Mary Balogh's Slightly Scandalous
The third book in the Bedwyn series focuses on bold sister Freyja, recovering from heartbreak at Bath (her ex's wife is about to have their first kid and she does not want to be in the area). Her romance has an entirely ridiculous start--she's staying at a not-great inn on the road with doors that don't lock and she makes her maid leave b/c of snoring and a dude just RUNS into her room in the middle of the night b/c he's fleeing whatever, and she covers for him, and he immediately kisses her (at least she punches him). He's basically your stereotypical scoundrel, though also happens to be a lord. He's also super smarmy. BUT he has a horrible aunt (very Lady Catherine de Bourgh) determined to marry him off to her daughter (who doesn't want the marriage any more than he does), so he and Freyja enter into a fake engagement (which obviously will soon turn real, since they're totally into each other). I love Freyja--she's clever and assertive--but it took me a lot longer to warm up to her love interest. Once I did, I was seriously rooting for them, though--to get together, and to beat some trumped-up murder charges (!!!). As usual, Balogh is not at all subtle with her villains, but this was enjoyable anyway. B/B+.
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