BOOK REVIEW: All About Genevieve by Shana Galen

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the newly released All About Genevieve, the third book in the Misfortune’s Favorites Series by Shana Galen. This Regency Romance series follow three lords, the closest of friends, as they find their true loves. (Book One is The King and Vi and Book Two is My Fair Katie.) The storyline unfolds best if the books are read in order.

Three men, the Marquess of Kingston (King), the Duke of Carlisle (Henry), and Emory Lumley, the Duke of Tralee (Rory), were all neglected and abused as children. Strong-willed and angry, they were sent to a boys’ school in Scotland to have their spirits broken. Instead, they continued to raise hell and rebel against mistreatment. One stormy night, they conspired to steal a keg of whiskey from two impoverished sisters who lived near their school. The theft went awry, and they ended up cursed by the elder sister–a very real witch. The curse stated they would lose what they loved most on their thirtieth birthdays.

By the time they reach thirty, they have mostly forgotten about the witch and the curse, until it comes true.

In Rory’s case, a carriage accident claims the life of his wife and infant son on his thirtieth birthday. Grieving and full of guilt, he spends the next several months on the continent, carousing with undesirable fellows. When he finally returns home, he is confronted with the fact that he has a seven-year-old daughter, Frances, whom he barely knows. (He and his wife were estranged, so he never spent any time with the girl.) Frances acts out (in the same way Rory used to) to such a degree that he decides at once to hire a governess who can control her. 

Genevieve Brooking has been a governess for many years (though she is still a young woman.) She presents herself as a candidate for the job and proves so competent she is hired on the spot. Genevieve can handle any crisis having to do with children. She can also handle Rory’s outbursts and missteps. But she has a harder time with her own reaction to Rory’s extreme handsomeness and the way his heart is quickly softened by Frances.

The novel is a lovely example of the lord-falling-for-the-governess trope. The story is unique in that Frances’ viewpoint is also shown in some of the chapters. And the real twist is the witch’s curse. Rory and his friends have been promised a chance to reverse the curse, but to do so, they must return to where it all began to confront the witch.

After following the series, I was looking forward to the reunion of these three men and seeing how/if the curse would be lifted. The stories walk a fine line between credible and infused with the supernatural, but it’s a Romance. Go ahead and suspend disbelief. The novels are fun!