Octavius and the Perfect Governess

Emily Larkin

Jan 2020 · Pryor Cousins Book 1 · Emily Larkin

About this ebook

A governess in jeopardy ... and the marquis’s son who goes undercover to protect her.

 

Lord Octavius Pryor leads a carefree and untroubled 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) Teach the baron to keep his yardstick in his breeches. 2) Keep Miss Toogood safe. 3) Convince her to marry him.

 

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.

 

Length: Full-length novel of 88,000 words

Sensuality level: A Regency romance with mild love scenes

 

From USA TODAY Bestseller Emily Larkin comes a new addition to the acclaimed and multi-award-winning Baleful Godmother series!

If you love wildly entertaining and intensely emotional historical romances that will keep you reading all night long, then this novel is for you.

Be swept into a Regency England brimming with romance and peril, magic and love. Start this addictive series today!

Ratings and reviews

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.

On losing a bet Lord Octavius Pryor has to use his gift of metamorphosis, and spend the evening at Vauxhall Gardens as a female. On being attacked by the lecherous Baron Rumpole he is determined to teach him a lesson. So as a housemaid he enters the Baron's household. But he meets the new governess Miss Philippa Toogood and is instantly smitten. So his plan must cover the revenge and punishment of Rumpole, while keeping Miss Toogood safe. For this he needs the help of family and friends. An entertaining historical fiction story, with some very likeable and amusing characters.

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.