No love blazes hotter than the one that burns For the First Time Devlin Ryland has returned to London in triumph, acclaimed throughout the city for his courage at Waterloo and selfless rescue of a fellow soldier. But Devlin wants no part of his newfound glory -- until he escapes to the country estate of a friend and encounters the one woman for whom he would gladly play the hero: the statuesque beauty Lady Blythe Christian. Unfortunately, the lady who so stirs his passions wants nothing at all to do with England's heralded champion. The man Devlin saved was Blythe's betrothed…who then heartlessly married another. Now the pain only intensifies when Devlin is near -- though, truth be told, she is not unmoved by the strength of his character and his considerable charms. But with heartbreak so fresh in her memory, how can noble Devlin convince Blythe to trust again…because only then can he show her what it is to be loved for the first time.