As far as historical romance goes, this is an ok story but but nothing too exciting

I always love a marriage of convenience but this one really didn’t have the sparks. I have come to expect from this trope . The main characters are both just very nice and really like each other …

Heat Factor: No kisses yet

Character Chemistry: Two wholesomely good characters being wholesomely good

Plot: Luke is trying to gain custody of his nieces

Overall: DNF due to rampant plot moppetry

I probably saw this book on one of SuperWendy’s roundups of unusual historicals, and, like her, got excited that there were maybe some Western vibes happening in this Victorian governess book, so I got an ARC from NetGalley. And then promptly forgot about it in the holiday chaos, so here we are, in the post-New Years haze.

One of my Smut Resolutions this year was to continue to aggressively embrace the DNF without shame, so that’s what I did here. I may be in the minority—the reviews on Goodreads are overwhelmingly positive—but I couldn’t even with this book, so here are some details for readers like me.

First, please be aware that our two MCs are very very moral. In contrast, the villain is very very villainous. The central conflict driving the story (not the love story, the larger plot story) is basically a fight about inheritance. Now, if I’ve learned anything from advice columns, it’s that wealthy people dying brings out the worst in people who might inherit something. In essence, Luke is fighting with his older brother about how the assets of their eldest brother should be split between them. The text makes it very clear that Luke’s cause is righteous and Percy is being a greedy, selfish snake. It does make for a compelling set up, but if you want some nuanced characters who maybe don’t always act in the best way, this is not the right choice.

Second, the children in this book are nothing but cute little dolls. These are four-year-old twin girls whose parents died recently, and they are perfectly behaved. On the road trip to London, they each eat a single iced biscuit, and then dutifully entertain themselves for hours with their small bag of toys and books. They are not hesitant or badly behaved around Luke when he arrives, despite the fact that they have never met him before. Plus, they have big blue eyes and wear bows in their hair and “cute little capes” (direct quote). I just couldn’t.

According to the blurb, this is a marriage of convenience book, but I would like to inform you that I read almost half of this book and there’s no hint of a marriage in sight. Adjust your expectations accordingly. The big romance conflict is clearly going to be the fact that Luke plans on going back to his ranch in Montana, and does not plan on bringing his nieces with him. Or presumably his convenience wife. Fortunately for him, she’s an orphan with no ties to England, so it won’t be a big deal for her to leave everything behind and start anew in the land of the free.

Maybe things get more exciting in the second half—I do love a good courtroom fight, and there’s the makings of one here—but I’m really trying to only read stuff I’m actually enjoying, so I guess I’m not going to find out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

When Luke’s brother threatens to seize custody of his nieces, he and their governess Aislinn decide to get married to provide a more secure home for them – which is only complicated by their attraction to each other.

It is so incredibly frustrating when you are going along reading a perfectly good book populated by perfectly good characters acting out a perfectly good plot – and then one of the characters does something so incredibly stupid and, worse, out of character, that it completely tanks your enjoyment of the book. This is, unfortunately, the case with An Unlikely Match for the Governess.

And there really was a lot I was enjoying! The secondary plot of trying to gain custody of the twins is quite detailed, but the focus remains on the developing relationship between Aislinn and Luke. I liked that both of them put their money where their mouth is as far as their affection for the twins and their attitudes toward class structure and morality went.

But then, at about the 75% mark, something very infuriating happened. The black moment arrived, that usual moment in a romance where the leads are on the verge of breaking things off. While I do not mind the black moment usually, it utterly enraged me here, because it was achieved by Luke acting utterly out of character, believing and doing things that do not mesh with what we’d seen of him so far. Suddenly he was not only cruel but stupid – the conclusion he’s jumped to being so completely out of left field – and his resulting actions so bizarre that it not only took me out of the story but left a bitter taste in my mouth.

When reading the blurb I thought the story would take place in two different locales, the West and England. But it mainly takes place abroad. The story mainly circulates around the custody of the two little girls left orphaned when their parents died. I was really hoping for two different locales to get a sense of the hardship the governess Aileen would face. As I said before the book is taken up largely with one brother against the other in the custody of the girls with the governess Aileen in the middle.

The romance is sweet, the sex scene is ok for a reserved woman like Aileen. There is even a little bit of sexual tension...I wouldn't say tension, more like butterflies in the belly and awareness

There is not really a lot of conflict with the villains. Which is fine.

Overall, this was a nice, sweet romance. I had to skip over pages since this wasn't my type of book, I found it kind of slow. If I was just starting out reading romances. I would recommend this one...

Terrific book about two people who come together to care for a pair of orphaned children. I loved seeing Luke and Aislinn bond over their love for Fern and Ivy and slowly fall in love.

Aislinn has been caring for children almost her entire life. Orphaned when she was eight, she was too old to be adopted, so she was put to work caring for the younger children. As she got older, she trained to be a governess, and the Duke and Duchess of Havenbrook hired her to care for their twin daughters. She was happy working for them and devastated when both died of food poisoning. The duke's next youngest brother inherited the title. Percy and his wife are not nice people and quickly force Aislinn out of her job. The way they booted her out with nothing was cruel. While walking off the estate, Aislinn encounters Luke Carlisle, the youngest brother.

Luke left home at eighteen, disgusted with the aristocratic lifestyle. Luke always had an acute case of wanderlust and spent the intervening years traveling around America. He has settled in Montana, where he owns a cattle ranch. Luke was distressed to hear of his brother's death and hurried back to England to fulfill Rowland's request - to become the guardian of Fern and Ivy. He is not looking forward to dealing with Percy. On his way to the manor house, he is surprised to encounter the young woman who was his nieces' governess.

I liked the first meeting between Luke and Aislinn. Luke is a gentleman to the bone, and his protective instincts are aroused when he hears her story. With quick thinking, he hires Aislinn to resume her job as the girls' governess, this time working for him. She's a little wary but is equally protective of Fern and Ivy, so she agrees. Their arrival at the manor house caused quite a scene, but Percy couldn't do anything about it. Though Luke thought the guardianship issue was a done deal, Percy creates doubt in his mind. Luke packs up the girls and Aislinn and heads to London to deal with the problems.

I liked how Luke enlisted Aislinn to be his partner in handling the problems that arose. When they visit the lawyer's office and discover the doubts Percy has raised about Luke's fitness as guardian, Luke is at a loss for how to counteract them. Aislinn states that she and Luke are planning to marry, making Luke's single status a moot point. Luke is stunned by the statement, as he has no plans to marry. But after thinking about it, Luke agrees it is a good plan. It also allows him to leave Aislinn and the girls in England while he returns to Montana. He believes they are better off in England rather than the harsh conditions of Montana.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Luke and Aislinn develop. To sell their marriage to the courts, they must appear like a couple in love, which entails attending many social events. Neither is happy about that because they detest the superficiality of society events. Luke believes that he must give up his life in Montana, which increases his stress and unhappiness. Aislinn sees his misery and wants him to be happy, so she pushes him toward leaving as soon as his guardianship is secured. The more time they spend together, the closer they become, and the sparks of attraction they experience grow stronger. Giving in deepens their connection but complicates their plans.

Just as those deepening feelings look like they will bring Luke and Aislinn to the happy future they both want, outside interference drives them apart. Luke says some hurtful things to Aislinn before leaving for Montana. I loved seeing Aislinn pull herself together and investigate what Luke accused her of. Once she had the truth, she took action. I loved the ending and seeing how she went after what she wanted. Luke's reaction was hilarious as Aislinn made a place for herself and the girls in his home and his heart. The epilogue was great and contained a couple of surprises.

Aislinn Blaydon, grew up in an orphanage after her father died since her mother had been gone for years. Being eight she helped with the younger children, so you could say she has Bern a governess since then.her first and only position was for Rowland and Leslie Carlisle the duke and Duchess of Havenbrook taking care of their twin girls, Fern and Ivy.

When food poisoning took them along with most who attended the party. Now the middle brother
Percy Carlisle and his wife, Hazel, are the new Duke and Duchess of Havenbrook. Percy epitomizes the middle child syndrome. His wife is just snobbish and mean by nature. Both have the attitude it should have been theirs all along. They treat all as dirt and way beneath them, cutting wages, firing, and in some cases no pay at all. All to keep everything for themselves. Their child is spoiled, unruly, and mean.

Luke Carlisle got the wonder lust of the three. He wants adventure not marriage. He has been sending home letters of all that he has done. Now he has returned to fulfill Lowlands wish for him to have guardianship of the girls. To raise them as they were raised.

To Percy's surprise he meets Aislinn after she has been fired and thrown out. Forced to leave on foot with nothing, no clothes except what the housekeeper gave her, no reference, and no wages. She has only ever cared for the girls and what Percy and Hazel are doing hurts her.

Luke has already started the fight to maintain guardianship, and asks Asilinn to be his partner in this.so come join in the fight to see who wins, what dirty tricks are played, and what Luke and Asilinn do to keep the girls. Once guardianship is announced their is another twist in the story. See who does what and to whom. What is done afterwards?

Life is the grandest adventure and how you live it is your journey.

Aislinn and Luke are a perfect match it just takes a long trip by both to agree. There are cute twins and money to start the plot. Some surprises as the story unfolds. Things are not always how they appear. Fortunately love changes all.

Loving him was so easy, but it was also hard. So very hard.

Lauri Robinson’s “An Unlikely Match for the Governess” is an absolute emotional rollercoaster that throws you headfirst into a whirlwind of love, loss, and unwavering determination. This story expertly exposes the depths of villainy and despicability some characters can reach, making your heart ache even more for the ones you’re rooting for. Aislinn, the devoted governess to a pair of adorable orphaned twins, Fern and Ivy, faces the terrifying possibility of being torn away from the children she loves. Her fierce determination to keep her newfound family intact leads to an unconventional proposal: a marriage of convenience. What begins as a practical arrangement between Aislinn and Luke, the twins’ aristocratic uncle turned American Cowboy, evolves into a deepening connection that neither of them anticipated or even wanted.

One of the most endearing aspects of this novel is Luke’s natural, though not necessarily effortless, bond with Fern and Ivy. There’s something incredibly heartwarming about a man who genuinely connects with children, and the author beautifully captures the blossoming relationship between Luke and the girls. The relationship between Aislinn and Luke is tender, sweet, and exceptionally well-developed, given the limited time they’ve known each other before joining forces to do what’s best for the twins. You can ✨feel✨ the main characters falling in love in such a natural, intrinsic way. Their love story unfolds organically, which is honestly a pleasant and welcome departure from the rushed relationships often found in similar narratives.

The vivid descriptions, especially when Luke describes witnessing a tornado in America, add substance to the story. Additionally, you can’t help but get caught up in the emotions, whether it’s a long awaited first kiss, the (sweet and tastefully done) mature content, or the unexpected twists that keep you turning the page until the wee hours. There are definitely moments you’ll want to shout at the characters, especially when lies, deception, and misunderstandings come to a head; however, while frustrating, it all adds complexity to the plot, keeping you engaged and emotionally invested (really letting you love – or hate – the characters).

“An Unlikely Match for the Governess” is a wonderful tale of strangers to lovers (kind of)… more like, strangers to partners, to spouses, to friends…to lovers. This book beautifully proves that love can conquer even the most unexpected (or vile) challenges and circumstances. So, grab your favorite drink, settle into a cozy reading spot, and get ready for a seriously enchanting historical romance that will give you all the warm and fuzzy feels. 💕

P.S. It’s probably generally a good idea to never tell a woman she reminds you of a cow… you’ll know what I mean when you see (read) it 😉