Book Review: Can’t Stop The Feeling by Janet Elizabeth Henderson

The local branch of the Scottish Women’s Institute want to use Kintyre Mansion to hold their annual fundraising ball. There’s only one problem—its owner.

Duncan Stewart is a young widower, still reeling from grief two years after losing his wife, and making the town suffer while he does it. The artist doesn’t paint anymore—he’s become a bad-tempered recluse. The only person he can tolerate for any length of time is his housekeeper—whom he feels overly protective toward, in a professional sort of way…mostly. It seems his grief is coming to an end, and the only woman who interests him in the slightest is the one who’s off limits. The one who works for him. And, the one who’s very much up to something…

Donna Sinclair, the mansion’s housekeeper, is well known for her three weaknesses: being a sucker for a good sob story, an injured animal and a lost soul. And there are days when her boss is all three—and it makes him a little cranky. Which is why she hasn’t told him that she’s given the Women’s Institute permission to hold their fundraising ball at the mansion. Now all she needs to do is get him out of the building for the weekend of the party. There’s only one problem with her plan—Duncan is practically a hermit and has barely set foot out of the mansion since his wife died.

But Donna has a secret weapon on her side—her crazy sisters who would do just about anything to help her out!

**This book is 80,000 words long and can be read as a standalone story.**

CAN’T STOP THE FEELING is my first 5 Star Read of 2019 – and has pretty much everything I could have ever wanted in a romance.

Donna Siclair is the Sinclair Sibling who is the one who can’t say no to anyone; especially if it’s something that hurts her empathetic heart – case in point, she is in her current job as a housekeeper at Kyntyre Mansion only because she was there at the wrong place at the wrong time; and her inability to say no made sure she stayed in the job for lot longer than she had expected.

Duncan Stewart is practically a hermit – after losing his beloved wife, he lost interest, not only in his art (he is a famous artist!) but also in living his life. The only person who has managed to make a mark in his foggy existence is his housekeeper – he doesn’t know why, but he has felt protective of her – Donna is the only human being who has found her way to his consciousness – even though it’s been a while for him; and he doesn’t really want to, he also can’t deny the fact she is also the only woman who has sparked his interest after losing his wife – and while it might take a while for his guilt over moving on to settle; but Donna’s empathetic, quirky and awkward attitude doesn’t take long for her to endear herself to him.

When Donna becomes involved in a scheme to use Kintyre Mansion for a ball because of her inability to say no – a ball that she knows her grumpy, broody Duncan would never agree to – it starts off a chain of hilarious events that end up not only exposing her feelings but also brings Dunccan into the light.

Donna is the compassionate, awkward, empathetic woman – the perfect match to the broody, cantankerous and belligerent Duncan – their interactions not only hilarious, but also emotionally endearing, enough so that I not only fell in love with both of them, individually but also both of them together!

While this is the second book in the Sinclair Sister Series; which is a spin off from the Benson Boys Series – this is the book I would recommend you start with; especially if you want to be introduced to the author’s writing style!