The Governess Affair (The Brothers Sinister) [Kindle Edition]

Courtney Milan (Author)

Book Description

The start of a new series from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan...

She will not give up.

Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position. Unable to find new work, she's demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it's not the duke she fears. It's his merciless man of business--the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the duke's dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn't stand a chance. But she can't stop trying--not with her entire future at stake.

He cannot give in.

Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition--a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner's son to the right hand man of a duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess by fair means or foul, it's just another day at the office. Unfortunately, fair means don't work on Serena, and as he comes to know her, he discovers that he can't bear to use foul ones. But everything he has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He'll have to choose between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love...

The Governess Affair is a prequel novella (about 33,000 words) to the Brothers Sinister series. It is followed by the full-length novels The Duchess War and The Heiress Effect.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"That's how Milan's writing is consistently... When I read her books, I know I will be experiencing something better than good, something extraordinary and thoughtful."
--Sarah Wendell, trashybooks.com, on The Governess Affair 
"A battle of wills with the sweetest of prizes: true love."
--RT Book Reviews, on The Governess Affair

About the Author

Courtney Milan's debut novel was published in 2010. Since then, she's been a New York Times and a USA Today bestseller, and her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist. She's been a RITA finalist and an RT Reviewer's Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance. Her second book was chosen as a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010. Courtney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, a medium-sized dog, and an attack cat. Before she started writing historical romance, she experimented with various occupations: computer programming, dog-training, scientificating.... Having given up on being able to do any of those things, she's taken to heart the axiom that those who can't do, teach. When she's not reading (lots), writing (lots), or sleeping (not enough), she can be found in the vicinity of a classroom.

Product Details

• File Size: 356 KB
• Print Length: 200 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Courtney Milan (April 21, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007WIOP68
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #232 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Collections & Anthologies
  • #15 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic beginning. May 18, 2012

By Letitia TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review

It is a rare thing indeed for me to give a novella a five star rating. Me and novellas don't often get along. For one, they're short. Which typically means there isn't a lot to them. Not enough there for me to sink my teeth in. Really invest in.

That isn't the case with The Governess Affair. You get a since of history, you see the characters develop, and - what! - there is actually a plot with substance. And, boy, did I invest in this story.

Serena is a strong, smart woman. Stubborn. Resilient. And the epitome of "won't take no for an answer." It was wonderful to see her will battle against Hugo's. And even more wonderful to see her not back down.

And Hugo. He is a great balance to Serena. As tough and determined as he is, he is not without compassion. And he is definitely a straight-shooter, a no nonsense kind of man. It was touching the way Serena caused ever-growing cracks in his facade.

Their love story was tender and memorable. The HEA was well executed. And the epilogue - where we meet the young men who will grow up to be the heroes in the upcoming Brothers Sinister series - was perfect. I love how Milan allowed us a peak at their past before we read their individual books.

This novella is well worth the $0.99! And I am very, very much looking forward to the other books in this series... Oliver's in particular!

97 of 118 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Horrible hero ruins what would otherwise be a compelling story May 10, 2012

By Victoriana

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have to say, I was really looking forward to reading this. I really enjoyed this author's other books and novella's. Her short story "This Wicked Gift" in anthology "The Heart of Christmas" simply made my Christmas (besides my friends and family of course) and remains my absolute favorite romantic short story of all time. The premise of this story also sounded very interesting. Unfortunately, this novella was a pretty big disappoint, considering my high expectations.

The plot itself is a compelling one. The heroine is a victim of a terrible crime committed by a powerful man, and she is fighting for her personal dignity and justice against immense odds. She has lost her job, her reputation, and dreams, but even though she is a fallen woman and an outcast, she doesn't hide away in shame or fear. She is a great character to like and root for, and the story has a lot of emotional tension to it.

Unfortunately, the "hero" of the story is a horrible, despicable man. I don't expect heroes of romantic novels to be anywhere near perfect or even knights in shining armor. I do however expect heroes (and heroines) to be reasonably decent human beings. What does it say about the hero that he helps a rapist to threaten and silence his victim?

*spoiler alert*

He continues to work for the duke even knowing what he did to her, and keeps fighting her and threatening to destroy her to prevent her from telling her story to the world. He doesn't stop with his harassment until he finds out about the baby.

I don't understand why the heroine, or any woman for that matter, would be at all attracted to a man who helps her rapist threaten and subdue her. She keeps thinking "He's safe" and he keeps saying "I don't hurt women".... Um, a man who works for your rapist to threaten you into silence is not "safe", and he most certainly wants to hurt you and destroy your dignity and rights as a human being.

One of the reasons I was originally drawn to Milan's books in the first place was because her heroes were usually good, strong, admirable men, and the heroines also usually were pretty strong, admirable, and unique characters as well. The heroine was wonderful, but it's hard to believe an author who created heroes like Ash and Mark Turner created a hero as despicable as this one. I really hope her next book has a better hero, or I won't be reading it. Read more ›

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars masterful June 22, 2012

By Tamar

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm having trouble putting into words my love for this novella. The characters are beautifully realized and unique, and their interplay is utterly fascinating. Their relationship builds believably, step by step, and I completely buy into the obstacles between them as well as the built-in conflict. I loved every bit of this. I never say that. (Well, almost never.) I've read a few novels and a novella by Courtney Milan, and I have tremendous admiration for her intelligence as a writer, but none of the other books felt as fully realized as this short work. Loved it to bits.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthwhile Read ~ November 16, 2012

By Recreational Reader

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved this story and am looking forward to the next book in the series. Although this is a "novella" it is a complete story and the characters well developed. I liked that there were insights into human nature beyond just the typical love and lust sentiments and therefore the story was more than just a romp in the hay, although there was that too of course. If you enjoy romance this is a great read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a Harsh Critic March 30, 2013

By Rachel E. Weir

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really want to be swept up in a love story, to really know that the characters are in LOVE and not just lust. So many of the books I've read recently have the Hero and Heroine ready to rip each other's clothes off and having sex again and again and again until they profess their love. I come to the end of the book feeling like I've read about two people who love having sex, but the author has not really shown me that they love each other. This story really packed an emotional punch for me. The relationship developed. There was true emotion and a process of falling in love (and a gratifying love scene). More of this please!

31 of 42 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Uneven and frustrating April 29, 2012

By mbz

Format:Kindle Edition

I've read a number of Courtney Milan's books and find her novellas a bit wanting. Unveiled remains her best work, with crisp, unique characters and an attention to historical detail (and very tantalizing romantic tension) that demonstrates why her books are so wildly popular. Unlocked was just OK, a bit rushed and contrived. But this new novella, The Governess Affair, seems as if it were put into production a bit too quickly, for the book has some issues with development (pacing, character depth, emotional journey of H and h, etc.).

From a question of point-of-view in the beginning (is it Hugo's POV as the book opens? Some sentences seem to be, then others seem to come from an omniscient perspective) to a fairly overstuffed first chapter that tries too hard to set the scene, cramming in details over establishing personalities, the beginning faltered almost too much for me to continue.

I am glad I did, for Milan's portrayal of the heroine, Serena, is far deeper and livelier than her treatment of Hugo. And that, unfortunately, is part of the problem. The Hugo we see through his POV and the man we see, as readers, through Serena's POV do not line up well. Not simply in the sense of Hugo's need for greater introspection and Serena's objective view of him (which is a feat for authors to manage) -- sadly, the author does not do this. Instead, she creates a disparity between the two viewpoints that makes it rocky to read the story, taking me out of the story itself, and making me focus instead on the little details that shake me out of the romance. I found myself, repeatedly, enchanted by Serena's way of describing Hugo, then incredibly disappointed by the Hugo POV scenes.... Chapter Four's ending was pitch perfect, and helped to set the tone for their relationship, but again -- it was all through Serena's POV.

Later in the novella, Hugo's POV improves and we get a better sense of him, as his perspective dovetails more with Serena's view of him, but rather than making the story one of redemption for both, the ending seemed forced and rushed. The intimate scenes are extremely well done, which makes the entire novella, on the whole, uneven. Perhaps this uneven tone is a function of the short form, though I doubt it. My critique is not the standard "this would be better if it were longer" meme. Pacing and a more fully-fleshed psychological portrayal of Hugo in his POV scenes earlier on, not length, would have improved this. Read more ›

More About the Author

Courtney Milan's debut novel was published in 2010. Since then, she's been a New York Times and a USA Today bestseller, and her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist. She's been a RITA finalist and an RT Reviewer's Choice nominee for Best First Historical Romance. Her second book was chosen as a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010.

Courtney lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, a medium-sized dog, and an attack cat. Before she started writing historical romance, she experimented with various occupations: computer programming, dog-training, scientificating.... But her favorite job is the one she's now doing full time--writing romance.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#17 in Books > Romance > Historical

#20 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#17 in Books > Romance > Historical

#20 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance