Review: Jonathan and Amy by Grace Burrowes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2014
Book #8.6 in the Windham family series by Grace Burrowes, this is a novella.While I have read all of Burrowes’ Windham series, I don’t recall mention of Jonathan Dolan. He is brother-in-law to Deene from Lady Eve’s Indiscretion.Amy Ingraham is a lady turned governess due to an indiscretion in her past who, while in the employ of Jonathan Dolan, falls in love with him. She has crushed on him from afar, admiring his looks, his love for his daughter, Georgina, as well as his strong and commanding personality. He has always been a fair employer so, when he asks for her assistance in becoming more gentlemanlike in manner and behavior before a visit to his estranged brother-in-law’s estate, she complies. He has ulterior motives to woo the lady.Amy’s manner is rather school marm-ish and I found their relationship humorously formal. She calls him “Mr. Dolan” despite his repeated requests to call him Jonathan.Jonathan is new to Polite Society so he’s a little rough around the edges; this doesn’t seem to bother Amy overmuch as she has lived on the fringes for years. She sees his love for his daughter and that makes him a good man to her.There is a humorous little side plot involving Amy’s estranged and foppish cousin, Nigel, and his belief of a betrothal with Amy. Nigel merely wants her inheritance to fund his gambling debts and his mistress’ expensive tastes, and to please his dear Mama.One of my favorite things about Burrowes’ writing (which I have mentioned before in my reviews) is her attention to the details. These make me feel comfortable in her world."Where his hand rested on her back, he felt the slight wrinkle of a chemise and stays beneath the fabric of her dress. When he drew her into his arms, the aroma of lemon verbena mingled with laundry starch and something else—a faint trace of ink, perhaps?—to bring the schoolroom to mind."Amy’s twin spinster sisters, Hecate and Drusilla, are very charming and funny in their eccentric way. Their conversation after Nigel visits them made me laugh out loud.”’…she has suffered at the hands of the Witless Gender.’”I found it a little surprising that Amy had no knowledge of her grandfather’s inheritance but then, as now, many women choose to be in the dark regarding their finances.Worth Kettering makes an appearance here toward the end of the novella, perfect timing so I can see how he fits into Burrowes’ fabulous Lonely Lords series.This is a nice, light novella, a lovely little treat for all fans of good writing.