Publisher: Self Published
“…you and I both know I could pull off Miranda Priestly just fine.”
That just about sums up the character of Magdalene Nox. From the mouth of Magdalene Nox.
Sam Threadneedle, is a do-good math teacher at Three Dragons, a private all girls school. She is very much rooted in the everyday operations by being the unofficial assistant to the current headmistress. Until one day, the Board of Trustees decide to shake things up to save the establishment from closing down. They bring in the most ruthless reformer of private schools in the US, Magdalene Nox.
The Nox Method is to cut everything and disregard all tradition that has made Three Dragons what it is today. And Sam is immensely opposed to all changes the replacement headmistress proposes. Tempers fly, frustration is had, and chemistry is in abundance.
The best part of this book is the pining and angst of wanting something that shouldn’t be. The conflict of being attracted to someone you are completely at odds with.
What I really appreciated about this book was that it was not just pure romance. There were sub plots that kept me wondering why that happened, who is doing that, and what does that have to do with anything? A bit of mystery and suspense that made me never want to put the book down.
I loved Milena McKay’s previous book ‘The Delicate Things We Make.’ It was so good that I worried she would not be able to back it up with something equally satisfying. That ended up being completely unnecessary as ‘The Headmistress’ shines all on its own. McKay’s writing is so eloquent that I was barely even bothered by her frequent use of ‘lover.’ It even sounded like an appropriate term in the context of this story!
I recommend this to those who enjoy romance, ice queens, private schools, chemistry, mystery, suspense, conflicts of interest, traitor cats, water falls, electricity, fire, and hotel encounters.