This would be unforgivable as a character trait except that his motives are pure, and it’s important to note he is unfailingly kind and patient to the his half-siblings.

The issue of grief is important because without it Ward would be insufferable. Ward mourns for his own childhood and the scorn he faced for being illegitimate. They each have their own way of mourning their parents and facing a completely new way of life. The kids transcend the perils of plot-moppetry because they are fully realized characters with their own emotional lives. Eugenia was happily married for seven years and deeply grieves her husband. This book is so fun that it took me a week to consider that every single character is dealing with grief. As is inevitably the case, fun sex turns into romantic love.

He wishes to convince her to teach the children proper deportment, and he wishes to convince her to have fun sexy time with him. Ward sets out to seduce Eugenia on two fronts. However, she runs a registry of governesses, and because Ward cannot imagine that a woman of high rank would run a business, he assumes that she is a former governess herself. He wishes to protect them against scorn from the society world they will eventually inhabit by teaching them socially impeccable manners – hence the need for a very good governess.Įugenia Snowe, a widow, is not and has never been a governess. When they are orphaned, Ward takes them in. He has become the guardian of his two half-siblings, Lizzie and Otis, who were, for complicated reasons, raised with a traveling theater troupe. Still, I enjoyed it because the writing is so good and the characters so delightful.Įdward Reeve, AKA Ward, is in desperate need of a governess who can work wonders. I’m not a fan of stories that revolve around a misunderstanding. It’s an enchanting book with one major caveat – the main conflict could have been resolved in Chapter One if people just spoke clearly. Seven Minutes in Heaven is written with Eloisa James’ customary wit and charm.

Seven minutes in heaven novel