The divorced Earl of Wyle had two children—Charlotte, aged 16, and Henry, aged 7. He didn’t realize when Marian arrived that she was the governess, not the woman hired to play the part he needed. The dinner party was attended by his entire family of aunts and cousins who were determined that he should remarry. Since he was military, he was gone for long periods of time. The children and the estate needed someone stable. Unfortunately, one cousin decided she wanted him to marry her daughter—not the stranger.

This novel by Barbara Miller is a definite winner. I loved the plot and the characters. The main couple were so different from each other and each one had so much baggage to bring to a relationship—especially a pretend one. Because Marian had been in society, she knew the differences in action/activity required for each. She was a brave woman whose sole purpose, initially, was to take care of her mother.

The secondary characters were phenomenal and well developed. They played a big part in the storyline. There were many twists and turns before this reader had any idea how the book would end. The happily-ever-after still held surprises for me and it did not turn out as I expected.

I loved the book and highly recommend it to everyone. There is nothing offensive in the story. It was great.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Sweet

Reviewer: Brenda Talley
April 8, 2009