Romance novellas tend to feel very rushed to me, and this one was no exception. The beginning was very compelling. The leads were sympathetic. The supporting cast was memorable. This should be a knock-out success. Still, the pacing was off, and the ending sped through faster than the white rabbit late for its very important date.

Honestly, my favorite part in the whole story was the foil setup between Serena and her sister Frederica. Serena is adventurous and always gets back on the horse, so to speak, while Frederica would rather stay in place to avoid unpleasant changes. It felt like something Dickens would write, and Frederica resembled the character Jenny from Our Mutual Friend. The foil was so striking and the relationship was so realistic that it never felt cliched or boring. Those scenes stole the show, in my opinion.

Which then means the romance didn't, as much. There were plenty of sweet moments between Hugo and Serena, but it never developed into a romance for the ages. I think that's partially because the climax was pretty anticlimactic. Hugo just kind of goes "Nope, I don't need this anymore", and it's not super clear what set off that change. The thing he'd been wanting is suddenly not that important, but there wasn't really anything that set him off, so it kind of came out of the blue. Not only that, his punishment of the duke/his employer was extremely mild compared to how horribly the duke treated Serena. He got off so easy! If this was a Kleypas novel, that man would definitely be jailed or at the bottom of the Thames.

Overall, this is a romance story with more grit than we're used to seeing. There's not a yard of silk to be seen in any of these pages, which would be perfectly fine if you're looking for something more grounded and not life-changing. ( )

Excellent Prelude to the Brothers Sinister Series

I rarely award five stars to novellas, but this one was worth the extra star. Don’t skip this before embarking on the series. It provides wonderful insight into how the Brothers’ background. ( )

The Governess Affair
3.5 Stars

The ambitious son of a coal miner, Hugo Marshall, has worked his way into a duke's employ. Known as the Wolf of Clermont, Hugo is the duke's ruthless and conscienceless "fixer." But when his employer asks him to "fix" a situation with Miss Serena Barton, a governess demanding compensation, Hugo finds himself captivated by her beauty and her courage. Will he risk losing everything he has achieved for love?

Series note and caveat: This is the prequel to The Duchess War, which I read several years ago and which left me rather underwhelmed. Perhaps due to my low expectations, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the engaging characters and charming romance in this novella.

Hugo is a wonderful hero. Milan skillfully crafts a character who is able to manipulate the social order to his own benefit without forfeiting his personal sense of honor and integrity. Likewise, Serena is an appealing heroine, and one cannot help but admire her determination and resourcefulness in seeking her due. Hugo and Serena also have excellent chemistry, and their banter is witty and entertaining.

The biggest problem with the storyline is the rather superficial treatment of Serena's rape. This is an important issue that is not only glossed over rather quickly, but is also resolved by Hugo rather than Serena herself, which ultimately removes her agency. This is disappointing.

Overall, this series has potential, and I am willing to give the next one (for me book #2) a try. ( )

The first time I read this I thought the romance went too fast. I must have been rushing through the book because this time I really saw how Milan slowly draws the romance together while dealing with a topic that was all too common in this time frame. She treats what happened to Serena respectfully (and lets Hugo do so too) while still giving us a portrait of the woman she is. On the second read I got a stronger read on Hugo as hero as well. I'm upping to 5 stars as I can now truly appreciate how this story is put together. I ended up really loving both characters and wish we saw even more of them later on in the series. ( )

Atypical characters and a great read. ( )