A governess bound by her own strict rules, a movie-star tormented by grief, a forbidden love story you won’t forget.
Hollywood, 1937
Hester Carlye has no wish to look after the pampered offspring of the rich anymore, in spite of being a highly sought-after governess. But with her elderly father frail, and the roof of their rundown cottage falling in, she has no choice but to accept a dazzling new placement.
Movie star Aidan Neil is box office gold, but after the tragic death of his wife Dinah Doyle, he needs Hester’s help to raise their young daughter Erin. Aidan and Dinah were once the perfect Hollywood couple, but stars don’t shine forever…
At Aidan’s glittering Hollywood mansion, Hester finds a family struggling with their grief. Hester knows she can help little Erin, but Aidan’s torment is palpable. Brooding and reclusive, he is far from the picture-perfect hero Hester’s seen in films. There’s an edge to him that makes Hester wonder if he’s hiding a dark secret of his own….
Was the marriage between Aidan and Dinah as perfect as it appeared to be? Was Dinah’s death really a tragic accident?
When it finally comes, the truth is more shocking than Hester could ever have imagined. And she knows that if revealed, it will destroy the family she has grown to love and ruin Aidan’s Hollywood dream forever…
Alex Weston is a debut historical fiction writer whose novels are inspired by forbidden love in 1930s Hollywood. She lives in East Yorkshire and her first book for Boldwood, The Hollywood Governess,
will be published in June 2024.
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My thoughts: Hester Carlyle is a professional governess, hired by wealthy families to care for and educate their children, but she’s had enough, after a terrible accident and a broken engagement, she’s retreated to her family home in Yorkshire to rest and recuperate.
However the roof is falling in, her father’s sick and her youngest sister’s school fees need paying. So she agrees to take another job, for a Hollywood star, a recent widower with a seven year old daughter. Going to work in a bereaved family isn’t easy, but she’s resourceful and good at her job, she’s also kind and compassionate, and it isn’t only Erin who needs her.
As she gets to know her employer, she discovers there are secrets in the past that need to be let into the light in order for everyone to heal and be able to move on with their lives. Hester may play a bigger role in things than she could ever imagine.
This is a lovely, tender read with beautifully written characters and heart.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 