Book Review #bookreview #historicalromance #agovernessofprodigiousskill #netgalley #dragonbladepub #emilyekmurdoch
This is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by Emily EK Murdoch and it will definitely not be my last. I found Emily's writing to be quickly engaging, her story well paced, the characters and setting to be fun and interesting and the romance to be sweet and sensual. Although this is the fourth book in the series I was not lost, it is definitely written as a series that can be picked up in standalone chunks and I am looking forward to going back and exploring the other romances in this series.
This romance is between Helena, a down on her luck actress who has been recently employed by the Governess Bureau and is working out in the country for an employer who is afraid to leave his home and surrounded by his sister and the Hero, his brother, who is a duke. Oscar is expecting a quick and uneventful visit with his family but with Helena there he is distracted by her beauty and the fact that he has a strong feeling he has seen her somewhere before. Being stuck in the country Helena and Oscar constantly find themselves in each others company and there attractions boil over with stolen moments and passionate kisses. Secrets that surround the family and Helena threaten to be exposed and the threat of blackmail seems to bubble under the surface as these two explore their attractions.
I found the setting of this novel to be delightful and fun, I love to step outside of the hustle and bustle of London and spend sometime in the country. It was fun watching Helena grow a relationship with her charges as well as share her love of the theatre with them, I found these scenes to be sweet and endearing, it is also fun to watch Oscar join in on the fun. Emily EK Murdoch does a lovely job of keeping the attraction between Helena and Oscar always bubbling under the actions of the story, and it is fun to watch them find moments of secrecy to explore their feelings. I did find that their relationship has a very insta-love feel, but I still felt that their chemistry and interactions were delightful. When it comes to our third act conflict I was very disappointed in the hero and I am still not quite sure if I think he groveled enough, I wish we would have seen more openness and discussion around Helena's secret that she is an actress so I could understand more what was found so unforgivable about it.
Overall, this was a really lovely novel and first experience for me with Emily EK Murdoch's writing. I am definitely looking forward to checking out more of Emily's backlist and I would definitely recommend that you check out this book or another of Emily's.
***Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC, all opinions are my own.***