Governesses are not supposed to fall in love. Governesses are not supposed to marry. Governesses don’t always follow society’s conventions.Til’ All the Seas Gang Dry by Josi S. KilpackIt has been six years since Dina left London and David and whatever fantasy she had allowed to grow in the months of flirtation that had nearly overtaken them both. Now, David is getting married and he and his … married and he and his fiancé are guests at the home where Dina works as a governess. Convinced the connection they felt was nothing more than childhood fancy, Dina is taken by surprise to find that her feelings have not changed, and, she fears, David’s have not either. Still, she is determined not to interfere with the life he has worked so hard to build … until she realizes that his fiancé is not nearly as committed to him as he is to her. No one will trust her motivations for revealing the truth, not even David, and she could ruin everything she had built here, but if it spares David heartbreak, is it worth the sacrifice?
The One-Year Governess by Heather B. Moore
When Emmeline Finch’s best friend becomes betrothed to the man Emmeline had picked out for herself, she decides she needs to get away for one year. Her aunt has the perfect solution. Become a governess for two children who are under the guardianship of their uncle, Captain Jasper Ridout. But when Emmeline arrives at the home, she finds the Captain not at all ancient as she assumed, but a man only a handful of years older than she, and most certainly single.
Visible by Julie Daines
Orphaned at a young age, Sarah Woolsey’s prospects for a meaningful future are grim, especially as a housemaid in the home of the handsome but aloof Arthur Selwood. When an abandoned child is left at Mr. Selwood’s door, Sarah is elevated from housemaid to governess in the blink of an eye. But with a man she’s running from closing in, Sarah is desperate to escape. Leaving would mean breaking the trust of the child she’s come to love, not to mention her growing attachment to Mr. Selwood.
From the publisher of the USA TODAY bestselling & #1 Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology series in Regency Romance: To Love a Governess is a Timeless Romance Anthology® book
Timeless Regency Collections:
AUTUMN MASQUERADE
A MIDWINTER BALL
SPRING IN HYDE PARK
SUMMER HOUSE PARTY
A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
A HOLIDAY IN BATH
FALLING FOR A DUKE
A NIGHT IN GROSVENOR SQUARE
ROAD TO GRETNA GREEN
WEDDING WAGERS
AN EVENING AT ALMACK’S
A WEEK IN BRIGHTON
Timeless Romance Anthology® is a registered trademark of Mirror Press, LLC
more
Another wonderful collection of stories from some of my favorite authors! Each is unique and full of vibrant and interesting characters, with dilemmas and struggles and sacrifices. The position of a governess in society is kind of a floating middle ground between the upper and lower classes, and their future could go either way, depending on their connections. The stories were each long enough to feel more substantial than a regular novella, and I loved the way both the characters and plot had space to develop. I enjoyed them all equally, and plan to re-read this collection again in the future when I’m in a reading rut 😉
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
I loved this set of novellas. All three were so fun, but my most favorite was the One Year Governess! These were all three sweet, clean romances.
To Love A Governess (4.5 stars)
(This review contains spoilers)
I will begin this triple-review by saying that the crossing of social classes is not a trope I enjoy. Awkwardness and/or some modern glossing over of the reality of past times will be the result.
These stories all did a very good job of being believable despite the trope of crossing social lines in the regency.
Til’ All The Seas Gang Dry by Josie Kilpatrick (4 stars)
The character of Dina was drawn exceedingly well and hers are the thoughts we hear in this narrative. Her inner struggle to do what she has been told is best for the man she loves is admirable.
Luckily, she loves a man who is honorable and not afraid to socially confront his fiancé in front of an entire house party and his controlling mother.
Definite social awkwardness with a promise that it will continue to a certain degree throughout their lives, balanced by the promise of happiness as a married couple who will be faithful and loving to one another.
Ms. Kilpatrick succeeded in making this difficult trope believable. She is a talented writer who writes characters who cope with serious troubles. She gives her characters their HEA’s but there are struggles and personal growth before the reward. (Her writing is so much more complex than that, but that short blurb will have to suffice.) I highly recommend her full-length novels, as well as shorter stories like this one.
The One-Year Governess by Heather B. Moore (4 stars)
This story was much easier to read because the master and the governess were basically equal in social standing. They both unselfishly work to help his niece and nephew, who lost their parents in an accident, to heal.
I wondered about the suitability of the two of them alone so often with only the children as chaperones and many times not even them. There was the occasional word choice that felt too modern and the whole set up at the house with this single man and single woman with a very small staff felt like it wouldn’t have happened back then without raising gossip. (But I could be wrong, Ms. Moore does tend to do her research.)
A delightful story! Ms. Moore is a favorite author of mine. She doesn’t have too much angst and we get to spend more time with a couple in love, which is why I enjoy romance!
Visible by Julie Daines (5 stars)
What a main character! Sarah Woolsey and her rambling dialogues, both internal and spoken, are adorably sweet and wise, all at the same time! Her caring soul and sympathetic observations are the epitome of a nurturing personality; something both Rose and Mr. Selwood need. Her slightly humorous observations and situations are a delight to read. (In fact, I enjoyed this story so much I read it twice in a row!)
Sarah’s personality was uniquely written and was a breath of fresh air. Well-done, Ms. Daines!
Ms. Daines has always been a favorite author of mine and so whenever I see a new book out by her, I grab it!
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
Every time a Timeless Regency collection comes out I say how much I love them. What’s not to love? Three novellas by different authors with their take on the theme
TIL’ ALL THE SEAS GANG DRY by Josi S. Kilpack—Dina and David spent summers together when they were younger, but haven’t seen each other for 6 years. Dina’s feelings for him run so deep she still hasn’t read the letters he sent her 6 years ago! They’re together again only because a David and his betrothed are attending a house party where Dina is the governess. Does David’s betrothed have feelings for another? Dina comes across evidence that says that’s more than a possibility, but she wants David to be happy.
Dina is a great character. She’s self-sacrificing as proven when she left London to go back to Scotland six years ago. As she said “Sometimes the right thing was not the least painful one, and sometimes you took all the pain upon yourself to spare someone you cared about from having to feel it too.” David is also a wonderful character who’s followed the path his mother laid out for him, but he wants a love that will stand through time, not a business arrangement. I wanted a final scene with his mother whom I really didn’t like.
THE ONE YEAR GOVERNESS by Heather B. Moore—Emmaline Finch decides to be a governess to escape the pain of her best friend marrying a man she thought might care for her. It won’t be forever, just until her next birthday when Emmaline will inherit the small cottage left to her by her father. After 10 years in the Royal Navy, Captain Hudson Ridout is ready to retire to a quiet life, but instead, finds himself the guardian of a nephew and niece he’s never met. This man could definitely use a governess.
Emmaline was just what this broken family needed. She was like a breath of fresh air after the six months Hudson had spent trying to take care of the children without a governess. I loved picturing Hudson carving figure after figure, after figure for the army and all its support personnel. His escapades with the available women he encountered at his first soiree made me laugh. I really enjoyed this tender love story.
VISABLE by Julie Daines—Sarah Woolsey is a housemaid at the home of Mr. Selwood, and she admits she’s not a very good one. When she happens to answer the door to find an abandoned child with a note pinned to her jacket, Mr. Selwood promotes Sarah to the position of governess when he learns of her formal schooling.
Sarah is a great character. She really doesn’t fit as a maid because she can’t seem to remain “invisible”. She can’t seem to stop herself once she starts talking which gets her into a couple of situations, but then there’s the tender side of her when she’s taking care of the child, Rosie. Mr. Selwood’s no slouch either and I loved how Sarah’s able to get Mr. Selwood to reveal things about himself.
I loved these novellas and couldn’t pick a favorite as they’re all different.
I’ve always been a little fascinated with a good governess story, especially because of The Sound of Music. In TIL’ ALL THE SEAS GANG DRY, we are treated to a Scottish governess who meets up with her childhood friend, turned first love, once again and the sparks are still there. I loved the twists and turns that emerged in this sweet friends-to-lovers story and found myself smiling a lot at the great characters and swoon. This was the perfect start to the set.
This collection continues with THE ONE-YEAR GOVERNESS, which was the scrumptious middle filling of the book. Emmeline is looking for a break and forces her way in as governess for a newly retired naval captain who has inherited two children. I loved the sweet and matter-of-fact interactions that resulted and these characters all stole my heart. Emmeline completely wormed her way into everyone’s heart, including mine and I couldn’t get enough of her unexpected romance.
The icing on the cake was VISIBLE. Sarah has a way of talking too much, which inadvertently lands her in some sticky, yet adorable, situations. She was quickly raised from housemaid to governess, and her heart and desires quickly shift with that change. I loved Sarah’s character and, once again, swooned with her romantic whispers. This whole collection was purely delightful and I enjoyed it all immensely.
Content: mild romance
*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Overall rating 4.5 stars
This is an anthology full of short stories filled with interesting, sweet romances. Each story is unique and approaches love from a different viewpoint. These stories are clean reads and are well edited.
• I connected with the story Til’ All the Seas Gang Dry by Josi S. Kilpack. It was a very touching love story of self sacrifice. The author painted great emotional and visual pictures. This made it possible for me to become invested in the lives of Dina and David.
• Heather Moore’s The One-Year Governess explores what is most important in life for Emmaline. Will it be her upcoming inheritance or a chance for love and a family? The romance in this story between the main characters was very believable and it developed naturally.
• The last story, Visible by Julie Daines, was very good. However, it took me awhile before I could relate to Sarah. In the beginning, she prattled too much and came across as not smart, eventhough she had gone to school. Sarah’s employer, Mr. Selwood, was a character you wanted to dissect to find out who he was and what made him that way.
I recommend this anthology to readers who enjoy clean regency romances. I really enjoyed my time spent reading these stories. I received an advance copy from the author. My review was voluntary and my opinions were my own.