Mary Wood has been hired as the new governess at the Meadows. But Mary has a secret, Mary isn't really her name, and she doesn't really have any credentials to be a governess, but her father has died leaving her all alone in the world and she doesn't see any other way she can make it. As she's on her way to the Meadows, Mary is cautioned not to go there, but she really feels as though her life there will be almost... idyllic, how could it not be at a house named the Meadows. When she arrives, though, the door is slammed in her face and she's told that a governess would not have been hired. She soon discovers why, as her charge, Caroline Jonquil is only 4 years old, quite young for a governess. Caroline is a sweet child, but she's been treated very unkindly by the nurses that she had previously had, and she quickly extracts a promise from Mary to never leave her. Mary never intends to leave such a sweet girl, but she realizes quickly that that decision may be taken out of her hands. Especially when she talks back to her new boss, Layton Jonquil. Layton is a man living a life full of guilt over his former wife's death. But when the beautiful Miss Mary Wood is able to bring Caroline out of her shy shell, Layton knows that if he is not careful, he could be taken with her as well and that would not end well for any of them.
This book was so cute! I loved Mary/Marion, I loved the way she hides her hurt, but shows little bits through the stories she tells to both Caroline and Layton. I loved Layton, how much grief he has for his one small lie after his wife died. I also really enjoyed how Mary resolved that so that he could get on with his life. The ending of this one is really sweet! You can't go wrong with a romance by Sarah M Eden!Labels: Clean Romance, regency romance, Sarah M Eden
