| Title | : | The Governess: a classic Victorian gothic romance |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 237 |
| Publication | : | Published October 20, 2016 |
The Governess: a classic Victorian gothic romance Reviews
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Solid 4*
I love both the mcs but the h is special.
It might be a (very) slowburn in the beginning but the charm and spirit of Camille Oster's sublime writing shines through. I love immersing in the settings she creates - of lonely women trying to eke out an life in a world /social settings brimming with loneliness and injustices.
Her hs are just so real and relatable - pragmatic and simplistically brave, never self-pitying or bowing down to adverse social pressures. -
Very Gothic
I loved it. The hero annoyed me a time or two but all in all this was a wonderful way to spend an hour. Estelle was a great heroine. She wouldn't let the hero get away with his boorish behavior. She fought back quite well actually. He taunted her about wanting him way before she even did. There is only one intimate scene and it was not graphic and very well done. Quite steamy. The boy Tommy stole the show though. He was great. Need to write a book about him one day.
The heroine travels to Hungary to take care of a young boy of 8. She gets to the castle and meets the dark hero and a tragic tale of his first wife's untimely death. And the hero is very cold and aloof. Of course the village is not welcoming and someone is warning her about the hero and his dark desires. Girls start missing from the village and it happens every time the hero has to go out for 'business'! Cue the organ music. Then she starts to think maybe he is doing it. But then he kisses her and she is all aflutter. This tale even comes with villagers attacking the castle looking for the monster! Just so wonderful! I loved it. Highly recommend. -
Creepy
It is worth a borrowing from kindle unlimited. I enjoyed it mostly but there were slow boring places that seemed to go on forever. The local was so creepy and I enjoyed that also the two were likable together. I wish there was more of a spark there but it was fun read for the most part -
I really enjoyed this. It was a perfect gothic romance for a dreary winter day. It had all the elements I was looking for in a good gothic. The creepy castle, a foreboding landscape, a curious and strong heroine, a brooding hero, a plucky kid, and murder. The murderer was easy to figure out, but that didn’t detract from the story. I also really liked that it had a little steaminess. I definitely recommend this book and will be checking out more of Ms. Oster’s other novels.
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The Governess (Kindle Unlimited)
By: Canille Oster
3.5 Stars
A governess from England is dispatched to care for the son of a Count in a sprawling castle in Hungary. The premise was typical gothic romance, except it was missing the ghosts!! 😢😢 HOWEVER, it did have a murder mystery and 3 missing teenage girls, so all was not lost!
I enjoyed this one, but did find it a bit predictable. I had the mystery of the missing girls figured out too soon, with just minor details that I wasn’t sure of. I wish that part had been a little more surprising.
Overall, a quick and enjoyable read for a rainy afternoon. -
A Good Read
I enjoyed the book very much. I would have liked it if the count would have called her by her actual name more and the same with her toward the count. I couldn't even remember the counts actual first name until the epilogue, but still a great story -
Very Close To Very Good
(I’m not the target audience — please consider my review with that admission)
The good:
-the ‘spooky’ nature of the castle, it’s remote surroundings, the risk Estelle is taking, this really comes across well in the author’s writing.
-Estelle’s decent, sweet but curious nature and how her mind is easily swayed to over thinking/concern, fright, seeking experience.
-Thomas portrayal as a rambunctious but otherwise good natured boy.
-Description of the Count’s cold and stoic ways and looks.
The bad:
-insufficient descriptions of Estelle. When I’m reading a story I personally like to know what the main character looks like, how they’re dressed, what others think of what they see. In this novel I sensed Estelle was almost without physical description.
-Banter between Estelle and the Count mostly lacked humor and, IMHO, connection.
I like a good period piece, remote castle, elements of things to be frightened of, a main character who has to persevere against tough odds. This novel delivers that well. For me, however, it needed just a bit more pep/action with the two main characters’ banter being a bit more well received by the other.
Overall I’d give it a recommend. -
Enjoyable Gothic Romance.
This was an enjoyable read by Camille Oster. Lots of great Gothic elements including a creepy and secluded castle in Hungary, a dark, brooding Count, an intrepid heroine, hostile villagers and missing girls. I would have liked a bigger build up of suspense before the climax. The majority of the book covers very mundane activities. The romance between Konrad and Estelle really does not have a lot of time to develop and as a result it feels rushed and unauthentic. Good Gothic stories require some skill and commitment by the author in developing an overall sense of foreboding and suspense. Unfortunately, this book lacks that wonderful atmospheric quality. -
Something Missing
This is my second time reading a gothic novel and this novel was also written from the perspective of the heroine only which makes it hard to read bc I wanted to learn more about him. We don't ever find out how old he is and we find out his first name in the epilogue. The book was pleasant and I found the heroines behavior reasonable (she didn't wander into the darkness on a good and stormy night for example) which is refreshing. I thought the seduction scene was fine....their romance sort of cropped out of nowhere but that's usually the case with romance novels...I think having the Counts perspective might have helped to make the connection between them more palatable. It was pretty clear to me who the villain was early on. Thomas was adorable. -
This was a perfectly enjoyable book, but I found that I really didn't appreciate the authors writing style. It seemed childishly ignorant at times, and the main character was very naive and impressionable. Instead of the romantic relationship building up over time, it felt rushed and awkward. Conversations were a little stilted, and left me feeling like there was supposed to be more. I gave it three stars, as I did enjoy the overall story-line and the scenes it painted in my mind: a desolate, remote Hungarian fortress surrounded by a dark and brooding forest.
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I gave this book a 5 star rating not so much because it changed my life, but because it was such a perfect representation of the genre and was exactly what I wanted when I typed in the search criteria.
A young, innocent governess with a core of strength; a dark and brooding, somewhat rude master of the house; a dark and creepy mansion and a mystery of evil, all wrapped up neatly, complete with plot twist and satisfying ending. What's not to love?
Highly recommend for fans of the genre. -
Good gothic
Estele father was vicar in England upon his death she becomes a governess since she is 27 she on the shelf. She takes a post Romania for a counts . Upon her arrival the people are ride and the count is cold Then when ppl start disapearing and rumors of the countless death years before her arrival she wonder where she came to. Yet something about the count draws her eye.
Good book nice gothic mystery with a dash of romance -
Victoria Holt revisited
A wonderful story, written well with the characters so well developed you feel as if you "know" what they are going to do or say next. A perfect gothic read complete with a Count, a castle with hidden passages, and in the end? Dreams really can come true. This was a delight to read, the second novel I have read from Camille Later and certainly not the last, either! -
Definitely a slow starter for me
It took me a very long time to really get into this book. For some reason I just found it extremely slow and kind of boring. However, the last third of the novel really held my attention and I liked the way it ended. I like gothic books so I am ok with slow moving stories, but this one just seemed extra extra slow to me. I don’t regret reading it though, and I’m glad that I kept going. -
The Governess
This was a really good sort of classic gothic romance like I used to read years ago by Victoria Holt and the like. I also liked the seduction scene, which now that I’m older I appreciate and am glad they are included. Just adds that finishing touch to the completion of their love. -
Great Gothic!
This book is set in Hungary, during the winter. Estelle goes to the castle to be a governess for a young boy. The village people are a bit rude and she doesn't speak the language. Some young woman have disappeared without a trace and it looks like it could be Estelle's employer the Count. This is a must read. -
Gothic times seem so romantic, don’t they? It has been a long time since I opened a gothic romance. I loved these books 45 years ago as a middle grader to young adult. Walking through these pages was a sweet reminder of simpler times when I still believed in fairytale endings.
Does this Governess find a fairytale ending for herself? You will have to read the book to find out. -
Loved this book and I now seek this author out. The romantic tone of the book practically begs the reader to do so by a hearth with a cup of tea in a snow storm. I felt like I was the protagonist and I fell in and out of love with The Count right along with Estelle many times throughout the book.
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Somewhere it the vicinity of "it was good" and "I enjoyed it". Would have been better if the hero had better development. He was just flat for me, very one dimensional. Estella was good, maybe not as good as a vicar's daughter should have been so that was hard to believe.
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Loved the Hungarian aspect of this... true gothic novel
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The rose
This was a magical story. The count, the young boy, and the English governess came together to save each other. -
Gothic Feeling
Lovely gothic romance with a Hungarian count, a castle and villagers. It's great fun without beinf silly or ridiculous. Bravo! -
This book bored my to tears. I made it to chapter 10, I think I suffered enough. Please don't let me ever pick up another book by Camille Oster.
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The Governess
A Very interesting story...very similar to the classic stories of old...stay,with this story
Because some great surprises will befall you.
