Pride Comes Before a Fall

In the third installment of this witty Regency romcom series, a headstrong chaperone is torn between following her rigid principles or her heart

Despite his many responsibilities, there is nothing Leopold Sloane, the 11th Duke of Debden, takes more seriously than the safety of those he loves. When one of his sisters is injured at a protest rally, he drags his family to Bath for the summer to keep his reckless and rebellious siblings out of harm's way. The only flaw in his plan is his overwhelming but inexplicable attraction to the new chaperone he has hired to watch out for them. An outspoken conundrum of a woman who soon causes him more trouble than both his sisters combined...but who calls to his soul regardless.

From the moment Portia Kendall read her first revolutionary pamphlet beneath her bedcovers at Miss Prentice's School for Girls, she realized that her true calling was to make the world a fairer place for the masses downtrodden by the aristocracy. A calling that led her to Equitas, a radical newspaper that champions reform. But as Portia discovers, writing doesn't pay the bills. To make a living, she must push aside her principles and serve the very people she criticizes weekly in her column. A temporary position as a chaperone in the home of a pompous duke seems like the perfect way to earn enough to follow her heart. Unfortunately, the duke who hires her seems to be more dashing and noble than pompous and soon begins to call to her heart too--as much as she tries to deny it. But dare she risk her principles for love or will her pride always come before a fall?

Author: Virginia Heath
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: 07/28/2026
Pages: 336
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.57lbs
Size: 8.26h x 5.42w x 0.81d
ISBN: 9781250896117


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/01/2026 pg. 46
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2026
Publishers Weekly 05/11/2026
Booklist 06/01/2026

About the Author
When VIRGINIA HEATH was a little girl, it took her ages to fall asleep, so she made up stories in her head to help pass the time while she was staring at the ceiling. As she got older, the stories became more complicated, sometimes taking weeks to get to the happy ending. Then one day, she decided to embrace the insomnia and start writing them down. Now her Regency rom-coms (including the Wild Warriners and Merriwell Sisters series) are published in many languages across the globe. More than thirty-two books and four Romantic Novel of the Year Award nominations later, it still takes her forever to fall asleep.