Review: 4.5 stars - highlights for me in this story was the characterizations
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 9, 2013
The first of a new series by Ellie Macdonald, The Governess Club: Claire is a well-devised historical romance novella with many moments of laughter and smiles.Claire is the first in the series, a group of young ladies who wish to become self-directed and start their own school.  But, in the meantime they must earn the funds to start their dream venture, and this is Claire's story.One of the highlights for me in this story was the characterizations: each person we meet is developed with care and skill, incorporating humor, appropriate language and vivid descriptions to bring them breath and life.  Claire is, understandably, determined and sharp-witted, with a penchant for propriety that is ingrained as another element to help her achieve her end goals.  When the house in which she is employed decides to hire a tutor for the children, her  carefully plotted life goals are thrown into a tailspin, allowing her the dream of something more than a life of teaching other people's children.As the tutor, Jacob is really quite clever and funny.  Hiding the fact that he is an Earl, his attitude and charming manner are quite unlike anything Claire has encountered on a personal level.  As the two start to develop a friendship, their conversations and his approach show a caring heart and sense of chivalry that was initially not apparent.  Conversations are clever and quite well crafted, with humor and heart in the forefront.  Additionally the children are developed with quirks and outrageous statements that bring their characters a dimensionality that is rare in stories of this type.While the angst created with Claire's stubbornness regarding Jacob's initial truth-withholding, the two do manage to work through that as Claire also holds a secret, and it is possibly the key to their easy understanding of one another.  The heart and its desires are at the forefront of this story, despite the societal restrictions of place and position and conflicts that they encounter.  With a fun ending that will suit many readers, this was a book that ended with a smile.I received an eBook copy from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review as part of the Tasty Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.