One Wicked Sin Cornick, Nicola

Regency London, and a fallen woman needs a favor from the one man she can't afford to want. Lottie Palliser was once a lady, until scandal stripped her of everything — title, fortune, respectability. Now she works as a courtesan, and she's good at keeping her heart locked away. Enter Ethan Ryder, a hardened soldier with secrets of his own and a job that requires a fake fiancée. Their arrangement is strictly business, but desire doesn't respect boundaries, and neither of them is prepared for what happens when pretense starts feeling real. Nicola Cornick writes Regency romance with heat, wit, and characters who've earned their scars. This is enemies-to-lovers with actual stakes, where reputation can be weaponized and second chances don't come easy. For fans of Julia Quinn's sharper edges or anyone who likes their historical romance with a bit of grit and a lot of tension.