Rules of Engagement (Governess Brides, Book 2)
Setting: London, 1840Sensuality: 8When Queen Victoria threatens to reveal a youthful indiscretion if her friend,  Devon Mathewes, earl of Kerrich, doesn't strive for respectability, the rakish  earl approaches the Academy of Governesses to hire a governess and orphan to  sponsor, thus lending him an appearance of kindness and decency.Confident that she's safe from temptation since she despises rakes, Miss Pamela  Lockhart disguises her youthful beauty and accepts Devon's outrageous offer of  employment. But Pamela isn't prepared for the impact the handsome, blunt-spoken  earl has on her heart. And Devon is fairly stunned to find himself attracted to  the frumpy governess with her thick glasses and sharp moral lectures.While the two struggle with their intense attraction, serious skulduggery is  afoot that involves Devon's family bank. The perpetrators may be closely tied to  the Mathewes family and scandal looms large on the horizon. And while he should  be concentrating on solving the threat to the bank, Pamela and her endearing  orphan prove to be monumentally distracting. In the end, however, Devon may have  to choose between the two, and either way, the loss will be tremendous.In this, the second installment in the Governess Brides series that began withRules of Surrender, Christina Dodd delivers her trademark humor and  sensuality in a plot that's rife with treachery and betrayal, true love, and  trust. The heroine is strong and independent, a fitting match for a hero who has  a faithful heart buried beneath his arrogant exterior. Dodd's deft touch with  witty repartee and delightfully endearing characters is right on target with  this latest Bride. Don't miss it.--Lois Faye Dyer