The Governess Affair
by Courtney Milan
Brothers Sinister #0.5 (prequel novella)

This novella would be my first foray into Courtney Milan's work, and I will admit that I'm not disappointed.  While I feel like this novella could have been developed a bit better, it gives a pretty satisfying, even if kind of boring introduction into the world of the Brothers Sinister.  Maybe if this were a full-length novel instead of a short novella, we would have been able to delve a little deeper into each character's backgrounds?

Instead, this novella simply stood out a little awkwardly as a teaser, especially with the ending chapter wherein we get introduced to the next generation--this I hadn't realized until partway into those last two chapters, since I'm not familiar with Milan's other books, nor did I take any time to really read the summary of following books in this series.

Nonetheless, the way in which the boys we will meet in the novels are introduced really kind of felt forced.

Anyway, I did enjoy The Governess Affair.  It was written well, and the while there were certain, brief moments that felt distasteful, I had no problems with either the story nor the characters.

If I had to choose something I immensely enjoyed about this story, I'd probably say it was the banter between Hugo and Serena.  In contrast, while I can see that the author tried to make out Serena and Frederica's relationship to be that of close, loving sisters, it was actually kind of hard to believe--so I wish they could have had a stronger relationship.

Otherwise, The Governess Affair was a sweet, short story to pass the time.

Same great prose, characters, and sex as the novel length Brothers Sinister works, but a bit short on plot for my tastes.

This story takes place decades before the first novel, but is really best read after the second novel. 

***eBook available for free on Amazon***

The Duke of Clermont sics his man of business on a governess to whom he apparently promised employ and is now sitting (every day, all day) on the park bench on front of the Duke's London home, demanding compensation for "breach of contract". But not all is as it seems, and Hugo Marshall quickly realizes the Duke was less than truthful, and he has no intention of turning to "darker" methods of turning the woman away...


This is the first book by this author I've read (courtesy of InstaFreebie), and I can honestly say I'm glad I did, since it offered a surprisingly fresh approach to historical romance.
The story was different, not improbable or implausible, because we all know things like that happened back in the day when women lived and died at the whims of men, but becuase I've never read the subject matter in historicals before. It was different, it was fresh, and it was damn nice to read.

The two leads were wonderful, though the heroine's motivations were a bit murky at times, providing a bit of doubt as to her final leap into love. They were fleshed-out, multi-layered, and felt rather real for a fictitious couple from two centuries ago. In comparison, the "villain" ended up more like a caricature than a person, but I guess the length of the story didn't allow more insight. He got his in the end, though, and that's what counts.

I liked the narrative style and voice, the pacing was good, and the epilogue set in Eton intriguing. I'm looking forward to the next book.

This was an enjoyable read about the working class Hugo Marshall and Serena Barton. Since it was a novella, the courtship was short (about a week between meeting and marrying), and at times I didn't buy into the love aspect so much as that I thought if was more lust and friendship. However, there was one conversation that I felt was trying too hard to be fast paced witty that ended up sounding really uneven and a bit all over on the emotional front. I did buy into the romance at the end, so it was a success. I felt the villain was a little more than cardboard, but as he is served a healthy dose of justice in the end, I am happy with the villain's unhappiness.

The best part of the story was the last section, titled Aftermaths & Beginnings, that really carried the storylines into the next book but also tied up loose ends from this story. I think this chapter worked better at the end of this book rather than a prologue for the next book. I can't wait to dive into book 1 now. 4 stars.