Once Upon an Irritatingly Magical Kiss by Bree Wolf

Society’s rules were made to be broken. England 1803: Lady Christina Beaumont, daughter to the EARL OF WHICKERTON, is not one to sit idly by while injustice unfolds. With her best friend on the verge of being sacrificed in marriage to a notorious scoundrel, Christina is determined to thwart the union. This man, a stranger to the genteel art of high society, possesses nothing more than a charming smile and a calculating gaze. His true ambition? To claw his way into London’s elite through marriage. But he hasn't met Christina yet. Her plan: orchestrate a rescue so daring it might just land her in the society columns. In the game of marriage, love is the wild card. Thorne Sharpe is a man who made his fortune in the shadows of society, rising from the gritty world of bare-knuckle boxing to the cutthroat game of investments. Now, with a fortune at his fingertips, he seeks a match that will grant him the social standing to effect real change. Yet, his intended is not the one who captures his interest; instead, it is her fiery friend, Lady Christina, whose scorn is as intriguing as it is incessant. He crashed her plans, she stole his heart. As Christina's schemes unravel and Thorne's plans take an unexpected turn, both find themselves entangled in a game of love and deception. With every encounter, their mutual animosity becomes strangely akin to attraction. Christina must navigate the treacherous waters of London’s high society, all while protecting her friend and guarding her own heart against the very rogue she despised. Meanwhile, Thorne discovers that the line between villain and hero is as thin as the veil at the altar. All's fair in love and schemes. As the stakes get higher, will Christina's mission to save her friend lead her to ruin, or will Thorne’s pursuit of influence reveal a path to something even more unexpected—true love?