3.5 Stars - A Heroine to Love
At the age of seventeen, Phoebe Baker experienced a change of fortune. It led to the loss of her father and left her nearly without means to survive -- all this due to one earl’s inaction. Employed as a governess, Phoebe works toward changing her circumstances. She will build a new life in America with the money she has saved. If only her hostile words in an old letter don’t return to haunt her.
Lord Edward Granville, the Earl of Ashby, also experienced a change of fortune. At the age of twelve, Ned was whisked away from genteel poverty to become the old Earl of Ashby’s heir. His uncle’s stifling upbringing led to Ned joining the army to fight the French where he became known as ‘Lucky Ned.’ Everything happens so effortlessly for him, and without a scratch. Ned becomes a bit conceited.
A friend, with motivations of his own, bets it is Ned’s title and money people love. A wager is made. A woman must fall in love with Ned in two weeks.
It will be a woman of great dignity and pride who will change Ned’s life.
[Do not fear! Within this historical romance is a praise-worthy heroine! She is brave, shrewd, and - in her own quiet way - formidable.]
The Game and the Governess involves a wager, deception, and the ways love can change a person. I must confess that I’m still in awe of the heroine’s quiet dignity and the way she found joy in the little things. The wager had me worried. The level of deception was cruel and insensitive, but the perpetrators, namely Ned and his friend John Turner, are the players with the most to lose no matter who wins the wager.
Ned’s metamorphosis from the frivolous noble to the person he became was rewarding. He gained more depth of character than what I had expected. Phoebe, the heroine, remained steadfast. She not only surprised the hero with her admonishments, she caught me off guard too. Phoebe Baker outclassed every character in this book! As you can tell, I truly loved her.
John Turner, an essential secondary character, had moments where he fit in seamlessly. Yet, there was too much backstory and set-up for John’s story thread in this book, but this is common for a first-in-series book. Other readers may be able to overlook this. There are also mundane details that others may forgive, but I felt they were unnecessary and slowed the novel’s pace. The story set-up, John’s motivations, and Ned’s experience as a commoner made up nearly one-third of the book before the romance truly began and became addictive. Overall, The Game and the Governess was an enjoyable historical romance. It’s light. It’s poignant. (I cried.) Its heroine is unforgettable.
(ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
