A Lady's Guide to Mystery and mischief
Protocols for Gentility
Book 2
Publication date: 10/02/2026
She’ll do anything for love—even track down a thief.
It is the summer of 1847, and love-obsessed herbalist Farah Rafiq has made a discovery: that taciturn solicitor Grey Montgomery is the only thing standing between her and blissful matrimony. It has been two years since she agreed to a marriage of convenience with Francis Beaumont in hopes of squeezing a life-altering romance out of him, and with three to go, she is determined to take matters into her own hands. Knowing they cannot marry unless Francis’s inheritance is released, she packs her bags and makes her way to London to convince Mr. Montgomery to hand Francis the key to the family coffers—a task that would be made all the easier if Francis were anyone other than the cousin that Mr. Montgomery seems to harbor an intense hatred for…
Refusal comes easy to Grey Montgomery, who has emerged from decades of misery at the hands of his grandfather and cousin a disciplined, withdrawn man. To him, Farah is nothing more than a stubborn whirlwind who threatens to upend the fragile peace he’s surrounded himself with. A stubborn whirlwind with a dazzling smile and an irritating, unflappable cheer—and one he soon believes deserves far, far more than Francis could ever offer.
When a portion of Francis’s inheritance is stolen, Farah convinces Mr. Montgomery to help her solve the case. But their newfound proximity brings with it unexpected surprises, and Farah begins to wonder if her lifelong fixation on romance has been leading her astray. With matters growing more complicated by the moment, she must re-examine friendships, challenge her own views on love and, finally, find the courage to face the truth of her own heart.
tropes
Forced proximity
Scarred hero
Half-iraqi MMC
Kurdish FMC
Opposites attract
Slow burn
Mystery
Meet the Characters
Farah Rafiq
Farah is a self-taught herbalist who has spent her whole life dreaming of true love. Cheerful and dedicated, she fully believes in her ability to squeeze a life-altering romance out of her latest beau, the flighty Francis Beaumont. All she has to do is convince Grey Montgomery to agree to release Francis’s inheritance, and her happily-ever-after will be all but guaranteed.
Grey Montgomery
Grey is a taciturn solicitor who wants nothing more than to be left in peace. But with Farah at his doorstep begging him to release his Godforsaken cousin’s inheritance and his grandmother at home with any number of witty remarks at the ready, solitude seems like an impossibility. When Francis’s inheritance goes missing, Grey has no choice but to join forces with Farah to track the thief down—even if it puts him at risk of lowering the walls he has so painstakingly built around his heart.
Character portraits illustrated by Nastaran Sharifi
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