#jennnifer ashley

[triviareads]

Recs with The Sound Of Music vibe?

first and foremost Rules for a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley: The hero Sinclair McBride aka The Scots Machine (to his coworkers) aka BASHER McBride (on the streets) is a widower and Bertie (Roberta) is a pickpocket low level criminal type. Bertie and Sinclair meet when she tries to steal his pocketwatch but he catches her and she ends up stealing a kiss instead. Then she's like, highkey stalking him because she's FASCINATED and accidentally ends up as his children's governess. She definitely gives them an unorthodox education like Maria and on the side she's super jealous of the widow who's trying to get with Sinclair and fully cockblocks them, and there's some erotic finger sucking (!!) afterwards.

Also, Sinclair's "Excuse me little brothers. I'm going to dance with my governess" has the EXACT same energy as Captain von Trapp tapping on Maria's shoulder while she's trying to dance with Kurt and saying "Do allow me, will you?" before sweeping her off. I hate to use the term but I literally can't think of anything other than BDE to describe it.

Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt: Another street rat (sorry Alf), Alf is the infamous vigilante Ghost of St. Giles who also disguises herself as a boy. Like Bertie and Sinclair, her and Hugh's first meeting occurs on the streets under dangerous circumstances AND Alf steals a kiss after saving his life. Alf also becomes a favorite of Hugh's sons (while she's still in disguise) and from what I remember she kinda teaches them The Way of the streets a la Jack Dodger from Lorraine Heath's Between the Devil and Desire. I also really love how Hugh assures Alf that she doesn't need to go at life alone and that it's alright to tap into her feminity after so many years of living as a boy out of safety concerns since she lives on the streets.

Midnight Angel by Lisa Kleypas: Another governess/older widower romance; Luke isn't cold, per say, but he's closed off his heart and considers his late wife his great and only love. Tasia is a Russian aristocrat in hiding by pretending to be a governess, and Luke is super suspicious of her origins (as he should be) as she bonds with his 12 year old daughter. Their first kiss is during a (village) dance, and there's also a Baroness von Schraeder-esque figure.

This also gives us the age gap I've always wondered about when it comes to Maria/Captain von Trapp because Tasia lies and says she's 22 (which Luke immediately clocked as a lie but didn't press her on it) but it turns out she's 18 and he's 34.

M is for Marquess by Grace Callaway: Gabriel a widower with a child, and outwardly cool and very proper though it's later revealed he feels it's out of necessity because the men in his family apparently are *anims* and he wanted more than his first wife was willing to give sexually and romantically, which added another layer of guilt. Thea isn't a governess but she does bond with his asthmatic son (she has similar health issues) and she helps him open up more. There's some light M/s stuff.