Book Review: The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

About the book:

Olivia Keene is fleeing her own secret. She never intended to overhear his.

But now that she has, what is Lord Bradley to do with her? He cannot let her go, for were the truth to get out, he would lose everything--his reputation, his inheritance, his very home.

He gives Miss Keene little choice but to accept a post at Brightwell Court, where he can make certain she does not spread what she heard. Keeping an eye on the young woman as she cares for the children, he finds himself drawn to her, even as he struggles against the growing attraction. The clever Miss Keene is definitely hiding something.

Moving, mysterious and romantic, The Silent Governess takes readers inside the intriguing life of a nineteenth-century governess in an English manor house where all is not as it appears.

My thoughts:

Having never read Jane Austen, and not knowing anything about governesses beyond watching The Sound of Music, The Silent Governess was both thrilling and captivating, and definitely hard to put down. It was also my first experience with Regency Romance. Needless to say, I've found a new addiction.

I could visualize the entire book unfolding like a movie in my mind. Each scene was written with such breathtaking detail, and made me want to take my next vacation in England. Not only was the scenery described wonderfully, but I felt like I could smell the countryside after it rained, as well as all the delectable goodies that came from Mrs. Moore's kitchen.

In general, it wasn't hard to be swept into the story, but with characters like Edward and Olivia, I'd be amazed to find someone that didn't like the story. Edward's just discovered a secret into his family's past that affects him greatly, and what's worse is Olivia overhears it. She is then offered a position of employment at his estate, and is instructed not to speak to anyone there except for him. Personally, not being able to speak would be enough to drive me crazy, but Olivia looks for other ways to communicate. With this one hurdle that Olivia has to overcome, I thought the author did an excellent job of describing how Olivia used other methods to communicate. Writing something down on a pad of paper may take longer for a person that can't speak, but conveying that through a story in just the right way definitely takes talent.

Even though Edward and Olivia were the two main characters of the story, I couldn't help but be caught up with some of the other characters' stories that eventually wove themselves in with the main story. Croome is portrayed as a woolly-booger of a man, but inside, has a soft heart, and Olivia's mother, Dorothea, is surrounded by a cloud of mystery because no one seems to know if she is dead or alive.

With all that said, I feel that I am falling far short of really telling how much I enjoyed this book. When I turned the final page, I was literally speechless. I can't believe I haven't read Ms. Klassen's other two books--surely they're both as incredible as this one! Now, please excuse me while I go pick up one of those to read next....