This book was a nice slow burn. The story line was unique & I enjoyed both main characters. Guy was not you typical Duke and was really down to earth. Tessa was a ambitious orphan who was trying to better her life. Who was the enemy came as a surprise at the end for me. Over all I really liked this story.

Plot: It was so good! I went into this book expecting it to be a certain way, and it flipped so many things around in ways I didn't expect, which is a compliment! There were twists I didn't see coming, and it took turns I wasn't expecting, which was fun!

Characters: Tessa was such a great main character! I liked how she had her own dreams, completely unrelated to the aristocratic world. And Guy was a fantastic love interest! (Even when he was sticking his foot in his mouth!) I liked all the supporting characters, too. MINOR SPOILER: I hope we get a book about Will and Avis! END SPOILER

The Cover: I like it!

Overall: I went into this book expecting a fun read, but I underestimated how much I would like it! I loved this book, and I definitely want to read more books by Olivia Drake! If you're looking for a fantastic regency book, I highly recommend this one!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy of this book.*

This was a delightful little story about a Duke and a woman on a mission.

Tessa is a hat-maker who is a bastard daughter of an aristocrat, but she isn't sure which one. All she has is a dream for her own shop and a pendant with her family seal on it, left to her by her dead mother. When she overhears that a Duke is having governess problems, as in, trouble keeping one. She jumps at the chance to insert herself into the household and see if she can find information on her heritage.

Carlin is a man at a loss. He came back from a scientific voyage to a dead wife and a child who hates him. His little girl is out of control and can't keep a governess. He wants the best for her, but his choices are limited. He knows something is off about Tessa, but is honestly more disturbed by his attraction to her than anything else. She soon quickly proves herself as capable of taming his daughter and now he just has to fight his attraction to her and stop from ruining everything.

This book started off real strong and it was a quick read for me. I loved the set up and the characters and I LOVED watching the Duke get a chance to win over his daughter and become the father he wants to be. I could have used a bit more scenes with all three of them together (daughter, governess, and duke) because they were some of my favorites.

The romance had great tension, if a little on the tame side and my only real complaint is that the conflict was a bit confusing. There was a mystery element included that started too late and dragged on too long. There wasn't enough time to see Carlin woo Tessa. After he gets injured protecting her, she is just ready for anything he wants.

This was still a fun read and I would look forward to trying another Olivia Drake in the future.

4/5 stars for me.

Amazing read I was captivated by the characters and the storyline was intriguing and engaging. I’ve been enjoying this authors books for while now and always look forward to reading more books. If you enjoy historical fiction you’ll enjoy this book

Tessa is a wonderful heroine. Orphaned at age 6, she dreams of owning her own millinary shop! To get to her goal, she lies her way into a position as a governess...then the fun and trouble begins! Guy is the Duke, albeit a man who never wanted the honor. Every heir before him has died - year after year. Then we have Miss Sophy, the 5 year old daughter of the Duke, who was raised by maternal grandparents, who poisoned Sophy against her father. Well, yes, lots of things going on...and you'll enjoy every minute. There's romance, trust, confusion, treasure maps...everything in this story, and I couldn't put it down! I received a complimentary copy of this story in exchange for an honest review, and my honest review is that it's excellent!

This was an absolutely delightful historical romance that was just swoon worthy. I absolutely adored Tessa and Guy and found their love story very compelling. My only wish is that the novel had an epilogue so that readers would have a glimpse into Tessa, Guy, and Sophy's lives in the years to come.

Orphan girl Tessa rage quits her job as a milliner's assistant because she hears that a Duke, named Guy, has been going through governesses like butter and she feels like she can handle a spoiled four year old just fine because she helped watch the kids at the orphanage. She also thinks that working for the Duke will help her find her father, a nameless nobleman she intends to find with nothing more than a pendant that was given to her by her mother before her death, who claimed that she got it from Tessa's father, and which has a noble coat of arms embossed on it.

This was... fine. It was enjoyable, but nothing that hasn't been done before. The author handled the plot and the various twists just fine, but there wasn't anything here that surprised me or really made me feel any one type of way. It's a story we've read before and it's done well, but it's also... a story we've read before. It's safe.

Three-star reviews are the worst ones to write because I have no strong feelings either way. I read this in one day and it was fine. I am neither overwhelmed nor underwhelmed. I'm glad I read it. I don't know that it's going to be a story that sticks with me for a long time, because I feel like I've read it before. That said, I might, because it was perfectly fine and a quick read.

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I wasn't a fan of the romance in this one I did love the story. Tessa and Guy had no chemistry. They had potential but the writing did not support it. I still gave it a four star because for me the main story was Tessa and Sophy's as well as the Carlin Curse. Guy's love of travel and science as well as his stories from his travels were interesting. Jiggs was a great secondary character. Story was steady paced and ended well.

4.5 Stars!

Born to a noble and a servant out of wedlock then forced into an orphanage when her mother died at age six, Tessa has experienced a rough life. For the last seven years, she’s slave away as a miliner’s assistant with dreams of opening her own shop one day. The only way Tessa can think of to make her dream come true is to find her noble father. All she has to go on is the family crest on a pendant her mother gave her as she lay dying. By pure chance, she hears the new Duke of Carlin is in need of a governess for his unruly daughter. Thinking that being in a noble house will help her find her sire, she quits her job and goes to apply for the governess position.

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, was never supposed to inherit. He was the fourth in line for his grandfather’s title when his wife died after giving birth to their daughter. Not believing he could take care of his infant daughter, he leaves her with his in-laws while he travels around the world discovering all kinds of plant life. Upon his return, his grandfather, uncles, cousin, and father have all died and his four-year-old daughter is a holy terror. Becoming a duke and a father at the same time is a difficult road for Guy to travel. Going through six governess’s in less than two months, Guy becomes a little desperate. When Tessa shows up and demonstrates how she will interact with his daughter, Lady Sophy, he hires her. That, my friends, is just the beginning.

Olivia Drake once again creates a world with love, laughter, danger, and intrigue. There are so many facets to this story that draw you in, there is no way you will guess what happens next. Neither Tessa or Guy need or want a relationship at the beginning, but as their spark become a flame, there is no way they can stop their feelings from overflowing. While little Sophy is what we might call a brat, there are definite reasons for her behavior. It takes Tessa working with her and showing Guy the reasons his daughter acts the way she does to find the real Sophy. You know they will make a magnificent family if only things could go their way.

This story will make you laugh and cry all while falling in love with Guy, Tessa, and Sophy. A cast of secondary characters add a little flavor to the tale. Might we see a certain Earl and companion in an upcoming novel? I don’t know, but I sure hope we do. If you need some more Olivia Drake, check out the first two novels in this series, The Duke I Once Knew and Forever My Duke.

I received When a Duke Loves a Governess (Unlikely Duchesses, #3) for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

*I received an ARC in exchange n exchange for an honest review.**

The characters were so one dimensional. Each was a flat depiction of a person in a specific time period. You have a young orphaned woman desperate to find out who her father is and establish her own
business.
He is a scientist returning from an expedition to a child who is out of control. He needs a governess but knows nothing about his kid or what she needs.

Tessa James is an orphan who works in a millinery shop and loves making hats. Until she leaves the millinery to become the governess for the Duke of Carlin’s daughter while searching for her own father.

This is a well-written, emotional, romantic read.

I received an advance reader copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tessa James has dreams to find the father who abandoned her and opening her own milinary shop. To further her dreams, she lies to get the position of governess for the Duke of Carlin's unruly daughter, Sophy.

I really enjoyed this one. I loved the way that Tessa handled Sophy, and how at the end they had an extremely strong bond. She helped Sophy learned to trust and love her father after years of having negative thoughts put in her head by her maternal grandparents. I loved both Tessa and Guy together, and thought their relationship was sweet.

My only complaint would be that the mystery aspect of the story only happened in the last 25 percent of the book, and it felt a little rushed. I still was surprised by who the villain was, and did not expect it.

Overall, it was a really good story. It is better than a lot of the historical romance that I've been reading lately.

Wonderful story development, rich characters, and a plot that hooks you and never lets you go. I love it when I can immerse myself within a book and just forget about real life for awhile and “become” a part of the story. This book totally delivered!

3.5

I enjoyed this book. I knew immediately what the 'mystery' was and who the bad person was. That's fine with me as I wasn't too invested in that part of the story.
I really liked Tessa and her quest to find her birth father. Her interactions with Lady Sophy and her father was good.
Carlin was not your usual Duke and I liked that. He had a softer side, with his love of flora and fauna.
I would have loved more connection between the main characters.

When a Duke Loves a Governess turned out to be exactly what I was expecting from this historical romance.

After the death of his wife, Guy leaves his newborn daughter in the care of her grandparents in order to travel the world studying plants. When he returns 4 years later to a terror of a child who chases even the strictest of Governesses away, he's desperate for a solution. Tessa James is an orphan looking for the father who cast her and her mother out. Could she be the answer to all his problems?

I really enjoyed this story, it was well written, well paced and dealt with some difficult topics in a great way. Especially the little girl learning to trust her father.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC.

What a wonderful story of redemption and love. The characters are just incredible. I so enjoyed the story and the way these people found love. I cannot wait to read more by this author

I enjoyed the book. Has intriguing story bouncing around among different families. I would recommend this book to others if the book was donated to the library. Nice interesting story that’s comfortable to read and enjoy.

There are a lot of variations on the theme of governess/nanny falling in love with the single dad who is out-of-touch with how to reach is children emotionally. In this iteration, Tessa James is a milliner's assistant with a dream of having her own hat shop. From the time she was six years old after the death of her mother, she was raised in a foundling home/workhouse. When her mother died in a carriage accident, she gave Tessa pendant and said a few words about finding her father. Tessa has since dreamed of finding her father and asking him to finance her dreams. When she hears two customers discussing a duke needing help because his governesses keep quitting, she sees opportunity. Tessa then talks her way in to a position as governess to the Duke's 4 year old, precocious, stubborn, and somewhat spoiled daughter. TBH - I am not really sure why the Duke would have allowed a stranger, now matter how pretty, without references or any level of background knowledge of the person near his child - but without this deception there is no story - so I guess we have to go with it.

From that point forward, Tessa makes headway with positive reinforcement for Sophy and continues to build on her attraction to the Duke. There is quite a bit of drama in relation to the Duke's family (and the fact that they've lost six family members in line to inherit in the last 7 years). There are also a lot of revelations about Tessa own background. This in addition to bringing the Duke and his daughter together - not to mention the romance between Tessa and the Duke. All in all - its a lot. I kind of felt like we could have stuck with one plot line or another and didn't need all the layers. Maybe Tessa's background + the romance would have truly been enough!

I did enjoy it - but it required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, verging on fantasy.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

"You are a duke, and I am a governess. And it is no use pretending otherwise."

Tessa is an orphan, and a hatmaker, and one day overhears talk of a duke whose child has been running away governesses. Within the night of hearing, she decides to go and take the extra space. Guy is a new duke, and returns after 4 years away and realizes that his daughter has become a terror. In a bit of desperation, he hires Tessa despite her secrets.

As far as the romance goes, I liked the build up to it, and how linear the relationship was, rather than bouncing around. However, for how quick the book was, there were too many mysteries to need to be quickly resolved.

ARC KINDLY PROVIDED BY AUTHOR FOR HONEST REVIEW!!

Miss. Tessa Jones was raised in a foundling home. Her mother was killed by a coach as they were crossing the road. Before her mother dies she gives Tessa a Pendent and her last words were father and pain. Tessa wants to own her own Millinery shop. She hopes to find her father and ask for a loan.

Guy Whitby Duke of Carlin has a 4 year old unruly daughter Sophy. Sophy throws tantrums and runs off 6 governess's in a month.

Tessa applies for the job and gets it. She had been caught in so many lies the Duke almost fires her. But Tessa and Sophy are getting on well together and the Duke sees progress in his daughter.

There is an attempted murder in the story, so figuring out who the murder is was harder then I though. I did have the suspect on my list of two.

The story moves fast and its really heart warming. The reason its 4 stars instead of 5 is because I would have like to seen more interaction with Tessa, the Duke and Sophy together. There needed to be more romance time between Tessa and the Duke for sure!! For some reason I didn't connect well with Tessa. It was something missing in her character! I also, think the end was a abrupt and needs and Epilog!! Other then that its a Great Story!!