She’s the mistress of illusion; How can he trust her lessons on love?Lady Olivia Malcolm Hargreaves is a viscountess, a widow, a governess, the adoptive mother of a disabled toddler—but above all else, she is a survivor. When the father of the young children she’s been caring for arrives on Christmas Eve, drunk and ranting, his aura and her own sad experience tell her he’s dangerous.Heart … he’s dangerous.
Heart hardened after the murder of his beloved wife, Simon Blair is an industrialist who has no use for another psychic Malcolm. His late wife’s weird family is more than enough interference. But his twin daughters are talking to their mother’s ghost, his son and heir is floating objects that shouldn’t float, and he’s beleaguered by aristocrats who refuse to acknowledge his plebeian existence.
When Simon learns that Lady Olivia is in a position to help him obtain the land he needs for his business, and she recognizes that by helping him, she might regain the home she’s lost, they must fight their respective prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance. It might take a ghost, an army of children, and a criminal gang to force them to recognize that they want far more than real estate.
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When the Malcolms are involved, it is bound to be crazy. Olivia is taking care of Simon’s children and teaching them. Teaching them their lessons, but also teaching them to use their gifts. Simon doesn’t want any part of the gifts that his children have because that is what got his wife killed. He tries to resist Olivia, but he can’t. She can’t be with someone who doesn’t love and respect her. She is gifted and he can’t accept that. It had disastrous consequences for his wife and he can’t go through that again. Olivia doesn’t want to leave Simon and his children, but she has to.
I always enjoy reading about the Malcolms, but I was sort of disappointed with this book. It was just nog as good as the others from Ms Rice.
It is not paced or plotted like the original series, or the first book of this series. It took a long time to get the story gooing. For the first time reading a book of Ms Rice I look in the book further to the last chapters to check whem some action would take place. At the end the story was rushed up. It seems as if Ms Rice lately realised that the hero and heroine had show that they liked to make love to each other but had not fallen in love yet, and the book was almost finished.
I also did not found the main characters very much interesting. The most entretaining parts of the book are the ones were the secundaire characters appears.
This book is not one that I think I would read again.
I received an advance reader copy of this book provided by the author in exchange for a fair, objective, and honest review.
I love this series! Though characters from the previous book appear, this is a stand alone book.
Olivia and Simon are very different but have common goals to work towards. As they do so, they build a bond. There is lots of action as well as romance and even humor. This book does have magic as part of the plot which only enhances the story.
I highly recommend this book!
Simon Blair thinks he’ll never marry again as he already lost the love of his life when his wife Letitia died. But he is strongly attracted to the young widow Olivia, Viscountess Hargreaves.
Olivia is very protective of children, especially those with special talents or needs. In her grief after her husband’s death, she allowed herself to be driven from her home by her in-laws, to her regret. With Simon offering his assistance, she is determined to correct that error, especially when she learns of the fate of those she left behind. She becomes a formidable fighter.
There are some surprises for Olivia and the readers along the way.
I enjoyed reading all the sneaky, little tricks she, the children and servants employ in her bid to outwit her adversaries at Hargreaves Hall. Many scenes with the children are especially amusing.
I read a free advance copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.
Another quirky story from Patricia Rice with a HEA ending which although part of a series can be read as a standalone. Both Olivia and Simon have known loss of loved ones and injustice. They come to an arrangement, he will help her reclaim the home her husband left her and she will sell him land allowing access to a new mine he wants to dig. However there are all sorts of obstacles, intrigue and danger; plus a sprinkling of mischief and the use of special ‘gifts’ before the pair also come to realise that they are in love.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Bewitching Governess by Patricia Rice (School of Magic # 2)
My thoughts:
When I heard the next book was coming out in this series, I re-read the previous book in this series “Lessons in Enchantment” to refresh my memory so I would not miss any of the subtle references that would turn up in this book.
This story is about Viscountess Olivia Malcolm Hargreaves, who was intimidated and treated unfairly by her late husband’s family and Simon Blair, industrialist, widower with children with special gifts. We met Olivia, Simon and the children in the previous book as supporting characters to Phoebe and Drew’s story. In this book Phoebe and Drew appear as supporting secondary characters and we get more insight into the events that lead to Letitia’s death. I liked the romance, the twists along the way and the general quirky-ness that always plays such a big part in Patricia Rice’s books.
This is another great read, it can be read as a stand alone book. Happy Ever After Ending. 4 stars.
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.