Felicity Bennett has been hired to tutor Armand Harcourt,
Comte de Valere, whom the former vicar's daughter believes
to be a young boy. When she arrives and is met by the
Duchesse de Valere, she is incredibly nervous but is soon
put at ease. When Felicity is left alone and begins to play
the pianoforte, she is confronted by a strange a man who
howls at her. She quickly realizes that she won't be
tutoring a young boy but rather this howling man who has
lost the ability to speak. During the French Revolution, the
Comte was thrown into a Parisian prison when he was only
eleven years-old and remained there for twelve years.
Armand can't stand to be touched by anyone until Felicity.
He can't bear to hear people speak and dare not speak
himself. But he finds himself wanting to communicate with
Felicity through touch and music. Armand finds Felicity more
than pleasing and, although he has had little contact
with women, he wants her to teach him about the passion a
man and woman share. But then his past comes back to haunt
him, and soon he and Felicity are caught up in a dangerous
world of intrigue. The French spies will stop at nothing
until Armand can lead them to a buried treasure only he can
find.
To complicate matters, Felicity is being threatened and
blackmailed by her deceased father's former caretaker. To be
free of his harassment, she must give him twenty-five pounds
or marry him. Felicity had no clue that her father and this
man signed a marriage contract before he died. Because
Felicity has no where else to turn, she may have no choice
but to marry her nasty suitor.
THE MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN has a true damaged hero who learns
to live again thanks to the kindness of his teacher. Armand
has suffered greatly and longs to be free from the mental
and emotional chains surrounding him. The way he and
Felicity interact makes for wonderful reading, especially
when Armand decides he wants Felicity as his wife. My main
criticism is that I found the subplots related to the French
spies and the evil caretaker to be somewhat underdeveloped.
I've read Shana Galen's past works and I can say I enjoyed
THE MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN. Ms. Galen has created a wonderful
hero in Armand. I recommend you read THE
MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN to get to know Armand and discover how
he lays claim to Felicity, the only woman he allows not only
to touch his body, but also his heart and soul.
Twelve years in prison has stripped him of his
humanity...
Armand, Comte de Valère, has lost the ability to interact
with polite society, until his family hires him a beautiful
tutor, and he starts to come alive again.
Saving him is her only chance to escape a terrible
fate...
Felicity Bennett vows she'll do whatever it takes to help
Armand fight back the demons that have held him captive for
so long... With Felicity's help, Armand begins to heal,
until a buried secret threatens to destroy their growing
passion...