{Unlikely Duchess Review} When a Duke Loves a Governess by @OliviaDrake1

When a Duke Loves a Governess (Unlikely Duchesses, #3) by Olivia Drake
Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks on July 27, 2021
Genres: Historical, Romance
Pages: 320
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A stunning new Regency from beloved author Olivia Drake, When a Duke Loves a Governess...!
Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is, she doesn’t even know his name. What’s a woman to do to find him but enter the aristocratic world by becoming a governess?
Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who's crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation despite his misgivings that she’s too bold and beautiful–and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications.
Their blooming attraction leads them on a completely unexpected path to love that neither wants to deny. But when an old enemy threatens Guy's family, their forbidden romance goes up in flames. Can they still learn to love and trust each other as forces try to tear them apart?

I received When a Duke Loves a Governess (Unlikely Duchesses, #3) for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Born to a noble and a servant out of wedlock then forced into an orphanage when her mother died at age six, Tessa has experienced a rough life. For the last seven years, she’s slave away as a miliner’s assistant with dreams of opening her own shop one day. The only way Tessa can think of to make her dream come true is to find her noble father. All she has to go on is the family crest on a pendant her mother gave her as she lay dying. By pure chance, she hears the new Duke of Carlin is in need of a governess for his unruly daughter. Thinking that being in a noble house will help her find her sire, she quits her job and goes to apply for the governess position.

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, was never supposed to inherit. He was the fourth in line for his grandfather’s title when his wife died after giving birth to their daughter. Not believing he could take care of his infant daughter, he leaves her with his in-laws while he travels around the world discovering all kinds of plant life. Upon his return, his grandfather, uncles, cousin, and father have all died and his four-year-old daughter is a holy terror. Becoming a duke and a father at the same time is a difficult road for Guy to travel. Going through six governess’s in less than two months, Guy becomes a little desperate. When Tessa shows up and demonstrates how she will interact with his daughter, Lady Sophy, he hires her. That, my friends, is just the beginning.

Olivia Drake once again creates a world with love, laughter, danger, and intrigue. There are so many facets to this story that draw you in, there is no way you will guess what happens next. Neither Tessa or Guy need or want a relationship at the beginning, but as their spark become a flame, there is no way they can stop their feelings from overflowing. While little Sophy is what we might call a brat, there are definite reasons for her behavior. It takes Tessa working with her and showing Guy the reasons his daughter acts the way she does to find the real Sophy. You know they will make a magnificent family if only things could go their way.

This story will make you laugh and cry all while falling in love with Guy, Tessa, and Sophy. A cast of secondary characters add a little flavor to the tale. Might we see a certain Earl and companion in an upcoming novel? I don’t know, but I sure hope we do. If you need some more Olivia Drake, check out the first two novels in this series, The Duke I Once Knew and Forever My Duke.