Enjoyable story with a few plot twists that keep you interested to see what is coming. I liked that the lies were out in the open by the middle of the book and it gives them time to build a stronger relationship. Looking forward to see what Ms. Drake comes up with next.

Done well, there is something comforting about reading a book with a cliché historical romance trope. You know what to expect and so you can simply relax into a dreamy world for a few hours.
This story hit the mark with Tessa, a likeable and modern heroine who would rather open a shop than join the nobility. The story is fast-paced which kept me reading on. The villain of the piece was nicely plotted out and not obvious at all. I didn't have that figured out until it was revealed.

There were a few eye-rolling moments for me. Tessa and Carlin decided after only a week that they would dispense with formalities and use first names with each other. Tessa got tipsy after one glass of wine and threw herself at the Duke. And one of the side characters was constantly referred to as a leprechaun!

A lovely story. Tessa knew what she wanted and went after a governess position even though she was not qualified. She has to prove herself by taming the Duke's little girl. Being an orphan and watching over younger orphans Tessa knew about losing a parent and breaks through Sophy's anger and begins to repair her relationship with her father. Tessa also is looking for her father who was a noble. Guy enjoys time with Tessa and he can't keep his mind off of her. There is evil lurking in his household and the ending brings everything together superbly. I received a complimentary copy and my review is voluntary.

Tessa James doesn't know who her father is, but she knows if she can find him she can convince him to help her financially. She wants to open a posh shop where she can sell the hats she has designed. She devises a plan to become a governess in the home of widower Guy Whitby, the Duke of Carlin hoping this will place her in a neighborhood where her father's residence is. She manages to obtain the position by fibbing and fabricating her true past. This turns out to be the least of her problems. The Duke's child is out of control and in order for Tessa to keep her position she must teach her how to act appropriately. Even though Tessa's lies are eventually revealed, Guy becomes smitten with her. A relationship is impossible in the eyes of society. Or, is it?

The author skillfully presents two well developed characters who normally would never have met. Even though Tessa has lived a life of poverty, she is independent, strong and determined. Guy never planned or wanted to be a Duke, His interests lay elsewhere, but a series events changed the course of his life. There is mystery, intrigue and romance in this well plotted, fast moving story. The surprises and twists and turns keep the reader engaged until the end. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have to say, while the general plot was nothing groundbreaking, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well-written, with interesting characters, and it moved along at an enjoyably steady pace.

Her harrowing childhood in a workhouse after her mother’s brutal death made Tessa James determined to become a successful milliner, designing and selling hats to the British aristocracy. Believing that the gold pendant her mother had placed around her neck held the secret to her lineage, Tessa paid close attention to the elderly women that browsed through Madame Blanchet’s millenary establishment, and overheard that yet another governess had left the employ of the Duke of Carlin because of his uncontrollable four-year-old daughter. Madame Blanchet noticed Tessa’s interest and berated her, and Tessa, in a rare show of spirit, quit her job at the milliner’s and quickly applied with the Duke of Carlin, portraying herself as an experienced governess.

The Duke was a man of great intellectual curiosity, and had recently returned from a four year journey around the world, collecting plant samples and documenting his findings in his journals. The impossible behavior of his daughter, Lady Sophy, was something the Duke had no idea how to handle. Though he didn’t fully believe Tessa’s recounting of her experience, he was willing to give her one week to improve Sophy’s behavior before her employment would be terminated.

When a Duke Loves a Governess is the third book in the Unlikely Duchesses series, but can be read as a stand-alone. I liked Tessa’s spirit and her willingness to buck tradition and stand up for Lady Sophy, and help the Duke connect with his daughter. There was plenty of drama and more intrigue than I expected, and I enjoyed every word. Spoiler alert: there is the expected and always appreciated HEA, but with some twists and turns that can leave you a little dizzy. It’s an easy read that’s a lot of fun.

When A Duke Loves A Governess is book 3 of 3 in the Unlikely Duchesses series. I'm sad to see the end, all the characters in the series brought a little 21st century attitude to a historical time period. Tessa and Guy are an unlikely pair but somehow they bend enough to meet in the middle. Tessa is a self made lady and knows what she wants out of life. Her main goal is to own a shop and be safe, have a roof over her head & enough to eat. The poor thing was raised in a work house pretending to be a foundling home. Guy is one of those men who never expected to inherit a title & has a lot of catching up to do, even though he doesn't want to. There's love, hope, sadness, family, duty, so many emotions and yet is all works. Now I want to know what happens to a certain Earl and a reluctant ladies companion.

I an voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance readers copy of this story.

#OliviaDrake #Netgalley #UnlikelyDuchesses #WhenADukeLovesAGoverness #StMartin'sPaperbacks #romance #historicalromance

I’ve read a few Olivia Drake books over the years and they all hit the same. Enjoyable historical romances, not too many issues, and generally, not stand out. They’re exactly what I expect from Regency romance and When the Duke Loves A Governess hits that mark too. I’d say that most scandalous thing about her books is that sometimes, the dukes end up marrying someone not of their social class. Aside from that, these are traditional regency romances, enjoyable but not ground breaking.

I picked up this one because I like a good governess helping a hopeless father connect with his child and that’s exactly what happens in this book. There is a power dynamic between Guy and Tessa but it’s neatly handled. Same thing with the lies Tessa tells initially to get the job. Both things that could have caused a lot of drama and angst and have the potential to pull me out of a book were skillfully handled and addressed. There was a minor mystery plot and I’ll admit, I didn’t figure out who the villain was, which I liked. Guy and Tessa had good flow in their relationship and both were likeable characters. I did like that the pressures of the ton, while present, was something both decided they don’t need in their lives. Overall, this was a decent and enjoyable read. A solid 3.5 star read for me

Both Tessa and Guy were great characters and made the story very enjoyable. I also liked the addition of Sophy and watching here change. The book had not only romance, but a mystery. Unfortunately I suspected the secretary from the beginning.

Tessa James, milliner’s assistant, has just quit her job and applied for a position as governess to a duke’s wilful 4-year-old daughter in the hopes that living amongst the ton, somewhere she might spy on a carriage door the crest on the locket her dying mother gave her, so she can find her true father.

If this doesn’t make it very clear that Tessa is both ridiculously naive and has extremely low impulse control, I don’t know what will. Somehow Tessa manages to bluff and lie her way through the interview with Guy, Duke of Carlin, and get the job, at which point we get to meet Sophy, the adorable but extremely spoiled plot moppet.

There are several parallel plots going on at the same time here, because not only is Tessa trying to find out who her real father is (so she can get him to front her the money to start her own millinery shop) but it comes to light that someone is killing off the Dukes of Carlin and their male heirs… and Guy is next in their sights. Tessa finds her family, who are a lot more important than she could have imagined, the killer sets their sights on Tessa and she has to self-rescue, and somehow along the way both civilize Sophy and fall in love with Guy. It’s a lot.

And I’m afraid it’s a bit too much. Especially considering that this is explicitly a power dynamic relationship - employer/employee - the internal conflict inherent in the relationship needs to be addressed and it’s pretty much ignored in favour of dealing with all the external stuff going on around Tessa and Guy.

I also need to warn for dubious consent; Tessa drinks the first alcohol of her life in Guy’s study one night, is clearly inebriated, and propositions him. He flips from ‘you’re drunk, you need to go to bed’ to making love to her in about ten seconds flat. And despite the fact that we’ve been getting regular glimpses into Guy’s head throughout, from this point on we don’t get anything. We don’t know anything about what he wants from Tessa. What his plans for her are. Not until he discovers that she’s of noble blood. And that has to be a conscious decision because seeing into Guy’s head I suspect would make us not like him very much. He’s slept with an employee absolutely dependent on his goodwill… and it’s not until he discovers that she actually has a powerful relative, announces that of course he’ll marry her because she’s compromised. I liked that she said no, but I badly wanted her to call him on his hypocrisy - addressing that internal conflict between them - but it didn’t happen. The fact that Guy’s done something pretty awful is actually never addressed at all because suddenly it’s all about the mystery part of the plot, and that disappointed me.

There are things I liked here. Guy is a super interesting character and Sophy, far from being the matchmaking angelic child often seen in romances of this sort, is a child with complex needs which do get acknowledged and handled sympathetically. Tessa occasionally comes across as TSTL and completely lacking in common sense on every topic except for how to deal with Sophy, which she does very well. Now unfortunately, people that lacking in common sense drive me utterly bonkers. That plus the dubious consent and the failure to address the problematic power dynamic mean that despite quite liking a lot of this book… I can’t give it any more than three stars.

I love historical romances and "When a Duke Loves a Governess" checked all the boxes for a must-read Regency novel with engaging characters and a great story that immediately captivated me and kept me totally involved in all that was happening from start to finish. I loved the undeniable attraction and chemistry between Guy Whitby, the seventh Duke of Carlin and Tessa James, a milliner who becomes the governess for his daughter, Sophy. Ms. Drake never disappoints whatsoever and I can hardly wait to see what she has for us next. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Tessa James works in a millinery shop. She would love to have her own shop. If she can find her father who she never met maybe she can borrow the money to open a shop. She hears a conversation about the Duke of Carlin needing a governess for his daughter as she keeps running them off. Tessa applies for the job with a little "fibbing" she gets a trial basis to see what she can do. Sophy does so much better that one week becomes more. It doesn't hurt that Sophy's father likes the new governess too

3 stars
We have a woman ahead of her times. She wishes to open a business but needs a loan. The only trouble is she is the fruit of an intimate moment and has no way to find her father. She decides she needs to be close to the people of society to find him. Her idea is to become a governess.

Next, we have a man with an out-of-control child charge...and our gal takes the job of taming her.

This is the third book in the series, but aside from the theme, they aren't related, and as far as I remember no characters from are shared between the books, so can easily be read as a stand alone. I like the main characters who are not typical of their "station", and the pace of the writing. I have a hard time putting down a book by this author and have found myself staying up much later than I should, to finish them.

Tessa James's mother was killed by a coach when she was six. Her mother pushed her out of the way of danger and with her last breath handed her a locket telling her "Hide this ..find him...father... pain...". She was sent to an orphanage run by a woman who used the children as slave labor. Tessa managed to escape to find a job in a millinery shop, but the owner is not much better than the woman that ran the orphanage. When she overhears a customer talking about the Duke of Carlin needing a governess for his young daughter, who has gone through many nannies who haven't lasted very long, she decided to bluff her way through an interview, with the hope of not only getting a better paying job but possibly identifying her father, through the coat of arms on the locket. She hopes to guilt him into giving her a loan so she can open her own hat shop. While she was at the orphanage she was in charge of the younger girls and leaned the skills needed to be a nanny. Meanwhile Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, had left his new born daughter, Sophy, after his wife had died in childbirth, in the care of his in-laws, so he could travel around the world studying botany. This part did not make sense to me, since he had discovered that his beautiful wife might have looked like an angel but was spoiled and demanding, and leaving the child under the roof in which as his wife was raised would ended up with a spoiled child. While he is gone there was a series of deaths, his grandfather, his 2 uncles, his father and his cousin, making him the new Duke. His aunt believes it is a curse, the Carlin Curse. When the news reaches him, he returns to England to find his daughter scared of him and out of control. Tessa manages to talk the Duke into giving her a chance. He is puzzled by this charming woman, who has an inner strength and wonderful work ethic and when she finally tells him the truth he helps her identify the coat of arms.
Since this is a romance, most readers will figure out the scenario that will make them a couple possible, before they do, but that does not distract from the story. There is a villain behind the "curse", danger, a cliche and of course the HEA.

I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

3.5 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was a cute historical regency romance about Tessa, a young woman who yearns to open her own millinery shop. When Tessa's mother dies during an accident, she gives her a locket with a coat or arms on it that presumably belonged to her father. Tessa plans to find her father and ask him to loan her enough money to open her own shop. Not having access to seeing the coat of arms of the nobility, she lies about her background and takes a job as governess to the troubled four year old daughter of the new Duke of Carlin in hopes that she will discover her father with her new access to the ton.

After his wife died in childbirth four years ago, the Duke left his daughter with his wife's parents and took off on a scientific journey around the world. He returned when the rest of the male heirs in his family unexpectedly die, to find his daughter a spoiled, unruly child. Even though the Duke discovers Tessa fudged her qualifications, she is making so much progress with his daughter that he's willing to keep her on. What neither of them expected was to be drawn to each other, even thought they know they can't be together.

When the Duke is shot at the circus, he realizes that there may be something to the rumored "Curse of the Carlins" and begins to investigate who may be out to kill him. Tessa insists on helping him and as the couple grow closer, they can't deny their attraction to each other.

This was a very typical historical fiction romance. There was nothing very new about the storyline or characters, but I still enjoyed reading how the story unfolds. The book is a quick and easy read and would be a good companion while lying on the beach or taking cover during a rainstorm.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this historical romance written by Olivia Drake. She has a way of combining family drama, secrets, and love into a refreshing story that keeps the reader's attention. In this book of the series "Unlikely Duchesses" strong-willed Tessa walks out of her job as a milliner in a hat shop with the hopes of being hired as a governess for the Duke of Carlin's precocious daughter, Sophy. Unknown to the Duke, Tessa has an ulterior motive of finding her father whom she never knew , by following clues given to her by her mother in her last breaths. And she feels her search will be much easier in the home of a Duke who has access to many aristocrats. The story and twists that bring the Duke, Sophy and Tessa together include both danger and charm. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #WhenaDukeLovesaGoverness

My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

After seeing so many different new styles of romance fiction online on IG/Booktok, I wanted to check out a classic romance novel with the cheesy cover. This one fit the bill. It is a 3rd installment to the Unlikely Duchesses series - I did not read the other two books. Tessa James, a woman who grew up as an orphan, leaves her millinery job to become a governess for the Duke of Carlin, Guy Whitby’s unruly daughter, Sophy. He has an estranged relationship with his young daughter as he traveled extensively before his wife died. So right away he went from being the typical cold and rude Mr. Darcy type, he immediately shifts gears and becomes infatuated with her. There are a lot of different subplots going on including Sophy and her lack of a relationship with her dad, the murders of the Carlin family members, and Tessa trying to find her long lost father with just a necklace. I didn’t think the characters had much chemistry, and instead of focusing on his daughter, he instead tries to bang her babysitter instead. And I loathe the trope of the female character always acting like she wouldn’t be thrilled if she found out she was actually rich, etc. Like really?? The steamy scenes were minimal too, considering it’s a romance novel. Although I love historical romance novels, I did not love this one.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review!

As the bastard daughter of an aristocrat, Tessa learned very early that she needed to rely on herself through work to survive, and her dream was about to come true.
She needed a little more cash to finally get her venture up and running.
Upon hearing that the new Duke of Carlin needed a governess, she immediately applied for the job.

Guy Whitby was desperate for a governess as his daughter, of terrible behavior, had expelled the previous ones.
He hires Tessa even though he knows he wasn't in his right mind. She was too young - and maybe her credentials weren't real - and too pretty. But his despair spoke louder.

Living under the same roof, the attraction spoke louder and made them fall in love.
But Duke's former enemies could disrupt that relationship, as well as endanger his home.
4 stars

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I typically love books with children in them, and that part of the story worked for me, but the romance just didn’t. It did not feel like they had enough of a connection to warrant her risking her entire future to be intimate with him.

I think it was interesting to have such a big class difference between the hero and heroine, but that’s part of what made it feel unbelievable to me. And the hero shifts quickly from thinking she is a thief to wanting to have sex with her. Given her mother’s history, it just did not make sense for her to risk pregnancy without any promise of future security.

I repeatedly found myself annoyed and not wanting to keep reading, which is a sign this book simply wasn’t for me.

I do not think you need to read the series in order to read the book. And if you don’t mind the implausibility, you likely will enjoy this one more than I did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

When I read the blurb for When a Duke Loves a Governess, I knew that I needed to read it. I have read the previous two books in the series and was curious to see what this book would be like. I wasn’t disappointed. It was a fantastic romance.

When a Duke Loves A Governess is the 3rd book of the Unlikely Duchesses series. It can be read as a standalone. But, I would highly suggest that you read the previous two books to get backgrounds on characters that pop up in this book.

When a Duke Loves a Governess has a fast-moving storyline. There was a tiny bit of lag right before the reveal of the bad guy. Other than that, the book flowed amazingly.

I loved Tessa, but I didn’t agree with some of her actions. She was raised by a single mother who was killed when Tessa was 6. After that, she grew up in a foundling home until she was 14 (there was a sad reason why she left). At 14, Tessa became an apprentice to a millinery shop but left there to fake her way into being Guy’s governess. She was a spirited woman who lived life on her terms. Her spirit showcased that over and over in the book, and I loved it. The author didn’t attempt to have Tessa change when she found out about her lineage (a huge substory about that). It made for a refreshing read.

I liked Guy, but I found him a little “meh” while reading. He didn’t scream hero to me during the first half of the book. He was too involved in his studies. But, during the second half of the book, he more than made up for his “meh-ness.” His studies took a backseat to raise Sophy, wooing Tessa, and trying to figure out who stole from him (which lead to who killed 5 “heirs”). I loved it!!

I wasn’t surprised by how the storyline with Tessa and her father was resolved. It was typical, and I called it right from the beginning. But, I was surprised that the author added a whole new element to that storyline.

The storyline with Sophy was sad. The pain and confusion just poured off the page during her scenes. I don’t blame her for acting the way she did. When it came out what Sophy was being told about Guy, I was furious. No wonder she was so afraid of him!!!

The storyline involving Guy, his missing research, and eventually the deaths of the previous heirs was indeed a mystery. This storyline didn’t gain traction until the middle of the book when Guy’s research went missing. Then it snowballed into this huge mystery. The author did a great job at keeping the bad guy in the shadows. So when the big reveal came, I was a little shocked. I honestly thought it was the other person mentioned. Of course, I did pity that person once the story was told.

The romance angle of the book was well written. I liked seeing Tess and Guy falling in love. I did think it was cute. I loved the sex scenes. They were very steamy!!

The end of When a Duke Loves a Governess was interesting. Everyone had their version of a HEA (except the bad guy….lol). The author did a fantastic job of wrapping up all the plotlines. She also left hints for book 4, which I can’t wait to read.

I would recommend When a Duke Loves a Governess to anyone over the age of 21. There is mild violence. There is somewhat graphic sex.