A Waltz With The Outspoken Governess
Series: Dollar Duchesses #1
Author: Catherine Tinley
Published December 24th 2020 by Mills & Boon Historical

Goodreads Synopsis
A quiet governess...

An unruly heart

Sir Nicholas Denny is desperate to find a governess to care for his boisterous nieces and nephews. Demure vicar's daughter Mary Smith seems ideal-at first. All too soon Nicholas discovers a different side to her... She's a beautiful, vivacious woman, even if she infuriates him with her strong opinions! When he waltzes with Mary at a party he knows he's in trouble-the spark between them is so tempting, but she challenges everything he thought he wanted in a wife!
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

When Mary Smith, the daughter of a country vicar, learns that her father has been arrested on charges of treason, and she is about to be kicked out of her school, she takes a position as a governess - with no experience - at Sir Nicholas Denny's home, to help care for his nieces and nephews. Close to her father's parish, she is glad to be unrecognised as she works to try and exonerate her father, but her work with Sir Nicholas' family soon takes over. She has five charges to look after, with the overseeing eye of their elderly governess, Miss Cushing, and the more time she spends with both the children, and their somewhat intimidating uncle, she wishes she could be simply Miss Mary Smith again, and not the governess who can't hold her tongue.

I found this to be such a quick read. From meeting Mary on page one, to her happily ever after on the final pages, I was hooked, and just appreciated her character so much. She was one of the oldest at her school, as her widowed father had taught her himself, until she turned 20, and her felt she should prepare to be out in society properly, and to marry. She was opinionated, and didn't think that just because she was a woman, that she shouldn't speak up about things she was passionate about. This got her in trouble, regularly, and she knew that she would need to be more demure when working as a governess, lest she be turfed out before she can help her father. She's caring to the children under her care, especially shy Beatrice, and will do whatever she can to help them flourish, even if it's not quite what Miss Cushing thinks is appropriate. With Nicholas, they don't really connect at first meeting, as they are both holding part of themselves back, but I liked how their burgeoning friendship developed into more. The inevitable angst and temporary separation of the two I wasn't the biggest fan of, but all in all, I liked the ending, and thought it was perfect for the couple. An enjoyable Regency read.

Dates Read:
January 6, 2021

Rating
3 Stars

About Catherine Tinley:
Catherine Tinley is an award winning author who writes witty, heartwarming, Regency love stories for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She has loved reading and writing since childhood, and has a particular fondness for love, romance, and happy endings. After a career encompassing speech & language therapy, NHS management, maternity campaigning and being President of a charity, she now manages a maternity hospital. She lives in Ireland with her husband, children, and dog and can be reached at www.catherinetinley.com, as well as www.facebook.com/CatherineTinleyWriter and @CatherineTinley on twitter.