Governess Rosalind and her employer, new marquess Michael, work together to protect his debutante ward from a predatory suitor. Despite the growing connection between Rosalind and Michael, she hesitates to trust him, given their differences in social standing.

This book is hilarious. It’s smart and fun to read. No-nonsense Rosalind is businesslike but has been deeply hurt. Michael’s kindness helps her blossom.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Rosalind Hinchcliffe is governess and companion to Lady Susannah Caldicot, 17. The young woman has always been very willful with many people washing their hands of her. She is known to throw childish temper tantrums if she doesn’t get her way. Rosalind has a big job trying to calm the girl and to find ways to get her to listen to good advice. Susannah is the ward of Lord Michael Caldicot, Sixth Marquess of Caldicot. Her widowed Aunt, Lady Birchwood is trying to put the young girl out in society but her ways are quite trying for the woman.
Susannah has decided that she is in love with Cecil Baxter, a young man totally unsuitable for her. She declares that she will elope with him. So, one evening while Rosalind is quietly reading in her room while Susannah is at a soiree, Cecil Baxter, climbs up to the window thinking it’s Susannah’s room. Rosalind is so frightened, she throws a book at him knocking him down to the ground where he lands in some bushes. She finds him outside with what appears to be blood and thinks that she has killed him. Michael comes home just then and finds the man groaning who then runs away.

The next day, Michael suggests to Rosalind that she be outfitted with a nice wardrobe and accompany Susannah to her events. Although Rosalind feels out of place at these events, she strives to see that Susannah is safe. When Michael unexpectedly asks Rosalind to dance, both of them are mesmerized by the other. Is there a chance they might get together?

This book is a bit slow at times but It is quite nice. It’s clean But with the promise of more love to come. There’s a lot of subtle humor here too so come and enjoy this book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Right off the bat, I had an issue with the title of this book. Even though Rosalind had supposedly originally been hired to be a governess to Susannah, by the time this book takes place, Susannah is out is society and searching for a husband. Therefore, she would no longer have a need for a governess, and in fact, Rosalind is referenced at times as her companion, which would have made more sense especially when she started attending balls and other functions with her.

The second issue that I had was the insta-love between Michael and Rosalind (although it would appear she had harbored feelings for a much longer period of time, since shortly after she was hired). The problem I had with this was largely due to the fact hat both Rosalind and Michael spend way too much time lost in their own thoughts than actually speaking to each other (or in some cases even paying attention to the things they should be paying attention to). For example, Rosalind is told by Lady Birchwood that a certain naval officer was an inappropriate suitor for Susannah, and it makes her wonder if Michael's objections to another suitor (a Mr.Baxter) were as silly. But instead of simply asking him for the truth, she just goes on wondering about Michael's motivations. And although I enjoy being privy to the inner thoughts of characters, I needed to see more interactions between them that weren't them speaking about Susannah, or Rosalind doing something rash and Michael trying to talk her down to really believe in any attraction between them that went beyond the physical.

I will note that I found it curious that at no time, did Michael consider Rosalind an inappropriate match for himself, despite the fact that she was. Her grandfather may have been a General (therefore making her more appealing to the solider side of him), but she did not have the breeding or connections that would have made her an acceptable match for a Marquess. Yet, for some reason this inequality was never mentioned as a potential deterrent for either of them.

One last, and final really big issue I had is with the final showdown between our villain and our main characters. Michael becomes so focused on Rosalind and her well-being that he leaves Susannah to tie up the villain (who is now known to be violent in nature), before leaving said villain alone with Susannah and his aunt instead of staying with them until the blighter was removed from the house.

Now, I fully understand that I will likely be in the minority here with my thoughts as the story itself is well-written, it just didn't resonate with me the way I wanted it to. However, I do think it will appeal to others who enjoy historical romance novels, and I would read more from this author in the future.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Rosalind is glad to get hired to be a governess even though her charge is a spoiled debutante. When soldier Michael hires the governess, he hopes she can tame his ward. While Rosalind appears prim and proper, Michael finds that she is constantly getting herself in trouble. They are attracted to each other but know they are not in the same social circles. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin for my honest review.

I'm not a fan of the insta-love, and that's how this book started. I was willing to still give it a try, but sadly, despite an interesting premise, this one missed the mark for me. Characters were underdeveloped and annoying, which made it really hard to care about the outcome. I have never read any books by this author in the past, but I might be willing to check out at least one more book in the future.

This book was a bit to tropey for me. It starts out with insta love on the governesses part. The annoying, overgrown charge of the governess does not help the storyline. The idea of the story has promise, but fell flat.