The Silent Governess

Title: The Silent Governess
Author: Julie Klassen
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0707-5

From the back cover:

Olivia Keene is fleeing her own secret. She never intended to overhear his.

But now that she has, what is Lord Bradley to do with her? He cannot let her go, for were the truth to get out, he would lose everything-- his reputation, his inheritance, his very home.

He gives Miss Keene little choice but to accept a post at Brightwell Court, where he can make certain she does not spread what she heard. Keeping an eye on the young woman as she cares for the children, he finds himself drawn to her, even as he struggles against the growing attraction. The clever Miss Keene is definitely hiding something.

Moving, mysterious, and romantic, The Silent Governess takes readers inside the intriguing life of a nineteenth-century governess in an English manor house where all is not as it appears.

My take:

From the very beginning of the book you are whisked into a world you know will be different. Young Olivia Keene can solve math problems in her head incredibly fast and it allows her access to areas that normally would have been considered taboo. When she makes one fateful decision, all that comes to an end.

The story shifts to several years later and one desperate act forces her to flee home and family. When she innocently overhears a conversation not meant for her ears, she is arrested, attacked and left without a voice. Lord Bradley sees to it she is released and gets her medical attention, but he must also protect his own interests. He presses her into service as an under nurse at Brightwell. Although it is expected that her voice will at some point return, her continued silence is part of the bargain. She accepts.

Despite their rather hostile beginning, Lord Bradley sees how good Miss Keene is with the children and can't help but admire her ~ though he still doesn't trust her. Miss Keene initially believes Lord Bradley to be without heart. She sees the attention and generosity he lavishes on the children and warms to him as well. She cannot trust him with her own secret though.

This story has everything. There are all kinds of characters, and they are well drawn and interesting. I was fascinated by the way she created such variety~ not only in their type, but also in their responses to each other and their situations.

Mystery and surprises start almost from the first page and keep coming until the end. The romance is perfect. It builds slowly and very authentically. They care about what is important to each other, and they also feel all the natural feelings of anyone falling love... jealousy, doubt, excitement...

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year. I made a silly mistake and entered a contest for the book when I had already pre-ordered it from Amazon. That means you get to gain from my mistake. I am going to pass along my extra copy to one of you.

The normal rules apply. Only US entries please. Void where prohibited. A comment earns you one entry, become a follower and you get two, old followers get three and if you post about the contest you get four. Leave a valid email address in your comment box like this: leesmithwriting {at} yahoo{dot}com in order to qualify and for me to contact the winner. The contest will run until midnight on the 27th of January. I will announce the winner in this post on the 28th and contact them via email as well. If they don't respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Thanks and good luck!