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Review
4 stars
This was such a great read. It sucked me right in, and I was once again amazed by Tiffany Reisz – this time at how much she was able to put into only 125 short pages. She manages to give us a great story with wonderfully fleshed-out characters and a smart, banter-filled and passionate romance, all with a dark, gothic feel that creates a fantastic atmosphere to the whole story. With a bit of a mystery included, she has given us something really unique, and I really enjoyed it.
25 year old Gwen Ashby has packed up her life and is moving across the country. With everything she owns packed into her car and no real prospects other than a couch at a friend’s house, she stops at a diner halfway into her trip only and overhears a conversation about a local boys’ school that is looking for teachers. Figuring she has nothing to lose, Gwen drives to the Marshal School to apply for a position as English teacher. She’s not expecting the beautiful but haunting gothic mansion she sees on her arrival, and she’s definitely not expecting to meet the beautiful, stern, British headmaster, Edwin Yorke.
From the very beginning, this story has a whimsical feel about it. Gwen’s in a whole new world at the school, entranced by the splendour of the grounds, given accommodation in an idyllic cottage and surrounded by a group of boys that are intelligent, funny, eager to learn and loyal to each other and their headmaster.
And about that headmaster… wow. Edwin is strong, stern and authoritative, but he’s absolutely gorgeous; there’s a definite spark there and something about him that draws Gwen in. He’s gentlemanly and polite, but there’s a touch of wickedness to him, and their banter is sensational!
“This is a school of teenage boys. And a young woman as lovely as yourself might prove to be a distraction.”
Gwen’s hands tingled. Third lovely in one hour. Maybe the crush was mutual?
“So you do think I’m lovely?”
“I’ve seen worse.”
“I appreciate the miserable attempt at a compliment, Headmaster.”
“You’re most welcome, Miss Ashby.”“You’re very handsome and charming when you’re being overbearing and disdainful,” Gwen said.
Behind his glasses, Headmaster Yorke’s eyes widened in momentary surprise.
“Then I shall endeavour to be less overbearing and disdainful in the future.”
“Pity,” she said.
I love the dynamic between Gwen and Edwin. For all of Edwin’s stuffiness, Gwen is forward and teasing, and their playfulness has an edge to it as she pushes him bit by bit. It’s only a matter of time before things progress, and HOT DAMN! The stuffy Headmaster is actually a sexual god, and the passion between them is sizzling! But their intimacy extends beyond just the physical and as Edwin opens up to Gwen, they fall hard for each other.
“You’ll stay, won’t you? No matter what happens? You’ll stay here with me?
But Edwin is keeping secrets, and Gwen is encountering spooky goings on. What happened to her predecessor, and who is the mysterious woman in white? The questions pile up, and the mystery grows as Gwen tries to figure out her romantic situation, and what she should be doing with her life.
“… I shouldn’t ask you to stay. You don’t even know what you’re giving up,” he said has he stroked her hair, kissed her neck. “But please…”
This is a great little book. Tiffany Reisz’s writing is spot-on as usual – descriptive, witty, fast moving, and engaging in a way that is uniquely hers. The woman truly has a gift. I loved the characters and the world she created, and though I figured out where the story was going early on, it all unfolds really well and that ending definitely packed a punch.
A great read – 4 stars.