The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

Title: The Governess Game
Author: Tessa Dare
Narrator: Mary Jane Wells
Series: #2 in the Girl Meets Duke series
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HarperAudio (August 28, 2018 )
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart . . . without risking her own.

The infamous rake

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling . . . and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

My Thoughts: After a couple days I still am having trouble putting all my thoughts into words...well better words than Wow and Amazing anyway.

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Else: I love witty banter and humorous dialogue and Tessa Dare mastered that in this book. The interactions between Chase and Alex are funny and I loved every minute of them but what stole the show was the many different ways the youngest ward, Daisy, came up with for her doll, Millicent, to die. Once Millicent succumbed to dysentery, or consumption, or a bowel obstruction, or a dozen other things Daisy and her sister insist Chase participate in the funeral for the deceased with Chase presenting the eulogy. At which point I was so sad I opted to listen to this book on audio instead of e-book because I would have been highlighting the crap out of some really great moments.

The super sexy parts were quite steamy and I did enjoy them even though Alex's thoughts on sex without the sanctity of marriage is very forward thinking. I kind of thought they were a bit too modern but not enough for me to enjoy this book any less.

The character of Chase was a bit over the top because he is 4th in line for Dukedom and through one tragedy after another puts him as the number one heir rather than a distant spare. He never thought he'd be a Duke so his attitude was that of the "Spare". Drinking. Gambling. Womanizing. He does it all with a grin and a lackadaisical attitude. You'd think he wouldn't be likable but he is. He truly is.

I listened to the audio version of this book and Mary Jane Wells is a new to me reader. I felt she did a pretty good job but I did have to slow my normal speed down because I found with the British accent her voice didn't really chipmunk out but I had a hard time understanding all the words. I slowed it down from 1.8X's to 1.4X's. I felt this was a good speed for her voice. I do have the first book in this series waiting for me from the library on audio and I'm looking forward to getting to it. Yes I "read" this series out of order.

In a Nutshell: I am such a fan of this author and can't wait to read more in this series. Reading out of order was not a deterrent so if you can't get the first one but have this one just jump in! It'll be fine. I promise.