The Everton Domestic Society #1, A new series but quite a few familiar faces. The Flammel Family that was in the Forever Brides series, particularly the last one Desperate Bride (this can be read separate from that series). The eldest brother, Marcus, lost his wife in childbirth and since then let his life fall apart around him becoming more and more like his drunken father. Getting into alcohol induced rages and firing the staff to the point there are only four of them for the whole house and are there wits end trying to raise Elizabeth and keep up with the house. Phoebe Hallsmith decided that taking care of her grandmother was more important than finding a husband, much to her Mother's dismay. Living in Scotland with her Grandmother Phoebe did once get briefly engaged only to be rejected and completely humiliated. After the death of her grandmother Phoebe proceed to further embarrass her family by going to work for the Everton Domestic Society and helping families in desperate times of need. Marcus' mother, Lady Castlereagh, is tired with her son's attitude and hires the Everton Domestic Society to help her son get his house in order and his life back on track. Margaret Flammel knows Phoebe was dear friends with her deceased daughter-in-law, Emma, and that her brother is best friends with Markus and specifically requests Phoebe be the one to help. Phoebe understand the their are complications when working with someone you know personally but is determined to stick to the rules and remain professionally distant.
Within moments of her arrival at Rosefield Phoebe is already making changes, the little Elizabeth who doesn't speak is reminded she is a lady and will disappoint her mother if she doesn't act like one. She then makes Markus see the errors of his ways and reminds him that his daughter is not a bad memory of his wife. After one more bender Markus wakes up and realizes he's turned into his father and if there is one thing he never wanted to do was that and Emma would be very disappointed in him so he starts to fix things; first by getting rid of all the alcohol in the house. Phoebe starts to set the house in order while Markus works with his secretary to fix the finances.
The romance start slow between Phoebe and Markus, just friends at first but the more time they spend together the more the feelings grow. As the feelings grow they both start to feel guilty about betraying Emma, and Phoebe is determined to keep it professional and keeps saying as soon an the Nanny is settled her job is over, but things with the Nanny keep going wrong and Phoebe ends up staying longer. It doesn't help that Markus' secretary is enamoured with Phoebe and has stated they are going to court and to top it all off Phoebe's eldest brother is demanding she marry the idiot who dumped her in Scotland. It's Markus who first realizes his feeling for Phoebe and that it's okay that he fall in love again; now Phoebe just has to realize she too can give into her feelings without feeling guilt.
Overall, this was an emotional story of learning to love again. Fenichel handles the whole thing well a lot of widow/widower stories are hard to take in, they almost always make the deceased spouse horrible so that way it's easier to accept the fact that they can love someone else. In this Emma was a wonderful person and that makes it harder for both Markus and Phoebe to get over that guilt of being in love with each other. I loved how Fenichel handled that it was raw and beautiful.
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