Tag: Emily Windsor

A Governess Should Never Tempt…A Prizefighter by Emily Windsor

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

A Governess Should Never... Tempt a Prizefighter (The Governess Chronicles, #1)A Governess Should Never… Tempt a Prizefighter by Emily Windsor

Tracy’s rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Governess Chronicles, #1

Release Date: November 9, 2020

Matilda Griffin is the daughter of the late Viscount Astwood, a title now held by her cousin and guardian. With mere months before she comes of age, her cousin has decided she will marry and has betrothed her to the vile Earl of Sidlow – a man old enough to be her grandfather and repulsive to boot! To avoid this fate, she applies for the position of governess to Seth Hawkins’ thirteen-year-old daughter Chloe. She knows her cousin has frittered away her father’s fortune and her dowry, so she figures she can hide out until she turns twenty-one and then use her inheritance and travel the world. It is the perfect plan, but that was before she met Seth.

Seth Hawkins is a widower, father and former prizefighter, who has opened a boxing academy that is vastly popular and wildly successful. He has raised his daughter alone for years, but knows she needs a woman’s guidance and is fast losing hope of finding the perfect governess when he meets Matilda, at first, he thinks she is all wrong, but is taken with her honestly and hires her. She is lovely and he is surprised to realize he is attracted to her – after years of guarding his heart and keeping women at arm’s length, Matilda manages to worm her way past his defenses.

As they spend time together, they grow close and Seth begins to imagine a future, but her cousin isn’t willingly to let her go without a fight and if they want any type of future, Seth will have to protect her – but Astwood doesn’t fight fair and Matilda may have to save them both!

I really enjoyed this book, it is well written, fast paced and fun. Matilda and Seth are amazing characters who are incredibly likable and easy to root for. They don’t fight their love or make excuses why they can’t be together and when faced with trouble, they work together – they are just wonderful and the book was a delight to read. The secondary characters were great, the love scenes warm, there is some action, some surprises and a sweet ending complete with an epilogue. If I had any complaint it would be that the book has a lot of boxing cant and British slang, which I will be honest, was a bit hard to understand, but not impossible and didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the story. This is the first book in the series and I really can’t wait for the next installment! I enjoyed this book and would be happy to recommend it.

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

 

Blurb:


“So tell me, Miss Griffin, why should I employ you as governess?”
A question to rouse fear within the breast of any prospective governess but for Matilda, a lady without references, appropriate brown clothing or any experience with children whatsoever, doubly so.
Yet alone in the world except for a brutish guardian and a malodorous betrothed, Matilda must seek her own future, even if that means employment in the household of a rugged ex-prizefighter with sizeable muscles and doubtless minuscule intellect.

“Please continue to enlighten me, Miss Griffin.”
Mr Seth Hawkins, owner of famed Boxing Academy, has reached the point of desperation in his search for a governess.
Yet with no other suitable candidates, could this yellow-clad, bespectacled female who seemed to think him a witless dolt with calloused knuckles and no books, teach his daughter the ways of a lady?

The Lady and the Prizefighter.
One should never judge a man by his well-defined muscles or a lady by her yellow-silk slippers, for beneath both façades lay yearning hearts, shared dreams and a taste for adventure.
With tavern excursions, scandalous kisses in midnight carriages, whifflers, nobblers and dressing as a nefarious footpad on the prowl, the vocation of governess has never been so exciting…

A fun, heart-warming Regency romance, this is the first book in a companion series to the Games of Gentlemen.
This tale contains sensual scenes.

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The Duke of Diamonds by Emily Windsor

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

The Duke of Diamonds (The Games of Gentlemen, #1)The Duke of Diamonds by Emily Windsor

Tracy’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Games of Gentlemen, #1

Release Date: April 2, 2020

Evelyn “Evie” Pearce is in trouble. When her father, Sir Henry Pearce, a painter of some renown died and left her and her sister Artemisia penniless, she did all she could to keep them off the streets. But when Artemisia became ill, Evie borrowed money from a moneylender and the debt has skyrocketed to a sum that she can’t possibly repay. When she meets with Filgrave to ask for more time, she is given her choices, repay the debt or Filgrave will force both Evie and her sister to work in his brothel until the money is repaid. This is unacceptable to Evie and she hatches a plan to defraud a duke and get enough money to pay her debt and leave London.

Known as the Duke of Diamonds, because he is cold, hard and rich, Casper Brook, the Duke of Rothwell, owns a painting by Sir Henry titled The Veiled Fall of Innocence – he is obsessed with the model in the painting and would love to see her face – so when a “Mrs. Swift” comes calling and claims to have the painting’s twin – The Fall of Innocence Unveiled – the one that is rumored to show the model’s face – Casper is interested, but he knows Mrs. Swift is lying to him. He should be disgusted by her, but he can’t seem to forget her. When they meet again at a ball (Thanks to Evie’s friend Matilda) Casper decides to play along – he agrees to meet her to view the painting, where he plans to reveal her lies and get back to his life.

But things do not go as planned and when he views the painting he is confused – it looks like Sir Henry’s work, but the face is wrong – Casper doesn’t immediately buy the painting, but tells her he will let her know his decision. When Evie doesn’t hear from the Duke, she is beyond desperate, she plans to bolt with her sister but is caught by Filgrave – things look dire, but they are saved by Casper. Casper takes them back to his house and from there, things get very interesting…

This was a well written, fast paced, very entertaining story with delightful characters, witty banter, secrets, lies, fabulous secondary characters, warm love scenes and very sweet HEA. I did feel like the final confrontation with the villain was a bit rushed and somewhat anticlimactic – but overall, I really enjoyed the story and I would be happy to recommend the book. This is the first book in the series, so this is the perfect place to start if this author is new to you and I’m sure you will be hooked and like me, eagerly awaiting the next installment!