Customer Reviews

My Fair Temptress

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As usual, I picked a book that at this point is the last in the series. Oops. Well, considering that I haven't read any of the others in this series so far, I came out reasonably pleased with MY FAIR TEMPTRESS. I've read some of Dodd's books before, but always came away unhappy because they seemed to be directly drawn from classic fairy tales or other well known stories (Not accusing her of anything here, it's just an observation), making her writing seem too juvenile to me for romance. Her characters in this book were written to such an extent as to seem very recognizable, very likeable, except for the villains of course.

The Duke of Nevette is searching for a way to bring his ridiculous son, Jude Durant, Lord Huntingdon, up to scratch in order to find a wife. The unwed ladies of the ton want nothing to do with him because of the way he comports himself in public - like an absolute idiot. Previously, Jude and his elder Brother, Michael, had gone on their Grand Tour and Jude returned a new man. One that wears overbright clothing and displays embarrassing manners in public, all for the cause of bringing some "style" to his fellow Brits. What no one realizes though, is that Jude has an ulterior motive, a good reason for his overbearing behavior. Because his Father is not privy to this information, he sets out to find a tutor for his son, a lady who can teach him how to half way be a man again. He hires a governess from The Distinguised Academy of Governesses to accomplish this monumental task. Caroline Ritter, who, while not aritocratic, used to be in polite society, takes on the challenge. She has till the end of the Season to teach Jude to flirt, attract a bride and marry. With her cunning insight into the inner workings of people, she is able to see through Jude just enough to know that something is not right about his foppish appearance. Determined to acquire her one thousand pound bonus, if she can get him married, she makes plans to escape England with her sister to go to south France to be with her family there - and vows to keep hers and Jude's relationship strictly professional.

As we all know before even reading the book, sparks fly between the two, but wait, not really till Jude comes to realize Caroline's situation, how she was turned from her home by her father after a horrible scandal during her only Season in town. She had been barely surviving at times, desperate for a chance to prove herself and turn her life back around. Jude comes to care for this fiesty young woman who had come from a privilaged background and was then abandoned by everyone. Caroline comes to realize the Jude may not be a complete idiot, that there really is quite a manly man under all those dumb clothes and mannerisms he displays.

Four stars for a funny engaging read that kept me going all the way up till about the last couple of pages. I laughed at Jude, I cheered on Caroline for having such a strong character in the face of such terrible circumstances. Minus that last and most important star because the ending was horrible. I won't give anything away, I'll just say that I was left unsure if Caroline and Jude were really going to be happily ever after. The ending does not close up or tie up their story very well. While it's obvious that there will be more stories to come in Dodd's Governess series, she did not have to leave it hanging like she did. Buuuuuttt...I suppose she hooked me anyway, and I'll be looking out for the next one.

I'm not going to go through the plot, it's been done, but I can tell you that after too many mediocre historicals, MY FAIR TEMPTRESS hit the spot. It was smart, funny and sizzling, with a scene at the opera that made me want to hit a high note. Caroline sure did. I almost didn't buy the book because the back flap insinuated Caroline was easy, but that's not the case and I LOLed about the flirting scenes. Jude was hilarious as a dandy who's hiding his true self while he seeks revenge, and the affection between his father and step-mother is lovely, a real contrast to the fiery relationship between Caroline and Jude. Good book - buy it.

christina dodd is an perplexing author. there are moments when her writing expresses an engagement of emotions, her characterizations are textured and multi-faceted, her love scenes are passionate and adventurous and her plots are intriguing. i found this to be true when i read RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, A SCANDALOUS EVENING, and MY FAVORITE BRIDE. unfortunately, i did not find it to be true in her latest effort.

in MY FAIR TEMPTRESS, she again pulls from the bottomless well of heroines found at the distinquished academy of governesses. lady caroline ritter is a beautiful woman down on her luck. four years prior to the beginning of the story, she was scandalized during her one and only season by a ruthless and married aristocrat who used her as a means of gaining a divorce from his shrew of a wife. after being tossed out of the family home by her uncaring father, she was cast from polite society and forced to make a way for herself. after failing at numerous jobs, she lands at the distinguished academy of governesses where she hopes to land a job despite lacking of any skill except for her ability to flirt.

who would need a governess with such a skill, you ask? turns out the duke of huntington desires of someone with just such a talent. his grown son has recently returned from france transformed from a self-contained, serious, and logical man to a foppish, idiot dandy, which has in turn pushed away all prospective brides. after the death of his older son michael, the duke has suddenly become preoccupied with the task of getting his next son jude married and grandkids on the way.

jude durant isn't just any foppish, idiot dandy. in fact, he's just posing as one while he tries to track down those responsible for his older brother's death. his mind is set on vengence and he is determined to bring them to justice, no matter the cost. when he finds out about his father's plan, he is initially outraged until he meets caroline. he is instantly taken with her beauty and when the suspects he's been following appear to be taken with caroline, he decides to use her as a means of getting information from them.

the thing is, he doesn't tell caroline he's using her. she's an unwitting pawn in the game, which makes me wonder how he could possibly think he could get any information from them without her being aware of the situation so that she could actively seek the information out.

and that's just the tip of the illogical iceberg. caroline, who first comes off as someone who is strengthened by her four years on the streets having to take care of herself, ultimately makes decisions throughout the book that lack consistency with her characterization. i won't tell much so that i don't spoil the plot twists for you, i'll just say that she goes from courageous to cowardly at the flip of a hat, and when she finally becomes unwaveringly courageous, it's only because she found a way to sexually tame jude. she never acknowledged the strength she had based on her ability to take care of herself before she met jude.

i find it disturbing that the heroine was able to become empowered enough to stand up for herself only after she tied up jude during a sexual encounter. sure, she was in control, but why would dodd tie such a significant moment of empowerment to such an act? it kind of made the whole thing appear hollow and too fragile to actually last. there were actually some moments when caroline stepped into the "too stupid to live" territory with some of her decisions, which frustrated me and made me wonder why she considered herself to be so intelligent. for example, jude dropped his facade as a dandy when the two of them were alone, so i wondered why she didn't figure out early on that he was doing it all for show.

also, i never got an understanding of who jude was, really. he was a guy who was mad because his brother was killed and wanted vengence. he faked being an idiot to gain information, and he liked to have adventurous sex. that's the extent of what i got from him by the end of the book. there wasn't enough depth to him to make me care about him. dodd depicted him with too little emotion, and what little there was was so mercurial, i wasn't sure if it was his actual emotion or part of the act he was portraying.

the love scenes were on par with dodd's previous efforts, though. they were sensual, intimate and daring. just so you know, there is some bondage involved. i like that aspect, although i didn't care for the reasoning behind why it occurred.

finally, the plot itself was a bit on the side of unbelievable. while jude is chasing down the men who killed his brother, he stumbles onto a murder plot. however, the players and the executing was so convoluted that i ended up shaking my head in exasperation because again, much of the decision-making was illogical, which made the characters appear to be really stupid.

so ultimately, i can only recommend this book with reservations. the execution of the plot was weak, the characterization was inconsistent and spare, although the sexual encounters were top-notch.

in other words, if you like to read about great sex, but care little about the who and the why surrounding it, then this book is for you. otherwise, i'd recommend you check out the three books i mentioned at the beginning of this review.

A lot of reviewers have written excellent reviews,but I just had to write about the book.

Basically, Caroline is of common birth (her father is a successful merchant) and she was caught in a comprising situation with a horrible nobleman (Lord Freshfield) about 4 years ago. Even though it wasn't her fault, society turned their back on her and her father threw her out of the house. For 4 years, she's been going from job to job and trying to earn money to survive and save up enough money so that she can go to France, where her mother's family is, with her younger sister. A place where they both be safe -- away from Lord Freshfield (who has been stalking her since that day 4 years ago) and her father, who doesn't know how to love and only cares to get a title.

This all leads her to the Academy of Governesses & when asked what she is good at, she says truthfully, "nothing, except flirting." So, Adorna (the head of the academy) matches her up with the Duke of Nevett's son -- he had sent a request to Adorna to provide him with someone who could teach his son to land a wife, because he is afraid that he will die before seeing his foppish son sire an heir.

What everyone doesn't know is that the son is not really a fop/dandy -- he's putting on a show to track down his brother's killer. When he finds out about the "governess" hired by his father, he is angry and also worried that she will wreck his plans. What he doesn't count on, however, is his immense attraction to Caroline and, also, the effect she has on the very people that he's spying on.

I agree with some of the other reviewers, that one doesn't fully understand what makes the two of them fall in love with each other... basically, Caroline never really meets the 'real' Jude and, so, that leads one to believe that the two are solely basing their relationship on lust. Especially since we are constantly being told that Caroline is so beautiful that everyone falls in love with her. That is the only reason that I deducted one star...

Other than that, this is a very good book. The characters are great, the dialogue is funny, the main characters have steamy relationship. The characters of the Duke and Duchess of Nevett are very well sketched and one can fully understand the motives behind what everyone is doing....It was nice to a read a book where the hero had grown up in a loving home and did not hate his father.

Personally, I haven't read of the governesses books up to this point, but I felt that one could read this as a stand-alone. I wasn't really lost in the book like I am with other series, like Balogh's "Slightly" and Bradley's "Liar's Club/Royal Four" series when I read them out of order.

I read it all in one night... I didn't want to put it down. The ending is pretty abrupt, and seems like a set-up for the next novel....but, we'll see.

All in all, it was a great read - fast paced and fun. Highly recommended -- I, for one, am going to go out and buy all the other books in this series.

This the first book by Christiana Dodd I have read. I saw her name come up in romance lists and she appeared popular but, I shied away as I thought her books might be fluffy and light in the romance department. I prefer books that are hearty, intense and a bit emotional. This book My Fair Enchantress was fortunately not what I thought I needed - it was somewhere in between what I expected and what I like, which worked perfectly.

I liked that the story line was not your typical perfect English debutante meets up with perfect English royalty and they woo and court each other at balls and masquerades, heat up the sheets and end up with the expected perfect ending. No...this differed and was all the more enjoyable for it.

Of course our heroine, Caroline was beautiful, charming, witty and wise (would we enjoy an unattractive, dull, and insipid heroine - never!) and our hero, Jude was handsome, worldly, a bit mysterious (you knew he was hiding something behind all that foo-foo French clothing and eye popping colors, didn't you? As for those readers who had trouble getting past his silly tendencies...let it go, it was not the most critical part of the book- ok?). They meet up when his father is fearful that his eldest son won't settle down with the right girl and give him an heir the family line - The Huntingtons. A duke must produce another duke - or so the father thinks. Was it unusual for a father to do this? I say no...not back in those times. Desperate times call for desperate measures and the father couldn't figure out the boy so...he hired someone who could. The father then hires Caroline, from the local Governess Society - to train his son to flirt, charm and woo his way into the perfect socialite's heart and fulfill his father's wishes within the year. Caroline gets the benefit of a nice house to live in, all the clothes she wants and a nice bonus if she succeeds. Nice benefit to everyone if I might say so.

Caroline was banned from society as she made a faux paux in her first season by becoming infatuated with the wrong man and he locked her in a study with him and set the tongues wagging at what she did, how she did it and it ruined her reputation and thus...she was an outcast - including to her own father.

As you can imagine, fire works fly when Caroline and Jude begin their dance of deception - teaching him to do all the things that woman want from a man and a mighty fine man like Jude can give. The best twists of course are when Jude is on bad behavior around other girls so, that he can spend more time with Caroline learning the right way. Their attraction to one another is clear from the beginning. Let's face it- beautiful people are attracted to other beautiful people - and they were no different. Fortunately, they each saw deeper into the other than just the surface and that's what made their attraction that much more intense.

This author does a great job of letting them learn about one another, testing the limits and boundaries of what they can and should do, and having fun crossing into naughtiness time and again. Their passion and attraction seems real. The love scenes were strong, bold and appealing without going over-board. I liked that they came together willingly and didn't have the usual fit of the vapors afterwards with accusations and regret. Instead, they adored each other with the same passion in which they learned the right ways to woo a woman.

The secondary characters were great to this story too - the parents, the friends, etc. The plot was busy with the outings between Jude and Caroline to the zoo, the opera and park etc. to learn proper charm and flirtatious ways as well as the backdrop of what Jude was doing with the Moricadians about the crown and possible assassinations. Lots to keep you interested but, NOT enough to get off track or loose the reader. Why, even the ending is fresh in that it leaves you hanging that the brother you thought had died might indeed not be as thought? Some reviewers didn't like that the ending didn't have a wedding, baby or post scene...instead alluded to a next book via the missing/dead brother. I suppose for some that would be negative but, Jude and Caroline made it clear that they made up in France and he came back for her after a few months as life was simply not worth living without her. He made clear he wanted to marry her, create a child with her and live his life with her. He did this simply because "she was his love of a lifetime". That's plenty for me. And it was clearly what Caroline wanted and needed too as she took the steps to create that life with him as well.

I found most of this book highly interesting....If you like romance novels with a strong female lead, an equally appealing male lead and lots of fun banter back and forth and some seriously pleasurable love scenes...this will be a great pick for you. Buy it, read it and enjoy it! I plan to read more from this author - this was a surprising winner!

My excuse for reading this book all the way through was that, in the aftermath of a hurricane & with no power or gasoline, I was desperate for entertainment, needed escape, & had nothing else to read.
It was entertaining--but I really didn't need to escape to the realm of the TOTALLY unbelievable. Can you believe that an otherwise intelligent Duke would hire a governess for his 30-something son so she could teach him to flirt with women? Can you believe that a formerly-normal red-blooded male would suddenly start behaving in a ridiculous and flamboyand manner & as a disguise to capture a killer, no less? Can you believe that our heroine goes from innocent maligned virgin to rather well-informed and sexually-aggressive dynamo with hardly any transition between the two states? An in the space of one night and two pages! But, hey, since from the initial premise of the plot the author abandoned any claim to reality (in any historical period)she went to town with all her characters and situations. It's lucky that this isn't a stage play. The actors wouldn't be able to keep a straight face, and neither could I.

Four years ago, Miss Caroline Ritter, a diamond of the first water, had her seasonal debut - a debut that ended in a terrible scandal. In disgrace she was turned out of her home by her father and after a series of positions found herself at the Distinguished Academy for Governesses looking for a position more suited to her talents ...of flirting. Though not much call for that particular talent, the headmistress did have a position she thought would suit Caroline. The Duke of Nevette needed someone to teach his foppish son, Lord Huntington, how to behave and attract a bride instead of chasing them away with his ridiculous behavior.

Jude Durant, the earl of Huntington had an agenda and part of it was continuing his foppish masquerade in order to bring down the villains who had killed his elder brother when they'd gone to the continent on their grand tour. Having his father dictate to him that he must accept his `tutor' would complicate his mission; having Caroline Ritter for a tutor posed an even bigger problem, as his focus was split between chasing spies and chasing Miss Ritter.

*** Continuing her series within the Distinguished Academy of Governesses theme, Ms. Dodd maintains the readers interest with a delightful cast of characters, snappy dialogs, and a lovely romance. Jude's ridiculous antics and outlandish outfits provided plenty of lighthearted humor to the wary once-burned Miss Ritter. Dodd continues to enchant her readers with lovely romantic stories and superb plots that engage the reader and leave them wanting more. With the hook she leaves at the end of this book - I for one, want more!

Marilyn Rondeau - Reviewers International Organization (RIO)

Renowned as a flirt with no employment history, a desperate Lady Caroline Ritter suddenly needs a job with no prospects. However, the Distinguished Academy of Governesses hires her to teach foppish loser Jude Durant what a woman desires.

Jude still works undercover for the Foreign Office after years on the continent playing the fool, but his current mission is to learn who is behind the assassination plan to kill the Queen. He keeps his persona going although he knows he needs no lessons on how to pleasure a lady. However, besides struggling to hide his real self, he finds he wants to be the teacher's pet as he is very attracted to Caroline, who surprises him with her intelligence, wit, and depth of character. Neither expected love to spring up between the tutor and the pupil, but first he must complete the mission while also keeping his beloved pawn safe.

Though there is a degree of suspense in this superb Victorian romance, the tale clearly belongs to the lead couple as the teacher tries to train the student who knows he must continue his masquerade for the sake of Her Majesty, but needs to teach the art of lovemaking to his instructor. The story line is amusing as these two excellent characters battle over who teaches who as love makes both winners. Christine Dodd writes a fun tale that focuses on the gender war for supremacy in and out of the bedroom with an assassination plot to add a hint of danger to the participants.

Harriet Klausner

Slipping into a Christina Dodd book for me is always like putting on a favorite pair of shoes--comfortable yet also exciting! She's so good at telling a story that I always feel like I'm in the hands of a master. I especially liked this story. Society believes that the heroine Caroline appears to have no positive qualities except for her ability to "flirt" but you quickly learn that she's intelligent and warm-hearted and someone you would like to have as a best friend. And Jude is a very deserving hero, playing at being a meterosexual while actually seeking revenge on the men who killed his brother. These two make a perfect pair in a perfect story!

I loved the premise - a governess whose sole skill is flirting is assigned to an inept lord so that he can learn enough to catch a wife. Jude is not as inept as he leads Caroline to believe and during their sessions they both learn a few things about how a man and a woman get to know each other. Of course, it's a Dodd book so it's full of romance goodies like ballrooms and grand emotions and great, steamy scenes including one that involves her stripping for him under knife point. Whew!

This book is a savory banquet of a story with a great ending that involves a lot of groveling from Jude before Caroline forgives him for his deception and a wonderful cliff-hanger of an ending. A lot of fun!