The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan 

The Governess AffairNarrated by Rosalyn Landor

The Governess Affair may quite possibly be the best novella I have ever listened to. This was my first experience with Courtney Milan, and I guarantee it will not be my last. I’m extremely impressed that Ms. Milan was able to deliver an original, well developed, believable, and touching romance in just a little short of four hours. Further rounding out this well made audiobook is Rosalyn Landor’s expert narration which masterfully brings this emotional story to life. Although this is an older title, for those historical romance enthusiasts who have not yet had the pleasure of listening to it, this is a great time to get The Governess Affair, as Amazon is presently offering the eBook for $0.99, and you can add on the Whispersync voice narration for just $1.99!

Serena Barton is a woman who has been wronged. Three months ago she was let go from her employment as a governess as a result of the Duke of Clermont’s actions. Serena, however, is desperately in need of funds, not just for herself, but also for her reclusive sister who she has assumed responsibility for. Thus she has determined to camp out in front of the Duke’s residence until he rights his wrongs by ensuring they are provided for financially.

The unsavory, selfish and unredeemable Duke, however, has his own problems, chief of which is winning back over his estranged Duchess who controls his purse strings and disapproves of his numerous rumored dalliances with infidelity. Intent on sweeping the little problem of Serena Barton under the rug, he sticks his “accountant”, Hugo Marshall, the “Wolf of Clermont” on Serena. Hugo, the son of a coal miner, is a former pugilist with a well known reputation for using any means necessary for making problems disappear.

Intent on turning around his fortunes, Hugo takes a job working for the Duke of Clermont.  If he can find a way to “balance” the Duke’s accounts for a year, he will earn the unprecedented commission of five hundred pounds. His aspiration of rising above the financial means of his birth is so ingrained in his core, that Hugo has determined to forego any semblance of a personal life, including the possibility of ever marrying, to ensure he succeeds. Thus Hugo undertakes his assignment of “handling” Serena before the Duchess finds out about her.

Serena, however, is not easily deterred, even when staring the fearsome, Wolf of Clermont, straight in the face. Instead she challenges him, and wins his admiration in the process. In turn, Serena too becomes overwhelmed with initially conflicting feelings for Hugo. In this battle of wills versus hearts which will win?

Listening to Rosalyn Landor’s rendition of The Governess Affair was a true delight. I loved how each character had it’s own distinctive sound. Males and females alike not only sound genuine to their gender, but also fit their personality types. For example, Serena comes across as the victim that she is, but yet with a fierce loyalness and strong backbone. You can, in turn, hear the paranoia, and deep-seated bitterness that forms the primary characteristics of Serena’s sister. Interestingly, even among females of a similar age and class, it is this attention to individualistic traits that allows the listener to easily distinguish one from the other.

I also enjoyed Ms. Landor’s portrayal of Hugo. He sounds like the proud and determined man that he is without all the aristocratic airs that fill the Duke’s tone, once again providing for easy differentiation among same gendered characters of a similar age. Moreover, you can almost hear the warming of Hugo’s heart as the story is told. The harsh, no nonsense attitude that defines his character at the beginning of the story, starts peeling away where Serena is concerned, slowly revealing his heart, to the point where at the end of the story, Hugo no longer sounds like a cold man, but instead like one who has learned to truly feel.

If you enjoy historical romance audiobooks, then I highly recommend this well-written and performed novella.  I can’t wait to continue with the next book in this series.  The full length novel, The Duchess War.

Editor’s note: Caz also reviewed The Governess Affair in June 2013.

BJ


Narration:  A-

Book Content:  A-

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only

Violence:  Minimal

Genre:  Historical Romance

Publisher:  Courtney Milan

 

The Governess Affair was provided to AudioGals for review.

2 thoughts on “The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan 

Comments are closed.