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Governess Brides #8
My Fair Temptress
Miss Caroline Ritter, accomplished flirt, acknowledged beauty, and ruined gentlewoman, offers lessons to any rich, noble lord too inept to attract a wife. Discard your silly affectations and your garish clothing! Learn the art of witty conversation, elegant dancing, equestrian feats and irresistible seduction at the opera! With Miss Ritter's help, you can become the most sought-after aristocrat at the ball!
Send your request to the Distinguished Academy of Governesses.
Please, absolutely no devastatingly attractive men with hidden agendas, such as secret missions or vengeful plots against evil villains—specifically not Jude Durant, the earl of Huntington, the most handsome, the most covert, the most dangerous of all the aristocrats in Regency London.
Send your request to the Distinguished Academy of Governesses.
Please, absolutely no devastatingly attractive men with hidden agendas, such as secret missions or vengeful plots against evil villains—specifically not Jude Durant, the earl of Huntington, the most handsome, the most covert, the most dangerous of all the aristocrats in Regency London.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 27, 2005
87 people are currently reading
1214 people want to read
About the author
Christina Dodd
100 books5,909 followersUpcoming:
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 13, 2019
"My Fair Temptress" is the story of Caroline and Jude.
When ruined lady and accomplished flirt, Miss Caroline Ritter gets hired by Paxton Durant, the duke of Nevett to train his son in the subtleties of flirting, she never expects to be confronted by the..peacock! Jude Durant, the earl of Huntington has just returned home to investigate the murder of his beloved brother, and is flabbergasted when his father coerces him to learn how to woo a woman, but things take a turn when his eyes land on his very delectable governess- Caroline.
He soon pretends to learn the intricacies of courting, while unveiling a secret assassination plot, placating his family and slowly seducing his lovely tutor. The heroine deals with her past, finds a new family and is able to rescue her sister- all while falling in love.
A heartwarming and sexy read, with a bold heroine and a cocky yet charming hero. I really enjoyed their chemistry and interactions- and the subtle flirting between his stepmother and father was oh so endearing. The ending was predictable.
Safe
4.25/5
When ruined lady and accomplished flirt, Miss Caroline Ritter gets hired by Paxton Durant, the duke of Nevett to train his son in the subtleties of flirting, she never expects to be confronted by the..peacock! Jude Durant, the earl of Huntington has just returned home to investigate the murder of his beloved brother, and is flabbergasted when his father coerces him to learn how to woo a woman, but things take a turn when his eyes land on his very delectable governess- Caroline.
He soon pretends to learn the intricacies of courting, while unveiling a secret assassination plot, placating his family and slowly seducing his lovely tutor. The heroine deals with her past, finds a new family and is able to rescue her sister- all while falling in love.
A heartwarming and sexy read, with a bold heroine and a cocky yet charming hero. I really enjoyed their chemistry and interactions- and the subtle flirting between his stepmother and father was oh so endearing. The ending was predictable.
Safe
4.25/5
December 18, 2020
No estuvo mal excepto la ridícula trama de que el prota necesita una institutriz para aprender a coquetear.
April 18, 2010
There's no question that Christina Dodd can write steamy sex. Most of the time, she even comes up with decent characters and plot to go with it, but not this time.
I think I was put off right at the first, when introduced with a heroine whose only skill (in her own words) is flirting. I basically found her to be vapid and couldn't even bring myself to care that much that she had been ruined.
Then, the idea that a duke had hired a governess to teach his son to flirt so he could find a wife...really? I just didn't buy it.
The espionage subplot was all right. ***Minor spoiler follows*** That particular plot actually got very interesting in the last line of the book, making me want to read the sequel.
I think I was put off right at the first, when introduced with a heroine whose only skill (in her own words) is flirting. I basically found her to be vapid and couldn't even bring myself to care that much that she had been ruined.
Then, the idea that a duke had hired a governess to teach his son to flirt so he could find a wife...really? I just didn't buy it.
The espionage subplot was all right. ***Minor spoiler follows*** That particular plot actually got very interesting in the last line of the book, making me want to read the sequel.
May 14, 2018
1. 5 stars
Pat and boring. And the whole concept was silly
Pat and boring. And the whole concept was silly
October 11, 2024
This was really quite lovely. It had pretty much everything I love from a historical romance. The main characters had incredible chemistry, there was an interesting sub-plot driving the book along and an assortment of fun side characters. Christina Dodd has a soft but romantic way of weaving her stories with passion, comedy, and some deeper meanings. She is definitely an author I look forward to reading more in the future. There really wasn't anything wrong with this book to not give it the full 5 stars but I guess at this moment a 5/5 doesn't feel quite right I promise it was a fun read and a really lovely historical romance.
April 24, 2022
The more books I rate, the more arbitrary it seems to assign a single numerical rating to sum up all the different aspects of how "good" a book is. There were many things about this one that made it not a very good book. The primary plot was trite and formulaic--you knew at the very beginning what was going to happen, and how long (in terms of pages) it was going to take to happen. The secondary plot was kind of interesting, but it got shoved aside and forgotten for large portions of the book (it was, after all, secondary), and then when the climax of that plot thread arrived, it felt rather disjointed and unsatisfying. The writing style was florid and overdone, and occasionally went for the word that sounded fancy rather than one that would have actually carried a relevant meaning. The characters were fairly flat, standard "romance novel heroine", "disapproving father", etc. Their attitudes and thought patterns often felt more modern that historical. The middle section of the book was drawn out longer than it needed to be, progressing very slowly through a few days, showing repeated scenes that made more or less the same contributions to plot and character development. The very end of the book skipped through several weeks and then months, getting us to the change that needed to have happened without showing us the process of change.
And yet. And yet, I enjoyed the experience of reading it. I normally read during my commute, but I found myself picking this book up at other times, too. Pleasant escapism. Non-demanding. And this is not just code to say "it's worth wading through the crap to get to the sex scenes" (though I will say they did a pretty good job of finding the middle ground between crudeness and silly euphemisms)--the sex scenes were an occasional garnish, but the meat of the story was a fun read.
And yet. And yet, I enjoyed the experience of reading it. I normally read during my commute, but I found myself picking this book up at other times, too. Pleasant escapism. Non-demanding. And this is not just code to say "it's worth wading through the crap to get to the sex scenes" (though I will say they did a pretty good job of finding the middle ground between crudeness and silly euphemisms)--the sex scenes were an occasional garnish, but the meat of the story was a fun read.
August 13, 2016
Sometimes when you read historical fiction or any romance really one needs to suspend reality. To read My Fair Temptress as long as you let that go you will have a rather enjoyable story about Caroline and Jude falling in love.
The reason why you have to suspend belief is that the premise does not make sense. A Duke is concerned about his son not having a wife so he hires a woman that will teach him to flirt? Ok then the son, Jude, is a spy out for revenge chooses to act like an idiot, why he has to be an effeminate one was beyond me. Last but not least the woman, Caroline, has been compromised and then became a social outcast, ok that part is believable but the fact that she who has been scandalized becomes a distinguished governess for her ability to flirt takes things a bit far.
All that said as long as you can suspend reality Dodd writes a great story. I thought it was well paced and did not lag in the middle. It had enough action to keep me interested, I read in the space of a few hours, and honestly I found the romance to be rather rewarding if you will. I really like the descriptions and the characters. Yes it is a weak plot but the rest was quite good. I did not realize this was part of a larger series until I went to post this review, so obviously I was able to follow along quite well. I would recommend this one but if you are leery I would suggest borrowing from the local library.
The reason why you have to suspend belief is that the premise does not make sense. A Duke is concerned about his son not having a wife so he hires a woman that will teach him to flirt? Ok then the son, Jude, is a spy out for revenge chooses to act like an idiot, why he has to be an effeminate one was beyond me. Last but not least the woman, Caroline, has been compromised and then became a social outcast, ok that part is believable but the fact that she who has been scandalized becomes a distinguished governess for her ability to flirt takes things a bit far.
All that said as long as you can suspend reality Dodd writes a great story. I thought it was well paced and did not lag in the middle. It had enough action to keep me interested, I read in the space of a few hours, and honestly I found the romance to be rather rewarding if you will. I really like the descriptions and the characters. Yes it is a weak plot but the rest was quite good. I did not realize this was part of a larger series until I went to post this review, so obviously I was able to follow along quite well. I would recommend this one but if you are leery I would suggest borrowing from the local library.
September 2, 2016
Caroline, an accomplished flirt who is a ruined gentlewoman forced to seek employment. Her only skill is flirting and she finds a job at the Academy of Distinguished Academy of Governesses. Her first job, teaching Jude Durant, Earl of Huntington, the most handsome and dangerous aristocrat in Regency London. He acts silly dressing in bright french clothes and pretends not to know anything about women as a cover to get information about his brother's assassins. Sparks fly between the teacher and tutor!! What is enduring is Caroline's plan isn't to marry the Earl or manipulate him- she only wants to earn money so she and her sister can move out of bad situation. When Jude uses her attractiveness to lure the assassins he places her life in jeopardy and almost loses her forever. A great passionate heroine who knows herself and isn't ashamed of her sexuality or goals for her family.
June 2, 2012
Part #7 of the Governess Brides series. Are they getting harder to like? The characters: Miss Caroline Ritter is a woman of the ton who was disgraced during her Season and has been a working outcast ever since. But she isn’t good at any work. Her only true skill lies in flirting, so she gets a position teaching an apparent idiot how to flirt. (I immensely enjoyed this part as a social commentary - if you raise a girl with the single goal of catching a husband, flirting may indeed be her only skill.) The apparent idiot she is teaching to flirt is really just acting like a dandy to thwart some spies who he believes murdered his brother. They, of course, fall in love, as you’d expect from this romance. The sex scenes were too heavy on control issues for my tastes. Actually, one of the better parts of the book was the ending, which made me want to read the next in the series. 3/5
February 29, 2016
At first I didn't think I was going to like this book at all. It started out very slow and I didn't care for any of the characters. But the pace picked up and by the end of the book the characters weren't quite as annoying.
January 7, 2010
Loved The Book!!!!! A+
October 12, 2021
Distinsa Academie a Guvernantelor
Londra, 1849
Domnişoara Caroline Ritter îşi stoarse cu mâna poala fustei ude, ponosite.
― Trebuie să găsesc un mijloc prin care să mă întreţin singură.
Adorna, Lady Bucknell, proprietara Distinsei Academii a Guvernantelor îşi împreună mâinile pe masa de scris şi se uită insistent la tânăra aşezată în faţa ei. Afară, ploaia de martie bătea în geamuri, stropii de lapoviţă ocazionali amintind că gheara iernii nu-şi slăbise încă strânsoarea asupra Londrei.
Mult mai hotărâtă, domnişoara Ritter spuse:
― Cu alte cuvinte, am nevoie de o slujbă.
Fixând-o cu o privire directă, Adorna o întrebă:
― Care sunt realizările tale?
Domnişoara Ritter ezită pentru o clipă grăitoare. Adorna încercă s-o ajute.
― Ce ştii să faci cel mai bine?
― Să flirtez, spuse prompt tânăra.
Adorna o crezu. Văzuse multe tinere domnişoare trecând prin biroul ei de la Distinsa Academie a Guvernantelor, toate având nevoie de ajutor, dar nu se simţise niciodată atât de apropiată de vreuna, cum se simţea acum de domnişoara Caroline Ritter.
Tânăra era frumoasă. Tenul ei neted, oacheş îi amintea Adornei de celebra poveste despre familia Ritter ― cu patru sute de ani în urmă, domnul Ritter adusese acasă o mireasă dintr-un ţinut exotic, iar de atunci, femeile din familie fuseseră toate seducătoare care duseseră bărbaţii pe calea pierzaniei. Domnişoara Ritter se potrivea cu siguranţă în acest rol.
Londra, 1849
Domnişoara Caroline Ritter îşi stoarse cu mâna poala fustei ude, ponosite.
― Trebuie să găsesc un mijloc prin care să mă întreţin singură.
Adorna, Lady Bucknell, proprietara Distinsei Academii a Guvernantelor îşi împreună mâinile pe masa de scris şi se uită insistent la tânăra aşezată în faţa ei. Afară, ploaia de martie bătea în geamuri, stropii de lapoviţă ocazionali amintind că gheara iernii nu-şi slăbise încă strânsoarea asupra Londrei.
Mult mai hotărâtă, domnişoara Ritter spuse:
― Cu alte cuvinte, am nevoie de o slujbă.
Fixând-o cu o privire directă, Adorna o întrebă:
― Care sunt realizările tale?
Domnişoara Ritter ezită pentru o clipă grăitoare. Adorna încercă s-o ajute.
― Ce ştii să faci cel mai bine?
― Să flirtez, spuse prompt tânăra.
Adorna o crezu. Văzuse multe tinere domnişoare trecând prin biroul ei de la Distinsa Academie a Guvernantelor, toate având nevoie de ajutor, dar nu se simţise niciodată atât de apropiată de vreuna, cum se simţea acum de domnişoara Caroline Ritter.
Tânăra era frumoasă. Tenul ei neted, oacheş îi amintea Adornei de celebra poveste despre familia Ritter ― cu patru sute de ani în urmă, domnul Ritter adusese acasă o mireasă dintr-un ţinut exotic, iar de atunci, femeile din familie fuseseră toate seducătoare care duseseră bărbaţii pe calea pierzaniei. Domnişoara Ritter se potrivea cu siguranţă în acest rol.
September 30, 2019
Seorang wanita genit yang sempurna dan wanita yang hancur, Miss Caroline Ritter membuat seorang bangsawan yang mengajar seni memikat untuk menarik seorang istri, lalu bertemu pasangannya dalam permainan nakal Jude Durant, Earl of Huntington.
Menurutku alurnya cukup bodoh, menggelikan dan tokoh utama Caroline is so annoying, bodoh, genit yg lebay dan bebal....Aku bnr2 tidak suka Caroline. Terlalu gampang terpikat dengan Jude ini. Maxudku Caroline si governess yg cm bs ahli memikat dan harus mengajari Jude memikat wanita manapun biar cpt menikah tetapi interaksi Caroline & Jude dg mulus bergairah satu sama lain dg embel2 gk masuk akal sehingga Caro sudah tdk malu2 merayu Jude ato sebaliknya. Sikap Caro inilah membuatku ingin cpt menyelesaikan bukunya. Aku bnr2 bosan dg Caro dan memutar bola mata.
Malahan aku lebih tertarik kakak laki2 Jude, Michael yg akan dikisahhkan buku berikutnya.
Menurutku alurnya cukup bodoh, menggelikan dan tokoh utama Caroline is so annoying, bodoh, genit yg lebay dan bebal....Aku bnr2 tidak suka Caroline. Terlalu gampang terpikat dengan Jude ini. Maxudku Caroline si governess yg cm bs ahli memikat dan harus mengajari Jude memikat wanita manapun biar cpt menikah tetapi interaksi Caroline & Jude dg mulus bergairah satu sama lain dg embel2 gk masuk akal sehingga Caro sudah tdk malu2 merayu Jude ato sebaliknya. Sikap Caro inilah membuatku ingin cpt menyelesaikan bukunya. Aku bnr2 bosan dg Caro dan memutar bola mata.
Malahan aku lebih tertarik kakak laki2 Jude, Michael yg akan dikisahhkan buku berikutnya.
December 31, 2019
The seventh book in the Governess Brides series (I’m not counting the prequel) and I think this might have been my favourite of all the Governess Brides so far. I have always had a weak spot for the Scarlet Pimpernel disguise romances – hard to pull off, but CD did an outstanding job here. And I really liked that Caroline’s skill was something that was really applicable to her life in the ton – or ex life as it was. Flirting!
This was a lot of fun, and it had a good storyline to go with it that fit in nicely with the governess / spy thing that had progressed throughout the series. This started a new storyline since the spy storyline had ended with the previous book, and introduced the world of Moracadia, which I sense will be the prevailing storyline in the next few books in this series.
Not perfect, but I liked this a lot a lot.
This was a lot of fun, and it had a good storyline to go with it that fit in nicely with the governess / spy thing that had progressed throughout the series. This started a new storyline since the spy storyline had ended with the previous book, and introduced the world of Moracadia, which I sense will be the prevailing storyline in the next few books in this series.
Not perfect, but I liked this a lot a lot.
January 6, 2025
She an expert on flirting and he's got a bad sense of fashion who's secretly a spy trying to save the queen. Stop there, you have a nice little plot and enough for a fun book. Unfortunately, this book is bogged down by too many subplots:
- Crazy stalker from her past that keeps showing up random places (plot never amounts to anything).
- Greedy and evil father bent on stealing her $10,000 pounds(plot never amounts to anything).
- Evil butler who just really doesn't like people (plot never amounts to anything).
- Little sister who might, or might not, one day be pretty (are they setting up another book?)
- Crazy stalker from her past that keeps showing up random places (plot never amounts to anything).
- Greedy and evil father bent on stealing her $10,000 pounds(plot never amounts to anything).
- Evil butler who just really doesn't like people (plot never amounts to anything).
- Little sister who might, or might not, one day be pretty (are they setting up another book?)
July 9, 2021
In the beginning it seemed similar to sherry Thomas “his at night” but as the story progressed it made little sense. The whole premise as Caroline puts it herself is “pretty stupid” which wouldn’t have mattered so much if there had been any relationship development between the two mains instead of just lust
August 27, 2024
3 stars!
I really enjoyed the story in the middle section. Them falling for each other was great, and although the love they have is forbidden- the male lead really doesn't seem to care. But I do have a few things that I like, and quite a bit I dislike or was confused about.
Things I enjoyed:
-Caroline has a really nice personality and an understandable emotional dilemma when it comes to how she should react towards Lord Freshfield's actions- people insist she must be angry, but based on the way she was raised, she insists that she got what she deserved and suffered proper consequences. It's a great way to build up to the final anger she feels.
-Lord Huntington and Caroline do have pretty good banter when it comes to him learning how to flirt
-The scenes where they kiss are very vividly described, and I appreciate that
-We love a supportive MIL that makes sure you know you're cared for and loved, even when you have nobody else.
Things I didn't enjoy:
-Lord Huntington's backstory and spy story kind of just come out of left field. I knew his brother had passed, but to discuss bringing an unwanted guest to a get together straight into a traumatic flashback to finding his brother dead and seeking revenge kind of gave me whiplash, and I had to put the book down for a bit.
-The ending fight was personally lackluster. They show up, almost kill the guy, then the other guy kills the guy, and Caroline is angry? I kind of just skimmed that part. There was really nothing interesting going on for me, because there hadn't been anything like it, and it all seemed to just dissolve quickly.
Overall, it was a good story!
I really enjoyed the story in the middle section. Them falling for each other was great, and although the love they have is forbidden- the male lead really doesn't seem to care. But I do have a few things that I like, and quite a bit I dislike or was confused about.
Things I enjoyed:
-Caroline has a really nice personality and an understandable emotional dilemma when it comes to how she should react towards Lord Freshfield's actions- people insist she must be angry, but based on the way she was raised, she insists that she got what she deserved and suffered proper consequences. It's a great way to build up to the final anger she feels.
-Lord Huntington and Caroline do have pretty good banter when it comes to him learning how to flirt
-The scenes where they kiss are very vividly described, and I appreciate that
-We love a supportive MIL that makes sure you know you're cared for and loved, even when you have nobody else.
Things I didn't enjoy:
-Lord Huntington's backstory and spy story kind of just come out of left field. I knew his brother had passed, but to discuss bringing an unwanted guest to a get together straight into a traumatic flashback to finding his brother dead and seeking revenge kind of gave me whiplash, and I had to put the book down for a bit.
-The ending fight was personally lackluster. They show up, almost kill the guy, then the other guy kills the guy, and Caroline is angry? I kind of just skimmed that part. There was really nothing interesting going on for me, because there hadn't been anything like it, and it all seemed to just dissolve quickly.
Overall, it was a good story!
June 9, 2018
It seems the further the series goes the more it moves away from governesses and into the spy game. I'm not complaining, though.
I really liked the chemistry between this book's main characters. Dodd's writing never disappoints.
I really liked the chemistry between this book's main characters. Dodd's writing never disappoints.
October 6, 2019
most enjoyable with excellent characters, juicy h/h, little angst, much humor, and sub plots. showing two layers of english society and the quirky character of Harry veteran of Nelson's battle who lost his legs. engaging, recommended.
December 31, 2019
I enjoyed this historical romance and I can see why Christina Dodd is a New York Times best selling author. She easily married romance, suspense and period drama. Plus I love when there are strong and independent women characters and this book has a few!
February 25, 2021
I love this book. I first read it about a decade ago and I really enjoyed it, but kind of forgot it was on my shelf. I have started reading the whole series 2 years ago and just got back to this one. I rediscovered my love for it.
May 8, 2023
Very much enjoyed my first Christina Dodd historical romance! I don't have any complaints except maybe the FMC could have done some of the damage to the guys that did her wrong, but it was ok that MMC handled it.
November 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this one!
Caroline was once the Belle of the season until a horrible man ruined her reputation and she became an outcast.
Jude’s brother was murdered and he plays to punch those that did it. He is playing a part and now Caroline is wrapped up in it.
Caroline was once the Belle of the season until a horrible man ruined her reputation and she became an outcast.
Jude’s brother was murdered and he plays to punch those that did it. He is playing a part and now Caroline is wrapped up in it.
February 7, 2019
This book was a pure delight to read. Christina's method of writing engenders nothing but intense admiration. 5 stars for the pleasure I got from flipping pages!
March 24, 2019
3.5 stars
January 22, 2020
The spy story that runs underneath each story in thus series keeps it lively and fun.
April 14, 2021
This went in a different direction than I expected but it was still a lot of fun. First book I’ve read by this author as well but I liked it! Good random thrift store find.
May 21, 2022
Fun quick read with a healthy dose of steam.
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