Captain Philip Dacre believes in total order and discipline and knows that everyone on his ship will listen to and obey his every word. He hasn’t been home for several years and has trusted his sister, as well as a series of tutors and governesses to take care of his children. He’s due a few month’s leave and the latest letter from his sister suggests that things are getting pretty dire with his offspring.
Ben Sedgwick enjoys his life as a quiet country vicar. He’s engaged to be married to Alice, his best friend since childhood, but she keeps postponing the wedding because she’s suffering from a mysterious wasting disease, which makes her very easily tired and makes it difficult for her to walk. She wants to be a good wife to him, not just be married out of pity. At the moment, Ben’s biggest worry is all the unhappy parishioners complaining about the out-of-control Dacre children. Their latest tutor fled, and their terrible reputation has spread far and wide, making it impossible to hire anyone else.
Ben’s future father-in-law, an influential lawyer who helped him get the parish living, tasks Ben with helping out until Captain Dacre can return and take them in hand. Having grown up with an artist father who had two wives and was far more concerned with his career and his wealthy patrons than his many children, Ben had to be responsible and spent a lot of his life raising his younger brothers. Consequently, he has more experience with spirited children than many single gentlemen.
Naturally, when sunny and optimistic Ben Sedwick meets the strict and emotionally withdrawn Captain Dacre, there are some personality clashes. However, the attraction between them is undeniable and the more time they spend together, trying to get the Dacre children to trust in their father, so they can be persuaded to behave a bit less recklessly, the more obvious their feelings for one another become.
Full review here.