: The reluctant seventh Duke of Clarence who must navigate a life and a betrothal he never anticipated.

: The protagonists have known each other since they were young, adding a layer of familiar history.

: A marriage contract signed by their fathers forces the leads together.

: Neither Michael nor Belle wants the forced match. Michael struggles to see Isabelle as anything other than his brother's fiancée, while Isabelle suffers from severe social anxiety and a fear of crowded functions.

: Michael finds himself bound to marry Isabelle—his sister’s childhood friend and his late brother's former betrothed.

: A "wallflower" with a deep-seated fear of Society stemming from the childhood disappearance of her twin brother, Marcus.