by Lex Croucher
First published 2024
Emily Laurence has never taught children, but she desperately needs the governess position at Fairmont House. Her sister Amy was supposed to take the job, but Amy is sick and needs medical care their family cannot afford. Emily decides to impersonate a qualified teacher, planning to earn wages and steal valuables before anyone discovers her deception. She arrives determined to stay detached from the Edwards family's problems. Her charges prove difficult to ignore: Grace talks constantly and feels everything deeply, while sixteen-year-old Aster combines sharp wit with an intimidating presence. The household staff treat each other like family, drawing Emily into their warmth despite her resistance. Captain Edwards, her brooding employer, complicates matters further, especially when Emily catches glimpses of him without his shirt. As weeks pass, Fairmont House begins breaking down Emily's carefully constructed lies. She finds herself caring about people she swore to avoid, but her growing attachments threaten to expose the truth about who she really is.
Genres: historical-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Fairmont House
Period: 19th-century
336 pages · Paperback · Griffin