An Unlikely Governess

Excerpt

January 3, 2006

 

Beatrice Sinclair has been hired as the new governess for the Duke of Brechin, a precocious nine-year-old boy with underdeveloped manners and an overdeveloped opinion of himself.  Although she is certain she can eventually handle the child duke, she is not so sure about his cousin, Devlen Gordon, an independently wealthy industrialist. 

When the child's life is threatened, his older cousin takes the two of them to his home in Edinburgh.  Despite Beatrice's suspicions that Devlen may have reasons to cause the young duke harm, she finds herself charmed by him.  Beatrice only wanted a position, a way to feed herself and survive in an increasingly harsh world.  Instead, she found a terrified nine-year-old boy desperate for protection, and an enigmatic man who fascinated her. 

 

I remember reading Mary Stewart's Nine Coaches Waiting as a teenager, and thinking that the book felt wrong.  I couldn't put my finger on it, and although I adored the story, I knew that something was just "off".  It wasn't until much later that I realized what it was - I think the book should have been a historical, not set in a contemporary world. 

So, I took the plot, tweaked it in several very important ways (including the sensuality index) and the result is An Unlikely Governess. 

Be aware, however, that An Unlikely Governess has a dark side.  It's a true Gothic, and there are some twists and turns that a reader might not expect. 

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REVIEWS

USA Today Bestseller

Romantic Times

4-1/2 Stars

Top Pick

****

You can add Ranney to a list of authors that begins with the Brontë sisters, Mary Stewart and Daphne du Maurier. She enlivens the classic gothic for a modern audience. Strong, intelligent and admirable characters, a chilling backdrop, suspense and the surprises readers crave in an exceptional gothic mystery are all here. Savor the joy of this passionate tale, Kathe Robin, Romantic Times

****

It's rare to find a true Gothic romance, complete with castle, threatened governess heroine, and
brooding hero in today's market, but Ranney has given readers just that-and then some. Forced to seek employment at the dreaded Castle Crannoch, Beatrice Sinclair finds a young lord in need of protection, a fascinating but typically enigmatic cousin, and a mystery that
desperately needs solving. The author weaves it all together in a dark, sensual story that won't disappoint.  Library Journal, 11/05

****

Karen Ranney has done it again! AN UNLIKELY GOVERNESS is a story you won’t be able to put down until the very last page is turned. Startlingly gothic in its tone and ambiance, AN UNLIKELY GOVERNESS is truly a heart wrenching tale of love lost and love renewed. Despite its rather depressing beginning, the ending of a cholera epidemic, author Karen Ranney doesn’t let this deter her from telling a refreshing and lovely story. Beatrice is a truly strong and resilient heroine. In spite of the blows life has dealt her, she manages to keep an optimistic air about her, both in her day to day living, but in her dealings with Robert and Devlen. These are two characters that will steal easily into your heart and keep you on your toes throughout the story. Robert may first appear as a bit of a charming brat, but even he quickly grows during the story.

 

Beatrice is well matched with the charismatic Devlen, a man who is used to getting everything he wants in life. Beatrice’s solid morals and beliefs deter him for awhile, but even she can’t resist the love budding between the two. The dark tones of the book are interlaced with tones of hope, renewal, love and pleasure in life. Karen Ranney has penned another thrilling love story that will make you shiver during your visit to Castle Crannoch, while making you smile with happiness as Devlen and Beatrice discover love and desire in Edinburgh. Fans of historical romance won’t want to pass up this novel, it’s another solid effort from an author well deserving of all the accolades she has earned.  Romance Junkies

 

****


The main characters are fully developed and stand out as individuals with quirks and traits that distinguish them. And several minor persons grace the novel and add to the well-crafted plot. I recommend AN UNLIKELY GOVERNESS as highly entertaining on various levels; the romantic, the sensuous, the mysterious, and -- not least -- the sheer fun. Jane Bowers, Romance Reviews Today

****

Dark, moody and intriguing, AN UNLIKELY GOVERNESS captures the essence of a good Gothic romance. Ms. Ranney deftly explores the ambiguous and imperfect love between father and son, the horrific affects of warped love and the power of a new love. Fresh Fiction