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jillmlong's review
1.0
I hate to say it but I found this book to be...boring. The plot was to long. The romance and chemistry was non existent. There were historical inaccuracies that were hard to overcome such as a Duke marrying a maid/governess.
scoutmomskf's review
4.0
Good Cinderella story with a nice mix of romance and mystery. The story opens as Emma, a former maid, trudges through the snow looking for help for her sick daughter, Susan. Her past has made her fearful of men in general and the aristocracy in particular, so she is hesitant when Lord Markham offers his assistance. But she is desperate and accepts his help, and eventually his offer of employment as governess to his adopted daughter.
Jumping ahead three years, Emma has made a place for herself in the Markham household. Her daughter is safe and happy, and Emma is content. Lord Markham asks his friend, Lord Ashhaven, to investigate his daughter's parents' deaths. Ash, who has been working for the Crown for a long time, jumps right into the puzzling crime. Spending time with Markham also brings Ash into contact with Emma, who intrigues him to the point of distracting him from his mission.
I liked Ash. He is intelligent, determined, and honorable. I liked his dedication to solving the murders and that he didn't settle for the most obvious solution. He has a reputation for being cool and focused, having learned over many years to keep his emotions under control. Locking away those emotions enables him to survive the memories of some of the things he has seen. I had a more challenging time with Emma. I liked her devotion to her daughter, Susan, and her charge, Daphne. She clearly loves them both. Unfortunately, her constant state of fear irritated me after a while. She'd been a valued member of Markham's household for three years and is regarded as a friend by all of them, so I couldn't understand her fear of being dismissed for any little problem.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ash and Emma. Her jumpiness around him drew his attention first, his innate protectiveness kicking in. I liked his sensitivity around her as he showed her she was safe with him. The more time he spent around her, the more she stirred up his long-buried emotions and dreams. I especially enjoyed how his friends could see his growing feelings for her while Ash tried to convince himself it was just friendship. Emma was equally drawn to him and surprised that he didn't stir her fears. His actions slowly worked their way into her heart, but she saw no future for them. After all, a governess and a duke are not a suitable match. The emotions between them intensify as Emma becomes involved in Ash's investigation. It takes nearly losing each other for Ash to admit his feelings and Emma to trust in him.
The mystery part of the book was excellent. I could feel Ash's frustration over his inability to get the entire truth about the murders. He has one person in custody but suspects that someone else pulled the strings. He has his suspicions about Lord Amhurst, but the man is publicly spotless. I liked seeing how he and his partner went about digging beneath the surface. Discovering that there was a link between Emma and Amhurst raised Ash's suspicions, even after Emma offered to help. The intensity ramped up the longer Emma had to make nice with Amhurst, and I could feel her fear each time. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Emma faced her worst fear. The culmination had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.
I liked the use of earlier books' couples in this one. Though I haven't read the others in the series, there was enough information given to understand their places. The epilogue showed where they stand at present. The bits of each one's story whet my appetite to read the other books in the series.
#netgalley
Jumping ahead three years, Emma has made a place for herself in the Markham household. Her daughter is safe and happy, and Emma is content. Lord Markham asks his friend, Lord Ashhaven, to investigate his daughter's parents' deaths. Ash, who has been working for the Crown for a long time, jumps right into the puzzling crime. Spending time with Markham also brings Ash into contact with Emma, who intrigues him to the point of distracting him from his mission.
I liked Ash. He is intelligent, determined, and honorable. I liked his dedication to solving the murders and that he didn't settle for the most obvious solution. He has a reputation for being cool and focused, having learned over many years to keep his emotions under control. Locking away those emotions enables him to survive the memories of some of the things he has seen. I had a more challenging time with Emma. I liked her devotion to her daughter, Susan, and her charge, Daphne. She clearly loves them both. Unfortunately, her constant state of fear irritated me after a while. She'd been a valued member of Markham's household for three years and is regarded as a friend by all of them, so I couldn't understand her fear of being dismissed for any little problem.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ash and Emma. Her jumpiness around him drew his attention first, his innate protectiveness kicking in. I liked his sensitivity around her as he showed her she was safe with him. The more time he spent around her, the more she stirred up his long-buried emotions and dreams. I especially enjoyed how his friends could see his growing feelings for her while Ash tried to convince himself it was just friendship. Emma was equally drawn to him and surprised that he didn't stir her fears. His actions slowly worked their way into her heart, but she saw no future for them. After all, a governess and a duke are not a suitable match. The emotions between them intensify as Emma becomes involved in Ash's investigation. It takes nearly losing each other for Ash to admit his feelings and Emma to trust in him.
The mystery part of the book was excellent. I could feel Ash's frustration over his inability to get the entire truth about the murders. He has one person in custody but suspects that someone else pulled the strings. He has his suspicions about Lord Amhurst, but the man is publicly spotless. I liked seeing how he and his partner went about digging beneath the surface. Discovering that there was a link between Emma and Amhurst raised Ash's suspicions, even after Emma offered to help. The intensity ramped up the longer Emma had to make nice with Amhurst, and I could feel her fear each time. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Emma faced her worst fear. The culmination had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.
I liked the use of earlier books' couples in this one. Though I haven't read the others in the series, there was enough information given to understand their places. The epilogue showed where they stand at present. The bits of each one's story whet my appetite to read the other books in the series.
#netgalley
brittanyreadsbooks's review
4.0
A controlled investigator, a scared single mom, a makeshift family, and a mystery. This book follows the story of an investigator trying to solve a murder, and what he discovers along the way. Emma has been traumatized and feels she can no longer trust anyone, much less anyone with a title, so why should she believe anyone around her.
The characters were well written, with fears, hopes. and real emotions. I understand a lot of the other characters have their own stories, and from what is revealed in this book I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and learn more. The murder Ash investigates is part of a larger picture, that I did not see coming at all. This book has the perfect match of mystery and romance. I read it all in one sitting because I could not wait to see what happened next, both in the investigation and between Ash and Emma.
Overall, a great book with great characters that I wholeheartedly recommend you read. Though I recommend you read them in order to truly get to know the other characters, I feel I missed out on them since I only read the final book in the series.
Thank you to the publishers for giving me early access to an honest review.
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