In My Wildest Dreams (2001)

Amazon.com Review

Beautiful 17-year-old Celeste Milford is only the gardener's daughter, but she falls madly in love with the younger brother of the very rich and powerful Garrick Throckmorton the Third. Lady Bucknell, proprietress of the Distinguished Academy of Governesses and a family friend, assesses the hopeless situation and graciously offers to enroll and train Celeste as a governess at her academy. So Celeste leaves for London and Paris, protesting loudly.

Four years later, Celeste returns to Blythe Hall a poised, well-traveled, independent woman experienced with the intrigues of politics after a stint as governess to the children of the Russian ambassador. Hired by Garrick to be governess to his motherless daughter and niece, Celeste has a not-so-hidden agenda, for she plans to charm Ellery Throckmorton away from his fiancé. Garrick has no intention of letting Celeste's plans come to fruition and sets out to monopolize her time and seduce her away from thoughts of Ellery. Much to his surprise, Celeste enchants him, fills him with lust, and destroys his famous self-control. Celeste is equally stunned to find herself drawn to Garrick--and she begins to see Ellery in a less flattering light. But Garrick doesn't believe in love, and when Celeste's appeal threatens to overwhelm him, he's determined to send her back to Paris. Before he can do so, however, he'll have to resolve the question of who's leaking information about his spy activities. Could it be Celeste? And just how does she know so much about spying, anyway?

In My Wildest Dreams is author Christina Dodd's historical homage to the classic film Sabrina. Dodd gives the story a unique twist with a heroine more sophisticated and wise than Sabrina and a hero more forceful than scheming. Readers also get witty dialogue, a colorful English setting, and very sexy love scenes in this well-written and thoroughly delightful romance. --Lois Faye Dyer

From Publishers Weekly

With this delicious, witty confection, Dodd adds another early Victorian episode to her Governess Brides series and forsakes the angst that gave her earlier Governess titles (Rules of Attraction, etc.) a bitter flavor. Widower Garrick Throckmorton is a careful man with a clear plan for the upcoming week: get his handsome, irresponsible brother, Ellery, engaged to a wealthy heiress; establish the highly accomplished new governess, Celeste, in his nursery; and uncover the mole in his spy network who is leaking English secrets to the Russians. Celeste, the most benign-seeming item on Garrick's agenda, proves to be the sharpest thorn in his side when Ellery falls for the laughing beauty. To safeguard Ellery's impending nuptials, Garrick selflessly decides to seduce Celeste, but he ends up spinning a sensuous web in which he snares himself. Spunky and self-assured, Celeste fleshes out to be a genuine romantic heroine, and Garrick's self-discovery nicely parallels her own realization that she's falling for the supposedly less handsome and more stodgy brother. Supporting characters such as Garrick's mother, an ex-spymaster herself, Celeste's dour father and Ellery's determined fianc‚e add spicy humor to this delectable mix. (Oct.)Forecast: Reminiscent of the classic movie Sabrina, this heartwarming Victorian-era treatment will please Dodd's many fans. A three-city author tour and positive word-of-mouth will help this satisfying story sell its 550,000 first printing.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.