Confirmed wallflower Penelope Essex has every intention of tending her brother's library for the rest of her days. But first, she must survive the Monsters Ball. Held at a remote gothic estate, the three-day ball is rife with monstrous nobles all determined to claim a mate. They'll do whatever it takes to seduce her into hidden corners, to tempt her into signing a marriage contract. Escaping with her spinsterhood intact seems impossible, until she spots her childhood crush: the now monstrous Duke of Roth. Lord William Warwick is normally as cool as the cold fire covering his body. When he became a frost-flame demon, he swore he'd never take a mate. Yet when he sees Penny Essex struggling to resist three monstrous nobles, he rushes to her side and pretends to be her fiance. A fake betrothal is the perfect cover. Except the longer they're together, the more she wants his fire to claim her. But will her duke treasure her heart and her beloved books, or will their passion send them both up in flames? Contains mature themes.