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Governess Brides #2
Rules of Surrender
The Rules of Employment for The Distinguished Academy of Governesses: Always remember your station; after all, you are higher than the house servants but certainly not a member of the family. Be sure to maintain a disciplined schoolroom and to take your meals on a tray. And never become too familiar with the master of the house...
Lady Charlotte Dalrumple is known as England's most proper governess, a woman who has never taken a misstep socially -- or romantically. So, on the surface, she seems perfectly suited to accept the challenge of reforming English-born Lord Wynter Ruskin, sadly uncivilized by his travels abroad.
But the ruggedly handsome man has no desire to be taught manners. He has glimpsed an uninhibited beauty hiding beneath her prim exterior, and he'd much rather spend his days -- and nights -- instructing her in the ways of love.
And when ardor erupts between them, Charlotte learns the pleasures of desire and Wynter the passions of the heart, but before they can love both must first master the rules of employment.
Lady Charlotte Dalrumple is known as England's most proper governess, a woman who has never taken a misstep socially -- or romantically. So, on the surface, she seems perfectly suited to accept the challenge of reforming English-born Lord Wynter Ruskin, sadly uncivilized by his travels abroad.
But the ruggedly handsome man has no desire to be taught manners. He has glimpsed an uninhibited beauty hiding beneath her prim exterior, and he'd much rather spend his days -- and nights -- instructing her in the ways of love.
And when ardor erupts between them, Charlotte learns the pleasures of desire and Wynter the passions of the heart, but before they can love both must first master the rules of employment.
360 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2000
153 people are currently reading
1812 people want to read
About the author
Christina Dodd
100 books5,907 followersUpcoming:
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
— 6/30/26 TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN: Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #3 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
New and Now!
—MUCH ADO ABOUT MISTLETOE: Daughter of Montague Christmas novella https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— THUS WITH A KISS I DIE Daughter of Montague Historical Fiction #2
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA Historical Fiction Trade Paperback Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all…
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
— WELCOME TO GOTHIC: A Gothic novella in ebook (at last!) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— WHAT DREAMS MAY COME Daughter of Montague novella 1.5 "I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, that Romeo and Juliet. No, they didn’t die in the tomb…" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
— GIRL ANONYMOUS “Crackling sexual chemistry and a few love scenes guaranteed to scorch readers’ fingers as they turn the pages." — ⭐️ Booklist
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her suspense, paranormal, historical, and mystery novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 15 million copies in print. Praised for her “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd” (Booklist), her award-winning books have landed on numerous Best of the Year lists and, much to her mother's delight, Dodd was once a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest, where her 700 lavender plants share the yard with her husband’s various “Big Projects,” including a treehouse, zipline, and their very own Stonehenge.
Enter Christina’s worlds and join her mailing list for humor, book news and entertainment (yes, she’s the proud author with the infamous three-armed cover) at christinadodd.com. For more information on A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, visit daughterofmontague.com. Her legions of fans know that when they pick up a Christina Dodd book, they'll find the story, "Wildly entertaining, wickedly witty!"
Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
(Source: http://www.christinadodd.com )
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April 25, 2022
Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd is a 2009 Harper Collins publication. (Originally published in 2000 by Avon Books)
Okay, somehow, I ended up with both a paperback copy of this book, which has been languishing on my shelf behind two layers of other paperbacks for a very long time, and a digital copy, I found languishing on my kindle for who knows how long.
(*My reading project for this summer is to clean up my Kindle, which holds an untold number of unread books, and is a real mess- and to do another serious purge of my physical copy bookshelves. I will be reading a lot of older titles, like this one- it should be interesting!)
I must have found the synopsis intriguing to have wound up with two copies of this book. But whatever it was that drew me to the story never materialized. The story was light in many ways, with the prim Charlotte constantly correcting the rude Wynter for discussing ‘breaking wind’ in polite company, but alas, deep into the tale, Wynter's refusal to accept that no means no ruined the light, albeit silly, story altogether.
Overall, I was a bit surprised by the construct of the book. I realize that it was originally published twenty-two years ago, but for some reason, I thought it would be safe from the content prevalent in the 80s and 90s. To be fair, though, the book wasn’t nearly as brutal as those from previous eras, and at the time of its original publication it was probably well received. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t stand the test of time.
2 stars
Okay, somehow, I ended up with both a paperback copy of this book, which has been languishing on my shelf behind two layers of other paperbacks for a very long time, and a digital copy, I found languishing on my kindle for who knows how long.
(*My reading project for this summer is to clean up my Kindle, which holds an untold number of unread books, and is a real mess- and to do another serious purge of my physical copy bookshelves. I will be reading a lot of older titles, like this one- it should be interesting!)
I must have found the synopsis intriguing to have wound up with two copies of this book. But whatever it was that drew me to the story never materialized. The story was light in many ways, with the prim Charlotte constantly correcting the rude Wynter for discussing ‘breaking wind’ in polite company, but alas, deep into the tale, Wynter's refusal to accept that no means no ruined the light, albeit silly, story altogether.
Overall, I was a bit surprised by the construct of the book. I realize that it was originally published twenty-two years ago, but for some reason, I thought it would be safe from the content prevalent in the 80s and 90s. To be fair, though, the book wasn’t nearly as brutal as those from previous eras, and at the time of its original publication it was probably well received. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t stand the test of time.
2 stars
December 26, 2018
I liked this one. Not exactly what I expected but it was a good and enjoyable read overall.
January 16, 2012
I'm going to be honest. Christina Dodd has long been on my list of favorite authors of romance fiction. The Governess series was one of my first forays into the genre, back in the day. While I intend to give Ms. Dodd another chance, I remember liking this book a lot better back then. Perhaps because I got into romance novels after my roommate and I got dumped from long-term relationships in the span of the same weekend, so we cheered ourselves up by buying a bunch of romance novels and trading them back and forth throughout the week. So perhaps I wasn't really paying much attention to what I read.
With a shiny new Kindle in hand this Christmas, I decided to start at the beginning and re-read some novels I have particularly enjoyed in the past. Reading through "Rules of Surrender" again, I have to wonder...what was I thinking? Is the Kindle book an inherently different novel than the physical copy I read back then? Or, as a teenager, did I just not use critical reasoning skills when I read novels? I'm suddenly ashamed of my younger self.
The "hero" is one of the least likeable of any I've come across in romance novels. A lot of his dialogue is downright laughable. It reminds me of Khal Drogo from A Game of Thrones...only bad. Way, WAY more over the top. I couldn't understand why the heroine would ever fall in love with such an ass...or even how she could take him seriously. (Honestly, if I'd read him call his child, "Fruit of my loins!" one more time, my eyes would have rolled out of my head. And that's just ONE example of the ludicrousness of the dialogue. Bear in mind, this character lived in England until he was in his TEENS.)
There really wasn't a single character in this book that I really LIKED. Other than perhaps the children, who were generally okay. But if I'm reading a romance novel and am finding the CHILDREN to be the most engaging part, there's something seriously wrong. I didn't have any big objections to Adorna, the grandmother, but I didn't end up really thinking one way or another about her. For being in the book a significant amount, she was something of a non-entity to me.
The heroine is...very proper. And not a great deal of fun. I can't think of a single moment in the book that made me smile, but if there was, it certainly didn't come from her character. I honestly cannot think of a heroine in any romance I've ever read that was so singularly unamusing. She has no sense of humor that I could discern. Then again, if I were tied to this "hero" in a novel, I wouldn't be laughing, either.
Yet, as bland as the heroine is, she is LEAGUES above the "hero". Given that she's a bit "bottom of the barrel" that's saying something. The "hero" is an arrogant, conceited ass. Granted, it's pretty common for a hero to START a novel that way, but when he's no different 90% in as he was in the first chapter, that's a huge problem. On my Kindle, this book is 200 pages. On page 189, the "hero" is no less of an arrogant, self-centered, conceited jackass than he was on page 18. Typically, even if the HEROINE thinks that the hero doesn't love her at this point in a novel (as the "reveal" often comes quite late in these books), the AUDIENCE knows differently. But when Charlotte thinks he doesn't love her, I find myself right there with her.
Happily (?), this situation is eventually resolved (on page 194 of 200). The children say, "But you DO love her! You're ENGLISH!" and his reaction is to essentially go, "Egads, I suppose you're right! Suddenly, I remember my biological father for perhaps the first time in this entire novel, and I have seen the light!" So...that's...believable. I guess. Well, believable or not, it's what we're left with. (The author also seems to realize the absurdity inherent in this "development" because the heroine's response to his profession of love is, "He didn't mean it. He couldn't have changed his mind in so little time. Yet he looked earnest enough, and she couldn't imagine why he would lie." Charlotte replies to his declaration, "Really?" Which was exactly my response, though I said it in I'm sure a different tone than the author intended the heroine to utter this word.)
The development of the "romance" is completely unsettling. The "hero" forces her to marry him by publicly humiliating and compromising her, knowing she will be left with no recourse but to marry him. She agrees to marry him because she knows that it's either that or flee the continent. The romance practically drips off the page with that basic premise. Bear in mind - AGAIN - that this is fairly late into the book. It's not like this happens in chapter 2 and the rest of the book is about the two of them growing together. She swears that she'll not be a wife to him, so he 1) shoots open the door to her room, 2) carries her like a sack of potatoes to a bed, and 3) when she refuses to undress, he whips out a knife and literally cuts her clothes off of her.
When I read the sentence, "He pointed his knife at her. She gave in to panic and ran," my heart nearly palpatated out of my chest. Not in the way the author intended, however. And when I later read, "You are a good" - rip! - "civilized" - rip! "dutiful lady of England. ... You will submit to your husband as the law and custom demand," I thought I would swoon from the sheer amount of ROMANCE that imagery instilled in me.
I'll be honest. This is not the first scene I've read in romance novels where the author writes a scene that could come off or does come off like a rape scene but the author intends for it not to be. I have no doubt that's NOT how the author intended for this scene to come off. However...she failed. Epically. I can't even understand how she didn't realize how badly she'd missed the mark. At this point in the book, the heroine thinks the "hero" doesn't love her, that he views her as property, and that he cares absolutely NOTHING for her as anything more than a piece of property and a sexual conquest. And, at this point in the book, the "HERO" believes (and in every way reinforces this belief such that I think he's probably right in his belief) that he doesn't love her, that he views her as essentially his property, and that he cares absolutely NOTHING for her as anything more than a piece of property and a sexual conquest.
When you have established that a "hero" views his new wife in this fashion, he has categorically ignored her protests to his sexual advances and done as he darn well pleased, and he starts the sex scene by saying, "This is my day. You are my wife. I will do with you as I please," well...how is this to come off as anything BUT a rape scene? Oh, *I* know why! Because she secretly LIKES it! Her body responds to his actions, so that makes it okay! It's not rape! (What a lovely - and incidentally inaccurate - message to send.)
Even following this scene, the "hero" cares so little for the heroine that when she tries - yet AGAIN - to tell him why she's unhappy and what she wants from him (for him to love her and NOT treat her as "not the center of his universe, but a convenience to make his life easier, a mere planet dependent on the mighty sun" ... when she tells him that he'll put her in a little mental compartment and so she'll essentially do the same, he laughs in her face. He literally laughs at her and says, in essence, "No you won't! You like having sex with me too much!" And, somehow, that "scores a direct hit" with her.
Incidentally, the "hero"'s advice for his mother's suitor, when he's told that Adorna wants an affair, not a marriage, is "abduct her." Then he goes on and on about how it's the proper and best thing to do. The author treats this advice as being perfectly acceptable, as the "hero" then talks about how Bedouins will abduct a woman from another tribe, drag these women off into the desert, and keep them there until they are so overcome by the strength of the abductor's passion that they fall desperately in love with them. Ms. Dodd, I have only this to ask: What. The. Frack?
I don't even know what else I can say to explain just how unimaginably BAD this book is. Even if you can get past the "plot" (there's some sort of embezzlement going on. Don't worry about it, because it's generally forgotten through the book until it's resolved at the end in THE most ludicrous way ever) and the HORRIFYING character "development" (which doesn't exist. The "hero" starts off as a scumwad and ends up as a scumwad, until a light-switched epiphany makes it all okay), the writing is sub-par for a Dodd book. If you don't believe me, I point out this example: "Wynter bounded up the stairs to her side. His fair hair and his earring glittered almost white with his wrath." If anyone can explain to me how someone's hair and earring can "glitter with wrath" - or how one's wrath can somehow transfer itself into one's hair and jewelry to make it glitter more brightly than it otherwise might...I will retract this entire review.
If you want my recommendation, do yourself a favor and skip this book.
With a shiny new Kindle in hand this Christmas, I decided to start at the beginning and re-read some novels I have particularly enjoyed in the past. Reading through "Rules of Surrender" again, I have to wonder...what was I thinking? Is the Kindle book an inherently different novel than the physical copy I read back then? Or, as a teenager, did I just not use critical reasoning skills when I read novels? I'm suddenly ashamed of my younger self.
The "hero" is one of the least likeable of any I've come across in romance novels. A lot of his dialogue is downright laughable. It reminds me of Khal Drogo from A Game of Thrones...only bad. Way, WAY more over the top. I couldn't understand why the heroine would ever fall in love with such an ass...or even how she could take him seriously. (Honestly, if I'd read him call his child, "Fruit of my loins!" one more time, my eyes would have rolled out of my head. And that's just ONE example of the ludicrousness of the dialogue. Bear in mind, this character lived in England until he was in his TEENS.)
There really wasn't a single character in this book that I really LIKED. Other than perhaps the children, who were generally okay. But if I'm reading a romance novel and am finding the CHILDREN to be the most engaging part, there's something seriously wrong. I didn't have any big objections to Adorna, the grandmother, but I didn't end up really thinking one way or another about her. For being in the book a significant amount, she was something of a non-entity to me.
The heroine is...very proper. And not a great deal of fun. I can't think of a single moment in the book that made me smile, but if there was, it certainly didn't come from her character. I honestly cannot think of a heroine in any romance I've ever read that was so singularly unamusing. She has no sense of humor that I could discern. Then again, if I were tied to this "hero" in a novel, I wouldn't be laughing, either.
Yet, as bland as the heroine is, she is LEAGUES above the "hero". Given that she's a bit "bottom of the barrel" that's saying something. The "hero" is an arrogant, conceited ass. Granted, it's pretty common for a hero to START a novel that way, but when he's no different 90% in as he was in the first chapter, that's a huge problem. On my Kindle, this book is 200 pages. On page 189, the "hero" is no less of an arrogant, self-centered, conceited jackass than he was on page 18. Typically, even if the HEROINE thinks that the hero doesn't love her at this point in a novel (as the "reveal" often comes quite late in these books), the AUDIENCE knows differently. But when Charlotte thinks he doesn't love her, I find myself right there with her.
Happily (?), this situation is eventually resolved (on page 194 of 200). The children say, "But you DO love her! You're ENGLISH!" and his reaction is to essentially go, "Egads, I suppose you're right! Suddenly, I remember my biological father for perhaps the first time in this entire novel, and I have seen the light!" So...that's...believable. I guess. Well, believable or not, it's what we're left with. (The author also seems to realize the absurdity inherent in this "development" because the heroine's response to his profession of love is, "He didn't mean it. He couldn't have changed his mind in so little time. Yet he looked earnest enough, and she couldn't imagine why he would lie." Charlotte replies to his declaration, "Really?" Which was exactly my response, though I said it in I'm sure a different tone than the author intended the heroine to utter this word.)
The development of the "romance" is completely unsettling. The "hero" forces her to marry him by publicly humiliating and compromising her, knowing she will be left with no recourse but to marry him. She agrees to marry him because she knows that it's either that or flee the continent. The romance practically drips off the page with that basic premise. Bear in mind - AGAIN - that this is fairly late into the book. It's not like this happens in chapter 2 and the rest of the book is about the two of them growing together. She swears that she'll not be a wife to him, so he 1) shoots open the door to her room, 2) carries her like a sack of potatoes to a bed, and 3) when she refuses to undress, he whips out a knife and literally cuts her clothes off of her.
When I read the sentence, "He pointed his knife at her. She gave in to panic and ran," my heart nearly palpatated out of my chest. Not in the way the author intended, however. And when I later read, "You are a good" - rip! - "civilized" - rip! "dutiful lady of England. ... You will submit to your husband as the law and custom demand," I thought I would swoon from the sheer amount of ROMANCE that imagery instilled in me.
I'll be honest. This is not the first scene I've read in romance novels where the author writes a scene that could come off or does come off like a rape scene but the author intends for it not to be. I have no doubt that's NOT how the author intended for this scene to come off. However...she failed. Epically. I can't even understand how she didn't realize how badly she'd missed the mark. At this point in the book, the heroine thinks the "hero" doesn't love her, that he views her as property, and that he cares absolutely NOTHING for her as anything more than a piece of property and a sexual conquest. And, at this point in the book, the "HERO" believes (and in every way reinforces this belief such that I think he's probably right in his belief) that he doesn't love her, that he views her as essentially his property, and that he cares absolutely NOTHING for her as anything more than a piece of property and a sexual conquest.
When you have established that a "hero" views his new wife in this fashion, he has categorically ignored her protests to his sexual advances and done as he darn well pleased, and he starts the sex scene by saying, "This is my day. You are my wife. I will do with you as I please," well...how is this to come off as anything BUT a rape scene? Oh, *I* know why! Because she secretly LIKES it! Her body responds to his actions, so that makes it okay! It's not rape! (What a lovely - and incidentally inaccurate - message to send.)
Even following this scene, the "hero" cares so little for the heroine that when she tries - yet AGAIN - to tell him why she's unhappy and what she wants from him (for him to love her and NOT treat her as "not the center of his universe, but a convenience to make his life easier, a mere planet dependent on the mighty sun" ... when she tells him that he'll put her in a little mental compartment and so she'll essentially do the same, he laughs in her face. He literally laughs at her and says, in essence, "No you won't! You like having sex with me too much!" And, somehow, that "scores a direct hit" with her.
Incidentally, the "hero"'s advice for his mother's suitor, when he's told that Adorna wants an affair, not a marriage, is "abduct her." Then he goes on and on about how it's the proper and best thing to do. The author treats this advice as being perfectly acceptable, as the "hero" then talks about how Bedouins will abduct a woman from another tribe, drag these women off into the desert, and keep them there until they are so overcome by the strength of the abductor's passion that they fall desperately in love with them. Ms. Dodd, I have only this to ask: What. The. Frack?
I don't even know what else I can say to explain just how unimaginably BAD this book is. Even if you can get past the "plot" (there's some sort of embezzlement going on. Don't worry about it, because it's generally forgotten through the book until it's resolved at the end in THE most ludicrous way ever) and the HORRIFYING character "development" (which doesn't exist. The "hero" starts off as a scumwad and ends up as a scumwad, until a light-switched epiphany makes it all okay), the writing is sub-par for a Dodd book. If you don't believe me, I point out this example: "Wynter bounded up the stairs to her side. His fair hair and his earring glittered almost white with his wrath." If anyone can explain to me how someone's hair and earring can "glitter with wrath" - or how one's wrath can somehow transfer itself into one's hair and jewelry to make it glitter more brightly than it otherwise might...I will retract this entire review.
If you want my recommendation, do yourself a favor and skip this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 8, 2024DNF
Loved the first book in this series. Was excited to see that the second book featured another generation of the first book. Unfortunately, the he man that is our leading man is so ridiculously characterized, I just can’t.
I’ll try another Dodd book but saying goodbye to this series. Such a disappointment but her first book in the series set a seriously high bar.
Moving on! 😎
(Reviewed 5/5/24)
Loved the first book in this series. Was excited to see that the second book featured another generation of the first book. Unfortunately, the he man that is our leading man is so ridiculously characterized, I just can’t.
I’ll try another Dodd book but saying goodbye to this series. Such a disappointment but her first book in the series set a seriously high bar.
Moving on! 😎
(Reviewed 5/5/24)
April 3, 2012
T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. Not the writing but the characters OH GOD the characters.
Charlotte is the improbably prim/proper/perfect governess-cum-heiress with a secret past (OF SCANDAL) who falls for the improbably-named Wynter, the young Englishman who moved to a desert country and returned with young children in tow. They and he need to be Civilized posthaste for some vague English ceremony involving Queen Victoria: hence, Lady Miss Governess Charlotte.
... and then it gets icky.
Wynter decides early on that Charlotte (for whom he holds no romantic feelings) will be his wife, and to hell with what she wants because women are a possession, like one's dog or horse, only rather lower down. I am not making this up. He sets about seducing the unwilling young governess by removing his shirt and talking about his scars and making her touch his "man nipples". I am not making this up.
And! After Wynter discovers her Tiny Scandal From Long Ago, he entraps her in the same way -- and in front of the vicar, too! Charlotte may be forced to marry him, but she refuses to bed him. On their wedding night, she locks the door. He blows upon the lock with a quick blast from his pistol as she screams, cuts off her dress as she protests, andseriously just rapes her I mean, wrestles naked with her and leaves her screaming again (orgasm this time).
"You're marrying a woman who won't have the right to demand anything from you, because you saved her. Never mind that your ruined her in the first place ..."
I am not making this up.
I sincerely hope Ms Dodd has a better imagination. I hope this isn't anyone's real story. I am too cynical to expect it, but I can hope.
Charlotte is the improbably prim/proper/perfect governess-cum-heiress with a secret past (OF SCANDAL) who falls for the improbably-named Wynter, the young Englishman who moved to a desert country and returned with young children in tow. They and he need to be Civilized posthaste for some vague English ceremony involving Queen Victoria: hence, Lady Miss Governess Charlotte.
... and then it gets icky.
Wynter decides early on that Charlotte (for whom he holds no romantic feelings) will be his wife, and to hell with what she wants because women are a possession, like one's dog or horse, only rather lower down. I am not making this up. He sets about seducing the unwilling young governess by removing his shirt and talking about his scars and making her touch his "man nipples". I am not making this up.
And! After Wynter discovers her Tiny Scandal From Long Ago, he entraps her in the same way -- and in front of the vicar, too! Charlotte may be forced to marry him, but she refuses to bed him. On their wedding night, she locks the door. He blows upon the lock with a quick blast from his pistol as she screams, cuts off her dress as she protests, and
"You're marrying a woman who won't have the right to demand anything from you, because you saved her. Never mind that your ruined her in the first place ..."
I am not making this up.
I sincerely hope Ms Dodd has a better imagination. I hope this isn't anyone's real story. I am too cynical to expect it, but I can hope.
July 4, 2022
4 Estrellitas. A pesar de la nota general que tiene en Goodreads, a mí me ha gustado bastante y me lo he pasado pipa con las conversaciones de los protagonistas.
"Entregada" es el primer título de la serie Institutrices, de Christina Dodd. Una de éstas series largas que llevo muchos años diciendo: a ver si me la leo. Hace pocos años leí "Escándalo nocturno" que es una precuela de ésta serie y fue la que finalmente me animó a seguir con las Institutrices.
La protagonista es Charlotte Dalrumple. Ella, junto con Pamela Lockhart y Hannah Setterington han fundado en 1840 la Distinguida Academia de Institutrices. Las tres provienen de familias bien avenidas y con pocos recursos, por lo que tuvieron que ponerse a trabajar como institutrices; y pocos años después, hartas de trabajos precarios y mal pagados, deciden fundar su propia academia y elegir la casa y los niños para los que van a trabajar.
Recién fundada la academia, llega un día su primera clienta, Alondra Ruskin, condesa viuda, quien necesita desesperadamente una institutriz paciente y experta en modales para sus recién y salvajes descubiertos nietos y su hijo pródigo.
Wynter Ruskin, actual conde, huyó de Inglaterra con sólo quince años cuando falleció su padre. Sus viajes lo llevaron por el Mediterráneo y las costas de Berbería hasta un lugar de Oriente llamado El Bahar, donde se unió a una caravana mercante y allí ha permanecido durante quince años.
Durante ésta peripecia, Wynter se casó con una nativa, quien le dio dos hijos, Robbie y Leila. Ahora, muchos años después, Wynter decide volver a casa debido a los negocios familiares y a que la situación de su hija no va a ser la deseable cuando se haga mujer.
Los nietos de Alondra son muy distintos a los niños ingleses, aunque hablan el idioma, son salvajes y no conocen las costumbres del país. El condado de Ruskin va a recibir en unos meses unos invitados muy importantes y Alondra necesita demostrar que su familia es puramente inglesa y correcta. Por esto mismo, la indicada será Charlotte Dalrumple.
Pese a lo que pueda parecer, Charlotte en seguida se hace con los niños y la relación que establece con ellos es preciosa, es uno de los detalles más bonitos del libro. A su vez, Wynter Ruskin también necesita lecciones de comportamiento, pues se fue muy joven de Inglaterra y ya no conoce sus costumbres. Pero con Wynter, las lecciones de Charlotte serán un auténtico reto, pues está cerca de sucumbir a los encantos orientales de éste inglés salvaje y Wynter está decidido a hacer suya a Charlotte.
Sí, me han encantado los tira y afloja de los protagonistas, sus conversaciones han sido muy entretenidas e interesantes y me lo he pasado genial leyéndolas. Pero admito que las cien últimas páginas de su relación me han costado más, pues hay una serie de comportamientos que no me han convencido mucho y no me pegaban con el protagonista, creo que podrían haberse resuelto de otra manera.
Aún así, me ha gustado mucho éste libro y me ha dejado con muchas ganas de descubrir los siguientes libros de la serie.
"Entregada" es el primer título de la serie Institutrices, de Christina Dodd. Una de éstas series largas que llevo muchos años diciendo: a ver si me la leo. Hace pocos años leí "Escándalo nocturno" que es una precuela de ésta serie y fue la que finalmente me animó a seguir con las Institutrices.
La protagonista es Charlotte Dalrumple. Ella, junto con Pamela Lockhart y Hannah Setterington han fundado en 1840 la Distinguida Academia de Institutrices. Las tres provienen de familias bien avenidas y con pocos recursos, por lo que tuvieron que ponerse a trabajar como institutrices; y pocos años después, hartas de trabajos precarios y mal pagados, deciden fundar su propia academia y elegir la casa y los niños para los que van a trabajar.
Recién fundada la academia, llega un día su primera clienta, Alondra Ruskin, condesa viuda, quien necesita desesperadamente una institutriz paciente y experta en modales para sus recién y salvajes descubiertos nietos y su hijo pródigo.
Wynter Ruskin, actual conde, huyó de Inglaterra con sólo quince años cuando falleció su padre. Sus viajes lo llevaron por el Mediterráneo y las costas de Berbería hasta un lugar de Oriente llamado El Bahar, donde se unió a una caravana mercante y allí ha permanecido durante quince años.
Durante ésta peripecia, Wynter se casó con una nativa, quien le dio dos hijos, Robbie y Leila. Ahora, muchos años después, Wynter decide volver a casa debido a los negocios familiares y a que la situación de su hija no va a ser la deseable cuando se haga mujer.
Los nietos de Alondra son muy distintos a los niños ingleses, aunque hablan el idioma, son salvajes y no conocen las costumbres del país. El condado de Ruskin va a recibir en unos meses unos invitados muy importantes y Alondra necesita demostrar que su familia es puramente inglesa y correcta. Por esto mismo, la indicada será Charlotte Dalrumple.
Pese a lo que pueda parecer, Charlotte en seguida se hace con los niños y la relación que establece con ellos es preciosa, es uno de los detalles más bonitos del libro. A su vez, Wynter Ruskin también necesita lecciones de comportamiento, pues se fue muy joven de Inglaterra y ya no conoce sus costumbres. Pero con Wynter, las lecciones de Charlotte serán un auténtico reto, pues está cerca de sucumbir a los encantos orientales de éste inglés salvaje y Wynter está decidido a hacer suya a Charlotte.
Sí, me han encantado los tira y afloja de los protagonistas, sus conversaciones han sido muy entretenidas e interesantes y me lo he pasado genial leyéndolas. Pero admito que las cien últimas páginas de su relación me han costado más, pues hay una serie de comportamientos que no me han convencido mucho y no me pegaban con el protagonista, creo que podrían haberse resuelto de otra manera.
Aún así, me ha gustado mucho éste libro y me ha dejado con muchas ganas de descubrir los siguientes libros de la serie.
April 30, 2024
Wynter and Charlotte’s story was endearing. Wynter has returned from formative years spent with a bedouin tribe. Charlotte is an experienced governess with a great instinct for obstinate children and their unruly father. Cultural differences and emotional insecurities present character dev through struggles and hilarity. Story pacing was good but found myself wishing a few plot points would resolve faster. H wanted h from the beginning. Refreshing change from the manho H.
June 2, 2017
For a historical romance book this was really disappointing for me. Pretty much awful to be honest. And the most frustrating because I tried so hard to like it. I had major issues with this book. Both the hero and heroine came off obnoxious and pretentious. Wynter who I tried very hard to like came off abrasive, chauvinistic and stupid. Which really confused me considering in the beginning he pretended to act inept to fool people but reading through the very end, the man was completely clueless and IMO never seemed to change. And Charlotte was no better. She came off stiff, snobbish, judgmental, and mean (all those remarks about his time in the desert and his way of living and the way he dressed I didn't appreciate). I understood she was a governess and was focused on following rules of propriety but that doesn't excuse her snobbish rude holier-than-thou attitude. Her cutting remarks to Wynter and his new lifestyle were neither endearing or charming. I could not understand or relate to her or Wynter most of the time.
And I understand the plot of the story was trying to fight off lust and growing feelings between two people but when the author spends so much more time (too much IMO) showing the two characters bickering and arguing then actually even 'liking' each other it gets kind of hard to believe that they love each other. Which was why I had a hard time buying Lady Charlotte loved Wynter when she hated even admitting it and spent most of the time reprimanding him or scolding him like a five-year old. It wasn't endearing in the least or sexy. And I couldn't buy Wynter loving her when he obviously didn't understand the meaning of love. It was a shame to me because the author did not focus on the actual love story and didn't show them falling in love at all but spent time page after page on the battle of wills between the two and the surrounding secondary characters. The whole pacing of the book was really odd. There was very little room left for actual romance or even love IMO. It got to the point where I almost stopped reading the book several times.
And an awkward rolling and tumbling around on the floor in a tent where the man has to physically force you to succumb to his advances is not hot, sexy or romantic, it was pretty much close to rape for me. It was totally bizarre to the point of uncomfortable when the man is ripping off her clothes and she's trying to flee. I mean what? I almost was laughing at how ridiculous the description was because I couldn't believe that was the climactic long drawn out 'love scene'. Nothing about it was seductive or romantic.
I was bummed because I was really looking forward to reading this governess series. :( I keep hearing great things about this author but so far not impressed or interested.
And I understand the plot of the story was trying to fight off lust and growing feelings between two people but when the author spends so much more time (too much IMO) showing the two characters bickering and arguing then actually even 'liking' each other it gets kind of hard to believe that they love each other. Which was why I had a hard time buying Lady Charlotte loved Wynter when she hated even admitting it and spent most of the time reprimanding him or scolding him like a five-year old. It wasn't endearing in the least or sexy. And I couldn't buy Wynter loving her when he obviously didn't understand the meaning of love. It was a shame to me because the author did not focus on the actual love story and didn't show them falling in love at all but spent time page after page on the battle of wills between the two and the surrounding secondary characters. The whole pacing of the book was really odd. There was very little room left for actual romance or even love IMO. It got to the point where I almost stopped reading the book several times.
And an awkward rolling and tumbling around on the floor in a tent where the man has to physically force you to succumb to his advances is not hot, sexy or romantic, it was pretty much close to rape for me. It was totally bizarre to the point of uncomfortable when the man is ripping off her clothes and she's trying to flee. I mean what? I almost was laughing at how ridiculous the description was because I couldn't believe that was the climactic long drawn out 'love scene'. Nothing about it was seductive or romantic.
I was bummed because I was really looking forward to reading this governess series. :( I keep hearing great things about this author but so far not impressed or interested.
August 27, 2016
I am going to just copy and paste my comments from the group.
What started off romantic ended up nothing but. I could not even figure out when or how either of them fell in love with the other. Yeah, I got that both of them loved his children, and the children loved both of them. However, is that really enough? I cannot imagine things will look well for their relationship after the book.
What started off romantic ended up nothing but. I could not even figure out when or how either of them fell in love with the other. Yeah, I got that both of them loved his children, and the children loved both of them. However, is that really enough? I cannot imagine things will look well for their relationship after the book.
February 1, 2019
Second time reading.
Meh
Didn't like the heroine....
Loved the hero, oh, Wynter! Love you so much!
Too many plot lines, it'd be ok for me only the MCs plot ...
Both faithful
No OP scenes
No cheatin
Daddy with 2 children. Widower
Meh
Didn't like the heroine....
Loved the hero, oh, Wynter! Love you so much!
Too many plot lines, it'd be ok for me only the MCs plot ...
Both faithful
No OP scenes
No cheatin
Daddy with 2 children. Widower
March 7, 2018
"Rules of Surrender" is the story of Charlotte and Wynter.
One thing this book has definitely taught me is to NOT read the reviews on GR beforehand, because they can be untrue/misleading/exaggerated.
Anyways..
Lady Charlotte Dalrumple is a no-non sense disciplined governess, who has found success in every venture. She runs the The Distinguished Academy of Governesses with her two friends, and finds herself employed by the widowed Lady Adorna for her two "wild" grandkids.
Unknown to them, Adorna's son Wynter is still alive and arrives just as Charlotte takes charge of his two kids! Immediately infatuated with the redhead, he decides to woo her with his "honest" opinions about her..but soon Adorna hires her to coach her uncouth son who has stayed far too long in El-Bahar, and lost all sense of propriety.
Then we have a reluctant courtship, embezzlement drama, pasts exposed, a surprise courtship and an eventual marriage!
One thing I absolutely loved was the two kids Robbie and Layla- they were so sweet and lovable.
The hero was a chauvinistic brute who was a tad too thick at times, the heroine a bit too snooty, and the notorious "rape" scene was semi-con at the best
A lot of cheesy quotes aside, the last 3/4 of the book was kinda a mess with the obsolete hero and a depressed heroine- and it took the kids to impart some sense to him. Did enjoy the ending to Bucknell and Adorna's tale.
Safe/SWME
2.5/5
One thing this book has definitely taught me is to NOT read the reviews on GR beforehand, because they can be untrue/misleading/exaggerated.
Anyways..
Lady Charlotte Dalrumple is a no-non sense disciplined governess, who has found success in every venture. She runs the The Distinguished Academy of Governesses with her two friends, and finds herself employed by the widowed Lady Adorna for her two "wild" grandkids.
Unknown to them, Adorna's son Wynter is still alive and arrives just as Charlotte takes charge of his two kids! Immediately infatuated with the redhead, he decides to woo her with his "honest" opinions about her..but soon Adorna hires her to coach her uncouth son who has stayed far too long in El-Bahar, and lost all sense of propriety.
Then we have a reluctant courtship, embezzlement drama, pasts exposed, a surprise courtship and an eventual marriage!
One thing I absolutely loved was the two kids Robbie and Layla- they were so sweet and lovable.
The hero was a chauvinistic brute who was a tad too thick at times, the heroine a bit too snooty, and the notorious "rape" scene was semi-con at the best
A lot of cheesy quotes aside, the last 3/4 of the book was kinda a mess with the obsolete hero and a depressed heroine- and it took the kids to impart some sense to him. Did enjoy the ending to Bucknell and Adorna's tale.
Safe/SWME
2.5/5
December 6, 2010
I gave this 2 stars because as usual, Christina Dodd is a wonderful writer. In fact, that's the only reason I picked up this book -- I've never yet enjoyed an Arabian/Regency. They often involve kidnap, coersion, and rape, none of which I like. I do like strong men who go after and conquer their women, but the conquest has to be an emotional one, not a physical one. I actually thought this might end up being an emotional conquest in the end, but let's not mince words -- he rapes her and then he tells her that she was a willing participant. That's when I stopped readnig. No means no. It particularly means no when it's backed up by a locked door you had to shoot your way through, a dress you had to cut off with a knife, and a pretty violent fight. I'm not sure in what screwed up world that wasn't rape.
August 28, 2023
This wasn’t bad. The writing is really well done and I loved how cleverly things all came together in the end. I grabbed it because someone said it was like Pride and Prejudice and was expecting a Mr. Darcy, instead we get a Mr. Bean. This H was just silly so much of the time and too “character-y”.
July 28, 2020
Read June 24, 2018
Rules of surrender. 2 stars. Lacking in magic.
Rules of surrender. 2 stars. Lacking in magic.
March 25, 2013
It starts out with Lady Charlotte Dalrumple who is a governess, and one of the more proper ones. When a client comes in asking her to be a governess to her grandchildren, who are as she put it "savages" and needed to be put in society, well Charlotte agree's, wanting a change from helping young ladies with their come out's into society. So she is ready to accept that challenge of reforming her grandchildren. When she arrives at Autsinpark Manor, she is surprised to find that Lord Wynter Ruskin is there to meet them, and as she can tell he just as uncivilized as his two adorable children are. Lord Wynter Ruskin, ran away from home at the age of fifteen and went to explore the world filled with adventure. Of course it didn't all turn out as he had planned. He ended up back in England for the sake of his children, when his wife passed away. Even though they had known freedoms in living abroad and having no British social structure to restict anything from them. However, Charlotte takes the children in hand with grace, and naturally they fall in love with her. Having lost their own mother, and feeling out of place and very rebellious, they endear themselves to her influence. As time goes on, she realizes that the children aren't the only ones that she has to help get into society's good graces, namely Lordy Wynter Ruskin. She finds herself surrendering to the passion that builds between them, and as the society lessons go onward, she finds herself falling in love with the handsome Lord who has captivated her heart and body.
I love reading from Christina Dodd, she always brings out such a vitality to the reader, that I kept thirsting for more. I don't think I could ever get enough of her books. From the first page I fell in love with both Charlotte and Wynter, and the two children had me smiling from one page to the next. There was never a dull moment in this one. It had such a vibrance to the romance and passion between Charlotte and Wynter, that made my heart stutter with anticipation. It was definitely a treat to read Rules of Surrender and I truly fell in love with this book, the characters, the plot, the love story was endearing.
I love reading from Christina Dodd, she always brings out such a vitality to the reader, that I kept thirsting for more. I don't think I could ever get enough of her books. From the first page I fell in love with both Charlotte and Wynter, and the two children had me smiling from one page to the next. There was never a dull moment in this one. It had such a vibrance to the romance and passion between Charlotte and Wynter, that made my heart stutter with anticipation. It was definitely a treat to read Rules of Surrender and I truly fell in love with this book, the characters, the plot, the love story was endearing.
September 12, 2015
Who doesn't love a handsome wastrel with hidden complexity? This is one of the best of Christina Dodd's addicting Governess Brides series; to be fair, I say that every time I'm tempted to review ANY of the Governess Brides. Classic historical romance with enough steam to power a railroad, and Ms. Dodd's inimitable wit. If you like a touch of humor with your dark anti-heroes and blushing, tight-laced governesses, this series is your nirvana.
June 16, 2010
I didn't hate it but I didn't swoon over it either. Don't need a fan, or a tissue, don't have a smile or a gasp over the ending or anything else for that matter. Could probably use a therapist to interpret or clue me in on what the heck Wynter was about. Could be me, but the guy made no sense. Ever. Meh. I'm vexed.
April 2, 2013
The best part was when Wynter fell off the balcony. A smug, presumptuous, disrespectful, annoying rapist is not a romantic hero. Just awful.
March 12, 2009
ETA: I'm still shocked. I haven't pastede_in the incoherent rants I typed somewhere else and had intended to place around the one funny and countless awful quotes, so the quotes stand alone (below). Dodd must have intended "The Sheik" romance but this is the most awful non-con, see also final quote with sickening non-con language below; the book ended after her last realistic outcry for me, the following endless molestation incl. public Frenching ended with all of his "funny" pretensions actually coming true in the end, the most clichéd "I love you" solving everything without a single thing changing.
The first in the Governess series is also the one she copied in the seventh, which I had just read before. The tutoring makes much more sense here, and a couple of occasions where Caroline quietly explains why excercising courtesy and knowing rules was a vital ability in any society, not just in a stiff Victorian one but necessary for survival rather than conforming, Wynter's overdone "barbarism" was annoying. Not only did I find his huge bare feet and djellaba unappealing, him being tanned brown is a stupid modern thing Dodd added to this series which I never minded when they were medieval knights, but find repellent in those huge tall big "hunks".
Like the other of the later series, the restrained plot serves clarity, and the heroine is more clearly visible, even though she seems to be plagued by exactly the same unjust fate as ANTR and MBT. The children are okay like in her other books, except for how it physically hurts me how she restricts the girl, and the "love" that she naturally has for them. The small details of how she concentrates on how he angles his head, strains his muscles etc. under her is nice, even if he's just generally bland to me, much like all of hers now?
His repellent and real opinions about how women needed to be ruled by their men, which he still has in later books oh how cute do the wives who really rule say as I glower, resurfaces to make a good obstacle once it's clear that he wants to marry her, and his good nature and intelligence will make him sense (even if later oh how funny he says these things still he's not a Hunt hero). Him having had only this one Beduine wife since he was 15 might also make him a virgin, even if Dodd gives her heroes their sexin from 10 years on. While I loathe the first dichotomy, I of course like the second since it makes him cute rather than the savage sexor, but then Dodd became (ill advisedly) one of my 2.5 favourites by having women on top NOT in the stupid riding-with-bouncy-breast crap but in the revelling and touching his body underneath. Indeed with him repeatedly making her touch him, even the stupid word man nipples for once is permissible, because Dodd's emancipated sensuality gets full space here, and since the heroine is a real character for once her genuine refusal begs for him coming off his high horse.
Besides the likable chauvinism of the hero, there are also fresher, crisper funny scenes than in her others I read lately.
There is also the most outspoken scene yet about the unbearable injustice of two laws for men and women and the yoke of marriage as something she should be grateful for. It was a disappointingly stupid sex ending which drags on and makes me feel sick in the end when he does so easily overpower her sexually. As it drags on and on, it becomes clear it's meant as the usual she-cant-resist him which in a Dodd book is quasi rape for me, unexpected as it, the worst possible thing after luring me with genuiness..
His eyes fluttered shut, so she let her eyes close, too. She concentrated on the way he angled his head. The tensing of his muscles in the body beneath her. The power of his shoulders held in her clutching hands. Just as each perception grew slightly familiar, she found something else changed.
"Charlotte. Again." He lifted his face toward hers. Unwillingly flattered, she bent to him. Her lips settled easily on his, at home already with his warmth, the texture of his skin… and his taste.
"More." His voice was guttural, demanding, but his caresses in her hair, along her spine remained gentle and tender.
More? Ah, she knew, or rather, she could guess what he wanted. Ignoring the flutter of good sense within her enfeebled brain, she leaned into him yet further, and slowly slid her tongue into his mouth.
This woman understood almost nothing of the skills Eastern girls imbibed with their mothers' milk. So she was surprised at his passion, horrified at her own and did not accept the fire between them with any amount of grace.
In short, Wynter would have to court her. He grimaced. It could be done, of course. Like mares, women were easily led if offered the right enticement. But how much better when a woman accepted a man's wishes without such an arduous process!
Wynter realized with a jolt she had no intention of telling him the rest of the story. He was stunned. He was most empathetic and insightful, and she was talking to him, the mate of her soul, the man who would wed her. She didn't know that yet, she ought to know he could be trusted.
Nevertheless, he would not reproach her.
She didn't exclaim, or thank him, or throw herself into his arms in an ecstasy of joy. Perhaps she didn't truly understand, or perhaps she thought him indifferent or uncaring about the attraction she felt for him. So he clarified. "Also, we both feel desire for each other. Our bedsport will be most satisfying."
Now she responded. Color swept into her face and she lowered her head like a camel about to charge.
Bringing her palm to his chest, he laid it over one of his male nipples.
He still clasped her hand to hischest and he moved it slowly in a little circle. She held herself stiffly and glared into his face. He smiled at first, but as the motion continued his smile slipped away, to be replaced by an expression of expectation. His lids half lowered over his eyes, his nostrils flared, his lips parted slightly.
The hair prickled her palm, and the nipple, at first smooth and soft, puckered under the stimulus. She knew that, for as she grew aware of the physical sensations, she found she couldn't look into his face any longer, and the response beneath her palm was echoed on his other side.
And on her. She didn't understand it. She didn't like it. But her nipples tightened, rubbing against her chemise, poking toward him as if demanding attention. He couldn't see them.
Relief burst on him. Children! She wanted children!
Of course. All women wanted children.
He was potent. He could give her children. It would be a pleasure.
Walking to Charlotte, he wrapped her in his arms. She stood stiffly, not fighting him but not permitting, either. Women were supposed to have instincts, but Charlotte didn't even know how to accept solace.
He refrained from shouting instructions at her.
I have to marry or I'll be a pariah. But yours, too. You're marrying a woman who won't have the right to demand anything from you, because you saved her. Never mind that you ruined her in the first place; you saved her when you could have let her sink, so all will admire you. You can pat yourself on the back for being so generous"—she looked down at his hand wrapped in her skirt—"oh, wait, you're already doing that! Ah, well, munificent, lucky you never have to waste another thought on your wife and her happiness. The privilege of being your wife and warming herself in your rays should be enough
He pulled her close against him as though he could overcome her objections with nothing more than his proximity. She craned her neck to see his face. His height was greater than hers, his strength far superior to her own.
The contrast between his power and hers was vast; even more weighty was the reality of the law. When Wynter was her husband he would have the right to do with her body as he wished. He could beat her, or lock her away. He wouldn't; she knew that. But he would take his conjugal rights, and if she dared complain or bemoan her fate, the men who made the laws would shrug and turn away. More important, hundreds of women less blessed in their mates would rise up against her and browbeat her into submission. She had no choice. He would have her.
Perhaps if she retracted her challenge, he might leave her alone until her unhappy wedding night.
But she couldn't. When she thought about allowing him the freedom of her body… she just couldn't. Useless or not, she had to fight him, for if she didn't she would lose some vital piece of herself.
He bent over her, an invisible shape formed of powerful threat and impossible passion. When she tried to wiggle away she found herself trapped by his knee on her skirt. More than that, she felt trapped by him and by… what? Desire? Expectation? She only knew the novelty of being this close to a man made her want to explore these inappropriate sensations.
If only she felt safe with him. If only she knew that when her limit had been reached, he would call a halt.
She tried to sit up, to dislodge him, but his upper body blocked her, his knee trapped her by her skirts and he whispered, "Shh." He delved into the slit in her underwear. "Don't move."
The first in the Governess series is also the one she copied in the seventh, which I had just read before. The tutoring makes much more sense here, and a couple of occasions where Caroline quietly explains why excercising courtesy and knowing rules was a vital ability in any society, not just in a stiff Victorian one but necessary for survival rather than conforming, Wynter's overdone "barbarism" was annoying. Not only did I find his huge bare feet and djellaba unappealing, him being tanned brown is a stupid modern thing Dodd added to this series which I never minded when they were medieval knights, but find repellent in those huge tall big "hunks".
Like the other of the later series, the restrained plot serves clarity, and the heroine is more clearly visible, even though she seems to be plagued by exactly the same unjust fate as ANTR and MBT. The children are okay like in her other books, except for how it physically hurts me how she restricts the girl, and the "love" that she naturally has for them. The small details of how she concentrates on how he angles his head, strains his muscles etc. under her is nice, even if he's just generally bland to me, much like all of hers now?
His repellent and real opinions about how women needed to be ruled by their men, which he still has in later books oh how cute do the wives who really rule say as I glower, resurfaces to make a good obstacle once it's clear that he wants to marry her, and his good nature and intelligence will make him sense (even if later oh how funny he says these things still he's not a Hunt hero). Him having had only this one Beduine wife since he was 15 might also make him a virgin, even if Dodd gives her heroes their sexin from 10 years on. While I loathe the first dichotomy, I of course like the second since it makes him cute rather than the savage sexor, but then Dodd became (ill advisedly) one of my 2.5 favourites by having women on top NOT in the stupid riding-with-bouncy-breast crap but in the revelling and touching his body underneath. Indeed with him repeatedly making her touch him, even the stupid word man nipples for once is permissible, because Dodd's emancipated sensuality gets full space here, and since the heroine is a real character for once her genuine refusal begs for him coming off his high horse.
Besides the likable chauvinism of the hero, there are also fresher, crisper funny scenes than in her others I read lately.
There is also the most outspoken scene yet about the unbearable injustice of two laws for men and women and the yoke of marriage as something she should be grateful for. It was a disappointingly stupid sex ending which drags on and makes me feel sick in the end when he does so easily overpower her sexually. As it drags on and on, it becomes clear it's meant as the usual she-cant-resist him which in a Dodd book is quasi rape for me, unexpected as it, the worst possible thing after luring me with genuiness..
His eyes fluttered shut, so she let her eyes close, too. She concentrated on the way he angled his head. The tensing of his muscles in the body beneath her. The power of his shoulders held in her clutching hands. Just as each perception grew slightly familiar, she found something else changed.
"Charlotte. Again." He lifted his face toward hers. Unwillingly flattered, she bent to him. Her lips settled easily on his, at home already with his warmth, the texture of his skin… and his taste.
"More." His voice was guttural, demanding, but his caresses in her hair, along her spine remained gentle and tender.
More? Ah, she knew, or rather, she could guess what he wanted. Ignoring the flutter of good sense within her enfeebled brain, she leaned into him yet further, and slowly slid her tongue into his mouth.
This woman understood almost nothing of the skills Eastern girls imbibed with their mothers' milk. So she was surprised at his passion, horrified at her own and did not accept the fire between them with any amount of grace.
In short, Wynter would have to court her. He grimaced. It could be done, of course. Like mares, women were easily led if offered the right enticement. But how much better when a woman accepted a man's wishes without such an arduous process!
Wynter realized with a jolt she had no intention of telling him the rest of the story. He was stunned. He was most empathetic and insightful, and she was talking to him, the mate of her soul, the man who would wed her. She didn't know that yet, she ought to know he could be trusted.
Nevertheless, he would not reproach her.
She didn't exclaim, or thank him, or throw herself into his arms in an ecstasy of joy. Perhaps she didn't truly understand, or perhaps she thought him indifferent or uncaring about the attraction she felt for him. So he clarified. "Also, we both feel desire for each other. Our bedsport will be most satisfying."
Now she responded. Color swept into her face and she lowered her head like a camel about to charge.
Bringing her palm to his chest, he laid it over one of his male nipples.
He still clasped her hand to hischest and he moved it slowly in a little circle. She held herself stiffly and glared into his face. He smiled at first, but as the motion continued his smile slipped away, to be replaced by an expression of expectation. His lids half lowered over his eyes, his nostrils flared, his lips parted slightly.
The hair prickled her palm, and the nipple, at first smooth and soft, puckered under the stimulus. She knew that, for as she grew aware of the physical sensations, she found she couldn't look into his face any longer, and the response beneath her palm was echoed on his other side.
And on her. She didn't understand it. She didn't like it. But her nipples tightened, rubbing against her chemise, poking toward him as if demanding attention. He couldn't see them.
Relief burst on him. Children! She wanted children!
Of course. All women wanted children.
He was potent. He could give her children. It would be a pleasure.
Walking to Charlotte, he wrapped her in his arms. She stood stiffly, not fighting him but not permitting, either. Women were supposed to have instincts, but Charlotte didn't even know how to accept solace.
He refrained from shouting instructions at her.
I have to marry or I'll be a pariah. But yours, too. You're marrying a woman who won't have the right to demand anything from you, because you saved her. Never mind that you ruined her in the first place; you saved her when you could have let her sink, so all will admire you. You can pat yourself on the back for being so generous"—she looked down at his hand wrapped in her skirt—"oh, wait, you're already doing that! Ah, well, munificent, lucky you never have to waste another thought on your wife and her happiness. The privilege of being your wife and warming herself in your rays should be enough
He pulled her close against him as though he could overcome her objections with nothing more than his proximity. She craned her neck to see his face. His height was greater than hers, his strength far superior to her own.
The contrast between his power and hers was vast; even more weighty was the reality of the law. When Wynter was her husband he would have the right to do with her body as he wished. He could beat her, or lock her away. He wouldn't; she knew that. But he would take his conjugal rights, and if she dared complain or bemoan her fate, the men who made the laws would shrug and turn away. More important, hundreds of women less blessed in their mates would rise up against her and browbeat her into submission. She had no choice. He would have her.
Perhaps if she retracted her challenge, he might leave her alone until her unhappy wedding night.
But she couldn't. When she thought about allowing him the freedom of her body… she just couldn't. Useless or not, she had to fight him, for if she didn't she would lose some vital piece of herself.
He bent over her, an invisible shape formed of powerful threat and impossible passion. When she tried to wiggle away she found herself trapped by his knee on her skirt. More than that, she felt trapped by him and by… what? Desire? Expectation? She only knew the novelty of being this close to a man made her want to explore these inappropriate sensations.
If only she felt safe with him. If only she knew that when her limit had been reached, he would call a halt.
She tried to sit up, to dislodge him, but his upper body blocked her, his knee trapped her by her skirts and he whispered, "Shh." He delved into the slit in her underwear. "Don't move."
February 21, 2018
Lovable characters, both povs interesting and realistic, stubborn love story.
Lady Charlotte is governess, and she and two friends are trying to start a governess school.
Lady Adorna hires her to teach her grandchildren, who were born in the middle east some manners, a job perfectly fit for Charlotte. What she fails to mention is that their father needs a few lessons as well...
The children are quite wild but still very sweet, and Charlotte quickly loves them, and their wild spirits. But Wynter, their father is a bit harder to teach. He is set on seducing her, and has decided he will marry her. While his antics shake Charlotte, she does not want to be driven into a loveless marriage, and Wynter is sure that real men do not love their wifes...
I will definitely read more of this author.
Lady Charlotte is governess, and she and two friends are trying to start a governess school.
Lady Adorna hires her to teach her grandchildren, who were born in the middle east some manners, a job perfectly fit for Charlotte. What she fails to mention is that their father needs a few lessons as well...
The children are quite wild but still very sweet, and Charlotte quickly loves them, and their wild spirits. But Wynter, their father is a bit harder to teach. He is set on seducing her, and has decided he will marry her. While his antics shake Charlotte, she does not want to be driven into a loveless marriage, and Wynter is sure that real men do not love their wifes...
I will definitely read more of this author.
November 5, 2024
Goodness! This is one of the best romances I have read. So much emotion!
January 21, 2017
1.5
I thought this book was alright until they decided to marry. That in itself isn't the problem, it is what happened after that I had such poor opinion of. After that, it delved deeper and deeper into idiotic territory that I finished the book thinking poorly about the story.
I think the main characters were dumb. I think this was mainly because of the very contrived conflict. She didn't want to marry him but is forced to because she will lose her reputation. Meanwhile, he is spouting his perspective on marriage with the wife adoring the husband and the husband incapable of loving the wife. I get that he was savage but it wasn't in an endearing way. It was more so to buck conventions he deemed absurd. Whatever. I think for the conflict to go as long as it did, the story really had to write the character as doubling down on his ideas. As a result, there was this weird chase that wasn't romantic in the slightest. He pursued her mainly because he was lusty. He didn't want to admit he loved her so his pursuit of her came across as lust-driven.
This disaster was compounded by the heroine. I hold both main characters responsible for the wtf-factor of the story. The heroine made a pronouncement that she would never be his wife in truth. She vowed to never share his bed. I think this doomed the story. I also think both of them were in the wrong. I just think it was a recipe for a disaster and they both delivered. With that pronouncement, she made their wedding night and sex into a power play. Sex between the two of them ended up being framed as a fight of their wills. I just think that was distasteful to read. She was against it on principle and he wanted it because he viewed it as his rights. I don't support either of the characters and the latter half of the book fell flat on its face. I just think the characters descended on contrived territory and I wondered why they had to be written that way. It really didn't help that Charlotte and Wynter's relationship wasn't developed. Wynter just decided she was it. I kind of expected more interactions with them as people making connections instead of an abrupt statement announcing their connection.
There was also no closure to his savage side. In the end, he was just pronounced as an Englishman without really delving into why he thought the way he did. It was really baffling to me. Part of the tension between them was her proper nature paired with his more savage one. She didn't really accept or reject. In the end, their resolution was whether he said he loved her or not. I felt like they didn't really know each other. I think the same thing happened. Her improper actions weren't really addressed. For a proper woman, she bucks conventions in a spectacular manner. When she bucks conventions, she makes a scene. I think it all comes down to the characters not being developed well.
The story revolves around Charlotte and Wynter. Charlotte was sent as a governess to Wynter's kids. Unbeknownst to her, she was also hired to civilize Wynter. Wynter and his children have been living in another country and their manners and behaviour were considered too savage for England. He decided she would be his wife.
There was this minor issue about her having a scandalous past. She left home after she rejected a marriage offer. She made her own way in the world and ended up as a governess. Another minor story was the embezzler. It was the mother. She owned the company so it was her money but she did it to expedite Wynter's return to England. He needed to investigate about the missing money. He suspected his cousin but found out that it was his mother.
Wynter and Charlotte got engaged when they were witnessed kissing. He was comforting her and it was more innocent than previous interactions but it was enough to condemn her. She knew she was being backed into a corner and lashed out. She vowed to never bed him, despite wanting to have kids. She would cut off her own nose to spite him. Then there was this weird chase where he tries to seduce her during their engagement period. She rejects him. In their wedding night, he was determined to exercise his husbandly rights and she was determined to stick to her vow. A tussle occurred and they had sex. She loved him and didn't like that he didn't love her back. He loved her but wasn't aware of it. He was so adamant about how a proper marriage has a loving wife and a protector husband. It gets resolved when his mother tells him that he does love her. He confesses to his wife and she accepts.
I thought this book was alright until they decided to marry. That in itself isn't the problem, it is what happened after that I had such poor opinion of. After that, it delved deeper and deeper into idiotic territory that I finished the book thinking poorly about the story.
I think the main characters were dumb. I think this was mainly because of the very contrived conflict. She didn't want to marry him but is forced to because she will lose her reputation. Meanwhile, he is spouting his perspective on marriage with the wife adoring the husband and the husband incapable of loving the wife. I get that he was savage but it wasn't in an endearing way. It was more so to buck conventions he deemed absurd. Whatever. I think for the conflict to go as long as it did, the story really had to write the character as doubling down on his ideas. As a result, there was this weird chase that wasn't romantic in the slightest. He pursued her mainly because he was lusty. He didn't want to admit he loved her so his pursuit of her came across as lust-driven.
This disaster was compounded by the heroine. I hold both main characters responsible for the wtf-factor of the story. The heroine made a pronouncement that she would never be his wife in truth. She vowed to never share his bed. I think this doomed the story. I also think both of them were in the wrong. I just think it was a recipe for a disaster and they both delivered. With that pronouncement, she made their wedding night and sex into a power play. Sex between the two of them ended up being framed as a fight of their wills. I just think that was distasteful to read. She was against it on principle and he wanted it because he viewed it as his rights. I don't support either of the characters and the latter half of the book fell flat on its face. I just think the characters descended on contrived territory and I wondered why they had to be written that way. It really didn't help that Charlotte and Wynter's relationship wasn't developed. Wynter just decided she was it. I kind of expected more interactions with them as people making connections instead of an abrupt statement announcing their connection.
There was also no closure to his savage side. In the end, he was just pronounced as an Englishman without really delving into why he thought the way he did. It was really baffling to me. Part of the tension between them was her proper nature paired with his more savage one. She didn't really accept or reject. In the end, their resolution was whether he said he loved her or not. I felt like they didn't really know each other. I think the same thing happened. Her improper actions weren't really addressed. For a proper woman, she bucks conventions in a spectacular manner. When she bucks conventions, she makes a scene. I think it all comes down to the characters not being developed well.
The story revolves around Charlotte and Wynter. Charlotte was sent as a governess to Wynter's kids. Unbeknownst to her, she was also hired to civilize Wynter. Wynter and his children have been living in another country and their manners and behaviour were considered too savage for England. He decided she would be his wife.
There was this minor issue about her having a scandalous past. She left home after she rejected a marriage offer. She made her own way in the world and ended up as a governess. Another minor story was the embezzler. It was the mother. She owned the company so it was her money but she did it to expedite Wynter's return to England. He needed to investigate about the missing money. He suspected his cousin but found out that it was his mother.
Wynter and Charlotte got engaged when they were witnessed kissing. He was comforting her and it was more innocent than previous interactions but it was enough to condemn her. She knew she was being backed into a corner and lashed out. She vowed to never bed him, despite wanting to have kids. She would cut off her own nose to spite him. Then there was this weird chase where he tries to seduce her during their engagement period. She rejects him. In their wedding night, he was determined to exercise his husbandly rights and she was determined to stick to her vow. A tussle occurred and they had sex. She loved him and didn't like that he didn't love her back. He loved her but wasn't aware of it. He was so adamant about how a proper marriage has a loving wife and a protector husband. It gets resolved when his mother tells him that he does love her. He confesses to his wife and she accepts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2021
no no no no no no. EVERYTHING about the male lead (cannot use the word Hero) is abhorrent and not in a redeemable way. He KNOWS better but pretends not to, which makes it so much worse. If it just started that way it could have been just obnoxious. But it continues for chapters and chapters. Purely impossible to listen without wanting to put my finger down my throat. I'm listening at 2x speed because I keep waiting for it to get better. I'm at chapter 25...just waiting for it to be over...
I read this series out of order. #3 - simple delightful nonsense, #1 - kind of odd but perfectly adequate, and then #2 - one of these things is not like the other. Perhaps it belongs more in the bodice-ripper category rather than in romance...knowing what he wants to possess, doing everything he can to possess it, his mindset, his methods...there is nothing romantic about it...I'm not an expert on the classifications - just thinking out loud.
And other commenters said the same thing..he left the country when he was 15...15! not 5. I don't get it. The author uses the time in captivity, desert life, etc. as an excuse for Winter (is this even really a time-accurate name??)to be a giant @$$hat. An excuse for acting how he prefers, saying what he prefers, treating people as he prefers. Definition of Narcissist. It feels more unequal than many relationships I've read before. Now chapter 28...he humiliates her. Again. It is too much. It isn't love, it's control, domination.
oh wait, here we go...chapter 31..a pouting man who isn't getting what he wants. fantastic. "you are not happy, as you should be." he observes. he's married her, he gives her pleasure, but why oh why, I'm an amazing human man, a gift to this earth...ugh. Sorry, now I must smack my head against this desk.
chapter 34, the CHILDREN have to explain that YES, he wuvs his wife. oh, lightbulb moment. YAY! Nope, doesn't redeem the previous 33 chapters. See thesaurus under obnoxious.
...her "EXCESSIVE ANXIETY" seriously?! how condescending. Now I'm nit-picking.
I don't really have any strong feelings for or against our heroine. She's got issues, but who doesn't.
Narrator - Karen Cass. Superb. 5 Stars.
I read this series out of order. #3 - simple delightful nonsense, #1 - kind of odd but perfectly adequate, and then #2 - one of these things is not like the other. Perhaps it belongs more in the bodice-ripper category rather than in romance...knowing what he wants to possess, doing everything he can to possess it, his mindset, his methods...there is nothing romantic about it...I'm not an expert on the classifications - just thinking out loud.
And other commenters said the same thing..he left the country when he was 15...15! not 5. I don't get it. The author uses the time in captivity, desert life, etc. as an excuse for Winter (is this even really a time-accurate name??)to be a giant @$$hat. An excuse for acting how he prefers, saying what he prefers, treating people as he prefers. Definition of Narcissist. It feels more unequal than many relationships I've read before. Now chapter 28...he humiliates her. Again. It is too much. It isn't love, it's control, domination.
oh wait, here we go...chapter 31..a pouting man who isn't getting what he wants. fantastic. "you are not happy, as you should be." he observes. he's married her, he gives her pleasure, but why oh why, I'm an amazing human man, a gift to this earth...ugh. Sorry, now I must smack my head against this desk.
chapter 34, the CHILDREN have to explain that YES, he wuvs his wife. oh, lightbulb moment. YAY! Nope, doesn't redeem the previous 33 chapters. See thesaurus under obnoxious.
...her "EXCESSIVE ANXIETY" seriously?! how condescending. Now I'm nit-picking.
I don't really have any strong feelings for or against our heroine. She's got issues, but who doesn't.
Narrator - Karen Cass. Superb. 5 Stars.
July 23, 2012
good story ! gag bakal rugi kalo baca buku ini! 4 thumbs! #bingung mau nulis apa lagi,, haha
dan beruntungnya, penerbit oak tree sudah memperbaiki kualitas penerjemahan mereka, sehingga buku ini bener-bener layak dibaca dengan bahasa yang setara sama GPU !... #grinn
ceritanya ini ada akademi guru privat terkemuka yang didirikan oleh Lady Charlotte Dalrumple, Miss Pamela Lockhart, dan Miss Hannah Setterington.
awalnya Lady Adorna, hanya ingin merekrut seorang governess untuk 2 orang cucu-cucu nya. Leila dan Robert yang baru pulang dari El Bahar, sebuah negara di Timur Tengah. dan Lady Charlotte lah yang dipilih oleh Adorna dengan bayaran 100 pound.
gag nyangka Charlotte yang terkenal dingin and penuh sopan santun dengan reputasi pengajaran tak ternoda saat datang ke estate bertemu dengan Lord Wynter, dengan wajah bak malaikat tapi penampilan seperti bajak laut. rambut pirang panjang, beranting, dan bertelanjang kaki. wew..
silahkan dibaca sendiri. yang jelas ceritanya bagus banget and gag ngebosenin.. ;D
nb. paling gregetan sama lord wynter yang menganut prinsip, "dalam kehidupan perkawinan, sudah cukup si wanita yang mencintai si lelaki, tapi lelaki tidak akan pernah mencintai si wanita tsb." dan prinsip ini diartikan dengan sukses oleh charlote "lelaki adalah matahari dan wanita hanya debu partikel yang mengelilinginya." ckckckk #ahahahay
dan beruntungnya, penerbit oak tree sudah memperbaiki kualitas penerjemahan mereka, sehingga buku ini bener-bener layak dibaca dengan bahasa yang setara sama GPU !... #grinn
ceritanya ini ada akademi guru privat terkemuka yang didirikan oleh Lady Charlotte Dalrumple, Miss Pamela Lockhart, dan Miss Hannah Setterington.
awalnya Lady Adorna, hanya ingin merekrut seorang governess untuk 2 orang cucu-cucu nya. Leila dan Robert yang baru pulang dari El Bahar, sebuah negara di Timur Tengah. dan Lady Charlotte lah yang dipilih oleh Adorna dengan bayaran 100 pound.
gag nyangka Charlotte yang terkenal dingin and penuh sopan santun dengan reputasi pengajaran tak ternoda saat datang ke estate bertemu dengan Lord Wynter, dengan wajah bak malaikat tapi penampilan seperti bajak laut. rambut pirang panjang, beranting, dan bertelanjang kaki. wew..
silahkan dibaca sendiri. yang jelas ceritanya bagus banget and gag ngebosenin.. ;D
nb. paling gregetan sama lord wynter yang menganut prinsip, "dalam kehidupan perkawinan, sudah cukup si wanita yang mencintai si lelaki, tapi lelaki tidak akan pernah mencintai si wanita tsb." dan prinsip ini diartikan dengan sukses oleh charlote "lelaki adalah matahari dan wanita hanya debu partikel yang mengelilinginya." ckckckk #ahahahay
March 8, 2021
Meh. I don't know how else to describe this but as "half-baked." As in everything -- plot, characters, romance -- all felt slightly underdone to me and it's hard to really get involved in a story like that. Scatterbrained at times and super predictable at others. I felt very little spark between the MCs.
Warning: It's also a bit on the rapey side, but I found even that was meh. It was totally predictable that it was going to happen but it really absolutely did not have to. There was so much time built in between the engagement & wedding -- no special license here, three weeks for the banns, y'know -- and the author could have very easily have had the characters spending that time actually getting to know one another and truly falling in love but nope. Forced seduction (to put it charitably) was obviously the only way it was going to happen and so that's what happened. It came across as lazy and that irritated me more than the scene itself. It wasn't traumatic (to me, I understand that will not be true for many); instead, I found it boring & eyeroll-inducing.
Not my first book by this author, thank goodness, because if it had been I'd be super reluctant to give her another shot.
Warning: It's also a bit on the rapey side, but I found even that was meh. It was totally predictable that it was going to happen but it really absolutely did not have to. There was so much time built in between the engagement & wedding -- no special license here, three weeks for the banns, y'know -- and the author could have very easily have had the characters spending that time actually getting to know one another and truly falling in love but nope. Forced seduction (to put it charitably) was obviously the only way it was going to happen and so that's what happened. It came across as lazy and that irritated me more than the scene itself. It wasn't traumatic (to me, I understand that will not be true for many); instead, I found it boring & eyeroll-inducing.
Not my first book by this author, thank goodness, because if it had been I'd be super reluctant to give her another shot.
January 19, 2020
DNF at 51%
I read this the first time a long time ago and it was fine to my teenage mind. Reading it a second time now, I'm wondering what the hell was I thinking.
The characters are impressively unlikable. Wynter (which is a ridiculous name for someone born in the 19th century) is a chauvinist, self-absorbed sack of rotten sheep bowels and Charlotte, Miss Priss seems very proper and not-fun, and for whatever reason fighting an attraction (whose origin is rather questionable) to Wynter. Adorna is mentioned a lot for no discernable reason (it was nice figuring out she's the Adorna from That Scandalous Evening, but I suppose 30 years would change a character).
I feel there is a need to commend myself for getting as far as 51% but my honest recommendation: DO NOT BOTHER. This book does zero justice to Miss Dodd's capacity as an author and the non-existent character development is a real issue.
Of course if the entire goal of this story was to develop a hero who is so unlikable, rapey and cavemanly (and not in the supposedly sexy way) then this was an accurate read.
On the Nose, Miss Dodd 👏🏾
I read this the first time a long time ago and it was fine to my teenage mind. Reading it a second time now, I'm wondering what the hell was I thinking.
The characters are impressively unlikable. Wynter (which is a ridiculous name for someone born in the 19th century) is a chauvinist, self-absorbed sack of rotten sheep bowels and Charlotte, Miss Priss seems very proper and not-fun, and for whatever reason fighting an attraction (whose origin is rather questionable) to Wynter. Adorna is mentioned a lot for no discernable reason (it was nice figuring out she's the Adorna from That Scandalous Evening, but I suppose 30 years would change a character).
I feel there is a need to commend myself for getting as far as 51% but my honest recommendation: DO NOT BOTHER. This book does zero justice to Miss Dodd's capacity as an author and the non-existent character development is a real issue.
Of course if the entire goal of this story was to develop a hero who is so unlikable, rapey and cavemanly (and not in the supposedly sexy way) then this was an accurate read.
On the Nose, Miss Dodd 👏🏾
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2015
The story of two people who were raised in cultures that have little in common and make their points of view so different that it's hard for them to understand each other.
Wynter's point of view, instilled in him by his adoptive father and leader of people of the desert, make him arrogant and barbaric in the eyes of the proper English governess Charlotte, who has a reputation as a stickler for the rules of polite society.
The couple struggles with the rules of both cultures as well as their own natures, and they both have to bend a little to get to their happily ever after.
The next book in the series is Rules of Engagement where Miss Pamela Lockhart of the Distinguished Academy of Governesses and Charlotte's friend finds employment with an unrepentant rake.
Wynter's point of view, instilled in him by his adoptive father and leader of people of the desert, make him arrogant and barbaric in the eyes of the proper English governess Charlotte, who has a reputation as a stickler for the rules of polite society.
The couple struggles with the rules of both cultures as well as their own natures, and they both have to bend a little to get to their happily ever after.
The next book in the series is Rules of Engagement where Miss Pamela Lockhart of the Distinguished Academy of Governesses and Charlotte's friend finds employment with an unrepentant rake.
March 4, 2015
Una novela que encontré por casualidad. Cuando la protagonista es una institutriz, mi atención está garantizada, esta figura siempre me ha llamado la atención después de leer Jane Eyre.
De esta autora lo poco que había leído no me había convencido, pero me ha encantado en este libro. El protagonista masculino es arrogante, un poco barbaro y espero que todo el mundo haga lo que él quiere, no es muy razonable pero la protagonista femenina me ha gustado mucho, su manera rígida de expresarse, su buen corazón y aunque cae fácilmente ante los juegos de él, las conversaciones son muy interesantes y la idea de la Academia de institutrices me gusta y se trata con humor.
De esta autora lo poco que había leído no me había convencido, pero me ha encantado en este libro. El protagonista masculino es arrogante, un poco barbaro y espero que todo el mundo haga lo que él quiere, no es muy razonable pero la protagonista femenina me ha gustado mucho, su manera rígida de expresarse, su buen corazón y aunque cae fácilmente ante los juegos de él, las conversaciones son muy interesantes y la idea de la Academia de institutrices me gusta y se trata con humor.
November 16, 2015
I'm a sucker for love/hate relationships and this one was sweet. Wynter, the hero, has a way with words, a real character that stuck out for me, loved his poetic statements that had me laughing out loud. Of course the heroine, Lady Miss Catherine was a perfect match, The banter between these two was priceless.
This was sweet and unique and it will definitely warrant a re-read. I loved it!
This was sweet and unique and it will definitely warrant a re-read. I loved it!
August 3, 2016
This is my first and last Christina Dodd book---it was that awful!!!! Me man, you woman. You will do what I say and like it. That's pretty much the gist of this book and that's being nice. The hero was a jackass to put it mildly and the heroine a spineless idiot. I didn't think they wrote books like this anymore, but I guess I was wrong.
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