Books › Temptation of a Proper Governess
Temptation of a Proper Governess
372 pages
A swoony, sensual Regency romp where strict propriety melts under the heat of a marriage of convenience.
What it feels like
Reading this historical romance feels like stepping into a warmly lit drawing room where simmering tension undercuts every polite conversation. The narrative moves at a brisk, engaging pace, balancing the cozy familiarity of Regency society with the thrilling edge of a scandal in the making. Maxwell's prose is emotionally direct and highly sensory, focusing on the electric glances and accidental touches that slowly dismantle the heroine's guarded propriety. The mood is deeply romantic and increasingly passionate, tracing an emotional arc from wary self-preservation to a joyful, vulnerable surrender. It is a perfect afternoon escape for readers who delight in the marriage-of-convenience trope, where hidden depths are revealed and a marriage in name only inevitably, and deliciously, becomes so much more.
- Mood
- swoony
- intimate
- passionate
- Tone
- romantic
- playful
- earnest
- sensual
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- marriage of convenience · hidden depths · redemption through love · class boundaries · awakening desire
- The writing
- Accessible and emotionally direct, focusing heavily on internal longing and sensory details.
- The arc
- Moves from guarded propriety and simmering tension to a passionate, vulnerable surrender to love.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love classic Regency romances featuring marriage-of-convenience tropes and slow-burn seductions between seemingly mismatched pairs.
Content notes
- false accusations
- classism
- sexual content
About the book
Society dictates that a governess should be modest, quiet, and keep to herself. She should never contradict her employer. And, above all, she must not attract the attention of any male in the household. But Michael Severson doesn't see Isabel Halloran as a governess -- he sees her as a woman, one whose lush curves cannot be hidden behind a dowdy gown... and whose efforts at hiding her sparkling intelligence are betrayed by her wit. Years before, Michael had left Regency England, falsely accused of a crime. Now he is back, dedicated to seeking retribution -- but not to taking a bride. But when his scandalous actions compromise Isabel's reputation, he does the unthinkable and offers her his hand -- a marriage in name only. But although his bride's passions are untried, Isabel's sensuality clearly matches his own. And with each day, and night, that passes, Michael becomes determined that every kiss, every caress, will be made with one goal: to seduce his proper wife into tender submission.
Description from Open Library.
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