I am charmed! It's impressive when the start of a new series gives you both background on the characters you'll see in future books that goes beyond some info-dumpy bookends and a well-developed story between the main characters. I was engaged in Georgie's story while also enjoying the glimpse into the lives of her friends, who we'll certainly see in the rest of the series.

At 16 years old, Georgie Rowe was sent to a prestigious school for governesses by her loathsome step-father, the only relative she had left after her mother died of small pox. The story starts in earnest six years later, as she's the last of her friends to be hired. She's sent to join Captain Harry Kincaid's household after his free-spirited sister dropped her three rambunctious children (and dog) with him before she took off for Egypt. Harry is the opposite of a free-spirit, which helped him rise in the the ranks of the Navy quickly. He has crushing responsibilities that necessitate strict time management and order. Georgie is a bit of a rebel, but she works hard to navigate managing the exacting Captain and energetic children who aren't used to traditional schooling. Of course, they fall in love, but it's a slow descent. That's not to say this is boring at all - there is a big location change and lots of fun moments with the children and secondary characters. Georgie's got some trauma in her background and while there aren't full flashbacks, we do get her recollections of her abusive stepfather.

As a slow burn enthusiast, I loved this story. There's good romantic tension without painful angst. There's a tiny bit of miscommunication, but it's handled with a grand gesture. There's also a dog that steals the show a few times, which always speaks to my animal-loving heart.

I can't wait to see Georgie's friends again in their books!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. Reviews are for readers.2024-05-may18 s2 comments Anita2,319 185

I am not a fan of books with excessive navel gazing. Narratives that are all up in the character's heads give me a headache. I much prefer dialogue and action to the pages long recitation of the why of a character's thoughts and reactions. Boring. Fortunately, the last 20% of the book was a lot better than the first 80%. The ending was wonderful, but it was such a slog to get there.

Duty, Diligence, Discretion and Decorum. The four D's are qualities that every governess must possess according to Miss Prentice. These are the principles that Georgina Rowe, Georgie, strives to live by and pass on the little darlings she will be in charge of, if she can ever get a governess job, that is. Meanwhile, she is teaching at Miss Prentice’s School for Girls, teaching yet another class of girls to do the job she so desperately wants to do.

When his sister dumps her three hellion kids on him, Captain Henry Kincaid is desperate. He really, really needs a governess. His job at the Admiralty is all consuming and he has no time for his two nieces and nephew. He desperately needs a governess and Georgie desperately needs a job. This is a match meant that is to be.

Somewhere between Harry's law and order existence and Georgie's more unconventional educational methods lies true love.

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.arc historical-romance14 s3 comments renee ?109 134 Shelved as 'dnf'

dnf

unfortunately, despite a promising beginning, this book didn't fulfill my expectations.

the plot of the book moved very slowly, with the story taking a lot of time to unfold. it felt it wasn't going anywhere exciting or significant.

additionally, the characters felt superficial and underdeveloped, which made it impossible for me to connect with them in any way.

as a result of that, i couldn’t find the motivation to continue reading and i had to dnf it.


thank you to netgalley and st.martin’s press for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest reviewarcs netgalley9 s Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads654 28

This book was just a delightfully fun romcom. I enjoyed how this story was full of mishaps, humor, adventures, doggies (I’m a sucker for dogs in any book), and excellent banter that made this more than just a historical romance. Oh, and the kids stole the show so many times.


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