Tessa works at a hat shop and dreams of owning her own store. She has the talent but not the money; however, she suspects her aristocrat father may loan her start-up funds. Unfortunately, except for some clues, she doesn't know who he is. So Tessa decides to apply as a governess to the unruly Duke of Carlin's daughter so that there are more opportunities to discover her father's identity.

The Duke never expected the title, and he doesn't want it. He's more into botany and exploration.

I enjoyed this story and I liked both unconventional main characters. There was also a cute four-year-old, a gnomelike valet, a treasure map, and a possible murderous curse.

Although this book is third in the series, it worked just fine as a stand alone. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read a copy of this book!

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin out of desperation hires Tessa James as a governess for her hoyden of a daughter. She definitely too bold by far, but he needs a governess now. Tessa needs to find her father who sired her and abandoned her and the best ways is by being close to the nobility. All she has is a necklace left to her by her mother. A captivating story of the bold and beautiful governess and the handsome and entitled duke as sparks fly and passions flare. I voluntarily read and reviewed this extraordinary story.

4 Grand Love Stars!!

This is my very first book by Ms. Drake and I was a little concerned that because it’s book three in a series I might be a little lost. But I’m happy to report, this book can truly be read as a standalone and I’m thrilled I’ve found another fabulous historical author that I can sink into!

I absolutely loved this book. Tessa James is a woman that is ready to move forward with her dream of owning her own shop, but she needs funds and would borrow them from her father… problem is she doesn’t know who he is. So she does the next best thing and becomes a governess to a disobedient four year old little girl that has gone through several governesses! With this position, Tessa will put herself in proper society and will hopefully be able to find her father.

Little does Tessa know that when she’s convinced Guy Whitby to hire her, she’ll also become embroiled in a mystery and just maybe the love of her life… if only they can solve the who’s, what’s and why’s and hopefully the Duke’s daughter Lady Sophy will fall under Tessa’s charms!

This book kept me engaged from beginning to end. Ms. Drake does a wonderful job with drawing out each scene with her attention to detail and I really felt like was there in the middle of all the action. I’m definitely going to be going back and reading the first two books in this series and will be keeping an eye out for future releases as well!

I had a lot of fun in reading this entertaining story. Great characters, engrossing plot and a great romance.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When a Duke Loves a Governess is a good historical romance. It's well written, has great tension, and a bit of mystery too. I enjoyed the characters and felt they were well developed, my only complaint is the pacing was a little slow for me, but overall it's a good read.

I found this to be an enjoyable book. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but I did like how the characters were developed overall. Guess I'll need to go back and read the first two in the series now. ;-)

his is a book that I waffled on a bit, both when it came time to decide what to read and even in the early part of the book.

Tessa (our female lead) took me a bit to get connected with, but the more I got to know her, the more I liked her and found myself rooting for her.
Guy (our male lead) was not your classic aristocratic character. I found him refreshing, even as he was repeatedly putting his foot in his mouth.

With a unique story line, there were several twists and turns in When a Duke Loves a Governess. I appreciated the way Ms Drake had Tessa stick to her guns regarding what she wanted. Add in interesting secondary characters along with a level of intrigue and this is a very enjoyable historical read.

When a Duke Loves a Governess is a straight forward regency romance that brings a few surprises. Tessa is a governess who is wanting to start her own business. She also wants to find her high borne father. To meet her goals, she becomes a governess for Guy's children.

Tessa is a great character. She is well rounded and has personal and professional goals that she works hard to achieve. Guy is a widower who needs someone to handle his daughter and Tessa does just that. She also snare's Guy's attention and he falls for her. He wants to help her find her father, but doing so gets them both in trouble.

I loved Sophy, Guy's daughter, and the plot is interesting. While I liked Tessa and Guy, they didn't totally blow me away as characters. Something was missing, and I don't know exactly what it was, but it made them feel a bit flat. However, the story is enjoyable and its an easy weekend read that you can escape with!

Unique story all tied up at the end with a pretty bow. Tessa James is saving to open her own millinery shop and sees a chance to put her dreams on a fasttrack. She hears of a Lord looking for another governess for his daughter and takes it upon herself to go and get that position. Not only will she make much more than she is making working in someone else's shop, but she will also be able to search for her father. She plans to find her titled father and guilt him into giving her the rest of the funds needed for her shop.

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, hires Tessa despite her unconventional techniques in dealing with his daughter. And he is having a hard time keeping their relationship strictly employer - employee. Will Tessa find her father? Will her and Guy give in to their mutual attraction? Twist at the end to keep the reader guessing.

Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. She has scrabbled up after the death of her mother, when Tessa was ten, to making hats. Even though she was brought up in a foundling home by a horrific mistress. Tessa's mother told her to find her father as she was dying, but Tessa only has a gold necklace as a clue. When she hears that a Duke needs a new governess, she sees an increase in pay and, possibly a way to find her father.
Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his four year old daughter Sophy has turned into a histrionic terror. He hires Tessa to change his daughters' behavior and teach her to be a little lady.
The heat between Guy and Tessa is off the charts. Problem is he doesn't trust her and she doesn't trust him. Guy may be in the sights of the "curse" his Aunt has warned of for years. He now has to find the culprit and keep his daughter and governess safe.
Fascinating, can't put it down, historical romance.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. It held my attention and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and would read others by this author.

When a Duke Loves a Governess is the third book in Olivia Drake's delightful Unlikely Duchesses series. Each book stands alone, so feel free to start anywhere. Though the last book was my favorite, this one was still extremely entertaining. I know you don't - or shouldn't - judge books by their covers, but I found this one simply beautiful with the shades of purple.

Tessa James is a talented young lady who is forced to make atrocious hats for the hateful milliner for whom she works. She is scrimping and saving to open her own millinery shop, and wants to get a loan from the aristocrat who sired her and then abandoned her...it's a shame she doesn't even know his name! All Tessa has is a necklace her mother gave her which may be the key to discovering who he is. While she is working she hears gossip that a duke is looking for a governess for his unruly child. Aha! That would give her access to the world of the upper class. Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, was traveling for years doing scientific research after his wife died. He left his daughter at home with his in-laws, only to come home to discover that she has become a little hellion who proceeds to run off every governess she has had. When Tess arrives to interview for the job, Guy suspects she's fudging about her experience, but he's desperate... and she is beautiful. They become extremely attracted to each other, but then mysterious occurrences come that may not only end their budding relationship, but also their lives!

I really enjoyed this book and breezed through it quickly, barely putting it down. I liked Tessa right away - this young woman had guts and brazenly fibbed in order to get the job. She had a hard childhood, becoming an orphan at an extremely young age when her mother was killed by a carriage. She was placed in an orphanage, which was really a workhouse in disguise. I could understand and sympathize with her fibbing to get the job in Guy's household. And since she took care of the young children in the orphanage, she was actually quite good as a governess. I seriously liked Guy, too. He honestly thought he was doing the right thing when he left his baby in the care of his former in-laws when he departed for his travels. When he arrived home he discovered that was in fact the worst thing he could have done! Little 4-year-old Sophy was an absolute terror who hated her father. It broke poor Guy's heart, and he was also desperate to find a governess who wouldn't run from his daughter in terror! He was hurt before and vowed to never to wed again...and then Tessa walked into his house, and he was immediately drawn to this young woman who was actually able to help bring his child closer to him. I don't particularly like children (again, don't judge!), but as in the previous book in this series, Ms. Drake is wonderful at making her child characters sympathetic and likeable. There were sensual scenes in this book between Guy and Tessa, but they weren't graphic. I loved there was suspense here which added some mystery and excitement to the tale. I don't know if the author has plans for any more books in this series, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed Guy and Tessa's story. She had enough courage to go after what she wanted. When her mother died when she was 6, she survived the foundling home and striking out on her own. She wanted to open a millinery shop and has no money. She had one clue as to the identity of her father and she was determined to find him so she could get the money to open her shop. She knew she couldn't do that toiling away in a shop that belonged to someone else, so she left. She heard about a duke that needed a governess for his young daughter. The daughter is a handful and has been through quite a few governesses. Guy's first inclination is to refuse to hire Tessa. She seems far too young and he isn't sure that she has the experience to handle his daughter. Then there is someone slowly killing off his family. Will Guy be able to resist Tessa and can she tame the little hellion that is Guy's daughter? Even though Tessa wants to marry guy, they are from completely different classes and Tessa isn't sure that she can be a duchess. What will happen if she finds her family?

An unconventional governess, an eccentric duke, and an unruly four-year-old charge. It’s a delightful Cinderella story with a twist.

Miss Tessa James wants to be a hatmaker and Guy Whitby, the seventh Duke of Carlin, is going to help her get her dream. He just doesn’t know it yet. Tessa lost her mother when she was six, ran away from an unsavory orphanage at the age of fourteen, and quit her job in a millinery shop for a tyrant who has no sense of style when it comes to women’s hats. But she has a plan. A plan to apply for a governess job for a duke’s wild-child so she can find the man who fathered her and get a loan for her own millinery shop. However, there are a few challenges with her plan. She is a baseborn commoner who has to convince the duke she is a governess. She is falling for her employer and his precocious daughter. And someone is attempting to murder the duke. Apparently, real life is no fairytale.

Guy Whitby, a botanist who has travelled the world, did not want the dukedom, but due to unfortunate demises of the heirs before him, he is now one of the richest men in England with an unmanageable child who hates him and a governess with a questionable background. When the young Tessa arrives at his door, he comes close to sending her away until she proves that her firm, but gentle ways with his daughter, Sophy, is working very well as she gradually repairs the tentative father/daughter rift created during his travels abroad. Once Tessa confesses her true intentions to find her father, Guy is angry about Tessa’s ruse, but sympathizes with her predicament and slowly falls for her beauty, spunk, and clever audacity to dupe a duke. However, something is amiss when his study is ransacked and an attempt on his life is made. Rumor has it the Curse of Carlin has made it to his door.

Tessa and Guy are two atypical nonconformists in a society that puts status before everything. Tessa refuses to stop looking for her father and is hell-bent on owning her own millinery shop even when her circumstances change for the better. And Guy loves being a botanist and prefers staying home to write his book rather than going to balls and social gatherings. These two are definitely made for each other with their unshakeable resolve, their love for Sophy, and their great passion for each other.

In addition to the romance, there are some surprising secrets and revenge plots going on that makes for a stimulating read. As well as another romantic backstory that I suspect will appear in another book in the series.

As for supporting characters, my favorite is Guy’s daughter, Sophy who is a little imp badly in need of a steady life with the people she loves and it is a pleasure to see her start to interact with her father due to Tessa’s careful and kind maneuvering.

Overall, this is an entertaining standalone book in the series that includes subterfuge, intrigue, and a forbidden romance.

Thank you to Ms. Drake for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

4.5 Stars
Tessa James is an orphan who has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is, she doesn't even know his name all she has is a necklace with a coat of arms that her mother gave her. Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who's crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation despite his misgivings that she's too bold and beautiful-and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications.
Guy didn’t expect to be a duke but the unexpected deaths of male relatives means he’s now a duke
This is the third book in the series & is easily read on its own. This book is my favourite of the series, fast paced with strong characters & a lovely mix of intrigue, mystery & romance. I loved both Guy & Tessa, he’s an unexpected duke & she’s the lowly orphan, their chemistry simmers then sizzles. The road to their HEA isn’t easy as they have much to overcome but it made for a book that I found very hard to put down. Sophy stole the book & was one problem of a four year old. A very well written engrossing read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I received a copy from NetGalley. I requested it and was happy I got approved. The plot might appear well used in other books (Duke falls in love with governess) but this one combined elements that gave it twists and turns. There’s mystery for one. And if you like kids in romance stories then this is for you. I gave it only three stars only because despite the interesting journey to HEA the main characters declared love only towards the end of the story. I guess for some that is okay. But for me I prefer it not to be too close to the book’s ending.

When a Duke Loves a Governess is my first Olivia Drake book and the third in her Unlikely Duchesses series. I don’t feel that I missed anything by not reading the previous two books in the series, in fact I just did a search for the names of the main couples in the first two books and neither appear in this book at all. Overall this book was just okay for me. It had its moments but it had issues.

Tessa learns that Guy, the Duke of Carlin, is in need of a Governess and sees the position as an opportunity to earn the money she needs to open her own hat shop. Of course when she arrives at the house she becomes deeply involved in the lives of Guy and his daughter.

I liked both Tessa and Guy individually but their romance was lacking. There was lust but I never really saw their feelings developing into love. There was no pining and a surprising lack of heat for an open door back. The plot had too many other aspects between Guy’s daughter, Tessa’s search for her family, Guy’s studies, and the sudden “mystery” at the ending, the romance got lost in the chaos.

I struggled with Guy’s daughter, Sophy. Children in romance novels have to be done with so much finesse and Sophy was just so annoying. I also struggled with the casual colonialism in the book (Guy’s explorations, the birds in the conservatory, Tessa and Sophy making a native headdress, etc.) it’s 2021, why did any of that need to be in the book. Just because it is historically accurate, doesn’t make the behavior okay.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Tessa James is an orphan who has gone from watching over children in the Foundling Home to working at a Milliner when she hears about a Duke with an unruly daughter who is going through governesses like water. All she wants is to own her own Milliner shop but she needs money. She has a pendant that her mother gave her when she died. It has a crest that Tessa is hoping to use to find her father. She is hoping he will loan her money for her shop.
The Duke is uptight but willing to try anything to get his daughter under control. He thinks something is off about Tessa's history as a governess but he's willing to give her a try.
Tessa is a strong independent women who has managed to raise herself out of her past, she taught herself to read and write. She isn't looking for a handout she is looking for a hand up.
Guy (the Duke) never planned on or wanted to be the Duke. He has spent years sailing around the world studying plants to write a book. He is a loving father but doesn't know how to show that love to his daughter.
When the two fall in love you think there is no hope. How can a Duke marry an illegitimate governess? You want to see them together and can't wait to see how they manage a Happily Ever After.
I received an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

When a Duke Loves a Governess is another book from Olivia Drake that I really enjoyed. Wonderful characters, great banter, and a little bit of mystery make for a perfect historical romance. I adored Guy and Tessa's love story, and I am looking forward to reading more books in the series. I highly recommend the Unlikely Duchesses series to all historical romance readers.

Where to start? I wanted to love this story as I have read the other two books in this series and rated one a five and one a four star but this book just did not do anything for me. I hate that because I have read a lot of Olivia’s stories and have loved them. While both characters were likeable the romance was just there, nothing special. While I don’t normally like kids in stories (most of the time they don’t add anything), the child in this book like the last book was pretty cute. There is a lot going on in the book which again I normally like, but it just didn’t make sense. I can suspend reality but it was like it was thrown in. The end of the story (where the action picks up) is really good. It might just be when I read this so please read for yourself and make you own decision. There is a hint of another book in this series which I am excited about because it is a kind of second chance story which I love.