That’s the situation Alex finds herself in. At least, I know I can! Sometimes, even though we know it’s absurd, we find ourselves plotting out a whole life with someone solely on the basis of a first date or even a chance encounter. What led you to write a heroine who is basically resisting the fact that she’s in a romance novel?Īs Jane Austen wrote in Pride and Prejudice, “A lady’s imagination is very rapid it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” I suspect a lot of women can relate to that quote. Something I really appreciated about Alex is that she wants to be sensible and no-nonsense all the time, but she also has a corner of her brain that is dead set on a sparkly, fairy-tale love story. We talked to Dare about writing a governess romance in the midst of the #MeToo movement, the joys of Twitter and the real-life inspiration for her latest lovable heroine. Of course, he soon finds her equally irresistible. Into this dysfunctional almost-family walks Alexandra Mountbatten, an aspiring astronomer who accepts the position of governess-and nurses a nearly uncontrollable crush on Chase. The funeral is for Millicent, his other ward Daisy’s beloved doll, who is frequently dead or dying. Readers are introduced to dashing ne’er-do-well Chase Reynaud as he is woken up by Rosamund, one of his two newly acquired wards, for a funeral that he has to officiate. (Sept.It’s clear from the first chapter of The Governess Game that author Tessa Dare’s irreverent sense of humor is in rare form. Sensuality and witty repartee fill the pages of this fast-paced story, which is made complete by the expertly developed characters and hintsĪt future installments.

Alex is an intelligent, independent heroine who is the perfect match for Chase, whose hardened heart softens as Alex reveals how much she cares for him. Even as she tries to convince him that he deserves happiness, she knows that he must marry someone of suitable rank, which excludes her.

Chase professes himself a confirmed rake who refuses to marry as self-punishment for his past actions, but Alex sees through Chase’s callous façade to the kind and generous man inside. The witty banter of the misunderstanding is the perfect prelude for their future encounters. Chase Reynaud mistakenly believes that Alex has come to apply for the position of governess to his two precocious wards, Daisy and Rosamund-and she needs a job, so she plays along. After bumping into the effortlessly charming man of her dreams in a bookstore, Alexandra Mountbatten meets him again when calling at his London home, offering to set his clocks. In Dare’s sizzling second Girl Meets Duke Regency (after The Duchess Deal), a young woman discovers that her romantic fantasies about a handsome rake are vastly different from the reality of him.

Tessa dare the governess game