Veena’s review of Forbidden To Love The Duke (Fenwick Sisters Affairs, Book 1) by Jillian Hunter
Historical Romance published by Signet Books 03 Feb 15
This book is a delightful romp as James, Duke of Ellsworth attempts to seduce and tempt the governess. He first met Ivy Fenwick at a masquerade ball and kissed her. Would things have taken a different turn if he hadn’t left for war and Ivy’s father hadn’t been killed in a duel, labeled a cheater? It’s hard to tell because the reality is that James has never forgotten Ivy and she’s never forgotten her first kiss, but the intervening years have been hard on both of them. Now James wants a castle for his mistress, her as governess for his wards – dash it, perhaps he’d rather have her in his bed instead of his planned mistress and she…
Ivy is the eldest of four sisters who have taken surviving in their draughty home to an art form. The sisters are absolutely delightful in their naivety and their expressions. I can’t wait to see them lose on English society in subsequent books. Added to the stories of their castle with its overgrown shrubberies is their eccentric retainer who uses whatever tools at his disposal to keep visitors on the property at bay.
When Ivy, at her wit’s end, decides to apply for a position as governess, the scene at the ducal residence is comical with all the young ladies who are competing for the position. As she is escorted to the head of the line and to the duke’s office by his butler, bypassing all the other young ladies, one has to wonder what his butler knew about the future, but I suppose it’s more about what his household wants for the duke.
Once she’s ensconced in his house, the duke continues to plot to get her in his bed and stop his proposed mistress from showing up to become an unwelcome third. His niece and nephew are delightful young adults with their own fears and wants and needs, which Ivy, thanks to being the oldest of four, navigates quite handily.
We then take the slight detour to handle the mystery while poor James practices to shoot with his left hand, since he’s afraid that he’s going to need to fight a duel to win Ivy. It’s just a laugh a minute as he seduces her one moment and looks for her soothing sympathy another. Of course, all’s well that ends well, since he’s quite determined to make her his wife and take over guardianship of her siblings.
There are hints of stories to come with her sisters’ sojourns while they are outside her room. She’s clearly hiding something, as is the youngest sister, who’s waiting for an erstwhile neighbor to come back and court her. I can’t wait for this delightful series to continue.
Grade: B
Summary:
Hailed for her “wicked wit and exquisite sensuality” (Booklist), Jillian Hunter, the New York Times bestselling author of the Boscastle Affairs novels and the Bridal Pleasures novels returns with the Fenwick Sisters Affairs, her ravishing new series of four sisters bound by fortune, romance, and scandal….
Lady Ivy Fenwick is desperate. Since her father’s fatal duel, she and her sisters have sold off every valuable possession to make ends meet. With the manor stripped bare, Ivy has one last resort: Apply as governess to the Duke of Ellsworth’s wards.
James should have known better than to hire the desirable lady who had fallen on hard times—and who tempts him at every turn. As her employer, he tries valiantly to remain noble and not let a kiss they shared as strangers years ago entice him. Yet the more he learns of Ivy’s secrets, the more he wants her. And when another suitor proves aggressive, James is confronted with a challenge: Surrender Ivy or fight for the woman he’s come to love against all odds, knowing that it takes a scoundrel to trump a scoundrel.
