Lady Cecilia Stone has gone off to Russia to rescue her hapless son from the clutches of a scheming actress. Unfortunately, she is drugged and robbed on the way until rescued by Konstantin Levin, a man from the criminal world who has changed his ways and is on his way to London to collect a fortune from a man he helped. Konstantin is younger than Cecilia, a widow with four children, but the attraction between them, despite their different backgrounds, is fierce and immediate.
Cecilia worries that Konstantin will not fit in the proper world of the Ton and will lower the chances of her young daughters on the marriage mart, but Konstantin is determined to prove his worth to her.
This was a lovely story about an older woman finding true love where she least expects it. It was different from a lot of the historical romance books I've read, but the heroine was believable. Konstantin was also very likeable. I found the resolution very credible and enjoyed this a lot. ( )

A fine introduction to the School of Gallantry series or a lovely bonus to hold fans over until the next entry. ( )