**When a brooding Viscount fake-courts a fiercely independent governess-spy sparks begin to fly—perfect for fans of Manda Collins and Netflix’s *Bridgerton*!** Ivy Bennett learned early on how to fight—literally—for what she wants, and what she wants is to escape the Marriage Mart. Spending her days as a governess and her nights running a secret self-defense class for women, Ivy is generally content—as long as she can avoid her surly employer. But when several crimes appear to be tied to the new viscount, Ivy is tasked by the spymaster known as the Dove to gather intel on the grumpy, brooding—and handsome—lord. Owen, Viscount Brackley, has his hands full with his unruly half-sisters and the crumbling estate he recently inherited. He doesn’t need the distraction of the cheeky, way too cheerful, and undeniably stunning governess who always seems to be underfoot. But when Ivy finds herself in need of a beau to avoid her conniving father’s attempts to marry her off, Owen surprises the both of them by offering to falsely court her and teach her the finer points of flirting. And as their deception continues, Owen discovers two that perhaps his heart is not quite as numb as he’d come to believe. And that Ivy is keeping secrets from him.