Why I read it: I loved the Turner series and bought this one the day of its release.
What it's about: (from Goodreads) She will not give up…Three
months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position.
Unable to find new work, she’s demanding compensation from the man who
got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it’s not the duke
she fears. It’s his merciless man of business—the man known as the Wolf
of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for
handling all the duke’s dirty business, and when the duke turns her case
over to him, she doesn’t stand a chance. But she can’t stop trying—not
with her entire future at stake.
He cannot give in…Hugo
Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition—a characteristic that has served
him well, elevating the coal miner’s son to the right hand man of a
duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess
by fair means or foul, it’s just another day at the office.
Unfortunately, fair means don’t work on Serena, and as he comes to know
her, he discovers that he can’t bear to use foul ones. But everything he
has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He’ll have to choose
between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love…
What worked for me (and what didn't): This novella is the prequel to Ms.
Milan's new Brothers Sinister
series, the first 2 of which I believe are due for release later this year with the third and final one in 2013. As much as
I enjoyed the Turner series, I thought this story was a bit thin. The
start felt just a little bit clumsy to me after the smooth beginnings of the other books I've read and the romance wasn't as well
developed as I would have liked. I agree with comments I've read about
the place that this could easily have become a full length novel and I
think I would have enjoyed it much better had that been the case. After the first chapter or so, however, either I settled into the story or it improved and it was certainly an enjoyable read.
