She will not give up. Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position. Unable to find new work, she’s demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it’s not the duke she fears. It’s his merciless man of business — the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the … the duke’s dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn’t stand a chance. But she can’t stop trying — not with her entire future at stake.He cannot give in.Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition — a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner’s son to the right hand man of a duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess by fair means or foul, it’s just another day at the office. Unfortunately, fair means don’t work on Serena, and as he comes to know her, he discovers that he can’t bear to use foul ones. But everything he has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He’ll have to choose between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love… The Governess Affair is a novella of about 32,500 words.
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Good book. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it won’t be the last. It is the prequel to the Brothers Sinister series and did precisely what it was supposed to do – whet my appetite for the rest of the series.
Serena was a governess let go from her position after the Duke of Clermont was seen leaving her room. In the three months since then, she discovered she was pregnant. Serena refuses to be a victim and determines to make him pay. She knows that the duke recently married a wealthy woman and is dependent on her goodwill to maintain his lifestyle, so she plans to shame him into doing the right thing.
Unfortunately for Serena, the duke has no morals. Instead, he orders Hugo, his man of business, to deal with the problem without telling him the whole story. Hugo, known for his ruthlessness, looks at it as just one more in a long line of problems to take care of. That is until he meets Serena.
I loved watching the fireworks between Serena and Hugo. Their first meeting was okay because she didn’t know who he was, much to his surprise. He sounds her out on what the problem is and believes it will be an easy fix. Serena disabuses him of that notion when she flatly refuses his first offer and is unimpressed when she learns his identity. Hugo does his best to convince her that he is not a good person and that she won’t win against him. But Serena is tougher and more determined than he knows. During the following days, Serena stands up to everything Hugo throws at her, refusing to give in. I loved their interchanges, witty and polite, yet blunt, leaving no doubt where each stood.
It isn’t long before Hugo’s frustration turns to fascination. Despite his reputation, Hugo is an honorable man. The more he learns of Serena’s situation, the more he wants to help her. I liked his solution and the unexpected effect it had on him. I ached for Serena as he followed through on his promise while she hoped for more. The ending hit all the right spots as Hugo finally acknowledged his feelings, confronted the duke, and then went after what he wanted. But it was the epilogue that capped the story and made me want to read the rest of the series.
A delight to read!
3.5 Stars
Wow okay this story was different. The heroine Serena was raped by the hero’s(Hugo) boss the Duke of Clermont. She was pregnant from said rape and Hugo marries her behind the boss’s back to keep her child from being labeled a bastard. He plans it to be a married in name only to help her but they make love, which was really sweet, and they fall in love. I have to say I liked that this story was a little different as it started out with something horrid like rape(not that you read the rape just that she shows up pregnant and she later tells what happened) but ends with a cute love story. I loved that Hugo was so sweet and willing to raise another man’s child. I also loved that he punched his boss for his wife. I thought the end was bitter sweet with the two brothers meeting as preteens. One not knowing he had a bastard brother. I felt bad for both boys one finding out his dad is a cheater and that he had a brother, the other knowing he is a bastard. The only problem I really had with this book was it was too short I really wanted more. Just sayin’!