Octavius and the Perfect Governess

Emily Larkin

Jan 2020 · Emily Larkin

About this ebook

A governess in jeopardy . . . and the marquis's son who goes undercover as a housemaid to protect her.

Lord Octavius Pryor leads a carefree life, until the night he visits Vauxhall Gardens in the guise of a woman. At Vauxhall, Octavius discovers that being a female is very different from being a man. Annoyingly different, unpleasantly different—and when he encounters the lecherous Baron Rumpole, dangerously different.

Determined to teach the baron a lesson, Octavius infiltrates Rumpole's household, where he meets the woman of his dreams: Miss Toogood, governess to the baron's daughters.

Suddenly Octavius has three pressing tasks. 1) To teach the baron to keep his yardstick in his breeches. 2) To keep Miss Toogood safe. 3) To convince her to marry him.

Length: Full-length novel of 88,000 words

Sensuality level: A Regency romance with mild love scenes

A word of caution: This novel is a bodice ripper, and I mean that quite literally. Bodices are ripped in this book—and not in a playful or sexy way. However, I promise you that all rippers of bodices receive their just desserts.

Q & A with the author

How would you describe this series?

It's Regency England with passion, danger, adventure, humor, romance—and a dash of magic. The stories are emotional, but not sweet. There's sex, and my heroes do swear at times!

Hang on. Did you say magic?

I did. But don't worry—the books are first and foremost historical romances. Only a few characters have magic, and it's a deep, dark secret, and no one else knows.

But ... do magic and Regency England go together?

Definitely! Many years ago I read Sorcery and Cecelia (or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot) by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, and totally loved it and ever since then I've thought that Regency England and magic go very well together.

How would you describe your writing?

Several reviewers have likened my writing to Georgette Heyer, which is the hugest compliment ever. I adore Georgette Heyer! She's why I write historical romance, and I reread her books over and over. (If you've not read The Grand Sophy, please do so!) I've also had readers compare my writing to Courtney Milan and Mary Balogh, which are also massive compliments.

Who would like this series?

This series will appeal to readers who enjoy the historical backdrop and humor of Georgette Heyer, the sensual 'noir' feel of Anna Campbell, the emotion of Mary Balogh or Courtney Milan, and the magic of Patricia Rice and Mary Robinette Kowal. Quite a broad range, really!

Ratings and reviews

After reading the blurb I was a little confused...how could people not notice that Octavius was a man? Well silly me...it's an Emily Larkin book... so it's because he used magic of course! I love how Emily Larkin mixes magic with historical romance, it is always interesting to see what she (and her characters) will do next. Her characters are always fun and likeable, and Octavius and Miss Toogood are no exception. Yes there is a little bit of non-consensual bodice ripping, but nothing most people would find upsetting, and like the blurb says, the culprits get their just desserts. It was wonderful to see a man experience "being a woman" and feel the need to do something about what they experienced daily. Octavius and the Perfect Governess is another fun and enjoyable read from Emily Larkin.

In one word: original! There's a bit of that magical power bestowed by the baleful grandmother - in this series to the males of the Pryor family. The opening scene is of a wagered race; I thought it was a bunch of boys, and was surprised they were grown young men! Fulfilling his imposed forfeit leads to an epiphany for our empathetic hero. And plays a big role in shaping the story. As an orphaned daughter of a vicar, Miss Philippa Toogood has the requisite background for a governess. She's competent, empathetic, and determined to make a difference in her wards' lives. I very much enjoyed how she chose her replacement. While there is the dark topic of abuse of dependents, either familial or servants, there is also much joy and humor here. This is a great, skillfully woven story; I'm looking forward to the next in this series! I received a free ARC copy; the thoughts expressed are my own.

A five-star wonder A five-star wonder waits for you so I recommend you pick up this book right now. This was so good when the author said it was a bodice ripper she was so right. Octavius lost a race and had to pay a forfeit. Now that was cute but it leads to something a whole lot more. The author has made this such a fun book to read the characters had wonderful depth and I simply adored the plot. The author did tackle some serious issues that faced women during this time and she did it in such a grand manner. Kids the only other thing I can say is pick this one up it is worth it! I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

About the author

Emily Larkin is the award-winning and USA Today-bestselling author of the Baleful Godmother historical romance series, a series that readers are calling “sexy, unusual and vastly entertaining,” and "ridiculously wonderful."

When not reading or writing, Emily can be found hiking—preferably somewhere off the beaten track. She loves to travel, and has lived in Sweden, backpacked in Europe and North America, and traveled overland in the Middle East, China, and North Africa. Her varied career includes stints as a field assistant in Antarctica and a waitress on the Isle of Skye.

Emily writes historical romances as Emily Larkin and fantasy novels as Emily Gee. She has won multiple awards in New Zealand and Australia and has been a finalist in the Romance Writers of America RITA award, as well as the National Readers Choice, Booksellers Best, and Sir Julius Vogel awards.