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Dear Lady Truelove #3
Governess Gone Rogue
Dear Lady Truelove...
My twin brother and I need a new mother, though Papa insists he'll never marry again. Must be nice, brainy, and fond of cats...
Lady Truelove may be London's most famous advice columnist, but James St. Clair, the Earl of Kenyon, knows his wild young sons need a tutor, not a new mother. They need a man tough enough to make his hellions tow the line, and James is determined to find one.
Miss Amanda Leighton, former schoolteacher and governess, knows she has all the qualifications to be a tutor. And while female tutors are unheard of, Amanda isn't about to lose the chance at her dream job because of pesky details like that. If Lord Kenyon insists on hiring a man, then she has only one option.
Jamie isn't sure what to make of his new employee, until he realizes the shocking truth—beneath the ill-fitting suits, his boys' tutor is a woman. An unconventional, outspoken, thoroughly intriguing woman. Despite Amanda's deception, he can't dismiss her when his boys are learning so much. Yet Jamie, too, is learning surprising lessons—about desire, seduction, and passionate second chances.
My twin brother and I need a new mother, though Papa insists he'll never marry again. Must be nice, brainy, and fond of cats...
Lady Truelove may be London's most famous advice columnist, but James St. Clair, the Earl of Kenyon, knows his wild young sons need a tutor, not a new mother. They need a man tough enough to make his hellions tow the line, and James is determined to find one.
Miss Amanda Leighton, former schoolteacher and governess, knows she has all the qualifications to be a tutor. And while female tutors are unheard of, Amanda isn't about to lose the chance at her dream job because of pesky details like that. If Lord Kenyon insists on hiring a man, then she has only one option.
Jamie isn't sure what to make of his new employee, until he realizes the shocking truth—beneath the ill-fitting suits, his boys' tutor is a woman. An unconventional, outspoken, thoroughly intriguing woman. Despite Amanda's deception, he can't dismiss her when his boys are learning so much. Yet Jamie, too, is learning surprising lessons—about desire, seduction, and passionate second chances.
372 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 29, 2019
407 people are currently reading
1302 people want to read
About the author
Laura Lee Guhrke
41 books1,813 followersFrom the publication of her very first historical romance, Laura Lee Guhrke has received numerous honors and critical acclaim for her novels and her writing style. She has been honored with the most prestigious award of romance fiction, the Romance Writers of America Rita Award, and she has received additional awards from Romantic Times and All About Romance. Romantic Times has proclaimed her, “One of the most natural voices in historical romance to be found today”. Her books routinely hit the USA Today Bestseller List, and Guilty Pleasures has been honored with the Romantic Times Award for Best European Historical Romance of 2004. Among her publishing credits are twelve historical romances, including her latest, And Then He Kissed Her, now available from Avon Books.
Laura is currently hard at work on her thirteenth historical romance for Avon Books. She has also written articles for various publications, including the Romance Writers Report, The British Weekly , and the Irish-American Press.
Laura is currently hard at work on her thirteenth historical romance for Avon Books. She has also written articles for various publications, including the Romance Writers Report, The British Weekly , and the Irish-American Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
February 19, 2019
It was a sweet story of a man who lost his beloved wife, has been left alone and heartbroken with two twin sons and a woman who lost everything because of a betrayed love.
As I said, it was sweet and full of beautiful moments where Amanda teaches the children and suffers their pranks! It was fun to read how the boys act with both Amanda and their father!
Amanda first disguises herself as a man and is hired as tutor to James' sons. Obviously she's soon discovered, but it's too late: the boys love her and press the father not to discharge her. So she remains a nanny.
She truly loves her job and manages where others have failed to take charge of the unruly boys with clever teaching. But, in the meanwhile James too begins to see her as a remarkable woman and feels attracted to her more and more until they both succumb to that attraction.
Obviously her past resurfaces and she has to leave them, but, as this is romance, love wins!
The. End. Happy end! :-)
It was also somewhat cliché, but all the same very well done!
As I said, it was sweet and full of beautiful moments where Amanda teaches the children and suffers their pranks! It was fun to read how the boys act with both Amanda and their father!
Amanda first disguises herself as a man and is hired as tutor to James' sons. Obviously she's soon discovered, but it's too late: the boys love her and press the father not to discharge her. So she remains a nanny.
She truly loves her job and manages where others have failed to take charge of the unruly boys with clever teaching. But, in the meanwhile James too begins to see her as a remarkable woman and feels attracted to her more and more until they both succumb to that attraction.
Obviously her past resurfaces and she has to leave them, but, as this is romance, love wins!
The. End. Happy end! :-)
It was also somewhat cliché, but all the same very well done!
May 25, 2020
My least favorite so far in this series. There was very little romance and I didn’t fall in love with the characters like I did the first 2 books.
March 2, 2019
Charming story. I was looking for a quick foray into reading after a bit of a break and this was just what I was looking for.
Slow build, minimal angst, sufficient humour, discernible personalities rather than stock characters, a respectably handled, loving first spouse, cute kids, kind servants, interesting backstory, and a gimmick that was not dragged out too long.
Seriously the big reveal was hilarious, the best ever. Followed by a reasonable reaction and resolution to said secret. And thankfully a proper getting to know you period. Story was a bit insular, taking place primarily in one house and the park across the street, but it lent to the intimacy and family feel of the tale.
The most unbelievable part of all this was probably the landlady being ok with the lack of respectability of her in male clothing.
She should have had a lot more sneaking around to do with this unlikely set up, but these plots require a Shakespearean level of suspension of disbelief in any case, so what's one more dollop of it.
I am so glad Guhrke hasn't lost her knack. She handled the tricky boss employee relationship setup dynamic well too. He never gave off creeper or entitlement vibes. I am always wary of the generally watered town 2018-2019 book releases. But this was good.
Slow build, minimal angst, sufficient humour, discernible personalities rather than stock characters, a respectably handled, loving first spouse, cute kids, kind servants, interesting backstory, and a gimmick that was not dragged out too long.
Seriously the big reveal was hilarious, the best ever. Followed by a reasonable reaction and resolution to said secret. And thankfully a proper getting to know you period. Story was a bit insular, taking place primarily in one house and the park across the street, but it lent to the intimacy and family feel of the tale.
The most unbelievable part of all this was probably the landlady being ok with the lack of respectability of her in male clothing.
She should have had a lot more sneaking around to do with this unlikely set up, but these plots require a Shakespearean level of suspension of disbelief in any case, so what's one more dollop of it.
I am so glad Guhrke hasn't lost her knack. She handled the tricky boss employee relationship setup dynamic well too. He never gave off creeper or entitlement vibes. I am always wary of the generally watered town 2018-2019 book releases. But this was good.
July 25, 2025
Leer romance histórico es volver a mi safe place y tenía bastante tiempo que no lo hacía y ya lo extrañaba.
Y tenía que ser un libro de mi fav del romance histórico Laura Lee Guhrke, no es novedad que amo sus libros y siempre me hacen sentir bien, AUNQUE NO TENGAN EPÍLOGO.
Este es un libro single dad/nanny AMAMOS!!!
Y luego en romance histórico lo hace mucho mejor.
James St Clair el conde de Kenyon necesita un tutor para sus hijos después del desfile de niñeras que renunciado por culpa de sus gemelos y es que ellos no quieren una niñera o tutor quieren una nueva mamá, pero James está decido a no casarse.
Amanda Leighton es una exmaestra e institutriz que cayó en desgracia y nadie le da trabajo, ella sabe que está calificada para ser la tutora de los hijos del conde de Kenyon pero es mujer y una mujer no puede ser tutor por lo que se hace pasar por un hombre arriesgándose a ser descubierta pero a tocado fondo y no tiene nada que perder o es lo que ella cree hasta que se encariña con los gemelos.
No es mi libro favorito de Laura creo que tiene mejores, pero mantiene la esencia de su estilo.
Siento que al principio fue lento no como un slow burn, porque no se sentía esa tensión entre los protagonistas, sino que casi no tenían interacción y después ya se amaba, le faltó desarrollo al romance, pero estuvo entretenido.
Y tenía que ser un libro de mi fav del romance histórico Laura Lee Guhrke, no es novedad que amo sus libros y siempre me hacen sentir bien, AUNQUE NO TENGAN EPÍLOGO.
Este es un libro single dad/nanny AMAMOS!!!
Y luego en romance histórico lo hace mucho mejor.
James St Clair el conde de Kenyon necesita un tutor para sus hijos después del desfile de niñeras que renunciado por culpa de sus gemelos y es que ellos no quieren una niñera o tutor quieren una nueva mamá, pero James está decido a no casarse.
Amanda Leighton es una exmaestra e institutriz que cayó en desgracia y nadie le da trabajo, ella sabe que está calificada para ser la tutora de los hijos del conde de Kenyon pero es mujer y una mujer no puede ser tutor por lo que se hace pasar por un hombre arriesgándose a ser descubierta pero a tocado fondo y no tiene nada que perder o es lo que ella cree hasta que se encariña con los gemelos.
No es mi libro favorito de Laura creo que tiene mejores, pero mantiene la esencia de su estilo.
Siento que al principio fue lento no como un slow burn, porque no se sentía esa tensión entre los protagonistas, sino que casi no tenían interacción y después ya se amaba, le faltó desarrollo al romance, pero estuvo entretenido.
September 7, 2019
James St. Clair, the Earl of Kenyon, is a widowed father of two hellion boys who want a mother and so decides to hire them a tutor to prepare them for school Amanda Leighton overhears his laments and applies for the post as Adam Seton, knowledgeable dude. Her disguise works until it doesn't and then the boners commence followed by feelings and sex and declarations and all that mushy crap.
1. This was engaging and decent, even if it does rely on certain tropes I'm not entirely a fan of: the outsider who Fixes the Broken Family and Tames the Wild Children plot. It's just not my particular blend of tea, and while Guhrke is a solid storyteller who keeps things interesting, that particular bundle of sticks just didn't light my fire.
(DEAR GOD MY METAPHORS TODAY I AM APOLOGETIC.)
2. I didn't truly buy the delivery of Amanda's tragic backstory. It felt a little half-baked.
3. Ditto Jamie's ~~~~"wild" past or whatever.
4. This line item is 65% compliment, 35% complaint: I really enjoyed the fact that Jamie truly loved his first wife and mourned her, and her memory did not become a thing to haunt or terrorize Jamie or his forays into new love...for the most part. I think slightly more development could have been used to fully capture the forward movement of Jamie's life and feelings, but ultimately I didn't have to deal with the Tragic Perfection of First Love or the Utter Betrayal of Shitty Spouses that usually lines second marriage books like bad asbestos.
5. I did enjoy this, however. It's good and solid and standard which is nice, I think.
1. This was engaging and decent, even if it does rely on certain tropes I'm not entirely a fan of: the outsider who Fixes the Broken Family and Tames the Wild Children plot. It's just not my particular blend of tea, and while Guhrke is a solid storyteller who keeps things interesting, that particular bundle of sticks just didn't light my fire.
(DEAR GOD MY METAPHORS TODAY I AM APOLOGETIC.)
2. I didn't truly buy the delivery of Amanda's tragic backstory. It felt a little half-baked.
3. Ditto Jamie's ~~~~"wild" past or whatever.
4. This line item is 65% compliment, 35% complaint: I really enjoyed the fact that Jamie truly loved his first wife and mourned her, and her memory did not become a thing to haunt or terrorize Jamie or his forays into new love...for the most part. I think slightly more development could have been used to fully capture the forward movement of Jamie's life and feelings, but ultimately I didn't have to deal with the Tragic Perfection of First Love or the Utter Betrayal of Shitty Spouses that usually lines second marriage books like bad asbestos.
5. I did enjoy this, however. It's good and solid and standard which is nice, I think.
August 30, 2021
Did we start this book with a little bit of reluctance? We did. Neither of us are fans of the governess romance, and when added to a crossdressing heroine and two mischievous little kids who just want daddy's attention (and to find him a wife/them a new mom), this could've ended up as problematic plus way too treacly sweet. Instead, it is a tightly-structured novel with complex, consistent characters and some smoking hot sex (but not too much). We loved it!
26-Word Summaries:
Laine: When you overhear an aristocrat saying a woman couldn't teach his sons your ONLY option is to crossdress and prove him wrong. His hotness is immaterial.
Meg: University-educated lady masquerades as a man to get a job working for hot MP father. How long will it take him to see through the act?
26-Word Summaries:
Laine: When you overhear an aristocrat saying a woman couldn't teach his sons your ONLY option is to crossdress and prove him wrong. His hotness is immaterial.
Meg: University-educated lady masquerades as a man to get a job working for hot MP father. How long will it take him to see through the act?
March 12, 2019
Enjoyable story. Amanda Leighton jeopardised her career as university qualified and respected teacher after jumping naively into a heady affair with a peer, which needless to say did not end well for her. Two years later, she is wiser albeit significantly poorer and struggling to find a job as a governess with her reputation and respectability torn to shreds. The widowed James St Clair, Earl of Kenyon, is struggling to retain a governess/nurse for his pair of 10 year old rambunctious rascals, who have chased away countless employees with their wild antics and pranks. He decides a male tutor is the answer this time to toe the boys in line. Eavesdropping Amanda knows she's got the qualifications for the job, even if she has to bend her gender a lot, and so the youthful but confident Mr Seton is created. James reluctantly hires the inexperienced, young man whose boldness and insolence raise his eyebrows but who manages in a short time to tame his rowdy boys and thereby gaining the respect of the household. However when Seton gets recruited for valet duties, James is left wondering about the youth's sudden nervousness and the wondrous softness of the young man's skin - and his own disturbing reaction to the latter.
James is still grieving for his wife, who passed away three years earlier. He busies himself with parliamentary work and inadvertently neglects his lively young sons. Amanda is an admirable character. She takes full responsibility for her past foolish poor choices which lead to her scandalous downfall. However, she doesn't dwell on self-pity but pragmatically moves on to make the best of her current situation. I like that she didn't fall into instant lust with James, as her impoverished mind had the greater priority of ensuring the availability of the next meal. The boys are quite endearing in their quest for paternal attention and affection.
No quotations available unfortunately due to the audiobook but the narration was quite pleasant.
James is still grieving for his wife, who passed away three years earlier. He busies himself with parliamentary work and inadvertently neglects his lively young sons. Amanda is an admirable character. She takes full responsibility for her past foolish poor choices which lead to her scandalous downfall. However, she doesn't dwell on self-pity but pragmatically moves on to make the best of her current situation. I like that she didn't fall into instant lust with James, as her impoverished mind had the greater priority of ensuring the availability of the next meal. The boys are quite endearing in their quest for paternal attention and affection.
No quotations available unfortunately due to the audiobook but the narration was quite pleasant.
January 10, 2019
This was a fun read that took me no time at all to get read. Oh man, Mr. Seton was the bomb! Haha. I'm not normally a fan of secrets in my stories but Amanda had good reason and Jamie's reaction when he finds out the truth then seeing them fall in love with each other made for a wonderfully romantic story. The boys were great too. Lots of goodness in this one.
September 20, 2018
I love anything Laura Lee Guhrke writes but her Dear Lady Truelove series has to be my favorite. And her newest, Governess Gone Rogue, is the most spectacular yet. I fell in love with every single character, except the villain of course, almost immediately.
I admired and loved Amanda. She was such a unique character. She had an education to rival any man but her employment was limited due to her gender. Had she been a man, she wouldn’t have lost a job, or been ruined by a love affair, or imposed upon by an employer. No matter how smart or hardworking she was, she was female and considered inferior. But she didn’t let that stop her. She simply abandoned every shred of femininity and became a man in order to secure the position of tutor, a job only open to men. I loved watching her try to acclimate to all the little mannerisms of being a man. I also admired her for holding no punches in telling her employer how he could be a better father. But most of all, I loved seeing her fall in love with said employer and his darling, precocious children.
James St. Clair took a tad longer for me to love. I sympathized that he’d lost his wife, but I wanted to shake him for his emotional neglect of his sons. He’d been empty after the death of his wife, immersing himself in his work in the Commons to distract himself from the loneliness he’d felt. He moved ahead for the sake of his children but failed to see how his absence affected them. Until Amanda. His transformation was the greatest by far in the story. Even greater than Amanda transforming into Adam. I grew to love him more and more. Amanda helped him to see what he was missing with his sons. He envied her passion and zest for life and wanted that for himself again.
Of course the story got absolutely delicious once Jamie discovered his tutor wasn’t a man. And once he realized that fact, he couldn’t help but notice what a lovely and spirited woman she was. The joy that had vanished from his life slowly returned and with it, desires he’d thought long gone.
The entire story would not have been possible though without Colin and Owen, Jamie’s sons. They were such darling little terrors, running off one nanny after another. Never anything too violent but they were quite clever. It was clear their mischief had a deeper cause than lack of distractions. They reminded me of the Banks children in Mary Poppins as they composed their letter to Lady Truelove.
I adored every page of this story. The appealing characters, the humor, the family relationships. The romance between Jamie and Amanda evolves slowly but it’s spectacularly steamy. The characters are flawed but they’re strong and are written with depth and realism. And to top it off, there are plenty of scenes to leave readers oohing and aahing, and thanks to Amanda’s two charges, there are loads of laugh out loud moments too.
I somehow missed her second book in this series so I’m eager to snag that one. Though #3 in the series, it can be read as a stand- alone. But why would you just read one? Trust me, this is a series you’ll fall in love with and want to read again and again.
I admired and loved Amanda. She was such a unique character. She had an education to rival any man but her employment was limited due to her gender. Had she been a man, she wouldn’t have lost a job, or been ruined by a love affair, or imposed upon by an employer. No matter how smart or hardworking she was, she was female and considered inferior. But she didn’t let that stop her. She simply abandoned every shred of femininity and became a man in order to secure the position of tutor, a job only open to men. I loved watching her try to acclimate to all the little mannerisms of being a man. I also admired her for holding no punches in telling her employer how he could be a better father. But most of all, I loved seeing her fall in love with said employer and his darling, precocious children.
James St. Clair took a tad longer for me to love. I sympathized that he’d lost his wife, but I wanted to shake him for his emotional neglect of his sons. He’d been empty after the death of his wife, immersing himself in his work in the Commons to distract himself from the loneliness he’d felt. He moved ahead for the sake of his children but failed to see how his absence affected them. Until Amanda. His transformation was the greatest by far in the story. Even greater than Amanda transforming into Adam. I grew to love him more and more. Amanda helped him to see what he was missing with his sons. He envied her passion and zest for life and wanted that for himself again.
Of course the story got absolutely delicious once Jamie discovered his tutor wasn’t a man. And once he realized that fact, he couldn’t help but notice what a lovely and spirited woman she was. The joy that had vanished from his life slowly returned and with it, desires he’d thought long gone.
The entire story would not have been possible though without Colin and Owen, Jamie’s sons. They were such darling little terrors, running off one nanny after another. Never anything too violent but they were quite clever. It was clear their mischief had a deeper cause than lack of distractions. They reminded me of the Banks children in Mary Poppins as they composed their letter to Lady Truelove.
I adored every page of this story. The appealing characters, the humor, the family relationships. The romance between Jamie and Amanda evolves slowly but it’s spectacularly steamy. The characters are flawed but they’re strong and are written with depth and realism. And to top it off, there are plenty of scenes to leave readers oohing and aahing, and thanks to Amanda’s two charges, there are loads of laugh out loud moments too.
I somehow missed her second book in this series so I’m eager to snag that one. Though #3 in the series, it can be read as a stand- alone. But why would you just read one? Trust me, this is a series you’ll fall in love with and want to read again and again.
January 30, 2019
FINAL DECISION: I was honestly bored by this book that unfortunately didn't live up to the promise of the series. Readers who want the story of a woman who overcomes all sorts of historical prejudices and limitations placed on woman this story is good, but the romance was undeveloped and there was no chemistry. The hero had no real personality and was just a foil for the heroine.
THE STORY: Amanda Leighton is ruined and turned out from her life's calling of being a teacher. When she overhears James St. Clair, Earl of Kenyon, fretting about needing a tutor for his ungovernable twin sons, Amanda knows that she is completely qualified for the job with except for one thing -- a woman cannot be a tutor. Masquerading as a man, Amanda gets the tutor job but when her identity is revealed, there are suddenly a whole lot of complications between Jamie and Amanda.
OPINION: The romance in this book was lacking. The story is much more interested in Amanda's situation than building a relationship between the characters. The story focuses on an examination of the social restrictions upon Amanda. Her journey to recover from being abandoned by her lover and having the deal with being a "ruined" woman. The unreasonable restrictions upon tutors being men and the denigration of women's abilities. Also tossed in is Amanda being harassed by a former employer. The story is so consumed with advocating for Amanda and making her a perfect specimen of enlightened womanhood, that it doesn't have time to actually develop any relationship between Amanda and Jamie. In fact, it almost seemed to me that we saw her spending more time with Jamie's sons than him.
I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters and the romance felt so rushed in the last third of the book (also tossed in was Jamie being a neglectful father who tosses his career away for Amanda).
The hero felt like a wimp who had no personality at all except for his emotional neglect of his children and his pining for his dead wife.
This book has an interesting story to tell about Amanda -- unfortunately it is more historical women's fiction than romance.
WORTH MENTIONING: Despite being a part of the Lady Truelove series, the connection to the advice column is pretty slim.
CONNECTED BOOKS: GOVERNESS GONE ROGUE is the third book in the Dear Lady Truelove series. While there are appearances from characters from other books in the series, this book can be read as a standalone.
STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
THE STORY: Amanda Leighton is ruined and turned out from her life's calling of being a teacher. When she overhears James St. Clair, Earl of Kenyon, fretting about needing a tutor for his ungovernable twin sons, Amanda knows that she is completely qualified for the job with except for one thing -- a woman cannot be a tutor. Masquerading as a man, Amanda gets the tutor job but when her identity is revealed, there are suddenly a whole lot of complications between Jamie and Amanda.
OPINION: The romance in this book was lacking. The story is much more interested in Amanda's situation than building a relationship between the characters. The story focuses on an examination of the social restrictions upon Amanda. Her journey to recover from being abandoned by her lover and having the deal with being a "ruined" woman. The unreasonable restrictions upon tutors being men and the denigration of women's abilities. Also tossed in is Amanda being harassed by a former employer. The story is so consumed with advocating for Amanda and making her a perfect specimen of enlightened womanhood, that it doesn't have time to actually develop any relationship between Amanda and Jamie. In fact, it almost seemed to me that we saw her spending more time with Jamie's sons than him.
I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters and the romance felt so rushed in the last third of the book (also tossed in was Jamie being a neglectful father who tosses his career away for Amanda).
The hero felt like a wimp who had no personality at all except for his emotional neglect of his children and his pining for his dead wife.
This book has an interesting story to tell about Amanda -- unfortunately it is more historical women's fiction than romance.
WORTH MENTIONING: Despite being a part of the Lady Truelove series, the connection to the advice column is pretty slim.
CONNECTED BOOKS: GOVERNESS GONE ROGUE is the third book in the Dear Lady Truelove series. While there are appearances from characters from other books in the series, this book can be read as a standalone.
STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book from Edelweiss. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
This review was originally posted on Top10RomanceBooks.com
February 13, 2023
Being one of my favourite authors and a fun premise I was looking forward to this book quite a bit. Perhaps, my self-generated hype sunk this book or it was a little too truncated for my tastes, but after a strong start the book kind of petered out. A shame all in all.
What started as this fun cross-dressing premise, kind of ended up being a fairly typical governess romance. As we didn't get enough of the twins either so I was left wanted another 30-40 pages to round off the plot.
Because of the premise and the cross-dressing, our couple don't interact a lot (added to by the fact that our hero-dad is "too busy" etc etc). It took 155 pages for our couple to interact as a romantic couple. As context, that is over halfway through the book. This will give you a sense of how truncated the romance plotting was. We go from no romance to an HEA a little too abruptly. The author stuffed an entire historical romance novel into the second (pretty short) half.
The romance itself wasn't particularly engaging but I am still giving this a 3 stars - mostly for the twins and the tutoring parts. This was quite Sound of Music in that (just without music). The first half is much stronger and what I remember of the book.
Still - given the premise - I do think Ms. Ghurke could done more here.
What started as this fun cross-dressing premise, kind of ended up being a fairly typical governess romance. As we didn't get enough of the twins either so I was left wanted another 30-40 pages to round off the plot.
Because of the premise and the cross-dressing, our couple don't interact a lot (added to by the fact that our hero-dad is "too busy" etc etc). It took 155 pages for our couple to interact as a romantic couple. As context, that is over halfway through the book. This will give you a sense of how truncated the romance plotting was. We go from no romance to an HEA a little too abruptly. The author stuffed an entire historical romance novel into the second (pretty short) half.
The romance itself wasn't particularly engaging but I am still giving this a 3 stars - mostly for the twins and the tutoring parts. This was quite Sound of Music in that (just without music). The first half is much stronger and what I remember of the book.
Still - given the premise - I do think Ms. Ghurke could done more here.
December 31, 2018
I requested this one on a whim because the synopsis was just too much fun...and it didn’t disappoint.
I loved Amanda. She knows what she wants and has the smarts to figure out how to get it. I loved that she was tenacious enough to portray a man, especially in this time period. Jamie was stoic and stern and it was amusing seeing the two of them interact. Of course, the twins stole every scene they were in.
Plot wise, I was expecting repetitiveness, but it never came. The lessons were fun and the conflict was expected. My main complaint was that the last few chapters felt so rushed and I desperately wanted an epilogue.
Overall, these characters were super easy to root for and while I wanted more, it was satisfying. I may have to go back and read the previous books.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Amanda. She knows what she wants and has the smarts to figure out how to get it. I loved that she was tenacious enough to portray a man, especially in this time period. Jamie was stoic and stern and it was amusing seeing the two of them interact. Of course, the twins stole every scene they were in.
Plot wise, I was expecting repetitiveness, but it never came. The lessons were fun and the conflict was expected. My main complaint was that the last few chapters felt so rushed and I desperately wanted an epilogue.
Overall, these characters were super easy to root for and while I wanted more, it was satisfying. I may have to go back and read the previous books.
**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**
December 26, 2020
I debated if this was going to get a 2 or a 3 star rating because it did not live up to the fun synopsis and I was hugely disappointed at the lack of chemistry, the fact that he was in love with his late wife for majority of the book, and it was boring most of the times with conversations drawn out and going in no direction.
February 22, 2019
32 years old Earl Kenyon, heir to the Marquess of Rolleston, has been widowed for 3 years and he's father of ten years old twins.
His boys are hellions just like he was at their age.
He'd promised himself he'd never treat them as harshly as his father did with him but, since his wife's death, he's lost control over them altogether.
28 years old Amanda Leighton is a woman of the world, accomplished in a lot of things.
She's earned a university education but her dream of becoming a tutor and help shaping young minds cannot come true because, in the eyes of polite society, only men can aspire to occupy that position.
Being a governess isn't as rewarding as being a tutor.
She has the knowledge but society doesn't believe women capable of undertaking the teaching of complex subjects and that leaves her frustrated.
There isn't much women can do to earn money respectably and the fact she's lost her reputation because she was betrayed by her first lover, complicates things even more.
Tired of it all, she takes her fate into her own hands and, since people wouldn't hire her as Miss Leighton, she decides to become Mr. Seton!
Entertaining story, I enjoyed it a lot but I didn't fell in love with it like it happened with the first book I read by this author (Conor's Way) .
All characters are sweet, and the 2 boys truly are quite something!
10 years old Owen and Colin St. Clair need to figure out a plan to make sure their father doesn't send them away or their gray tabby cat, Oscar, would be in trouble! Who’d want a cat that doesn't even chase mice?
If their father sends them to Harrow because they have chased away another nanny they'll not have any say in the matter.
Suddenly a brilliant idea comes to the boys:
What if they find a mom instead of another nanny that would nag them all day?
“We’ll have to find him a girl who’s smashing enough to make him change his mind. Someone pretty, of course.”
“Someone nice. Someone who won’t put pomade in our hair and lecture us when our trousers get torn.”
Colin nodded. “She’ll have to be brainy, too, like Mama was. And fond of cats.”
Oscar meowed, as if giving his endorsement of this plan.
“There’s just one problem,” Owen pointed out. “How do we find her?”
There's only one way to get an answer to that question: Write to Lady Truelove!
Unfortunately their plan doesn't come to fruition and their father finds them a tutor instead.
Amanda’s relationship with Jamie's children is very well developed and her position within his household forces him to face his children and his feelings.
Working is the only thing that's kept him grounded and sane after the loss of his beloved wife but it doesn't take much to bring back the hurt...
Suddenly, he felt the emptiness—that big, dark space that had been inside him ever since he could remember, a void filled for all too brief a time by the warmth and laughter of a freckle-faced girl.
His eyes stung. Blinking, he looked away, hating that he knew how it felt to have a heart in his chest instead of a gaping hole. He wished he’d never known. Then perhaps having that heart ripped out of him three years ago wouldn’t have hurt so much.
...and yet, little by little, a new awareness takes hold of him:
The life he’d had with Pat was gone and would not come back. He’d scorned that brutal truth, he’d raged against it, he’d wept over it, and finally, at last, he’d come to accept it. Resigned, he had trudged on, moving toward the future for the sake of his children, but it was a future that to his heart and mind had seemed bleak and dim, colorless and without joy.
But suddenly, he could see a different future. For the first time in three years, he could see color and light. He could see hope. He could see love.
Amanda is very aware of Jamie's feelings toward his first wife, he truly loved her...
I think I was born cynical, and growing up, I stayed that way. I was wild and reckless, and I did all manner of mad things, and the reason, though I didn’t realize it at the time, was that I was seeking that inner joy of life. I think I’d been chasing it always, but never finding it. Then I met Pat, and it was with her that I started to understand what true happiness was. I had that with her, but when she died, it died with her, and I felt as if all the joy had vanished from the world.” He paused, lifting his free hand to cup her cheek. “Then you came.”
...but, by the end of the story, Jamie isn't still hung up on his dead wife.
“Oh, Jamie,” she said with a sigh, “you don’t want to marry me. You don’t want to marry anyone. No one can ever replace Pat in your heart, and that’s been clear from the beginning. And anyway, I couldn’t bear to be a second-rate substitute for her.”
He grimaced at having his own words from that day in the newspaper office quoted back to him at such a moment as this. “I said that before I knew you. You’re not a second-rate anything, Amanda. Not to me.”
Falling in love with Amanda brings him back to life:
In his wildest dreams he never thought he’d fall in love again. But as he gathered Amanda against him, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and looked at her beautiful face in the mirror, his love for her overwhelmed him and awed him, and for the first time in three long, lonely years, he felt as if life was worth living.
In my opinion, there's something missing though.
I believe it has to do with Amanda's transition from her tutor/nanny position to Jamie's lover/romantic interest: It's quite rushed and it didn't convince me.
The MC chemistry is good but it takes too much for them to acknowledge and explore it.
Their first kiss happens around the 70% mark!
From there, their relationship still moves quite slowly until Amanda's past comes back to disrupt her life once again.
The last 20% of the book moves very quickly and, even if the HFN ending is very cute and happy, I cannot rate this book more than 3 stars.
⭐ 3 Stars ⭐
Governess Gone Rogue by Laura Lee Guhrke is book #3 in the Dear Lady Truelove series.
Can be read as a STANDALONE.
~ MY RATINGS ~
Writing: 3.5 /5
Plot: 2.5 / 5
Hero: 3 /5
Heroine: 3.5 /5
Secondary Characters: 4 /5 loved the kids and servants!
MC's chemistry: 2.5 /5
Steam: 2.5 /5 ( 2 kisses and 1 sex- scene)
Triggers: Hero is a widower father of twins, he lost his beloved wife 3 years prior and recalls her repeatedly throughout the book because she was the reason he changed his lifestyle completely.
Heroine's first lover betrayed her trust and ruined her.
Recommended to: Historical Romance Readers looking for a story about a single dad that, trying to navigate the difficult situation after the tragic loss of his wife, his given the chance to find love again with a remarkable woman with a past of her own.
Are you looking for a specific mix of ingredients for your next read?
May 6, 2020
James St. Clair, the Earl of Kenyon, is a widowed father of twin boys who happen to be utter hellions, and have gone through a ton of nannies. Amanda Leighton is in need of a job, but the scandal that follows her prevents her from putting her fabulous education to use, when she overhears James talking about needing a tutor for his boys, and of course a male tutor, Amanda decides to apply in the guise of a man, under the name Adam Seton. Her disguise works until it doesn't and that's when things start to take an even more complicated turn.
Amanda's backstory needed more fleshing out and depth in how it was weaved into the tale unfolding. An enjoyable one time read overall, but the romance needed more developing.
Amanda's backstory needed more fleshing out and depth in how it was weaved into the tale unfolding. An enjoyable one time read overall, but the romance needed more developing.
February 7, 2019
Another Justine Eyre narration. Ok so I do adore her narrations, and I know I have listen to her a lot lately, but it is really by accident! But ok if I do see her name it does sway me towards the book, so maybe I choose books without knowing it.
Also look at that cover, short hair! They really got it right, I am impressed. Yes, our plucky heroine cuts her hair, pretends to be a man and becomes a tutor to two wild boys. I would have run screaming, but she sticks it out.
Our handsome hero has his hands full and he works WAY too much. I mean man please take it easy. You are going to an early grave. His life is all about his work as an MP.
For some reason she looks 10 years younger as a man, weird.
He does not really see her a lot so that works with him not noticing what she really is, and when he does get a clue he starts to notice more.
There is a secret in her past that will come back to haunt her and I wanted to slap someone over it.
Fun, a bit of teaching and some passion.
Narration
Yes Justine Eyre is really good. I so enjoy when she does historical romance. She gets everything just as I want it
Also look at that cover, short hair! They really got it right, I am impressed. Yes, our plucky heroine cuts her hair, pretends to be a man and becomes a tutor to two wild boys. I would have run screaming, but she sticks it out.
Our handsome hero has his hands full and he works WAY too much. I mean man please take it easy. You are going to an early grave. His life is all about his work as an MP.
For some reason she looks 10 years younger as a man, weird.
He does not really see her a lot so that works with him not noticing what she really is, and when he does get a clue he starts to notice more.
There is a secret in her past that will come back to haunt her and I wanted to slap someone over it.
Fun, a bit of teaching and some passion.
Narration
Yes Justine Eyre is really good. I so enjoy when she does historical romance. She gets everything just as I want it
September 9, 2022
James St. Clair, Earl Kenyon, is determined to find his sons a tutor since they keep running off every nanny he hires. His friends say what they really need is a mother, but Jamie has no intention of marrying again so a strict tutor capable of whipping his ruffian twin boys into shape for school is what’s needed.
Cambridge educated Amanda Leighton has been a governess and a schoolteacher and knows she has all the qualifications necessary for a tutor, save for one. She’s female. It also doesn’t help that she has a scandal attached to her name. But she needs a job, and she knows a perfect opportunity when she sees one so she decides she must disguise herself as a man and interview for the position.
Jamie isn’t quite sure what to make of the new tutor, but the boys haven’t yet managed to run him off, so he doesn’t make much of a fuss. That is, until he discovers that the tutor is in fact a lady, one of whom he is entirely and inappropriately aware of. His initial reaction is to dismiss Amanda, but this proves impossible given the vast improvements she’s encouraged in his boys’ behavior. Soon enough, Jamie realizes she’s teaching him quite a lot as well, important lessons he’d forgotten about passion and love and the chance to be happy again without the loneliness that has plagued him.
I’m usually not that into stories which feature children as main characters or driving points of the plot, especially when pranks and the like are involved, but I have to say it really did work here. I liked seeing Amanda build a family with the twins and their father where she’d had none and it was also satisfying to see Jamie gradually open up his heart again. The pacing was a bit odd here just because this was a very slow burn with Jamie and Amanda not spending very much on page time together for the first half and most of the scenes featuring Amanda and the boys together as they worked out their dynamic. However, when Jamie and Amanda did come together, things happened quickly as they acted on the attraction that had been simmering between them all along.
Jamie was definitely surprised and taken off guard when Amanda finally confessed the whole truth about her past to him, so he did have to have some recovery time before he got it together and made things right with her, but his proposal and assurance of their HEA was pretty adorable. This is usually not the case for me, but I definitely think the twins being such large characters helped the story here as they are essentially what brought Amanda and Jamie together. This was a pretty low steam book and Amanda, and Jamie didn’t have all that much page time together, so I’m surprised myself at how much I enjoyed it and how much the audio narration held my attention. This was a fun way to occupy my mind on the commute to work and I really loved how determined Jamie was to make things right and ensure Amanda felt secure in starting a future with him and his boys, regardless of what society might say. That unconditional acceptance and willingness to forgive is what we all search for, and I never get tired of reading it.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Cambridge educated Amanda Leighton has been a governess and a schoolteacher and knows she has all the qualifications necessary for a tutor, save for one. She’s female. It also doesn’t help that she has a scandal attached to her name. But she needs a job, and she knows a perfect opportunity when she sees one so she decides she must disguise herself as a man and interview for the position.
Jamie isn’t quite sure what to make of the new tutor, but the boys haven’t yet managed to run him off, so he doesn’t make much of a fuss. That is, until he discovers that the tutor is in fact a lady, one of whom he is entirely and inappropriately aware of. His initial reaction is to dismiss Amanda, but this proves impossible given the vast improvements she’s encouraged in his boys’ behavior. Soon enough, Jamie realizes she’s teaching him quite a lot as well, important lessons he’d forgotten about passion and love and the chance to be happy again without the loneliness that has plagued him.
I’m usually not that into stories which feature children as main characters or driving points of the plot, especially when pranks and the like are involved, but I have to say it really did work here. I liked seeing Amanda build a family with the twins and their father where she’d had none and it was also satisfying to see Jamie gradually open up his heart again. The pacing was a bit odd here just because this was a very slow burn with Jamie and Amanda not spending very much on page time together for the first half and most of the scenes featuring Amanda and the boys together as they worked out their dynamic. However, when Jamie and Amanda did come together, things happened quickly as they acted on the attraction that had been simmering between them all along.
Jamie was definitely surprised and taken off guard when Amanda finally confessed the whole truth about her past to him, so he did have to have some recovery time before he got it together and made things right with her, but his proposal and assurance of their HEA was pretty adorable. This is usually not the case for me, but I definitely think the twins being such large characters helped the story here as they are essentially what brought Amanda and Jamie together. This was a pretty low steam book and Amanda, and Jamie didn’t have all that much page time together, so I’m surprised myself at how much I enjoyed it and how much the audio narration held my attention. This was a fun way to occupy my mind on the commute to work and I really loved how determined Jamie was to make things right and ensure Amanda felt secure in starting a future with him and his boys, regardless of what society might say. That unconditional acceptance and willingness to forgive is what we all search for, and I never get tired of reading it.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
February 16, 2019
A Historical Romance between a widower (Jamie), who loved his first wife(!), and Amanda, a unmarried college-educated teacher who is not a virgin(!). This was so refreshing to read and seemed very REAL for a late Victorian Romance. Jamie has two very rambunctious 10 year old twin boys who he doesn’t know what to do with. Amanda, after being disgraced in a scandal, is desperately looking for a position as a nanny or governess, if she can find someone to overlook the scandal and her lack of references (due to said scandal). However, Jamie feels his boys need a (male) tutor to prepare them for University. Amanda, who KNOWS she can do the job, decides to go for the job. She cuts her hair, binds her breasts, get some male clothes, and hopes she can pull off being a man.
I just loved this story. Jamie was portrayed as still missing his late wife and certain he will never feel, well, anything anymore. Amanda is terrified she will lose this post if she can’t convince the household she is a young man, and what would she do then? The romance builds very slowly and of course the members of the household, and especially Jamie, thinks the tutor is a bit “odd” in his mannerisms. A really great story and very realistic expectations and ending.
I just loved this story. Jamie was portrayed as still missing his late wife and certain he will never feel, well, anything anymore. Amanda is terrified she will lose this post if she can’t convince the household she is a young man, and what would she do then? The romance builds very slowly and of course the members of the household, and especially Jamie, thinks the tutor is a bit “odd” in his mannerisms. A really great story and very realistic expectations and ending.
September 4, 2019
Historical romances featuring governesses generally don't work particularly well for me, because I find the employer/employee romance problematic in a way that typically ruins any shippiness. Governess Gone Rogue is probably my favorite one I've read thus far, because you know how I love a romance with genderbending.
Due to a past scandal and being let go with no references after her pervy employer grabbed at her (and she kneed him in the balls), Amanda Leighton's running out of options. When she hears about two boys in need of a tutor after scaring off a succession of nannies, she decides to dress as a man and get the job. This is such a Christina premise I can't even.
The children, who are supposedly little devils, are won over after just a couple of pranks and don't seem particularly recalcitrant. That's probably the weakest aspect of the book, but it's still fairly charming. I just didn't really believe their quick conversion from rapscallions to perfect little treasures. It came too easy for them being reknowned as the most difficult kids. Both kids and father were also very quick to acknowledge that they were acting out for attention too. It's not that it's not a realistic character arc, but it was very easily accomplished.
Jamie and Amanda have a nice connection, and I did like that he was actually a widower who expected never to be with anyone again. What was particularly nice was that he truly did love his first wife and that there's no denigration of that relationship; usually widowers in romance were married to heartless shrews who broke their hearts and left them mistrustful. As with the other Guhrke books I've read, there's not really any banter, so the romance isn't particularly shippy for me as a reader, but I did like it.
This was a fun read I zoomed through. I wish Guhrke's books were slightly shippier, but they've been very solid good reads, and I really appreciated this premise.
Due to a past scandal and being let go with no references after her pervy employer grabbed at her (and she kneed him in the balls), Amanda Leighton's running out of options. When she hears about two boys in need of a tutor after scaring off a succession of nannies, she decides to dress as a man and get the job. This is such a Christina premise I can't even.
The children, who are supposedly little devils, are won over after just a couple of pranks and don't seem particularly recalcitrant. That's probably the weakest aspect of the book, but it's still fairly charming. I just didn't really believe their quick conversion from rapscallions to perfect little treasures. It came too easy for them being reknowned as the most difficult kids. Both kids and father were also very quick to acknowledge that they were acting out for attention too. It's not that it's not a realistic character arc, but it was very easily accomplished.
Jamie and Amanda have a nice connection, and I did like that he was actually a widower who expected never to be with anyone again. What was particularly nice was that he truly did love his first wife and that there's no denigration of that relationship; usually widowers in romance were married to heartless shrews who broke their hearts and left them mistrustful. As with the other Guhrke books I've read, there's not really any banter, so the romance isn't particularly shippy for me as a reader, but I did like it.
This was a fun read I zoomed through. I wish Guhrke's books were slightly shippier, but they've been very solid good reads, and I really appreciated this premise.
February 20, 2019
Could this one have been any more fun. I laughed a lot and just fell hard and fast for a couple of small people. Amanda and Jamie were each in their own rights appealing and luring to the tale but I think the children made the magic happen. They were the extra sparkle that made it all work. This read went too fast and that was because I found it hard to put it down. I wanted to know what was coming next.
Amanda breaking down the barriers to her gender was the highlight even if she had to do it in disguise. Jamie having the tables turned was just never heard of for him. You must pick this one up for a romp in history, a test of gender lines, and the cutest little conspirators ever.
Good characters. Good writing. Good story. Good. Good. Good.
Amanda breaking down the barriers to her gender was the highlight even if she had to do it in disguise. Jamie having the tables turned was just never heard of for him. You must pick this one up for a romp in history, a test of gender lines, and the cutest little conspirators ever.
Good characters. Good writing. Good story. Good. Good. Good.
February 8, 2019
Cross dressing tutor? Cute but mischievous boy twins and a starchy hero? It was so good even if it was not as much of a slow burn as the other one.
February 8, 2019
J'abandonne ... J'ai essayé plusieurs fois mais rien n'y a fait. A aucun moment, je ne suis parvenue à entrer dans l'histoire. Déjà le gimmick de la femme qui se travestie passe difficilement avec moi ... c'est du déjà archi-vu! Je ne sais pas ... rien n'a pu me sortir du sentiment d'ennui ...
January 29, 2019
3.5 rounded up
Amanda Leighton was once a well respected teacher, but when she foolishly followed her heart, she was left shamed, ruined and disgraced. When she learns that widower James St. Clair, Earl of Kenyon is in need of a tutor for his twin sons, she knows she is perfect for the job and will not let something as trivial as not being a man stop her.
James knows his sons want a new mother, but his heart died with his beloved wife. He is dead inside and buries his pain in work and furthering his political career in the House of Commons. He loves his boys, but ends up shutting them out as well, until an overstepping tutor calls him to task.
When James learns that "Mr. Seton" is actually a woman, his first reaction is to fire her, but when his sons point out that she could be their nanny, he agrees to keep her on. For the first time in years, James feels alive and he knows why - Amanda.
When Amanda's past comes calling, she can't let the man (and boys) she has come to love be tainted by her shame. James tries to convince her that it doesn't matter, but in the end concedes he is not sure he is willing to let the boys suffer the scandal that could erupt and lets her go.
It seems like all is lost and there will be no HEA, but while Amanda and James might agree that her leaving is for the best, Colin and Owen have other ideas...
This was a well written, entertaining story filled with laughter, secrets, second chances and warm love scenes. While I am not personally a fan of the "second love" trope, Ms. Guhrke handles it well and in the end, I did believe that James was in love with Amanda. The book is the third in the Dear Lady Truelove series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone title.
*Reviewed for Buried Under Romance Blog *
Amanda Leighton was once a well respected teacher, but when she foolishly followed her heart, she was left shamed, ruined and disgraced. When she learns that widower James St. Clair, Earl of Kenyon is in need of a tutor for his twin sons, she knows she is perfect for the job and will not let something as trivial as not being a man stop her.
James knows his sons want a new mother, but his heart died with his beloved wife. He is dead inside and buries his pain in work and furthering his political career in the House of Commons. He loves his boys, but ends up shutting them out as well, until an overstepping tutor calls him to task.
When James learns that "Mr. Seton" is actually a woman, his first reaction is to fire her, but when his sons point out that she could be their nanny, he agrees to keep her on. For the first time in years, James feels alive and he knows why - Amanda.
When Amanda's past comes calling, she can't let the man (and boys) she has come to love be tainted by her shame. James tries to convince her that it doesn't matter, but in the end concedes he is not sure he is willing to let the boys suffer the scandal that could erupt and lets her go.
It seems like all is lost and there will be no HEA, but while Amanda and James might agree that her leaving is for the best, Colin and Owen have other ideas...
This was a well written, entertaining story filled with laughter, secrets, second chances and warm love scenes. While I am not personally a fan of the "second love" trope, Ms. Guhrke handles it well and in the end, I did believe that James was in love with Amanda. The book is the third in the Dear Lady Truelove series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone title.
*Reviewed for Buried Under Romance Blog *
March 19, 2019
I am a total sucker for a story about a woman disguised as a woman. I don't know why I love them, I just do. So when I saw the latest in the Dear Lady Truelove series was a woman disguised as a man/mistaken identities trope, you'd better believe I jumped on it. And I'm so glad I did, because this is my favorite book of the series so far!
I really enjoyed Amanda. I love an unconventional woman in historical romances, and she's got that double pronged attack of being both well-educated and a woman who is "fallen" and thus ostracized by society. Which, okay, how totally unfair is that, that she is totally besmirched and the guy involved has no repercussions whatsoever? I also really like her spirit, and that when she overhears two gentlemen discussion that a woman couldn't possibly prepare Jamie's sons for Cambridge she's basically like "Oh yeah? I so could if I was only given half a chance." And so the seeds are sown.
I love the dynamic between Jamie and Amanda, both while he thinks she's "Mr. Seton" (or Adam) and then once he finds out she's actually Amanda. Either way, she continually pushes his boundaries and makes him question himself and his relationship with his sons. James St. Clair is a deeply flawed character, but despite his neglect of his sons I found myself liking him very much. He's walled himself off because of his pain and basically decided his life ended when his wife died, and it's sad both for his sake and for the sake of his sons.
Also, those boys. As a mother of two young boys (ages 2 and 4) I totally understand the impetus to act out and the idea that bad attention is better than no attention - those poor, sweet, mischievous, evil little boys, haha. Owen and Colin are hands down my favorite part of this entire book, and I love the relationship that develops between them and Amanda probably even more than the romantic storyline.
This is the third book in the Dead Lady Truelove series, and can be read as a standalone with no spoilers and really nothing at all to do with the first two books in the series. Rex, one of the leads from the second book, The Trouble With True Love, makes some brief appearances as a side character, and if you really want to know about the history of Lady Truelove than by all means read the first two books in the series (they're pretty great and definitely worth the read!) but you don't NEED TO in order to get the full impact and enjoyment of this book.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review.
Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter
I really enjoyed Amanda. I love an unconventional woman in historical romances, and she's got that double pronged attack of being both well-educated and a woman who is "fallen" and thus ostracized by society. Which, okay, how totally unfair is that, that she is totally besmirched and the guy involved has no repercussions whatsoever? I also really like her spirit, and that when she overhears two gentlemen discussion that a woman couldn't possibly prepare Jamie's sons for Cambridge she's basically like "Oh yeah? I so could if I was only given half a chance." And so the seeds are sown.
I love the dynamic between Jamie and Amanda, both while he thinks she's "Mr. Seton" (or Adam) and then once he finds out she's actually Amanda. Either way, she continually pushes his boundaries and makes him question himself and his relationship with his sons. James St. Clair is a deeply flawed character, but despite his neglect of his sons I found myself liking him very much. He's walled himself off because of his pain and basically decided his life ended when his wife died, and it's sad both for his sake and for the sake of his sons.
Also, those boys. As a mother of two young boys (ages 2 and 4) I totally understand the impetus to act out and the idea that bad attention is better than no attention - those poor, sweet, mischievous, evil little boys, haha. Owen and Colin are hands down my favorite part of this entire book, and I love the relationship that develops between them and Amanda probably even more than the romantic storyline.
This is the third book in the Dead Lady Truelove series, and can be read as a standalone with no spoilers and really nothing at all to do with the first two books in the series. Rex, one of the leads from the second book, The Trouble With True Love, makes some brief appearances as a side character, and if you really want to know about the history of Lady Truelove than by all means read the first two books in the series (they're pretty great and definitely worth the read!) but you don't NEED TO in order to get the full impact and enjoyment of this book.
An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ for review.
Like this review?
Check out more of my reviews on my blog, Elley the Book Otter
February 24, 2019
“We are your champions. Let us fight for you. Let us love you, and protect you, and defend you.”♥😭
3.5 casi llegando a las 4 estrellas.
La novela es lenta en un principio luego todo empieza a volar. En las últimas páginas los personajes se robaron mi corazón.
No hay mucha interacción de coqueteo o física entre los protagonistas por lo que se siente como de un momento están pedidadamente enamorados. Insta love definitivamente.
El cover de la novela es muy bonito, me encantó la modelo, con ese cabello negro y corto apegado a la descripción en el libro.
3.5 casi llegando a las 4 estrellas.
La novela es lenta en un principio luego todo empieza a volar. En las últimas páginas los personajes se robaron mi corazón.
No hay mucha interacción de coqueteo o física entre los protagonistas por lo que se siente como de un momento están pedidadamente enamorados. Insta love definitivamente.
El cover de la novela es muy bonito, me encantó la modelo, con ese cabello negro y corto apegado a la descripción en el libro.
May 26, 2019
It's a cute story about family and love with one unoriginal subplot: hero's kids being mischievous to get workaholic daddy's attention. I didn't think the H/h spent enough time together to develop feelings of love for each other. This book was rather short (15-18 chapters), so if the author had written just a few more chapters, I'm sure the H/h's love would have been more convincing.
Minor spoiler:
Minor spoiler:
July 28, 2020
Maria Antonietta - per RFS
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Buongiorno fenici, se siete appassionate di romanzi storici, allora conoscete Laura Lee Guhrke che nel campo è una veterana. Travestimento d’amore è ambientato in una Londra di fine ottocento bigotta e snob, molto ligia alle convenzioni sociali e l’autrice è veramente brava a sottolineare il caro prezzo che le donne a quell’epoca hanno dovuto pagare, attraverso le vicissitudini delle sue eroine.
La protagonista è Amanda Leighton, una donna di ventotto anni vissuta tra due continenti, l’America e l’Inghilterra, allevata con un’istruzione universitaria, che la rende alquanto una rarità per i canoni dell’epoca in cui si prediligeva un’educazione più tradizionale per le donne, destinate a essere solo mogli e madri. Per fortuna la lungimiranza del padre americano a renderla autonoma, attraverso l’istruzione, si è resa una scelta ottimale una volta rimasta orfana. Per sopravvivere si è data da fare lavorando assiduamente come insegnante, purtroppo ha dovuto pagare lo scotto del suo essere donna, subendo avance sgradite dai datori di lavoro e tempo addietro anche di essere disonorata. In verità aveva amato l’uomo al quale si era concessa come amante, ma quel sentimento era svanito il giorno in cui lo scandalo l’aveva colpita. Il matrimonio riparatore non c’era stato e quindi era stata abbandonata a se stessa e trattata come una sgualdrina. Che cosa inventarsi per lavorare e poter sopravvivere? Così la cara Amanda decide di travestirsi da uomo e diventare Mr. Adam Seton nelle veci di un professore che dimostra a malapena diciassette anni. Dal momento in cui si presenta per un colloquio di lavoro a casa del Conte James Kenyon, per Amanda o meglio Mr. Seton comincia la commedia.
Ma che dire dei due giovani protagonisti? I gemelli Colin e Owen sono i veri protagonisti del racconto, attirano l’attenzione del lettore per la loro arguzia e intelligenza, ma soprattutto per gli scherzi clamorosi che fanno a tutto il personale di servizio che si è avvicendato in quella casa.
I figli del conte sono orfani di madre e, con un padre assente per la maggior parte del tempo, i due ragazzini hanno urgente bisogno di educazione e una sana strigliata, così trovano nel giovane precettore pane per i loro denti. Come farà il nostro Mr. Seaton a farsi rispettare e ancor più mantenere il segreto sulla sua identità? Vi toccherà leggere il libro naturalmente.
Io l’ho trovato carino, un po’ lento nella narrazione anche se la trama del travestimento è sempre affascinante. Tutto sommato i ragazzini si possono considerare i veri protagonisti, perché con la loro energia e simpatia, sicuramente lasciano un messaggio di solitudine e bisogno di affetto che tante volte non si può comprare con tutto l’oro del mondo.
Ho preferito il personaggio di Amanda a quello di James, per la risolutezza e praticità che mancavano generalmente alle donne dell’epoca. Il conte è invece troppo fiacco e scontato, gli manca quel tocco in più che fino alla fine non ho trovato, ma questo succede sempre quando i protagonisti sono dei gentiluomini e non delle canaglie come piacciono a me.
Buona lettura.
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Buongiorno fenici, se siete appassionate di romanzi storici, allora conoscete Laura Lee Guhrke che nel campo è una veterana. Travestimento d’amore è ambientato in una Londra di fine ottocento bigotta e snob, molto ligia alle convenzioni sociali e l’autrice è veramente brava a sottolineare il caro prezzo che le donne a quell’epoca hanno dovuto pagare, attraverso le vicissitudini delle sue eroine.
La protagonista è Amanda Leighton, una donna di ventotto anni vissuta tra due continenti, l’America e l’Inghilterra, allevata con un’istruzione universitaria, che la rende alquanto una rarità per i canoni dell’epoca in cui si prediligeva un’educazione più tradizionale per le donne, destinate a essere solo mogli e madri. Per fortuna la lungimiranza del padre americano a renderla autonoma, attraverso l’istruzione, si è resa una scelta ottimale una volta rimasta orfana. Per sopravvivere si è data da fare lavorando assiduamente come insegnante, purtroppo ha dovuto pagare lo scotto del suo essere donna, subendo avance sgradite dai datori di lavoro e tempo addietro anche di essere disonorata. In verità aveva amato l’uomo al quale si era concessa come amante, ma quel sentimento era svanito il giorno in cui lo scandalo l’aveva colpita. Il matrimonio riparatore non c’era stato e quindi era stata abbandonata a se stessa e trattata come una sgualdrina. Che cosa inventarsi per lavorare e poter sopravvivere? Così la cara Amanda decide di travestirsi da uomo e diventare Mr. Adam Seton nelle veci di un professore che dimostra a malapena diciassette anni. Dal momento in cui si presenta per un colloquio di lavoro a casa del Conte James Kenyon, per Amanda o meglio Mr. Seton comincia la commedia.
Ma che dire dei due giovani protagonisti? I gemelli Colin e Owen sono i veri protagonisti del racconto, attirano l’attenzione del lettore per la loro arguzia e intelligenza, ma soprattutto per gli scherzi clamorosi che fanno a tutto il personale di servizio che si è avvicendato in quella casa.
I figli del conte sono orfani di madre e, con un padre assente per la maggior parte del tempo, i due ragazzini hanno urgente bisogno di educazione e una sana strigliata, così trovano nel giovane precettore pane per i loro denti. Come farà il nostro Mr. Seaton a farsi rispettare e ancor più mantenere il segreto sulla sua identità? Vi toccherà leggere il libro naturalmente.
Io l’ho trovato carino, un po’ lento nella narrazione anche se la trama del travestimento è sempre affascinante. Tutto sommato i ragazzini si possono considerare i veri protagonisti, perché con la loro energia e simpatia, sicuramente lasciano un messaggio di solitudine e bisogno di affetto che tante volte non si può comprare con tutto l’oro del mondo.
Ho preferito il personaggio di Amanda a quello di James, per la risolutezza e praticità che mancavano generalmente alle donne dell’epoca. Il conte è invece troppo fiacco e scontato, gli manca quel tocco in più che fino alla fine non ho trovato, ma questo succede sempre quando i protagonisti sono dei gentiluomini e non delle canaglie come piacciono a me.
Buona lettura.
January 28, 2025
Amanda is scraping her last funds. Well educated, her last position as a governess ended with a master with wandering hands, leaving her with no references. Desperate for a position only a man can take, she cuts her hair and pretends to be one in order to become tutor to the rambunctious twin sons of James St Clair, Earl of Kenyon.
It's a governess romance with a perfect twist. Amanda knows her farce as a man won't last long, and ultimately it doesn't. She's discovered early enough, and I really appreciated that. It doesn't matter that you know that she's going to win the twins' hearts, it's how she does it. It's also how she wins Jamie's heart. He's a widower, who dearly loved his late wife. And Amanda is a fallen woman who had a few too many secrets she's still hiding.
This one is fun because the reputation of the twins proceeds them from the previous books, and Jamie is an appropriately exasperated single father. He's a good parent when he takes the time, though as an MP of the House of Commons, he's largely absent, which is why the boys rebel.
It's a governess romance with a perfect twist. Amanda knows her farce as a man won't last long, and ultimately it doesn't. She's discovered early enough, and I really appreciated that. It doesn't matter that you know that she's going to win the twins' hearts, it's how she does it. It's also how she wins Jamie's heart. He's a widower, who dearly loved his late wife. And Amanda is a fallen woman who had a few too many secrets she's still hiding.
This one is fun because the reputation of the twins proceeds them from the previous books, and Jamie is an appropriately exasperated single father. He's a good parent when he takes the time, though as an MP of the House of Commons, he's largely absent, which is why the boys rebel.
February 3, 2019
A sweet story about how an educated h decides to cross dress and apply for a job as tutor to H's very, very naughty twin boys who made absolutely adorable plot moppets ...
H was a serious man who had had a wild youth and was reformed by his first wife's love
h was an educated but repressed woman who was seduced and dumped by a man and created a huge scandal
The deception doesn't last long but H and h become friends ..
OM villain gets a good comeuppance and the ending was rather sweet ...
All in all, a good book though somewhat slow at times ...
H was a serious man who had had a wild youth and was reformed by his first wife's love
h was an educated but repressed woman who was seduced and dumped by a man and created a huge scandal
The deception doesn't last long but H and h become friends ..
OM villain gets a good comeuppance and the ending was rather sweet ...
All in all, a good book though somewhat slow at times ...
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