Temptation of a Proper Governess

Cameron Sisters #1

by Cathy Maxwell

Society dictates that a governess should be modest, quiet, and keep to herself.

She should never contradict her employer.

And, above all, she must not attract the attention of any male in the household.

But Michael Severson doesn't see Isabel Halloran as a governess—he sees her as a woman, one whose lush curves cannot be hidden behind a dowdy gown ... and whose efforts at hiding her sparkling intelligence are betrayed by her wit.

Years before, Michael had left Regency England, falsely accused of a crime. Now he is back, dedicated to seeking retribution—but not to take a bride. But when his scandalous actions compromise Isabel's reputation, he does the unthinkable and offers her his hand—a marriage in name only.

But although his bride's passions are untried, Isabel's sensuality clearly matches his own. And with each day, and night, that passes, Michael becomes determined that every kiss, every caress, will be made with one goal: to seduce his proper wife into tender submission.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

CATHY MAXWELL spends hours in front of her computer pondering the question, "Why do people fall in love?" It remains for her the mystery of life and the secret to happiness.

She lives in the Austin, TX area where she is having the time of her life.

Visit her on Instagram, Twitter, FB, and TikTok at maxwellcathy (Yes, some other Cathy Maxwell nabbed the handle. However, she does own www.cathymaxwell.com and she'd love for you to swing by.)

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sweet stars



Temptation of a Proper Governess was a very sweet read, and it was my first time reading Cathy Maxwell. I enjoyed her writing style it had a nice flow to it. I really liked both Isabel and Michael. I thought they were very cute together. They fell hard and fast for each other, but it was believable. I enjoyed the plot although it was a little predictable at times. This book was a nice easy going read that didn't have too much angst but it never got boring. I will be reading more by Cathy Maxwell!

[Missy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on Goodreads, the ebook has 384 pages. I listened to the audiobook and it was only 7 hours, which I think is kind of short compared to other audiobooks that are 9 - 11 hours long for a full-length novel. I was so surprised when I reached the halfway mark. I was able to zoom through the audiobook. But, hey! No complaints here! Just an observation. 😊

Summary: (some spoilers ahead)
- hero returns to England after a few years (4 or 5??) to clear his name. He was accused of murdering his paramour. He wasn't convicted due to the lack of sufficient evidence. Was that a thing back then, too??
- hero attends a house party where the heroine works as a governess

The night of the house party:
- heroine foils her employer and charge's plan to trap the hero in marriage
- heroine and hero meet that same night --> instant attraction/lust
- H/h are caught in a compromising position by her employers and the houseguests. (Her employers were expecting to catch their daughter, not the governess, with the hero)
- h is dismissed. She goes upstairs to pack.
- Her former "first love" Richard asks her to be his mistress. She refuses him. Then the hero asks her to be his mistress. Also refuses him.
- Richard reveals to the hero that the heroine is the illegitimate daughter of an earl whose son was connected to the murder.

- The next day, the hero tells the heroine he'll marry her. While they're discussing this in the middle of the road, the hero is shot in the back! 😮 DUN DUN DUN!
- Heroine takes the hero to the vicar's house. They nurse him back to health.
- Heroine goes back and forth on marrying him, not marrying him.
- They eventually marry and enjoy consummating their marriage.
blah
blah
blah
- Another attempted murder
blah
blah
blah
- Murderer is revealed
- HEA

[Sammy Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

How embarrassing. I accidentally posted the review for another book under this book. Thanks Jesha for pointing this out.

This book was totally enjoyable. A gentleman set on revenge...a governess compromised.. and attempted murder.

I look forward to reading the rest of this series.




Original incorrect review:
When it comes to heroines, I hate snobs, racists, and spoiled "know it alls", that don't know a thing! So that sums up the heroine. And this was an Absolute chore to get through!

The heroine insulted the hero by calling him Irishman...she intended to used his race as an insult. Did that make her a racist? She also hated that he was poor and Catholic. I'm not sure how he ever fell in love with her because she insulted and hated everything about him.

Oh, but she was beautiful, so her reprehensible behavior was acceptable....Wrong!!!

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet until the villain confrontation

Honestly, this was going fine for most of the book. The flow was
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Liz F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap! I loved this book!! I literally JUST finished it and I had to get out of bed and jump on the internet to review it! Its been such a long time since I've read a historical romance that I've really, thoroughly enjoyed and connected with. NOW I remember why I started devouring these books!!

So, this is the story of Isabel Halloran. When we meet her, she is the governess of a 17 year old who appears to be the nastiest, loosest 17 year old I've ever read about!! Isabel interrupts this 17 year old's plan to entrap a wealthy man into marrying her (yeah, the 17 year old). Isabel discovers that this girl isn't in her bed and deduces what she's up to. Isabel goes down and physically drags the NAKED girl from his bed before the gentleman returns to his room. Once locked in her room, the 17 year old taunts Isabel and accidentally reveals that she left her bracelet in the bed so it won't matter that she's locked in her room. Isabel goes down to retrieve the bracelet and that's when the gentleman in question, Michael Severson, enters the room.

Michael Severson is, I think, the second son of some aristocrat. Either way, he isn't really titled but his family is. Many years ago, Michael was accused of murdering an actress that he was sleeping with. But there was not enough evidence to convict him and he was released. He left England in shame and went to America to do whatever pampered English folk do when running from their pasts.

In America, Michael meets Alex Haddon, a half white, half Shawnee. Michael saves Alex (they don't get into the how part) and so Michael and Alex become "blood brothers" and very good friends. Michael made TONS of money in America doing trading and shipping, etc and he and Alex have decided to come back to England. Michael is determined to clear his name. Alex isn't in the story too much. Michael seems like the brains of the operation, doing the book and the like and Alex sails the ships and does the bartering in ports, etc. And now in England, they are STILL making TONS of money!!

So Michael walks into the room and sees Isabel. They feel this CRAZY instant heat and attraction and start making out. They fall onto the bed and that's when the host of the party, along with some guests "accidentally" stumble into the room. At this point, you realize that the 17 year old girl did NOT come up with this plan on her own. Her mother and father are assisting her!!! Long story short, Isabel gets fired and Michael is disgusted with the whole thing and he leaves as well. But not before offering Isabel his hand in marriage. She says no, that she won't be bought and continues packing her things. They meet up on the road the next day and he offers again and this time, she accepts. She realizes that she has no other good options and she's totally hot for this dude anyways, so why not?

At that moment, Michael gets SHOT!!!!! The party he was attending was planning a big hunt that morning and Michael gets caught in the crossfire. Or does he????

That's all I'll go in to the story right here. There's much more to the story, including a secret parentage, an attempted rape and several attempted murders. There's lots of intrigue and as for me, I was guessing all the way to the end as to who the bad guy was!!! The chemistry between Isabel and Michael is really well written and they are VERY likable characters. The pacing is really great. Not too many laughs but there's so much excitement that I don't think you'll notice.

Please give this book a shot!! If you've never read Cathy Maxwell (I hadn't before this book), you would do well to start with this one. I really enjoyed it!!! Happy reading!!

[Nisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly a memorable read, but it was really good. The characters are wonderful. Isabel is strong and feminine, easy to empathize with. Michael is sexy since he is not a rake (or isn't anymore) and works very hard to clear his name. Hardworkers are oh-so-sexy, especially in after reading about Rakes and Rogues from the era. He's smart too, since he realizes that he likes Isabel early on, and doesn't delude himself into thinking that he did it for the sake of revenge.

I would love to learn more about Alex, Micheal's best friend, 'blood brother'.

This book is kinda slow, since both characters are relatively smart and figure out that they like each other by the middle of the book, but its well written and finishing it was no chore.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um. I don't recall anyone named Cameron in this whole book. How is this a Cameron Sisters book. Maybe the next one will explain that. #seriesNameMakesNoSenseYet

[SheLove2Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Everything about this book was ALMOST good, but not quite what I would consider a pleasurable read. The hero was almost an alpha male, the heroine almost spunky, the villain almost evil. The romance itself was bland and I found myself skipping those parts just to further the story along.

[Fae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. It didn’t feel very special mainly because the plot wasn’t the most interesting nor did i love Isabel or Michael. It was hard to see the chemistry between them except when they were in bed and that was not enough for me to love love them. Felt they needed more banter and conversations. However, i enjoyed the first few chapters of the book more than the rest.

The mystery of who murdered the lady was alright. Though the mystery was focused on quite a lot, it didn’t feel overwhelming. The last few chapters felt rushed. I would have liked to see more bonding between Isabel and Michael. The book wasn’t horrible, nor was it amazing.

[Averie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

This was my first Cathy Maxwell and I enjoyed it!
I will say though that this is not the most memorable thing for me. I finished it yesterday and I am struggling to remember what the plot points were in this book.
My big thing that turned me off about the book was the mystery aspect. But that is totally a me thing, I find mysteries to be quite boring.
I did really like this couple though!!

Read for historical romance readathon

Vlog will be posted on my Youtube channel soon

[Amber (Amber Reads Romance) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

I was really enjoying this for most of the book till the reveal of the villain and how the whole thing played out in the end of the book. It just took it to unbelievable and ridiculous territory. I started to check out and honestly don’t remember a lot about that part.

The first half of the book was good. I liked how they met and got married. They were both sweet and likable characters. I just think the suspense element ruined it.

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot of this book sounded interesting, and the main characters were likeable enough, I suppose. Yet somehow, the novel didn't quite live up to expectations. The elements were all there, but the execution was lacking. I finished the book wondering if the author had really known what story she wanted to tell before she started writing it, in fact.

The plot was so bland that I'm not sure if I can remember it well enough to write a clear review. But I will do my best. This is spoilery, but the story is so predictable that it would be difficult to spoil it.

The Romance: There's an illegitimate girl - the titular governess - and an accused (but proffesingly innocent) murderer. She's compromised, and he offers to marry her because her biological father is the father of the man the hero thinks actually committed the murder. And though she has no relationship with her father to speak of (and admits as much to him), he wants to use her to...well, he has a plan to....he thinks if he marries her, he can... Actually, I don't think the author bothered to explain what the hero hoped to accomplish. He knows the identity of the heroine's father, he doesn't tell her he knows or why he cares, but how he plans to use her in his scheme is never explained, even to the audience.

The heroine is wary of his intentions and is reluctant to marry without love. Pretty common fare for a romance novel. However, she keeps waffling on whether she'll go through with the wedding or not. She says she won't, he talks her into it. She changes her mind. He persuades her to change it back. She won't, she will, she might, she might not. Somehow, this seems to go on for YEARS. While it's not unreasonable or unrealistic that she would vacillate and have doubts, this section of the book seemed to drag. It wasn't so much a means to learn something more about the characters as it was a means to drag out the love story and add romantic tension. As such, there's less "tension" and more "needless and rather dull angst."

Once that's sorted, the author seems to suddenly remember that there's a murder mystery to be solved, and a handful of supporting characters are tossed into the book in the second half. The hero's plan is STILL unclear, but the heroine finds out that he married her for reasons other than she'd thought and feels betrayed. Which is almost the exact moment he realizes he DOES love her, after all! Not to worry, though. She realizes that he taught her to love, and so this is clearly sufficient to overcome her feelings of betrayal. ... Sigh. (I don't think the author knew how to fix it, so she whitewashed it, instead.)

The Mystery: Once the author remembers there's supposed to be one, it's fairly predictable as well. Not much to say for it that I didn't say above. On the plus side, the villain is eventually discovered. So there's that to say about the mystery. It's solved.

The Supporting Characters: I'll admit that the author is guilty of one of my pet peeves, here. The villain of the story is The Villain - an unrepentant bad guy with...pretty much not a single redeeming quality. I am sure he is even unkind to small children and helpless animals. He is a VILLAIN! That's okay, and even common enough. Every other supporting character (who was set up to POTENTIALLY have been the murderer when the author was in need of a suspect or two to justify the story's premise) is "redeemed" at the end. Going so far as to "redeem" a would-be rapist by showing that he actually LOVES the would-be victim and is so distraught that she marries another that he has to flee the country.

A guy doesn't have to be a murderer to be a bad guy, and rapists (successful or not) can still remain bad guys at the end. I don't buy the "rapists with a heart of gold" plot line. I don't know why the even bothered, unless she plans to use him as a hero in a future book...which would not be a book I would read, as it's not a trait I look for in my romantic heroes.

The main characters should have their stories wrapped up in a nice bow stamped "happily ever after" at the end of a novel. Even primary supporting characters (like a best friend who's had the B plot in the novel). It is not necessary to make EVERY supporting character do an about-face in the last 30 pages so that it's made clear they're really fuzzy wuzzies deep down, they've learned their lessons and all bad karma has been wrapped up in a big bow of "it's a happy ending, darn it!"

Bottom Line: The book had promise, but it felt like more of a chore to get through than a pleasure. But if I had to guess, I'd say the author WROTE this book as more of a chore (to start off a series, to fulfill a contractual deadline, etc.) than because she really loved and wanted to tell the story. Frankly, it didn't read like she really had a clear idea of the story she wanted to tell. The plot of this book sounded interesting, and the characters were likeable enough, I suppose. Yet somehow, the novel didn't quite live up to expectations. The elements were all there, but the execution was lacking, at least to me. I finished the book wondering if the author had really known what story she wanted to tell before she started writing it, in fact.

[Mary23nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars.

[Karen Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.

[Syahira · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find its getting harder to find enjoyable Historical Romance since I think majority authors from the sub-genre kept recycling the same characters for everything. One of the major flaw in this book came from Maxwell inability to create a good consistencies with the plot i.e a murder mystery and romance. I've read various Avon books in the past and this one lack believability.

The book focus on the Micheal Severson struggle to clear his name after he was accused of a crime that he wasn't even sure he did commit. His main suspect was his former best friend, Henry because of a fight between them on the night where Micheal's mistress was killed. Micheal was convinced as Henry's father, Marquis of Elswick was the one who are completely convinced of his guilt until Micheal was proven not guilty due to the lack of evidence. Now that he was back in England, he inexplicably embroiled into a scandal when he was found kissing a governess on top of a bed. When Micheal found out that the governess was in fact Marquis of Elswick's illegitimate daughter, he demand her hand in marriage which she refused until someone tried to murder him.

I find the story have its high moment but overall it was uncharacteristically bad. There are simply too many characters to focus on and at times, things are predictable and also plot convenient. As for the romance, it was an instant attraction, both Isabel and Micheal fell in lust almost in an instant. Despite them having disagreements, there's notably lack of chemistry and in span of a couple days if you minus Micheal being comatose, they get married and fell in love too quickly. The love scene is bland. There was a lot of loose plot between Isabel and all of her family which is disappointing. Not even enjoyable as a light reading.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Michael Severson has returned to England as a wealthy, successful man. He left as an accused, yet unproven, murderer of a very ‘popular’ actress. He wants his name cleared and justice done for Aletta.

Isabel Halloran is a governess in the house where Michael is a guest. It’s not a very ‘ton’y’ household, with little culture and fewer ethics, but who else might hire the beautiful bastard daughter of a peer? The host tries entrapping Michael and his wealth using his daughter. Isabel, savvy of the tricks of Miss Lillian, scoops the young lady out of Michael’s bed before anyone arrives. She makes a second trip to Michael’s room to retrieve an evidentiary bracelet the chit left behind. Isabel is caught by the group of men expecting to compromise Michael.

Several plot elements of this novel are improbable, at least to me. If you are willing to go along for the ride (the characters are likeable and the writing engaging), it is an easy, enjoyable read. If you are in a more critical mood, skip it.

Readalikes:
Anne Gracie – The Spring Bride; Kelly Bowen ¬– Duke of my Heart; Vanessa Kelly – Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard; Elizabeth Essex – Scandal in the Night; Stephanie Laurens – Devil’s Bride; Kat Martin – Fanning the Flame; Suzanne Enoch – The Handbook to Handling his Lordship; Kate Noble – The Game and the Governess.

Pace: Fast
Characters: Likeable
Story: Character-driven
Writing style: Engaging
Tone: High-drama; mildly sensuous
Frame: England, Rutland & London; 1803-4

[PoligirlReads · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a weird little book. I'm still not quite sure what to make of it. The premise and characters all seemed decent enough, but there was something just plain off with the execution. After some thought, I think the issue may have been pacing. The pace seemed off, with the storyline taking turns at odd places.

It felt jumbled, like the author (my first time reading her), didn't quite know where she wanted to go, but needed to get there quickly as she was on a deadline or something. Some of the characters seemed to do an about-face for reasons that don't make any sense (don't get me started on Riggs). She seemed to be aiming for multiple redemption angles, but they just came off as weird. I don't even know where to begin on Wallis. What a mess.

Since I can't seem to make sense of this book, I'm taking it as a sign that I don't need to read anything else by this author.

[Elen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few plot inconsistencies bothered me, but overall it was a well written..book. It's not exactly a good romance, but the mystery was above average from the ones you find accompanied in romance novels - actually, I can only think of one or two this decently written. What helped was the admirable characterization - not that the main leads were very intriguing, but they and the rest all came off quite realistic, complex characters who showed capability of erring and repenting. A satisfying read, too bad I can't give it five stars because I couldn't get what I set out for - a thrilling romance!

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very engaging. The 'mystery' is very obvious. The characters didn't have enough time to grow feelings. Everything moved quickly from scene to scene without much development overall. I liked the story but the characters seemed like tools in it rather than people swept up in circumstances. Liked the villain(s) but it didn't really end with the greatest bang. She was barely a governess, just a little at the beginning. I think her backstory derailed everything. Maybe it belonged to another heroine.

[Angela]

9 June 2015: $1.99 on Kindle

5 February 2015: $3.79 on Kindle

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rolled my eyes so hard at one point I thought they would fall out. The characters should have been interesting but were boring, the murder mystery solution was obvious, and the romance just plodded along. Blah.

[Yuni · Rating 2 out of 5]

One word: Boring!

[Topy.Loving.Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I would have enjoy more this story because the double pages stepback is so gorgeous. But sadly the story felt the weight of its age (published in 2004). Maybe if it was a longer story (the audiobook is only 7h long) Maxwell would have had more time to developed the characters and their feelings for one another would have been more believable than just insta lust. I was also expecting way more from the governess trope. The story focused mainly on the many assassination attempts against Michael, but I would have prefer more development about Isabel's father.

The age of the book showed during the intimacy scenes, which were very short and very flowery. But it's maybe this author's writing style because other books written around the same period could have way more detailed scenes.
Finally, the thing that aged the worse was that the hero went in Canada to fight the "Indians" and came back victorious... His best friend/blood brother/business partner Alex is half Shawnee, like a way to make us more accepting of the hero's past. While showing us how British society never stop reminding Alex where he's coming from.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up because I love historical romances between a flustered single dad aristocrat and an uptight governess. Unfortunately, that's not what this is. Isabel was never a governess in her love interest's household, and she spends a large preponderance of the book as a *former* governess. But once I figured that out, I was invested, so I kept reading.

Michael was possibly the most emotionally intelligent historical hero -- to the point of absurdity -- I've ever read. Mostly it was nice, but in some moments I found myself thinking, "no man in 18-oh-something was this patient, this insightful, this attuned to a woman's feelings."

Isabel occasionally came across as wishy-washy. She seemed to balk at moving forward, wanting to hold out for fantastical things while ignoring the good, solid things she had. I wanted to shake her by the shoulders.

Despite these quibbles, I mostly enjoyed the book and I'll continue to read this author.

[Storm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blurgh! The admissions of love were so soppy and cringeworthy.

There were points where the h got on my nerves. She had a choice between destitution and being socially ostracised as a woman of ill repute, so no hope of finding a job, or marriage to a rich and handsome man with her reputation restored, and she had to think about it?? Pl-leease! Her attitude toward her marriage when she thought the H had alternative reasons for marrying her was unrealistic. It didn't seem believable.

What i did like was her boldness and confidence. She didn't take anything lying down. I liked H, Michael's and Alex's characters and their relationship and the plot unfolded fairly well.

Not a book I'll read again, however.

[Strela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why did I read this? Because I for whatever reason enjoy ignoring the books I have meticulously picked out and waited for just to go on Libby’s homepage and read random recently added titles. This is what I get for it. This was boring and very much instalove which is just blah. I’m not really sure what the point of this story was and I don’t know why I finished it.

[Maggie Shanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute regency romance, 3.5 stars. Isabel is a governess in a wild house, she is caught in scandalous situation with an accused murder. She decides he is innocent, he is set on proving his innocence and willing to use her. After several attempts on their lives, the true murderer is found and life shifts into HEA land.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a faster paced story by Cathy Maxwell. I really enjoyed the characters and the bit of murder mystery intertwined throughout the story. This was a very fun and easy read! Cathy remains one of my favorite authors!

[between the covers · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an OK book, but too much current day slang. Also, several unlikely situations/events. The writing was a bit sloppy. If you like a lot of God references in your romance novels, you might give this 3 stars.

[Melissa Fengári · Rating 3 out of 5]

This listing for this series are wild. Book 1 is only listed in big print, 2 is an audiobook and 3 is in another language? Weird af.

This book was cute. Sex is on page but they have pleasure centers so not explicit I guess