The Montmoors 1: THE GOVERNESS AND THE MASTER presents an intriguing beginning
in this serial publication about a destitute young lady who accepts a dubious
position as a governess in a remote and creepy castle. If you are new to this
kind of publication, think of it as the pilot episode of a new TV series. This
23-page first installment of The Montmoors definitely presents a story
with a lot of potential. If you are a fan of serials, I would absolutely
recommend you check it out.
The story opens with Catherine Roth, who
suffers from multiple heartbreaks in her life, is at turning point in her life.
Not only has her father passed away, but his debts have left her without any
money. She has no family to protect her or provide for her, and so she does what
many young ladies in her position at that time did – she seeks a position as a
governess.
Despite her best friend's warnings, Miss Roth accepts a
position in the household of Lord Andrew Montmoor, a man whose family and estate
are steeped in mystery, to tutor Lord Montmoor's sickly nephew, Cullen. From the
moment she sets eyes on her new residence, she begins to doubt the wisdom of her
decision. The castle is isolated, and she knows nobody who works in the castle
or lives near it. The servants are few and inhospitable, and Catherine is given
a bedroom a few doors down from Lord Montmoor's room.
Lord Montmoor is
creepy, even by modern standards. He provides his sister's clothing for
Catherine and seems to stalk her as she walks about the property. Add to all
that irregularity, Catherine is not promptly introduced to her charge. Lord
Montmoor and the housekeeper say that Cullen is too ill to meet her, but as time
passes, you begin to wonder whether the nephew even exists. Catherine certainly
isn't performing her duties as a governess, and she begins to wonder (as did I)
what exactly she's doing there.
The description of Lord Montmoor's
actions and the property are well done. I definitely felt a sense of foreboding
- that creeping feeling up my neck that I get when I watch horror films. It made
me want to tell Catherine to get out of there as fast as her little feet could
carry her. I'm still shaking my head wondering what she is thinking staying
there.
This being the first installment of the series, the book merely
introduces the characters and the mysterious setting of the story; there is very
little character development or development of a romance. As for the characters,
Catherine seems to be a little flighty and illogical. Aside from putting herself
in this precarious living situation, Catherine accepts the sister's clothing
with a bit too much ease for that time period, and her decision to wear an
expensive silk gown to the beach is completely illogical considering that any of
her old gowns wouldn't be ruined in the sand and surf. Perhaps she is just
selfish and inconsiderate and doesn't care whether she ruins the expensive new
gowns she's been given. I will just have to read the next installment of the
series to find out whether she is really this way, or whether we should forgive
her thoughtlessness while she tries to get her bearings in this new reality of
her life.
As far as historical integrity goes, I was not distracted by
modern colloquialisms, but there was one glaring error that I would like to see
addressed in future installments or re-released versions of this one: Catherine
would not be referred to as "Ms." She would be a Miss. The title "Ms." did not
come into use until the mid-1900's, and it was introduced in the U.S.A., not
England.
Other than that, though, there were very few grammatical issues
to distract from the scary castle and its inhabitants. I look forward to reading
the next installment of the series, and can't wait to get answers to my myriad
of questions: What is the truth behind the mystery surrounding the house? What
really happened to Lord Montmoor's sister? What role does Cullen play? Why does
Lord Montmoor not mix in society? Does Lord Montmoor win Catherine?
This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews:
http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=6529
