Title: Rules for a Proper Governess
Series: MacKenzies & McBrides bk 7
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Genre: Historical
To Kiss A Thief…
Scottish barrister Sinclair McBride can face the most sinister criminals in London – but the widower’s two unruly children are a different matter.Little Caitlin and Andrew go through a governess a week, sending the ladies fleeing in tears.
Roberta “Bertie” Frasier enters Sinclair’s life by stealing his watch – and then stealing a kiss. Intrigued by the handsome highlander, Bertie winds up saving his children from a dangerous situation and returns them to their father. Impressed with how they listen to her, Sinclair asks the lively beauty to be their governess, never guessing that the unconventional lady will teach him a lesson or two in love.
Thoughts: I’ve been reading historical romances for twenty plus years, which means I’ve read a lot of tropes. One of my least favorites is the titled widower father falling for the governess. That being said I absolutely loved this book.
What makes this book so different is that the hero Sinclair isn’t titled. He’s just a barrister, one with two very troubled kids, and the governess is the most unlikely governess she’s awesome.
For the most part when we get a hero who is a widower the marriage wasn’t a happy one. That isn’t the case with Sin. Him and his wife were very much in love when she died, leaving him with two small children. He was in the military and then became a barrister when they started their family. I’ve always assumed that barristers were college educated men, and it was fun to discover that they weren’t. Sin is a kickass barrister and has a sense of right and wrong. His only issue is the fact his children go through a governess a week. To be honest they reminded me a bit of the kids from Mary Poppins.
Bertie is no Mary Poppins and yet she is. She comes from the wrong side of London and meets Sin when she tries to pick his pocket. When she goes by his house just to see where he lives she sees his children in a dangerous situation. Instead of yelling at them she climbs to them and sits down until they are ready to get back on the ground. This starts a bond that affects the entire family.
Bertie knows that her time in Sin’s house is finite because they come from different walks of life. When her past catches up with her, and she has to make a decision of her father and the man she always assumed she’d marry or the man she’s starting love and his children she makes the only decision she can. She chooses Sin.
One of the thinks that Jennifer Ashley does the very best is give up characters that we can empathize with and want to know personally. With Sin and Bertie I think she’s written her best couple since Ian and Beth.
If you love Ashley’s books then you won’t want to miss this book.
Grade B+
This series is on my 2015 reading list!