paycheck to paycheck. They have nothing in common.

Sean tries to hire her to pretend to be his girlfriend. She says it is deceitful. Her mother's financial troubles lead her to accept. He arranges generous compensation for her help that will relieve her financial quandary if she can make Isobel look good.

Their relationship is platonic despite appearances. He starts to depend on Pam more and more. He misses her when she is away. Sean is pushed to choose his cousin by the Government, Isobel by his desires and Pam by his heart.

The Family demands he marry his cousin and the Government begins to favor Pam. She wants to return to the US. Sean must choose between his heart and his country or find a way to unite them.