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Cape Of Misfortune
She could free him if only he'd let her
Emma was dissatisfied with her life as a teacher in Durban. So when Julien Perreau offered her a job as governess on the exotic island of Mauritius, Emma felt only a small amount of trepidation.
The atmosphere at her employer's tropical villa was raw with tension. Everything seemed to revolve around the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. It was almost as if Julien were fighting some sort of private battle--and losing.
Emma felt an impulsive desire to share Julien's troubled thoughts and somehow free the caring and passionate side of him. If only he would let her....
Emma was dissatisfied with her life as a teacher in Durban. So when Julien Perreau offered her a job as governess on the exotic island of Mauritius, Emma felt only a small amount of trepidation.
The atmosphere at her employer's tropical villa was raw with tension. Everything seemed to revolve around the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. It was almost as if Julien were fighting some sort of private battle--and losing.
Emma felt an impulsive desire to share Julien's troubled thoughts and somehow free the caring and passionate side of him. If only he would let her....
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
About the author
Yvonne Whittal
56 books81 followersYvonne Whittal was born and raised in South Africa, the setting of most of her romances. She started writing stories at a young age, but didn't really get serious about writing until after she married and had children. She got many rejection letters from publishers, until a friend who loved romances gave her to encouragement to continue.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 10, 2021
"Cape Of Misfortune" is the story of Emma and Julien.
School teacher heroine takes a sabbatical from her day job, to accept the position of a child's English teacher in Maldives. The boy belongs to the widower hero, who spends most of his time commanding the heroine or brooding with OW. Somehow, all his inattention makes the heroine fall in love with him, and become fiercely protective of him. Furthermore, there is a mystery to be unveiled about his ex wife's death, further compounded by a jealous OW, an eager OM and a mysterious stranger.
Average book with a smitten heroine and a somber hero. The child was adorable, however, the hero spent most of the book ignoring him which was a serious turn off. This was more of a romantic thriller which isnt much my cup of tea. Ends abruptly.
Safe
2.5/5
School teacher heroine takes a sabbatical from her day job, to accept the position of a child's English teacher in Maldives. The boy belongs to the widower hero, who spends most of his time commanding the heroine or brooding with OW. Somehow, all his inattention makes the heroine fall in love with him, and become fiercely protective of him. Furthermore, there is a mystery to be unveiled about his ex wife's death, further compounded by a jealous OW, an eager OM and a mysterious stranger.
Average book with a smitten heroine and a somber hero. The child was adorable, however, the hero spent most of the book ignoring him which was a serious turn off. This was more of a romantic thriller which isnt much my cup of tea. Ends abruptly.
Safe
2.5/5
December 9, 2015
RE Cape of Misfortune - This one is a Gothic mystery romance complete with broody widowed H with a terrible secret (maybe), a cute little kid (the H's son) who needs to learn English, a crazed wife (definitely dead), a nice H's mum, and an h who stretches her super detectoring skillz by talking to small children.
There are also baby bunnies, tropical cyclones, madly passionate H kisses (when he forgets to be broody,) tree climbing and tour book guides to island historical spots. This all takes place on the tropical island of Mauritius instead of a dark and foggy moor, but this is Gothic HPlandia style and gloomy houses with weird housekeepers are definitely not allowed.
The h is a 23ish teacher who put herself thru college to get her degree, taught for two years and then chucked her job in search of pastures new. Her older sister thinks she should get married but the h will have to lose her choosiness first. The h isn't interested in marriage, she is restless and decides to answer an add for a child's governess who can teach English . ( This is a respectable Harley BTW - so no snarky comments about shagging the nanny.)
The h meets the H's mum and she tells the h that the job is Mauritius island (about 1200 miles off the coast of Africa), she will have teach a five year old English and the position will be for a year, pending her son's approval. The h returns later to meet the H and he offers her the job but he isn't pleased by her youth or lack of small child governessing skillz. The h takes one look at the H and falls in lust - and we all know where that is going.
The h makes her way to the island but wonders why there was no mention of a wife and mum for the son. A helpful fellow traveler informs the h that the H is a widower, his wife died from a fall under mysterious circumstances two years earlier. The h wonders about this but doesn't have an opinion, she is too busy wondering if her sister is right when she says she is crazy to dump a perfectly good job and some perfectly fine suitor's to go off to an island in the middle of the ocean with tons of sunshine, a villa on the beach, a very attractive boss and a huge salary. The hours are bit wonky - she gets 4 hours off on Wednesday afternoons, but since we all know the h is gonna fall in love with the dad and want to spend all her time mooning around him, it isn't really a big issue. (YW makes the h wonder if she is crazy a lot in this book. If the drinking game is played on this one, the word 'crazy' would definitely get you over the legal limit.)
She arrives, meets the mum and the H and is informed that she will be eating with the family every night for dinner but the island doesn't "dress" every night, only for special occasions. (I sorta had visions of the entire island of Mauritius pulling on a sarong and some stilettos for a bit of celebration) The H also invites his lady friend over to share the evening meal on occasion and as they talk in only French, which the h doesn't know, h conversation is rather limited.
The h meets the son the next day and wins him over by promising that he can teach her French while she teaches him English. Then we have a lot of son/h bonding, learning English, a visit to the local tourist sites, and an introductions to a charming womanizer who promptly asks the h out. She eventually gets maneuvered into going out with the charming rake but dinner seduction is interrupted when the H and his lady friend show up to join them uninvited.
There is some witchy comments made by the lady friend on the trip to the ladies room and a passionate kiss from the H when he sneaks her off the dance floor. There is a fight with the H when the h takes him to task for ignoring his son that also ends in a big passionate kiss. There is a big storm where the h meets the H in the middle of the night while comforting the scared little kid and this too ends in another passionate kiss. The H and h rarely meet except for these little tête-à-têtes passionate kissing moments and the h eventually figures out that the H thinks he may have murdered his wife.
No one else seems to concerned about it, but this worry apparently causes the H to lock himself away, ignoring everyone except when the h asks him something or has a date, whereupon he grabs her and passionately kisses her. Leaving the h to yet again ponder her craziness for falling in love with her employer and pondering on just how close the H really is to his lady friend. (Actually she did not need to worry on that score, cause the H's mum DID NOT LIKE the OW, and loved the h and we all know that when the H's mum is on the h's side in HPlandia, an HEA is pretty much inevitable.)
Finally the h decides she needs to investigate the mystery of the wife's death and so when she meets another little kid climbing trees on the estate, she makes friends by talking about his baby rabbits. She then climbs the tree and sees that the perch in the tree has a perfect view of the patio where the wife met her death and the H hit his head causing him memory loss about what really happened.
The h also finds out that the charming rake, who is also the H's friend was having an affair with the H's wife and planning to run off with her. Eventually the h questions the little tree climbing kid during their baby rabbit update and finds out that the wife attacked the H, he slipped and hit his head on the wall and SHE fell down the stairs and broke her neck. She tells the H about this and he says he will think about it.
Then over dinner with the OW, again mostly in French - but the h has been learning fast and understands the conversation, the H announces he is flying out the next day to S. Africa with the OW and the OW announces it is rude to talk in a foreign language in front of someone who doesn't understand it. Where the manners finally came from, I don't know, but the h informs the woman it is a bit late to worry about it, she interpreted the entire conversation.
The H takes off, the h is miserable thinking he is going off to marry the OW and again thoughts of craziness ensue. The H returns, but the h avoids him until the H has her kidnapped by his gardener. He tells her he finally remembers and that he was going to give his wife a divorce because she hated kids and had affairs - something he had put off for years because he was Catholic. When he finally lost his temper and agreed to the divorce the wife attacked him and tragedy ensued.
Guilt free now, he can confess his love for the h and she confesses back, so big HEA all around with the mum moving back into her own home, the wedding on Saturday and the H, h and son will sell the unhappy villa and find a new home on the island. The mystery is solved, bunnies are enjoyed and all's well again in HPlandia.
There are also baby bunnies, tropical cyclones, madly passionate H kisses (when he forgets to be broody,) tree climbing and tour book guides to island historical spots. This all takes place on the tropical island of Mauritius instead of a dark and foggy moor, but this is Gothic HPlandia style and gloomy houses with weird housekeepers are definitely not allowed.
The h is a 23ish teacher who put herself thru college to get her degree, taught for two years and then chucked her job in search of pastures new. Her older sister thinks she should get married but the h will have to lose her choosiness first. The h isn't interested in marriage, she is restless and decides to answer an add for a child's governess who can teach English . ( This is a respectable Harley BTW - so no snarky comments about shagging the nanny.)
The h meets the H's mum and she tells the h that the job is Mauritius island (about 1200 miles off the coast of Africa), she will have teach a five year old English and the position will be for a year, pending her son's approval. The h returns later to meet the H and he offers her the job but he isn't pleased by her youth or lack of small child governessing skillz. The h takes one look at the H and falls in lust - and we all know where that is going.
The h makes her way to the island but wonders why there was no mention of a wife and mum for the son. A helpful fellow traveler informs the h that the H is a widower, his wife died from a fall under mysterious circumstances two years earlier. The h wonders about this but doesn't have an opinion, she is too busy wondering if her sister is right when she says she is crazy to dump a perfectly good job and some perfectly fine suitor's to go off to an island in the middle of the ocean with tons of sunshine, a villa on the beach, a very attractive boss and a huge salary. The hours are bit wonky - she gets 4 hours off on Wednesday afternoons, but since we all know the h is gonna fall in love with the dad and want to spend all her time mooning around him, it isn't really a big issue. (YW makes the h wonder if she is crazy a lot in this book. If the drinking game is played on this one, the word 'crazy' would definitely get you over the legal limit.)
She arrives, meets the mum and the H and is informed that she will be eating with the family every night for dinner but the island doesn't "dress" every night, only for special occasions. (I sorta had visions of the entire island of Mauritius pulling on a sarong and some stilettos for a bit of celebration) The H also invites his lady friend over to share the evening meal on occasion and as they talk in only French, which the h doesn't know, h conversation is rather limited.
The h meets the son the next day and wins him over by promising that he can teach her French while she teaches him English. Then we have a lot of son/h bonding, learning English, a visit to the local tourist sites, and an introductions to a charming womanizer who promptly asks the h out. She eventually gets maneuvered into going out with the charming rake but dinner seduction is interrupted when the H and his lady friend show up to join them uninvited.
There is some witchy comments made by the lady friend on the trip to the ladies room and a passionate kiss from the H when he sneaks her off the dance floor. There is a fight with the H when the h takes him to task for ignoring his son that also ends in a big passionate kiss. There is a big storm where the h meets the H in the middle of the night while comforting the scared little kid and this too ends in another passionate kiss. The H and h rarely meet except for these little tête-à-têtes passionate kissing moments and the h eventually figures out that the H thinks he may have murdered his wife.
No one else seems to concerned about it, but this worry apparently causes the H to lock himself away, ignoring everyone except when the h asks him something or has a date, whereupon he grabs her and passionately kisses her. Leaving the h to yet again ponder her craziness for falling in love with her employer and pondering on just how close the H really is to his lady friend. (Actually she did not need to worry on that score, cause the H's mum DID NOT LIKE the OW, and loved the h and we all know that when the H's mum is on the h's side in HPlandia, an HEA is pretty much inevitable.)
Finally the h decides she needs to investigate the mystery of the wife's death and so when she meets another little kid climbing trees on the estate, she makes friends by talking about his baby rabbits. She then climbs the tree and sees that the perch in the tree has a perfect view of the patio where the wife met her death and the H hit his head causing him memory loss about what really happened.
The h also finds out that the charming rake, who is also the H's friend was having an affair with the H's wife and planning to run off with her. Eventually the h questions the little tree climbing kid during their baby rabbit update and finds out that the wife attacked the H, he slipped and hit his head on the wall and SHE fell down the stairs and broke her neck. She tells the H about this and he says he will think about it.
Then over dinner with the OW, again mostly in French - but the h has been learning fast and understands the conversation, the H announces he is flying out the next day to S. Africa with the OW and the OW announces it is rude to talk in a foreign language in front of someone who doesn't understand it. Where the manners finally came from, I don't know, but the h informs the woman it is a bit late to worry about it, she interpreted the entire conversation.
The H takes off, the h is miserable thinking he is going off to marry the OW and again thoughts of craziness ensue. The H returns, but the h avoids him until the H has her kidnapped by his gardener. He tells her he finally remembers and that he was going to give his wife a divorce because she hated kids and had affairs - something he had put off for years because he was Catholic. When he finally lost his temper and agreed to the divorce the wife attacked him and tragedy ensued.
Guilt free now, he can confess his love for the h and she confesses back, so big HEA all around with the mum moving back into her own home, the wedding on Saturday and the H, h and son will sell the unhappy villa and find a new home on the island. The mystery is solved, bunnies are enjoyed and all's well again in HPlandia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2016
There's a full plot summary below, so I won't go into all the details, but I really liked the heroine in this one. Although besotted with the hero and not at all certain how he feels about her, she's resourceful enough to dig into the mystery of the hero's dead wife. Hero is alpha - cold and remote - but he's a sweetheart compared to a typical Yvonne Whittal hero.
The plot elements were classic Gothic. Heroine is governess to the hero's timid five year-old son. Everyone in the wealthy household, including the hero's mother, is sad and secretive. Rumors swirls about the tragic death of the hero's wife that occurred on the steps of the villa. The islanders are suspicious of the heroine and she is warned off. *happy sigh* Just like all of those Victoria Holts I used to enjoy back in the day.
What was jarring was that this Gothic novel is set in the tropical island of Mauritius. You really need fog, rain and bitter cold and ancient battlements to capture that Gothic feel. (Although we get a cyclone blowing through).
The plot elements were classic Gothic. Heroine is governess to the hero's timid five year-old son. Everyone in the wealthy household, including the hero's mother, is sad and secretive. Rumors swirls about the tragic death of the hero's wife that occurred on the steps of the villa. The islanders are suspicious of the heroine and she is warned off. *happy sigh* Just like all of those Victoria Holts I used to enjoy back in the day.
What was jarring was that this Gothic novel is set in the tropical island of Mauritius. You really need fog, rain and bitter cold and ancient battlements to capture that Gothic feel. (Although we get a cyclone blowing through).
October 9, 2023
Not bad but not my favorite also.
The heroine is a teacher who decides she will work as a governess for a child of five in the Mauritius where his father has a sugar plantation.
The man is a widower, quite grumpy and stern, let’s say he’s not the soul of the party.
Anyway. He’s rich and he’s charming snd he’s always speaking those sexy endearments in French, my Cherie, mon coeur, ma belle, and so on, so the heroine is charmed and seduced by his money ahem i wanted to say, by his ways.
She has been an ice maiden until him, never even enjoying the occasional kisses by her dates, and that was imo a bit ott, since she turns out to be quite a cold fish.
There are other characters, his mother, who wants his son to be happy again, a charming French friend of the hero, and a beautiful woman who seems to be the hero’s partner.
The heroine and the hero clash very often, she tells him his son needs love and not only money, and the hero is angry and of course, being an old school book, he punishes with angry kisses and groping that the cold fish ahem heroine enjoys very much.
The hero is obviously annoyed that she spends a lot of time with his friend, but he himself spends a lot of time with his lady friend, so both characters think the other has a lover.
But the real deal is the mystery in the story, since the hero’s wife died in some mysterious circumstances a couple of years before and the hero was found unconscious beside her. He doesn’t remember anything but the meddling heroine manages to know that:
The hero’s wife was a crazy hoe, that never wanted children and hated her own son. She wanted a divorce and has multiple lovers.
The day of the accident she was leaving with the heros friend, who was in love with her since before her marriage.
Basically she and the hero fought and she fell from the stairs, pushed the hero who fell and hit his head. One died, the other had amnesia.
There’s a couple of natives very peculiar, I won’t comment.
The heroine tells the hero how things went, but he doesn’t blink an eye, the party pooper. The evening after, he invites ow at dinner and they are all cozy and smiles, that sickened even lil old me because it was too much.
The heroine is sad because she thinks he’s marrying ow, and when eventually he tells her ow is only a good friend, which I myself didn’t believe for s moment, he proposes and declares he’s loved her at first sight. He and ow were plotting to go to heroines family to ask for her hand in marriage. Awwwwww.
Not so angsty, not so bad, not memorable. Hero and heroine are both cold and the chemistry is barely there. The lil son is cutest thing ever, the rest is forgettable.
The heroine is a teacher who decides she will work as a governess for a child of five in the Mauritius where his father has a sugar plantation.
The man is a widower, quite grumpy and stern, let’s say he’s not the soul of the party.
Anyway. He’s rich and he’s charming snd he’s always speaking those sexy endearments in French, my Cherie, mon coeur, ma belle, and so on, so the heroine is charmed and seduced by his money ahem i wanted to say, by his ways.
She has been an ice maiden until him, never even enjoying the occasional kisses by her dates, and that was imo a bit ott, since she turns out to be quite a cold fish.
There are other characters, his mother, who wants his son to be happy again, a charming French friend of the hero, and a beautiful woman who seems to be the hero’s partner.
The heroine and the hero clash very often, she tells him his son needs love and not only money, and the hero is angry and of course, being an old school book, he punishes with angry kisses and groping that the cold fish ahem heroine enjoys very much.
The hero is obviously annoyed that she spends a lot of time with his friend, but he himself spends a lot of time with his lady friend, so both characters think the other has a lover.
But the real deal is the mystery in the story, since the hero’s wife died in some mysterious circumstances a couple of years before and the hero was found unconscious beside her. He doesn’t remember anything but the meddling heroine manages to know that:
The hero’s wife was a crazy hoe, that never wanted children and hated her own son. She wanted a divorce and has multiple lovers.
The day of the accident she was leaving with the heros friend, who was in love with her since before her marriage.
Basically she and the hero fought and she fell from the stairs, pushed the hero who fell and hit his head. One died, the other had amnesia.
There’s a couple of natives very peculiar, I won’t comment.
The heroine tells the hero how things went, but he doesn’t blink an eye, the party pooper. The evening after, he invites ow at dinner and they are all cozy and smiles, that sickened even lil old me because it was too much.
The heroine is sad because she thinks he’s marrying ow, and when eventually he tells her ow is only a good friend, which I myself didn’t believe for s moment, he proposes and declares he’s loved her at first sight. He and ow were plotting to go to heroines family to ask for her hand in marriage. Awwwwww.
Not so angsty, not so bad, not memorable. Hero and heroine are both cold and the chemistry is barely there. The lil son is cutest thing ever, the rest is forgettable.
not-for-me
June 6, 2020She could free him if only he'd let her
Emma was dissatisfied with her life as a teacher in Durban. So when Julien Perreau offered her a job as governess on the exotic island of Mauritius, Emma felt only a small amount of trepidation.
The atmosphere at her employer's tropical villa was raw with tension. Everything seemed to revolve around the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. It was almost as if Julien were fighting some sort of private battle--and losing.
Emma felt an impulsive desire to share Julien's troubled thoughts and somehow free the caring and passionate side of him. If only he would let her..
Emma was dissatisfied with her life as a teacher in Durban. So when Julien Perreau offered her a job as governess on the exotic island of Mauritius, Emma felt only a small amount of trepidation.
The atmosphere at her employer's tropical villa was raw with tension. Everything seemed to revolve around the mysterious circumstances of his wife's death. It was almost as if Julien were fighting some sort of private battle--and losing.
Emma felt an impulsive desire to share Julien's troubled thoughts and somehow free the caring and passionate side of him. If only he would let her..
September 19, 2021
It's a good story and a well developed romance.
March 6, 2022
A governess is manhandled by her French employer amid the rumours he had killed his wife.
March 20, 2022
I like most of this author’s books but this one is flat, a little boring and trite.
April 19, 2023
Not very angsty like her older books 😞. The mystery helped, but the reveal of the details was a letdown.
Read
December 7, 2015She could free him if only he'd let her
Emma was dissatisfied with her life as a teacher in Durban. So when
Julien Perreau offered her a job as governess on the exotic island of
Mauritius, Emma felt only a small amount of trepidation.
The atmosphere at her employer's tropical villa was raw with
tension. Everything seemed to revolve around the mysterious
circumstances of his wife's death. It was almost as if Julien were
fighting some sort of private battle--and losing.
Emma felt an impulsive desire to share Julien's troubled thoughts
and somehow free the caring and passionate side of him. If only he
would let her....
Emma was dissatisfied with her life as a teacher in Durban. So when
Julien Perreau offered her a job as governess on the exotic island of
Mauritius, Emma felt only a small amount of trepidation.
The atmosphere at her employer's tropical villa was raw with
tension. Everything seemed to revolve around the mysterious
circumstances of his wife's death. It was almost as if Julien were
fighting some sort of private battle--and losing.
Emma felt an impulsive desire to share Julien's troubled thoughts
and somehow free the caring and passionate side of him. If only he
would let her....
January 16, 2017
It was okay as a pass time, but I wouldn't personally read twice.
November 22, 2016
Great storyline, but not enough tension and angst. Mellow. The relationship between them felt rushed and mangled, no any feel to it while it was developing and them wham... We love each other!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews