Miss Alexandra Mountbatten was knocking on doors, looking for more wealthy customers who needed their clocks set. And that's how she came face to face for a second time in six months with the man of her dreams: Chase Reynaud, who is even more of a rake than she could ever have imagined. Along with being catapulted into becoming the heir to a dukedom, Chase also inherited two wards who make his life -- and that of countless governesses -- miserable. He mistakes Alexandra for the next governess, he hadn't expected anybody to call and shocks Alexandra to accept the post. And because of a little mishap as well, Alexandra doesn't have much choice for the time being. But who needs discipline the most: the guardian or the wards?

With the recent proliferation of books about governesses, I had my misgivings about reading yet another one, but given how I had enjoyed the first installment in this series, I decided to give it a try anyway. And THE GOVERNESS GAME, book two in the Girl Meets Duke series, nears the top of the governess romances, apart from two incidents that marred my full enjoyment a tad. The latter part dragged on a little too much, mostly because I didn't see the need for a bit of unpleasantness near the very end; I felt it nullified some previous wonderful gestures. I'm also wondering if I am the only one who resents insinuations of BDSM; this is a pet peeve of mine, and I will reiterate my sentiments regarding this topic every time it bothers me. On the other hand, I very much appreciated how Chase is sexually responsible, which was very nice for a change; he put his money where his mouth was, so to speak.

Chase's wards, ten-year-old Rosamunde and seven-year-old Daisy, are a riot. They are the obligatory mischief-makers, and Tessa Dare exploits every syllable to create some of the funniest moments I have read when children feature in a romance. Some hilarious moments with Chase and the girls also really make us appreciate that there is more to him than his rakishness. The dialogues are stupendous all around, even if a touch modern at times; it suited the tone of the book. There is no ick factor as to the imbalance of power in Chase and Alexandra's relationship: she was already infatuated with him before she started working for him, and he resists seducing her, even though he is so very tempted. I liked that he does really respect her, and my goodness, is he ever a true rake! Alexandra is a fabulous character, and her backstory is just splendid: she's an astronomer, she's a working woman who uses her intellect, she acts rationally, and she is part Filipina! If THE GOVERNESS GAME did not fulfill all my expectations, I had a jolly good time while reading up until the latter stages of the book, but the lovely epilogue salvaged some of the little missteps. THE GOVERNESS GAME is a quick and fun story, and I won't forget Rosamunde and Daisy's antics anytime soon!