Good book about two people who feel like misfits yet find that they are the perfect fit for each other. The story is intensely emotional at times, where sometimes I wanted to hug them both, and at others, I wanted to shake them until their teeth rattled.

Daisy is a quiet girl who prefers her books to the men she's introduced to during the Season. After returning home unattached, she must deal with her father's vocal disappointment and disdain. After overhearing one of her brothers pushing marriage to her onto his friends, she wants to get away from them all. But a peaceful row to her island refuge on the lake turns into a disaster when she rescues one of those same friends. Ben was left on the island with no clothes during a drunken prank. But when Daisy rows him back to shore, they are caught, and the resulting scandal forces them to marry.

I ached for both Daisy and Ben. Daisy wants no part of marriage after her father's treatment of her mother and her. But she'll go through with it to protect Ben from her father's wrath. If she has to marry someone, Ben is the least objectionable. She knows him best after spending time with him several years earlier after he suffered from a broken collar bone while visiting. Ben has no objection to Daisy herself. He's been in love with her since that time. But he's keeping a secret that makes him feel unworthy of her and fears the disgust he's sure she'll feel if she finds out about it.

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Daisy and Ben, but it also frustrated me. They don't talk to each other about their expectations for their marriage. Ben's belief in his unworthiness makes him keep his distance. Meanwhile, Daisy has accepted the marriage but feels rejected when Ben doesn't consummate it. So, she pays him back by being cold to him, making him think she sees him for who he is. It doesn't help anything that his estate is badly rundown, thanks to the previous earl, adding to Ben's feelings of shame. I was disappointed in Daisy's behavior which seemed petty and childish.

She got quite a shock when she saw the (misinterpreted) encounter between Ben and Miss Fairfax. While I felt bad for her dismay, I liked how it served as a wake-up call about her attitude. It also served as a catalyst for the confrontation that finally got Daisy and Ben talking to each other. They were astonished to learn that the other was not upset about their marriage. Ben finally takes the chance to demonstrate the depth of his attraction and finds Daisy unexpectedly receptive. With that misunderstanding out of the way, I loved seeing Ben and Daisy exchange ideas on improving the estate, especially Ben's vision of helping fellow veterans.

But trouble isn't done with them yet. The vindictive Miss Fairfax tries to sow discord by telling Daisy the one bit of his past Ben hasn't been able to share with her. Daisy won my heart with her reaction once he confessed all. Then Ben gets called back to the war, and they face separation just when they have finally settled into life together. Their reactions are predictable, but I enjoyed seeing Daisy fight for what she needed from him. The book ended abruptly, with no indication of how things went for them. I hope that future books in the series remedy that omission.

I can't finish this review without commenting on Daisy's family. I detested her father. He claims to love his wife, but his constant belittling of her looks and how she treats Daisy says otherwise. His positive attitude about their sons and their antics, as opposed to Daisy's actions, was hypocritical. And don't get me started on his "talk" with his sons and Ben. Meanwhile, Daisy's mother is a doormat, taking whatever emotional abuse her husband deals out. Even her one attempt to stand up for Daisy was shot down. Her brothers' teasing and pranks against her were obnoxious (that wedding bouquet! ). I didn't care for how Ben passed it off as a form of protecting her. It will be interesting to see what the author does to redeem them in future books. ( )