Once upon a time…

Joanna Radcliff has always dreamed of the day when she'd become a governess and finally be part of a proper family. Except, instead of a warm welcome, she's given a frosty reception by her employers—and her charges! The only person who pays her any attention is the dashing Major Preston…

Despite their stolen conversations and tantalizing glances in the ballroom, Luke and Joanna know that their stations in life are just too different. But when this Cinderella governess's life is transformed and their roles are reversed, will they risk everything to be together?

Joanna is leaving Madame Dubois’s School for Young Ladies and going off to her first post as a governess.  She is sad to be leaving everything she’s ever known and her friends.  She was left on the doorstep of the school when she was just an infant and was raised there.  Her friends Rachel, Grace and Isabel are also off to their respective posts but they will all be very far away from each other.  Despite this Joanna is secure in her ability to be a wonderful governess to the Huntford children.

Once Joanna gets to the Huntford estate, however, she finds that the Huntford children are ridiculously spoiled and certainly not afraid to be cruel and mean to her.  She does act as chaperone to the eldest daughter, Frances, but she’s a nightmare all on her own.  She is acting as chaperone at a ball at a neighboring estate when she meets Luke.  She’s not quite sure how to tell him that she’s a governess so they have a wonderful conversation before Frances quickly puts Joanna in her place and lets Luke know that Joanna is far beneath him and should not be spoken to.

Luke has been brought home from the Army against his will.  He has worked his way up the ranks and loves what he does.  His family, however, needs him home so that he can marry and produce an heir, even though he isn’t the heir.  His older brother Edward is the heir but he and his wife haven’t been able to conceive in the 10 years they’ve been married The family fears the family name will die out if Luke doesn’t come up to snuff.  To save he’s peeved about this is a huge understatement and he wants nothing more than to go back to the army.

Once Luke meets Joanna he can’t get her out of his head.  He knows that she’s wholly inappropriate and that his family will never approve of the match as they need him to marry someone with money but he can’t keep himself away.  When Joanna learns of who her family is – Luke thinks he may have a chance but he didn’t count on Joanna’s grandfather and his hatred of Luke’s family to get in the way.

This was an entertaining story.  There weren’t any surprises in the story as the reader pretty much can guess what will happen.  Despite that it was a sweet romance.  I loved how Luke came to love Joanna despite her station in life.  He tried to turn from her a couple of times as he knew his family wouldn’t approve but he just couldn’t do it. He was a pretty stand-up guy, and loyal to his family, so going against their wishes was a pretty big thing.

Joanna had had a good life at the school.  No, she didn’t have parents and had no idea who they were but she couldn’t say that she wasn’t provided for.  When her true family comes for her she is thrilled but she’s so used to doing things that everyone else wants her to do that it’s hard to stand up for herself and what she wants.  That includes wanting Luke and believing that he wants her too.  She’s too afraid of angering her grandfather to tell him how she truly feels until a bit of sage advice from a trusted friend.  I was happy all was worked out in the end as I love my HEA’s.  No, the story didn’t hold any surprises and was predictable but it was still a good one in the end.

Rating: 3.5.out of 5