The Book Gourmet

***eBook available for free on Amazon***

The Duke of Clermont sics his man of business on a governess to whom he apparently promised employ and is now sitting (every day, all day) on the park bench on front of the Duke's London home, demanding compensation for "breach of contract". But not all is as it seems, and Hugo Marshall quickly realizes the Duke was less than truthful, and he has no intention of turning to "darker" methods of turning the woman away...


This is the first book by this author I've read (courtesy of InstaFreebie), and I can honestly say I'm glad I did, since it offered a surprisingly fresh approach to historical romance.
The story was different, not improbable or implausible, because we all know things like that happened back in the day when women lived and died at the whims of men, but becuase I've never read the subject matter in historicals before. It was different, it was fresh, and it was damn nice to read.

The two leads were wonderful, though the heroine's motivations were a bit murky at times, providing a bit of doubt as to her final leap into love. They were fleshed-out, multi-layered, and felt rather real for a fictitious couple from two centuries ago. In comparison, the "villain" ended up more like a caricature than a person, but I guess the length of the story didn't allow more insight. He got his in the end, though, and that's what counts.

I liked the narrative style and voice, the pacing was good, and the epilogue set in Eton intriguing. I'm looking forward to the next book.