The Governess Affair (Brothers Sinister, #0.5)

by Courtney Milan

The start of a critically acclaimed historical romance series by New York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan...

Hugo Marshall earned the nickname "the Wolf of Clermont" for his ruthless ambition--a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner's son to the right hand man of a duke. When he's ordered to get rid of a pestering governess by fair means or foul, it's just another day at work.

But after everything Miss Serena Barton has been through at the hands of his employer, she is determined to make him pay. She won't let anyone stop her--not even the man that all of London fears. They might call Hugo Marshall the Wolf of Clermont, but even wolves can be brought to heel...

• ISBN10: 1620510308
• ISBN13: 9781620510308
• Publish Date: 21 May 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Nla Digital LLC
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Linda]

4.5 stars
The Governess Affair was delightful! And I am very happy I have the whole series to binge on, because I just cannot wait to find out what will happen next.
I loved getting to know Hugo and Serena, they were both strong characters, who did what it took to move on forward with their lives. And the crackling chemistry between them was just what I needed today!

[jamiereadthis]

I read this back at the start of the year when I decided in 2017 I would: learn yoga, learn classical music, learn the romance genre. Because why not?

What I remember: the hero is plain-looking and complicated, the heroine is stubborn and unsentimental. That’s what I call a good start.

[nitzan_schwarz]

YOU CAN ALSO FIND THIS REVIEW AND MORE ON MY BLOG

Courtney Milan is one of those rare historical authors who is unafraid to tackle serious issues in her historicals. Most of the historicals I read are fun and games -- and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I adore those books and gobble them up like candy. But sometimes, you want something deeper.

And Milan is the author for those times.

All of her heroine are strong and brave, and shine like a bright light in spite--and definitely because--of the times they live in, which don't nurture any of their many qualities... in women. And they have pasts. Pasts that have shaped and made them into what they are today.

As for Milan's heroes, they are the rare brand of historical heroes that are simply good people. They treat their women with respect, even before they fall in love. They put them first... eventually. They are in awe of their female partners, which is something that I simply delight in seeing.

And this prequel novella is not any different in those regards.

Now, I've contemplated writing a non spoilery review, but that will force me to cut off this review here and leave me unable to talk about all the things I want to talk about in regards to this short novella, and that is so not my M.O.

So from this point on... SPOILERS!!!


Now, this novella touches on perhaps the toughest of subjects Milan has tackled to date (save perhaps to her courtesan novel), and that is rape in Victorian times. Now, let me remind you that a woman could not go to the police when she was raped in those times, especially if the offender is a duke.

But Serena Barton is ahead of her times, and she will do whatever it takes to give her baby the best life possible. It was both heartening and heartbreaking to see her courageously face her biggest nightmare.

Luckily for Serena, she accidentally ends up catching the eye of Hugo Marshall, the duke's enforcer of sorts. He worked very hard to be where he is today, and should be working on getting rid of Serena than finding her charming and resilient, but there you have it.

And once Hugo knows the real story behind Serena's sudden appearance, he will do everything in his power to help her. And you know what? We should all have a champion like Hugo Marshall.

I highly recommend this entire series to any fan of historicals out there!


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Original Thoughts:

I've got to say, I love this series. It deals with a lot of subjects other historicals dare not infringe upon, and I find it delightful. All the heroines--even in this short prequel--are strong and brave, shinning all the more brightly due to the times in which they exist... times that don't really encourage women such as they to exist.

And they have pasts, for better or worse. Pasts that shaped them and made them who they are today.

The heroes are all good people. They treat their ladies with respect and awe, even before falling in love.

I absolutely love it.

[Angie]

The Governess Affair was different than most Historical Romances I've read before in that it's not about a slightly eccentric lady bagging an earl. Serena was just a maid that a disgusting duke forced his attentions on. Now she wants him to admit what he did and promise to provide for their child in the future. Of course, the duke doesn't want to get his hands dirty so he trusts his financial adviser (?) to deal with her. Hugo has no idea what actually happened between them and attempts to pay her off. Serena won't take the money, instead sitting outside the duke's home every single day waiting for the gossip to churn and get back to his wife. Obviously, Serena and Hugo eventually fall in love as they give the duke what was coming to him.

I wasn't sure about The Governess Affair in the beginning. It made me a bit uncomfortable, and I was never quite sure where it was heading, other than to an eventual happily ever after for Serena and Hugo. Thankfully, I did warm up to it, and wound up enjoying it. It certainly didn't fall into most of the overdone romance tropes, which was refreshing. Although I must have missed the moment where Serena and Hugo fell in love. One moment they're just acquaintances trying to handle this situation together, and then there are feelings and they're having amazing sex. I don't know. I liked it anyway.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[celinenyx]

Content warning: (aftermath of) sexual assault

[Amanda]

As my introduction to Courtney Milan, The Governess Affair hit a good note. (But considering I'm on a historical romance kick, should this surprise anyone? Probably not.) Given that this is a novella, my penchant for historical romance paid off: what might have been perceived as too short served only to make me anxious to read the first book in the series.

Let me clarify. I liked this story and its romance, but it did happen on a shortened time line. Which leads to issues. Except what was a rather short plot (though hot and fun) turned into something very cool as the ending sets us up for the beginning of the series.

I think the series name is quite fitting. And I love it. But that's not the point here.

The point is that I liked The Governess Affair enough to want more from Courtney Milan. And I'll probably get it. Tomorrow. Because why delay the inevitable? And if the novella is this good, then I can only assume that the full-length novels are going to bring it.