Always a Catch!

Raised for years to succeed as her family’s duchess thanks to her remarkable athletic talent, Maria “Mimi” Annovazzi suddenly finds herself displaced when a younger brother is born. With no inheritance to claim and the best matches in her own kingdom already taken, Mimi heads to a neighboring nation and enrolls in the royal academy, hoping a fresh start will lead her to a suitable husband. By her side is Aida Amethis—her closest friend and a distant relative—ready to help her navigate high society.

The plan derails almost immediately when Renato di Rubini, the future crown prince and Aida’s betrothed, mistakes Mimi for Aida and dramatically “breaks off” an engagement that never existed. Renato’s intention was to release Aida from an arranged marriage so she could pursue the man she truly loves, but the resulting confusion leaves Mimi anxious about the damage to her reputation. To steady the fallout, she turns to Renato for help finding a suitor—without realizing her bright spirit and formidable strength may have already drawn the attention of the kingdom’s most sought-after match.