Review: The Governess Gambit (The Wild Wynchesters #0.5) by Erica Ridley

         

Print Length: 156 pages

Publisher: Webmotion (December 18, 2020)

From Goodreads.com: Years ago, Chloe Wynchester and five other uniquely talented orphans were adopted by a wealthy baron with a secret mission: The motley Wynchester family fights for justice from the margins of high society. And the handsome, clever duke Chloe has long admired proves to be her worst enemy…

An unscrupulous boarding school is exploiting orphans in a secret workhouse. Baron Vanderbean plots a daring rescue. When illness befalls him, Chloe must take the reins. But how can a lifelong wallflower lead the charge to save the children?

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

To be honest, had I read this one before I read The Duke Heist as it is intended, I likely would not have gone on to read any of this series. 

Although this is a prequel, I never really felt invested in any of the (almost too numerous to keep track of) cast of characters or their unique abilities. I definitely didn't feel any sort of spark or connection between Chloe and the Duke who are the main couple in the first novel. The fact that he was unpardonably rude to her and her entire family makes me wonder why anyone would choose to continue on. 

To be honest, I wish we had seen more of Bean. Why did he decide to adopt so many children? How did he nurture their gifts and abilities when they were younger? It is obvious how much he meant to the others, but I feel like we got next to nothing in terms of who he was and what made him tick. Obviously, he was into doing good works for the less fortunate, but why did he decide to involve his children in some of his schemes knowing what might happen to them if they were caught. 

Despite the flaws this book had, it was still an interesting read watching Chloe and her siblings find a way to outsmart and outwit Miss Spranklin. I think for me, it would have been more enjoyable if there was a better balance between the scenes taking place at the orphanage and the ones taking place at home (especially in their war/plotting room). I also would have liked to see the Duke begin to redeem himself instead of finishing this story thinking he was the worst sort of man. 

I think this is a one-off from this author as I have read and enjoyed many of her other stories, so I would definitely read more from them in the future. 

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                                The Governess Gambit  is available from Amazon.com