Tag: Emily Windsor

A Governess Should Never…Deny a Duke by Emily Windsor

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Part of a Series, Regency Era (1811-1820), Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

A Governess Should Never... Deny a Duke (The Governess Chronicles, #2)A Governess Should Never… Deny a Duke by Emily Windsor

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Governess Chronicles, #2

Release Date: July 7, 2022

Miss Isabelle Beaujeu is surprised to learn her newest assignment as governess to the Duke of Aberdare’s niece Mari, is not in London as she assumed, but in Wales! Not ideal, but the addition of a ducal household on her résumé is a coup she cannot pass up, especially considering her heritage. French by birth, Isabelle and her mother escaped the uprising in France thanks to her father, but sadly he wasn’t as lucky and her mother died not long after leaving Isabelle to be raised by a distant relative. But her world was turned upside down once more when she learned her guardian was the one who betrayed her father. So she left and with the help of some friends, was able to secure a post as governess. Again, not ideal, but it provides her with an income and independence, which is worth more than gold, as she never plans to marry.

Rhys Cadogan, the Duke of Aberdare, an English title he never expected to inherit and one not nearly as comfortable as his Welsh title of the Earl of Llanedwyn needs a wife. After years of hoping for love, Rhys knows he can wait no longer, especially after the death of his twin brother and heir Tristan. As his new heir is his cousin Hugh, an unrepentant rake with no desire to assume the duties of either title, Rhys agrees to allow his spinster cousin Lady Elen to throw a house party to introduce him to several possible brides. But try as he might, Rhys cannot seem to focus on any of the prospective brides when his niece’s intriguing governess is around. He knows she has secrets and knows that he should not be wasting time with her, but when someone makes it clear that they have it out for her, nothing will stop him from protecting the woman who has finally captured his heart.

What a great addition to this series! The book is well-written, nicely paced, and has a well-done mystery seamlessly woven into the romance. Rhys and Isabelle’s romance is a slow-burning love story, filled with secrets, great secondary characters, intrigue, warm love scenes, surprising revelations, and finally, a truly lovely HEA ending complete with an epilogue. This is the second book in the series, but it is loosely connected and could easily be read out of order or as a standalone title. I enjoyed many things about this title, but I would have to say that, I especially loved that the book was set in Wales, it is such a nice change of pace from the typical English/Scottish locale settings and really enhanced my reading experience. In my opinion, this is one of this author’s best books to date and I highly recommend it!

*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.*

The Rake of Hearts by Emily Windsor

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

The Rake of Hearts (A Lady to Suit #2)The Rake of Hearts by Emily Windsor

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: A Lady to Suit, #2

Release Date: August 23, 2021

Widowed Hebe Locke artist is thrilled when the Duke of Rothwell, her patron, commissions her to paint his hunter. He tells her he will not be in attendance, but she is welcome to stay at Wychmere Castle in the Cotswolds as long as she likes and he will even encourage his neighbors to let her sketch their horses as well. It is a dream come true for her and for the first time in quite a while, she feels excited.

Lord Ernest Brooke, younger brother of Casper, the Duke of Rothwell, is a renowned rake and the complete opposite of his straightlaced brother. He knows that everyone considers him irresponsible and useless, but he wants to change that perception, he has taken over the breeding program at Wychmere Castle and hopes to soon establish his own stud farm and prove to Casper that there is more to him than just a careless rake. He has worked hard and seen promising results, but has recently suffered a setback – a horse, Sir Oswald has gone missing and he is sure that he was stolen. He is equally sure that Casper will blame him. Much to his surprise, his brother doesn’t blame Ernest and supports his decision to go to the castle and investigate, but he warns Ernest that he will not be alone, that Mrs. Locke and her aunt Mrs. Cassell and tells him to leave them alone. Ernest is thrilled, he is intrigued by Hebe Locke and longs to get to know her, despite her obvious revulsion to him.

Hebe learns that Ernest will be traveling to the castle the night before they are set to leave and is not happy. She is annoyed that he will be there but is even more annoyed that she is attracted to him. Her late husband, Tobias was a rake and wooed her with tenderness and sweet words, making her fall head over heels in love and believing that he loved her in return, but as soon as their vows were spoken, his true character was revealed and the next few years were hell for Hebe. Even after he died, she was plagued by nightmares and insecurities, so much so that she has vowed to never love or marry again. A vow she has had no problem keeping until she met Lord Ernest. She just needs to remind herself that he is no different than Tobias and that he will use her and discard her. But this position gets harder to keep when he keeps proving her assumptions about him wrong. Is it possible for a broken heart to heal and love again? Is Ernest truly the caring, thoughtful man he has shown himself to be and is she willing to trust him, or will she hold fast to her vows to spend her life alone?

This was a well-written and interesting story with wonderful characters and an intriguing mystery. Ernest and Hebe are well-defined characters that are easy to understand and relate to, especially since the author does such a great job giving the reader their backstory and their internal musings, thus making the reader feel like they “know” them as this slow-burn romance plays out. In addition to their romance, there is also a very well-done secondary romance as well as the mystery regarding the disappearances of several horses and who is seemingly trying to scare Hebe away and why. I did enjoy this book, but I did feel that some parts of the story were a bit too drawn out and I was hoping for a bit more steam between Hebe and Ernest. But considering Hebe’s past, I did understand the author’s decision to tone down the physical romance scenes. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read about a wounded heroine and hero who has a heart of gold. It is a book that I would happily recommend and while it is the second book in the series, it can 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.*