Tempted by a Governess by Jane Charles

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: To Love a Governess, #2

Release Date: March 22, 2022

When her father died, Katrina Carrick inherited his bookshop/lending library and his debts. It was with a sad heart that she realized that she would have to sell all the books to pay the debts and seek employment. Having worked as a governess before, she answered an advert from the Viscountess Melcombe in Willanton England. She then gets the news that Lord Timothy Strotham, the youngest son of the Marquess of Shomberg is interested in purchasing her stock. Katrina invites him to examine the books but is not prepared for her reaction to him.

Lord Timothy has been restless, he is not suited for the clergy or the army, but tutoring and teaching at Oxford brought him no joy, so he has decided to open a lending library in the town of Middleton where he owns a small estate. He learns of the book sale and travels to Scotland to meet the owner. He is shocked to learn that the owner is not only a woman but a young, single, and very attractive woman.

Over the next couple of weeks, these two get to know each other and the attraction intensifies, but neither of them is in a position to pursue a relationship and try to ignore the sexual tension that is growing stronger each day. Timothy is firm in his resolve to keep his dealings with Katrina strictly in the friend zone, but Katrina has other plans. When she learns his estate is near to Willanton and that he is traveling there as soon as their business is completed, she figures she can kill two birds with one stone, she will ask Timothy to give her a ride to her interview and since she never plans to marry, she hopes to seduce him and experience passion before settling into a life of servitude. What could go wrong?

This was a well-written, fun novel with very likable characters who share an undeniable attraction yet for whom HEA doesn’t seem to be in the cards. The book is filled with smoldering attraction, risque reading material, a handfasting gone wrong, some warm love scenes, great secondary characters, some surprising twists and finally a HEA complete with an epilogue. This is the second book in the series, but it is loosely connected and this book could easily be read as a standalone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*