Month: August 2018

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

On By TracyIn Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews2 Comments

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke, #2)The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Girl Meets Duke, #2

Release Date: August 28, 2018

Alexandra “Alex” Mountbatten met Chase Reynaud six months ago when he ran into her in a bookshop – literally – they did not exchange names but she never forgot him and he was the star in many of her fantasies. Secretly she hoped that he was thinking of her and they would met again.

Be careful what you wish for! They do meet again, but it is clear Chase doesn’t recognize her and mistakes her for a governess applicant. Chase is heir presumptive to his uncle, the Duke of Belvoir and as his uncle is incapacitated, Chase has taken over his duties, including the care and guardianship of two young hellions. He is desperate for a governess to teach the girls enough that they will be accepted into school. Chase is a rake and refuses to form attachments or make promises. When Alex takes him to task, he knows she is the perfect person to get the girls ready for school. He drags her up to meet them, but upon entering the room and seeing what appears to be a gruesome murder scene, Alex flees. Chase follows and offers her an outrageous amount of money to stay, but Alex refuses.

Later when a panic attack causes her to lose her chronometer and therefore her livelihood, she returns to his house and accepts the job. She starts the next day and immediately realizes two things, one, Rosamund and Daisy are not going to be easy and two, Chase is not going to be easy to ignore. She tries to bond with the girls, but quickly recognizes their pain, for she has been in their shoes. When she is awoken the next morning to attend the funeral of Millicent, Daisy’s doll, she learns that this is an almost daily occurrence and one Chase is also part of. Chase is called to perform the service and tries his best to make Alex laugh.

They all settle into a routine, the girls ignoring Alex, pulling pranks, Alex using Chase’s telescope to try and find a comet (her new profession) and daily funeral services with Chase officiating. Alex begins to see the real Chase and tries to include him in the girls lives. But Chase just seems to want to complete his Cave of Carnality and get back to his rakish ways. Slowly they get to know each other and kisses follow. She wonders what happened to make such a loving man keep everyone at arms length.

When the truth is revealed, Alex tries to make Chase see that he can move on from his past and help the girls, but Chase doesn’t believe he can be trusted and keeps pulling away. When Alex finally finds a comet, Chase is by her side and helps her face her own fears. They both confess their love and it seems like their HEA is well in hand. But when the unexpected happens, words are exchanged and hearts are broken. Can Chase finally conquer his demons and win back the only woman he has ever loved?

This was an extremely well written, witty, fast paced novel, that was nearly impossible to put down. Alex and Chase are wonderful leads, they both have things in their pasts that affect them, but they are incredibly supportive of each other, the secondary characters are great and highly entertaining, the love scenes are steamy, the story grabs you from the first pages and doesn’t let go until the last word. I highly recommend this book, it is the second in the Girl Meets Duke series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone with no problem.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher*

An Earl Like You by Caroline Linden

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Regency Era (1811-1820)1 Comment

An Earl Like You (The Wagers of Sin, #2)An Earl Like You by Caroline Linden

Barb’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Wagers of Sin #2
Publication Date: 8/28/18

This is a wonderful addition to Linden’s ‘The Wages of Sin’ series. It is intelligently written, uniquely plotted and the characters are all well developed and relatable. We originally met the heroine in the first book of the series, My Once and Future Duke. She is one of the nicest and sweetest heroines I’ve read in a while and I really, really liked her. Her father loves her beyond reason and is obsessed with providing her with the life HE thinks she should have and he’s not above blackmail and deception to see that she gets it. Her father could have easily been the villain of the book given what he did, but our author wrote him beautifully and made him redeemable while leaving his actions unforgivable. While the book is part of a series, you can read it without having read the first book – but I don’t know why in the world you’d ever want to do that – the first book is great too.

Elizabeth (Eliza) Cross’s mother died in childbirth when Eliza was only three years old. From that point on, Eliza was the center of her father’s world. He is a speculator (neither gentry nor aristocrat) and one of the richest men in England. His dream for his sweet baby girl is for her to marry an aristocrat and he will (and does) go to any lengths to make that happen. It doesn’t matter that all Eliza wants is someone who sees her and loves her and not her father’s money. Frankly, she’s given up on finding that and has made herself very happy tending the gardens, helping out in the parish and playing with and loving the dog (Willie) she rescued when he was just a puppy. Eliza is sweet, honest, and open, but she isn’t weak. She knows that she is no great beauty, but she has spent her life trying to become the lady her Papa wants her to be, so she is poised and graceful, but without the arrogance and entitlement that so many young ladies of the ton have. Her father just knows that if any man spent any time around her at all they would fall in love with her — he just has to choose the right man and assure that those two spend time together.

Hugh Deveraux, Earl of Hastings, has had a huge shock. When his father died and Hugh inherited, he discovered that the estate wasn’t just broke, it was 80,000 pounds in debt. Everything was gone – nothing for his sisters’ dowries and nothing for his mother’s jointure. He can’t tell his family that the man they loved, practically worshiped, left them destitute, so he turns to what he is best at to try to keep them afloat – he plays cards at the Vega Club. He’s done pretty well keeping them afloat and managing to pay enough of the debts to keep the creditors at bay. However, now his sister is getting betrothed and he must come up with a dowry for her. Imagine his surprise when Edward Cross makes him an offer that he (literally) cannot refuse. Hugh is to court and then marry Cross’s daughter without her ever finding out about the bargain.

Hugh and Eliza’s first meeting is so delightfully funny. Willie, the dog, is a handful and does not like baths. When Hugh first comes to the Cross’s home Eliza is dressed in an old dress and she’s chasing Willie through the house to dry him after his bath. She literally falls at Hugh’s feet. He is not impressed.

Eliza is surprised and very pleased when her father’s new business partner begins to show up at their home or runs into them at the theater or balls. She is amazed that he seems to like her – to really see who she is. So, when he asks to court her and finally asks her to marry him – she can only shout YES!

I loved watching Hugh and his family come to truly love Eliza – but I always knew it was going to blow up in a big way. Eliza had made a number of comments to Hugh and others about honesty and being honest and forthright, so he knew how she felt about it. He knew he should tell her, but he just couldn’t and then he convinced himself she’d never find out. She did, of course, and in the worst possible way. I love that she was straight-forward and confronted everybody involved and didn’t cut anyone – especially her father —  any slack. It is a delightful love story in many ways. So, I hope you’ll read it and enjoy it as much as I did.

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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”