Review of The Baron's Governess Bride by Deborah Hale

Title/Author: The Baron's Governess Bride by Deborah Hale
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin Love Inspired Historical
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Plain, Prim...Perfect! Lord Steadwell's three motherless daughters were heartbroken when their last governess ran off to elope. In her dowdy cap and spectacles, Grace Ellerby seems an ideal replacement - a nurturing, intelligent woman uninterested in marriage. No wonder Rupert doesn't recognize Grace as the golden-haired vision at a masked ball, who slips away before midnight... Frightened by the unwanted attentions of previous employers, Grace resolved to hide her beauty... and her growing feelings for Rupert. One enchanted evening - and a sweet, breathtaking kiss - changes everything. For with Grace's three adorable charges playing fairy godmother, Rupert may discover his happy ending is closer than he thinks."

You guys, I was expecting a steamy read filled with lots of heartbreaking romance, and while it wasn’t all that I expected, I did get the tear-inducing tension that I wanted, so I’m VERY happy!

I’m not gonna lie, I enjoy the romance along with the passion, but what makes one stand out from the other for me are the characters and their individual voices and the chemistry they have together. And while The Baron’s Governess Bride was completely void of any physical intimacies, it was SO good!

Seriously, these two don’t even kiss till the very last page and it’s not one of those kisses that I expect from my historical romance novels, but a very chaste one. But you guys, The Baron’s Governess Bride reminded me of the romance that can be found in novels by Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë and all of those classics! It’s got all the chemistry and the getting to know one another without the smooching added in, so it’s perfect if that’s not your cup of tea and for the younger crowd to read! It was just an incredibly sweet story of two people who were kinda perfect for each other!

I do have to add that I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at Grace ‘disguising’ her beauty and everyone just going oh well, she’s plain. Because she wore a hideous dress, spectacles and covered her hair with something ugly. I mean, really? REALLY? I was glad Rupert in the end knew himself well enough that he’d probably been fooling himself and not looking hard enough to recognize that she was in fact a pretty woman. Goes to show how far first impressions go!

I loved Rupert’s three daughters! They were all very much their own person and though not all were equally endearing from the start, I came to care for them very much! I loved that Rupert was such a good father to them and that Grace genuinely cared for them! I thought it was really sweet that their affection grew from their mutual love for those three girls.

But mostly, I just really enjoyed how they grew towards each other, there’s zero insta-love and just them getting to know each other and falling in love in a way that seems believable and natural. The way to were both agonizing over the other not returning their feelings brought tears to my eyes and it stayed that way for most of the last 50 pages of The Baron’s Governess Bride. I just ate it all up! Though I would have liked to see that kiss that left them breathless that I was promised in the summary...

I enjoyed this clean historical romance so much more than I’d expected to! I love it when I get surprised by a book like this and I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to spend an afternoon with a true gentleman and a sweet lovestory!

My rating: 4,5 stars