ARC Review: Rules of a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley

I am no stranger to Jennifer Ashley, I love this series the Mackenzies & McBrides are such an eccentric fun family I have enjoyed all the books I have read; all but book 6 (The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie) and the novella in between six and seven (Scandal and the Duchess). Rules for a Proper Governess is no different, you can never tell a Mackenzie or a McBride to do something the conventional way because it just isn’t done. I have been waiting for Sinclair’s book since his first appearance in Ainsley and Cameron’s book (The Many Sins of Lord Cameron) book three and here we are in book 7, yes it was worth the wait.

It has been seven years since Sinclair McBride’s wife died of a fever leaving him to raise their two children by himself. He hasn’t been doing a very good job at it or at least he thinks he hasn’t. His daughter is an introvert and his son is so wild they can’t keep a governess. On day after a particularly easy case when Sinclair is wallowing in his misery asking his wife to give him a sign that he should move on a beautiful young lady bumps into him and suddenly his heart feels like it’s beating again and that his watch is now missing.

Roberta Fraiser, or Bertie to her friends, is forced by her abusive father to pick pocket the man who just had his best mate arrested even if it was her friend who was set free and the true guilty party was arrested. She successfully picks his pocket but has to quickly flee because he promptly notices and gives chase. That is just how they meet. Once Bertie gets a taste of Sinclair she cannot easily let go, she becomes a little stalker-ish and follows him home. Due to an inadequate governess Bertie is left in charge of the children. Cat and Andrew take to Bertie like no one else and everyone in the family already likes Bertie also.

There is practically no sexual tension between Sinclair and Bertie but their really didn’t need to be. Sinclair had no resistance or control whenever the Cockney beauty was near. They didn’t immediately start having sex but it didn’t take long. The conflict in the story goes back to Sinclair’s first wife and someone threatening to reveal her checkered past and her nasty brother from taking his children. It was an easy coming together for the two but the story was still very entertaining to read, I loved it.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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