Setting: London, 1840 Sensuality: 8 When Queen Victoria threatens to reveal a youthful indiscretion if her friend, Devon Mathewes, earl of Kerrich, doesn't strive for respectability, the rakish earl approaches the Academy of Governesses to hire a governess and orphan to sponsor, thus lending him an appearance of kindness and decency. Confident that she's safe from temptation since she despises rakes, Miss Pamela Lockhart disguises her youthful beauty and accepts Devon's outrageous offer of employment. But Pamela isn't prepared for the impact the handsome, blunt-spoken earl has on her heart. And Devon is fairly stunned to find himself attracted to the frumpy governess with her thick glasses and sharp moral lectures. While the two struggle with their intense attraction, serious skulduggery is afoot that involves Devon's family bank. The perpetrators may be closely tied to the Mathewes family and scandal looms large on the horizon. And while he should be concentrating on solving the threat to the bank, Pamela and her endearing orphan prove to be monumentally distracting. In the end, however, Devon may have to choose between the two, and either way, the loss will be tremendous. In this, the second installment in the Governess Brides series that began with Rules of Surrender, Christina Dodd delivers her trademark humor and sensuality in a plot that's rife with treachery and betrayal, true love, and trust. The heroine is strong and independent, a fitting match for a hero who has a faithful heart buried beneath his arrogant exterior. Dodd's deft touch with witty repartee and delightfully endearing characters is right on target with this latest Bride. Don't miss it. --Lois Faye Dyer