A Governess of Many Languages

The Governess Bureau #3

by Emily E.K. Murdoch

When a governess of many languages is required, there is only one place the nobility of England go: the Governess Bureau.

Of course, Miss Elizabeth Fletcher doesn’t broadcast that information – nor that she is an expert in the care of twins. Constantly under-estimated and treated like the children she’s responsible for, all she wants is a duke assignment and the respect of her peers.

Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, is having none of it. Giving her the nickname ‘the mouse’ when he hires her as a joke for his friends, he’s never taken life seriously and doesn’t want to start now. But when they arrive, bickering, at the home of the duc d’Allaire, everything changes. There’s a mysterious rift between their hosts, and both Elizabeth and Stuart are plunged into situations neither can control.

What they don’t know, of course, is that Elizabeth speaks many languages. Assuming she cannot understand, secrets are spoken before her which start to hint at something scandalous…

Unable to untangle why her mistress loathes her, and forced to entertain her master’s guests, Elizabeth grows increasingly furious with the man who brought her here. Such a shame he’s so handsome, and stealing kisses from her when she should be attempting to keep a pair of prankster twins under control.

As scandal suddenly rocks the d’Allaire family, Elizabeth is forced to choose: help rescue the reputation of her master, or leave Stuart to fix the mess he’s inadvertently created.

The house party is about to begin…

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Amazon, Historical Fiction

349 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2021

About the author

Emily E.K. Murdoch is also known as Emily Murdoch.

Emily Murdoch is a medieval historian and writer. Throughout her career so far she has examined a codex and transcribed medieval sermons at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, designed part of an exhibition for the Yorkshire Museum, worked as a researcher for a BBC documentary presented by Ian Hislop, and worked at Polesden Lacey with the National Trust. She has a degree in History and English, and a Masters in Medieval Studies, both from the University of York. Emily is currently working on a new four part Regency novella series, two of which are now published.

You can follow her on twitter and instagram @emilyekmurdoch, find her on facebook at www.facebook.com/theemilyekmurdoch, and read her blog at www.emilyekmurdoch.com

Reviews

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋

Entertaining and enjoyable read from Emily.
I really find her books very satisfying to read, they are full of intrigue and passion, I frequently wish I could write like this.

This follows the journey of a governess sent to a Dukes family, as a gift, to look after his twins.
But its more the relationship between her and the Dukes friend that is the premise of the story.

Fun and addictive reading and characters.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

[Elodie’s Reading Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not know if it is like that for everyone but each time I open a new book, I settle into the couch with a sight and high hope for an entertaining few hours of reading.
Am I more demanding when I like the author?
Probably as I know what to expect. Why maybe I persisted with this story. I had it marked in my calendar from the moment I knew its release date, I passed by other books to read this one.
So why I was even more saddened this one did not work for me.

I confess I was a bit unsettling by the contrasting and opposite personas of the main characters.
The governess is presented as a mouse but in a short afternoon, she snaps and questions her employer. The hirer looks like a fickle being with a Peter Pan syndrome, entirely egoistical and unaware of commoners struggles, only looking for the fun side of life without thinking about others’ hardships nor the weight of his actions. And worth than mercurial he is wicked and vicious, enjoying Elizabeth’s debacle, laughing of her failings.
So here they are, in the wolf’s den, a woman without clues of her unwelcome arrival and too self assured she would be able to tame her charge easily and a lord who wants to continue to behave like he was still ten. Why perhaps he is so attuned to the children’s demeanor.

I was close to DNF the book when upon her first day of work, it was expected for Elizabeth to have tamed the twins she has in charge now and everyone berated her for the wildness of those kids when nobody never ever did try to stop their mischiefs. And what use has she to hide her knowledge in French language, it would have helped with the children.
And to add cherry on the top, Stuart, as he is unable to stop thinking of Elizabeth decides to seduce her, when she is his employee, paying her wages, under his thumb and will.
In what world did I have landed!

There were also many things that did not sit right, a Duke’s couple with close to ten children without a governess, so who taught them to read? Is there no nanny? After as the father of the children is French, so is he a duke or a duc?

I interest was finally roused when Elizabeth give a set-down to Stuart, but it looks like it has fallen into deaf ears. As he continues to follow his usual path of meaningless entertaining, horrified at the simple thought of matrimony.

So I am sorry to say this book did not work for me.
2.5 stars

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, goes to the Governess Bureau to find his best friends le duc & duchess d’Allaire a governess for their nine year old twins. There he finds Elizabeth Fletcher giving her the nickname ‘the mouse’ when he hires her as a joke for his friends, he’s never taken life seriously and doesn’t want to start now. But when they arrive, bickering, at the home of the duc d’Allaire, everything changes. There’s a mysterious rift between their hosts, and both Elizabeth and Stuart are plunged into situations neither can control. What they don’t know, of course, is that Elizabeth speaks many languages. Assuming she cannot understand, secrets are spoken before her, which start to hint at something scandalous. Unable to untangle why her mistress loathes her, and forced to entertain her master’s guests, Elizabeth grows increasingly furious with the man who brought her here.
This is the third book in the series & is very easily read on its own. I really liked Elizabeth who bit her tongue for quite a while & I loved it when she finally let rip. I had mixed feelings about Stuart, he didn’t charm me at all & I was annoyed with him most of the time. I couldn't see much chemistry between the pair. There is also the conflict between the duc & duchess, which was there for much of the book. I did enjoy the book but not my favourite of the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This third installment in the Governess Bureau series can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Read full review in the 2022 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[SassyLeg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, I read only 25% but I had to quit..... characters and story had no appeal (my personal taste).
Such a pity!

[Lori D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins. Why had she been so good with the two families of twins? Now it looked like she would be in charge of twins again. But Elizabeth needed this job with the Governess Bureau so much.

Stuart, Lord Galcrest, had come up with the brilliant idea to hire a governess for one of his best friends and wife to manage their twins, the terrors! Really more of a joke than anything. It seems he nevers take much seriously or even thinks about things in depth... a little like a spoiled teenager! I really wanted to slap him upside the head! (sorry... what can I say?)

There is really a lot more to this story that at first appears. The twins are terrors but there is a reason behind it and Elizabeth just might be the one to help. Also Galcrest needs more understanding than the twins!

A great addition to this fabulous series and I can only wait for more!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Like many others.. The governess would have been replaced immediately after snapping at her soon to be employer in front of Miss Clarke who is a strong character and believes you treat your employer with respect.. And Stuart was just overall a very arrogant aggressive character.. Other than that, I loved the story.. I look forward to the next book in this series..

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unable to finish this book. I was so put off by the character “Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest” that I could not get past 40% of the book. Not only was his behavior obnoxious, rude, and off-putting — but he behaved like a man child and was very rude and demeaning to the governess of this story.

Then the two children — Tyrants.

The Duke & Duchess were obnoxious.

All this together made for a very bad story.

Sorry, I enjoyed the first two books of the series but this one is a hard pass for me.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a governess of many languages is required, there is only one place the nobility of England go: the Governess Bureau.
Of course, Miss Elizabeth Fletcher doesn’t broadcast that information – nor that she is an expert in the care of twins. Constantly under-estimated and treated like the children she’s responsible for, all she wants is a duke assignment and the respect of her peers.
Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, is having none of it. Giving her the nickname ‘the mouse’ when he hires her as a joke for his friends, he’s never taken life seriously and doesn’t want to start now. But when they arrive, bickering, at the home of the duc d’Allaire, everything changes. There’s a mysterious rift between their hosts, and both Elizabeth and Stuart are plunged into situations neither can control.
Stuart and Elizabeth are an awesome pair, funny and just witty enough to make this an exciting read.
This is the third book in the Governess Bureau romance and the best one yet. I look forward to additional books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Mary Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

An enjoyable read. I liked the heroine and I wanted a bit more banter from her. In lots of cases she had to keep mum to be able to keep her job. It was delicious when she was able to let rip at the hero. The hero seemed to be a mischievous layabout most of the time. His character was well drawn and this reader didn't find him all that charming. Though he was probably a realistic example of his type of the era and he comes good towards the end of the book. He meant well with his actions but his attitude and decisions meant that he was often the source of the trouble that Elizabeth had to solve. I liked her interaction with the twins.

It's a good addition to the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A governess, Elizabeth, is hired by Stuart for his friends’ rambunctious twins. He is hoping to help save their marriage. While spending time with Elizabeth, confirmed bachelor Stuart begins to change his mind about marriage. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

[Luz T · Rating 2 out of 5]

The male lead in this story is an idiot. He behaves very immature and makes dumb comments to our female lead. She deserved so much better.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review

I requested this book on Netgalley because of the trope. I have a weakness for governesses, you can blame the Brontës for that I guess. This book had a lot of potential, it truly had it, but it didn’t meet my expectations. It was a book I enjoyed reading because it is not bad, but it was just OK for me, let me explain.

The premise was unlike any I’ve heard of before. The book is about Stuart, lord Galcrest, whose best friends, le duc and the duchess d’Allaire, struggle with the education and the behavior of their twins, William and Jane. The children are absolute terrors and with reason, their home is a mess. So Stuart goes to the Governess Bureau and hires a little mouse of a governess, Elizabeth Stuart, who speaks many languages fluidly (which is a plot device because one of the children refuses to speak in English)

Elizabeth was my favorite character. She is a “gift” to the d’Allaire. She is shy and doesn’t really speak her mind because she was educated not to and because being a governess it is not her place to speak out about herself. But she has spirit and she will show later in the book.

Now, the d’Allaires don’t take well that Stuart went and hired someone in their place. Mary is acting strange lately, firing woman after woman in the household. So she feels instant hate for Elizabeth, being a woman and not hired by herself. The husband, Philippe, doesn’t know what to do with his family anymore so he has given up trying. Still Stuarts meddling is not taken well on his part.

Now the real problem for me was Stuart himself. I didn’t like him. Sometimes heroes grow in me, but Stuart didn’t. It’s not that he was always awful, he was not violent in the slightest and he was very clear about consent and the word ‘no’ which was great, but he was an asshole and sometimes borderline humiliating towards Elizabeth. Stuart has a very high degree of the ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’ for most of the book, he never grows out of his immaturity. He’s spoiled, selfish (he did what he did so he could play with his friends) and he doesn’t learn a thing when Elizabeth tells him about his privileges and her lack of ‘plan B’. He even takes matters into hand without consulting her at the end…

So the romance didn’t work for me just because Stuart has the mentality of a child of 10, I didn’t understand the foundations of their love, especially on her part since she is such a great character.

The conflict between the d’Allaires took most of the book and it fell a little long. But I could go with that no problem. The house party felt as boring as the characters felt in the end… thankfully we had Elizabeth and the twins to save the book. Their shenanigans were a lot of fun so, in the end, I didn’t dislike the book, it was fine.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Governess Bureau series by Emily E. K. Murdoch. I rather enjoyed the first two.

This was not a bad read, but I definitely found that I had some more problems with this story. Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, was a very annoying character to me. He came across as quite a superficial gadabout and frivolous in his thinking and relationships - really, a bit of a twit. There was a lot of mourning over his lost boyhood fun with this friends and blaming it on the boredom of marriage.

He goes and engages a governess from the bureau for his friend's twins, who are his godchildren - as a gift. While the intent behind it seems nice on the surface, is quite thoughtless ultimately, not taking into consideration that his friends may not have wanted a governess, that he is pushing a stranger into their household, and putting the governess, Miss Elizabeth Fletcher at risk, because if she was rejected, she would be jobless and potentially lose her position in the bureau.

Elizabeth is a governess who "specializes in twins" and knows many languages, but she is hired by Galcrest because he sees her as mousy and not a threat to the household, and thinks that he is doing his friend, a duke married for 10 year to his duchess, with twin children who are rather wild and more than a bit mischievous. Galcrest seemed to think that his friends seem very unhappy and do not understand why, thinking that as he has heard them complain about the children in some way, a governess. Elizabeth Fletcher seems to go along with this. For a seemingly intelligent woman, why would she even go along with such a scheme when she finds out about it?

Anyways, she is dropped in the middle of a volatile household, with the two prankish children who seem to resent her presence, and a duke and duchess at odds with each other, and who did not want her. The duchess seems to outright hate her. Not only that, but it seems to be that they are about to host along house party with several other people, as well as Galcrest. Sounds a a chaotic mess, and I would have thought that a sensible woman who has worked as a governess in other households would have looked at all this and ran screaming into the hills - then add onto that the fact that Galcrest seems to find her attractive and accosts her several times, but also makes obvious to everyone his aversion to marriage... well, it did not come across as very romantic to me. I wanted to slap him through the pages for the first third of the book and probably for a good chunk of the rest as he just seems to put his foot in it in several ways, several times.

Also, what is with Miss. Clarke? For such an intelligent and enterprising woman who has such exacting expectations of her business and her employees, to allow the situation to occur to begin with - a lord with no children coming into to engage a governess as a gift for another household - that sounds pretty off kilter to me.

Anyways, there is ultimately many questions answered in the end and a HEA, but I really did not enjoy the story of Stuart and Elizabeth as much as the previous two books, and I found myself rooting for Elizabeth to just punch Stuart in the nose several times. Maybe he redeemed himself in the end, but really, not enough for my satisfaction.

So probably closer to 2.5 stars for me.

I got a free copy of this from NetGalley for review and this is my freely given opinion.

[Linda J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 STARS
I've read the whole series and this is a stand alone. It seems in her stories it takes awhile to like the H's. In this one he acts like a teenager in his actions and speech. He calls the h mouse because that is what the head of the Governess Bureau thought she was. I couldn't see how, because she spoke her mind twice during the interview and was called out on it. Plus, she didn't take any guff from the H so mouse is not what I would call her.

The h is one of the top Governess employed. She knows many languages and has a specialty with twins. She leaves the twins to do something educational on their own. Of course, everyone knows they are always into trouble especially pulling pranks. Why would a head Governess leave them to their own devices? Of course they do pull a prank and she seems surprised she couldn't trust them.

The blurb led me to believe she would overhear something in the Duke's household that would lead to something scandalous. So not true, the twins (age 9) didn't know she could speak French. They would discuss pulling pranks, that isn't scandalous to me.

The Duke and Duchess throw a house party for several weeks. Not once did the Duchess partake in any of the games, dinners, etc. So the h steps in so they have even numbers - awkward - and little mentioned that a Governess would be part of the groups, it was encouraged she participated.

This dragged at times for me. It was hard to feel a connection to the H/h when romance wasn't involved, especially on the H's part. How he handles some situations with the h was immature. There is lovemaking, outside of marriage - heat level 3 out of 5.

Many misunderstandings but mostly by the best friends of the H. No villains, no cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, little on romance and a tad of spice. Epilogue only a few weeks in the future. (ljb)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Governess of Many Languages by Emily EK Murdoch is the third in her Governess' Bureau series. This time it is Miss Elizabeth Fletcher who is to be placed in some peer's home as a governess. She is in the reception area and feeling very odd and out of place. There are all kinds here, waiting, but she feels they all know one another and are laughing at her. She is the last to be called, and after a very strange "line up," the one to be hired. So, off she goes. She soon discovers that she is to be a gift to the d'Allaire family, from this man, Lord Galcrest, Stuart Morton. When they arrive, after a day in the carriage, she discovers he has no plan at all for introducing her. Unknown to he she had been hired because of her experience with twins and because she was mousey and unlikely to attract the wrong sort of attention. Well, they would see about the mousey part.

Elizabeth was a good character, strong and outspoken. She was a wonder with the twins, although it did not appear so at first. They were in the middle of a house party and so despite the fact she was not made welcome, she felt her job was safe at least until the guests departed. Stuart was an adult that had never really grown up. His heart was in the right place, but he didn't think things through. The plot was mostly strong, and certainly different, even for this series. The pacing, I thought, was a little slow, but still a strong read. It was fun to watch Stuart figure things out: many things. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Governess of Many Languages by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dragonblade #agovernessofmanylanguages #emilyekmurdoch

[Nanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Series ! All the books have strong character some you love right away and others really time some time to show their true self. I think this one is going to be my favorite.
Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest lives the life of the privilege. He has never had to work, gone without anything, has a number of houses he can use and tons of friends. He is the life of any party, the joker who like to play pranks on other. When his good friends Philippe d'Allaire and his wife Mary start having problems in their marriage, Stuart comes up with giving then a "gift" of a Governess to help with the very unruly and mischievous twins. William (who will only speak French) and his sister Jane who is the master mind of everything they do. Oh My !! Stuart has given no thought how anyone involved with this is going to act.
Miss Elizabeth Fletcher works for The Governess Bureau the top place for the ton to go for the top Governess. Its owner Miss Clarke runs it with a strict hand and tons of rules on how to act. When she is called to the office, she is expecting other assignment for a Duke and his children. Unfortunately, she winds up being dropped into a house with lots of unhappy people, and children. Her a gift to a Duchess that hates her on sight.
After Stuart's plan blows up and neither of his friends are happy with him the real stories start.
This is a fast read with lots of twist and turns, secrets, hidden feeling and lots of second characters that make the story. I hope you get a copy and see how everyone needs to learn grow and
change before it is too late for everyone. This was a really long house party !!s

[Farida Yasser · Rating 1 out of 5]

You can't imagine the amount of frustration built inside of me because of this book..
First of all, why do authors think that happy endings have to always end with the two main characters being together?? Sometimes happy endings mean maturity and wisdom that the main characters gain from their relationship, which sometimes lead to them not ending out being together!
.
In this book the author portrayed two wholly different characters, they couldn't be more mismatched, the "hero" of the book was a literal man-child, he was so self centered and just downright stupid, he thought he had a say in everyone's life just for them to have the photo he drew of them, and on the other hand, the heroine had such a contradictory personality, the author tried to glorify her through the male's pov, but in reality, i found her to be naive and a little bit weak, she knew from the start what she was signing for and she was the one urging him to be together while she knew his issues with matrimony and commitment, and after all these red flags she still had expectations from him!! I mean, thanks God the author intended a happily ever after for her because she would be doomed in real life🤦‍♀️.
.
Plot wise, i found the book had a good potential it just had to do with how the author handled it that frustrated me, the story of the side couple was more interesting than the main one, the tension and unhappiness of the d'Allaires were worth to have a good reason, it felt as if the author wrote any side plot to give the magical fate effect to the story.
Overall, it was readable.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review via netgalley and the publisher*

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Stuart knows is that his friends, the Duc and Duchess d’Allaire are unhappy. He also knows that their nine-year-old twins are beyond rambunctious (part of which just might be his fault). To help, he hires a governess with experience with twins from the Governess Bureau. Everything will be all right now. Not so much. Now what does he do?

This is an entertaining story with a few odd characters, the hero for one. Stuart is like an overgrown twelve-year-old. He has a kind heart, but doesn’t always hit the target with his good deeds. Next are the Duc and Duchess. They are miserable, but won’t tell anyone, including each other, what the problem is. And yet, they are having a house party. The twins are precocious. They appear to want attention. They are determined not to easy on any adult. Then there is Elizabeth Fletcher, the governess. She has a talent for working with twins, and knows many languages. The host and hostess of the party are unhappy, the guests are confused, Stuart is worried about his friends, and Elizabeth and the twins are sort of getting to know each other. Believe it or not, in the middle of the confusion and misunderstandings, a romance is budding. I really like Stuart and Elizabeth. They don’t fit, at first. He is a bit snooty about her “place,” and she is quick to put him in his. Once they get to know each other, things become a little more interesting. I like this series. I enjoyed this story, even with the silly hero. I recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

[Nicole Pelcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily received a copy of "A Governess of Many Languages" via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Dragonblade Publishing and the author!

A wonderful character driven read for fans of the Governess trope.

"A Governess of Many Languages" is the third book in the Governess Bureau series by Emily E.K. Murdoch. Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, is an impulsive man with the appearance of a carefree man. Despite the fact he never wants to marry he hopes to make his dear friends marriage happier. Thus he comes up with a crazy, and not well thought out plan, to hire a governess as a gift. Not only without their consent but he also ends up choosing one that captures his eye. Miss Elizabeth Fletcher may appear young and meek but underneath the surface she has an undeniable fire. Just enough to handle two rambunctious twins and maybe enough to tame a lord as well?

This was quite an enjoyable read. I loved their interactions with each other so much. Stuart may appear more worldly but it comes very apparent that he doesn't understand relationships or women at all.

I really enjoyed the twins and I found some of the scenes with them were my favourite.

What I liked is though the author incorporated the miscommunication trope it was used with everyone at the house party and not just the two main characters. It made for lots of fun moments cause no one seemed to know what was really going on.

[Sandra Standefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Elizabeth Fletcher has worked hard to he the best governess, but her latest assignment may be her toughest yet. Hired by Lord Stuart Morton to be a governess to his best friends children as a “gift” may not only test her sanity, but she could be thrown out of the governess bureau and lose everything.

Not only is Elizabeth thrown into a governess position with twin terrors, for some reason the duchess wants her gone, and the fighting and bickering is not just limited to the children, and Stuart makes her heart beat wildly.

Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest hired A governess to help his best friends out with their twins and hopefully restore happiness in their marriage as the marriage had seemed to deteriorate over time. What Stuart didn’t count on was the little mouse he hired was not a mouse at all, she was strong, intelligent and beautiful. When things go from bad to worse during the house party Stuart will have to make some life changing decisions or risk losing something he never wanted before, love!

Definitely a page turner! I enjoyed watching Stuart grow in his feelings and in his life. Definitely enjoyed reading this book!

[SH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Governess Miss Elizabeth Fletcher is an expert on twins, yet this is a fact that she does not promote to all. When she is assigned twins to a duke whose marriage appears to be suffering, Elizabeth is uncertain how she will tackle the twins. To make matters complicated, she has only been hired by Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, who is friends with the duke. Stuart dubs Elizabeth ‘the mouse’ but he soon realises that maybe Elizabeth is not all that she appears on the surface. Unbeknownst to the twins, she also speaks many languages, a fact that helps her to uncover many secrets.
I really enjoyed Elizabeth whose self-talk and witty dialogue, was quite refreshing. However, it took some time to warm to Stuart, who at first, doesn’t seem to take the whole situation seriously. Yet as the storyline progressed and largely due to the cleverness of Elizabeth, I felt that they were a lovely pair. Whilst I have so enjoyed this series, this book was not as wonderful as the first two books.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[JenReviews4U · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Emily EK Murdoch as an author, I feel she has a very strong writing sense and her stories are very well thought out and very good. I have enjoyed the other Governess books very much. The storyline for this Governess book seemed good however I must agree with so many other reviewers that it just was not up to par with the other books of the series.
Like so many others, I agreed with the fact that a smart governess like Elizabeth would never have stayed beyond a few days in a situation like she was in. Ms. Clarke of the agency who is a very strong character would have never allowed something such as this farce. And that Stuart was disappointing as a male lead acting so immature.
Aside from these critiques, it was entertaining to read and I did find the romance nice, although not believable.
I would recommend as a fan of the author and of the Governess book series.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review

[Doreen Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Enjoyable Read

I enjoyed this story. It is well-written. Stuart is trying to help his friends by finding a Governess for their twins. He visits a governess agency and chooses Elizabeth. The twins are difficult and Elizabeth finds it hard to control them. One child only speaks French and refuses to speak English. However, Elizabeth speaks many languages. Over the course of a house party, Stuart and Elizabeth become friendly but she is only a governess and there should not be any feelings between them. Eventually, Elizabeth wins over the children and she realises that she has during feelings for Stuart. All of this happens when the Duke and Duchess are having marital problems. Will Stuart be able to help them or will he cause more problems? Will he realise that he must take action to save his own heart if he wants to be happy? Will Elizabeth be able to trust him? Read on and enjoy.

[DD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth looks like a teen and is often ignored or overlooked because of it, in truth she is a governess who speaks several languages and specialized in twins. So when Lord Galcrest seletionss lcts her from a line up of governess and then Christina her Mouse she is underwhelmed. The feeling is exacerbated when she learns she to be a gift to his best friends and his wife the Duc and Duchess of D'Allaire and they have no idea she's coming, and just before a house party to boot.

So other than a ridiculous idea this book has some serious issues. I'm book two in the series we met the Duc and Duchess a happily married couple, at a ball. We also met
Lord Galcrest and his wife at the same ball, though I maybe confused who married first, but in this book they mention the scandal of the Earls first wife and her disappearance, and the head of the governess agency mentions having lost two governess recently to marriage.

So continuity in the series doesn't work.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest, lives a carefree life. No wife and no children for him. He seeks a governess for his godchildren. Perhaps hiring a governess to handle the twins with bring his best friend and wife back together. Only Stuart has misjudged the reception of his "gift."
Miss Elizabeth Fletcher strives a be one of the best governesses from the Governess Bureau. Stuart is fascinated by Elizabeth and pursues her at his friend's house party. One false step and Elizabeth will be out of her job and no longer a governess with the Governess Bureau. I didn't care for Stuart in the beginning. He seemed immature, selfish and irresponsible to others' feelings. Always thinking he was able to fix things when he hasn't got a clue what is really going on. There are funny and painful moments. Eventually Stuart redeems himself.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Vonn Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book three in the Governess Bureau series.

Miss Elizabeth Fletcher is a governess with a talent for twins. So when Lord Galcrest hires her as a “gift” to his best friends the Duke and Duchess d’Allaire, he thinks he’s helping them out with their 9 year old twins William and Jane.

The d’Allairs have other problems. Marriage problems, that did get a bit weird and were added for a side story.

I did like Elizabeth’s character and how she and didn’t take Lord Galcrests BS and countered with her own witty remarks. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Stuart Morton, Lord Galcrest. He felt a bit immature at times and it was hard to root for him and Elizabeth.

I like the writing style of the author and the other books in this series. This book wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy of A Governess of Many Languages by Emily EK Murdoch.

[Petula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Elizabeth Fletcher is hoping for a new posting when she's called to the Governess Bureau.  The selection process seems a little strange this time,  but her speciality in looking after twins seals the deal. 

Stuart Morton,  Lord Galcrest wants to help his friends by having someone to help with the children.  Unfortunately our hero is like a naughty little boy himself.  He uses surprises and tricks to make his life happier. Although he has a good heart he really doesn't understand other people's needs. 

A house party, an unhappy hostess and lots of misunderstandings make this an emotional story.  Mischievous children add the fun.  

A lovely historical romance with fabulous characters. 

I loved it. 

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing story set back in a very romantic time in history! The characters were captivating and certainly held my attention throughout their various stories.

Our main characters Stuart and Elizabeth were very likable and entertaining as well. I admire women in history that were able to keep their thoughts to themselves. I really appreciated the level of pride and humility demonstrated as well as forgiveness throughout the entire novel.

The twins were probably my favorite simply because of their antics. I think it's age old knowledge that twins will get into even more trouble than single children but the amount of trouble children have always gotten into even before modern toys is quite comical to envision.

[Bridget Love to read Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love language

Stuart wants a governess for his best friends who unbeknownst to him are having marital problems. Elizabeth is picked out of a room full of other governess because of her skills with twins! Stuart has no clue Elizabeth true beauty or her language skills!
Stuart is playful and mischievous sure he will never marry and calls Elizabeth a mouse until he sees her in a whole different light! Elizabeth is drawn to him and he often includes her among other guest and makes no secret of his interest but is too afraid to surrender his heart!
Elizabeth gives in but refuses to be his mistress! Stuart runs away from love and Elizabeth but he can't out run his heart! Love does win in the end and oh dear will the Governess Bureau seem more like a match maker paradise?