Dee S. Knight
Somebody likes it hot.
I'm somebody!
Somebody likes it hot.
I'm somebody!
The Good Man Series, Book 1
Daniel Goodman is a man on a mission. For years he has striven for perfection, fighting for the pinnacle achievement in his world of academia, Headmaster of Westover Academy. Westover, established before the American Revolution, is still one of the most prestigious schools in the country. They accept only boys whose parents fit a certain mold and only those teachers who hold to a stringent set of mores, on and off campus. Jonah considers his brother a prig. Daniel sees himself as doing his best to serve his students. How much better can he serve them as headmaster? That is what he seeks to find out.
Suddenly, into his cut and dried, strictly black and white life of moral and upright behavior, comes Eve Star, formerly one of Europe's foremost exotic dancers. Her life is anything but cut and dried, black and white. Bad enough that she's enrolled her son in Westover Academy under false pretenses. More, she runs the town's most disreputable bar. Worst, much to Daniel's dismay, he finds himself drawn to her like a kid to chocolate. Nothing good can come of this attraction. Or can it? He is after all, a good man.
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"In Only a Good Man Will Do, Dee S. Knight sets up a serious yet believable conflict that acts to keep her protagonists apart, even when their minds, hearts and bodies draw them together. Ms. Knight does a fantastic job conveying the irresistible nature of true love. … Anyone who reads my reviews will have noticed that I’m quite difficult to please when it comes to the romance genre. Only a Good Man Will Do is as close to a perfect romance as I can imagine. The hero and heroine have plausible pasts that condition their present actions and reactions. Their mutual attraction is incendiary – the love scenes in this novel definitely merit five flames – but at the same time, much as they might try to deny it, their connection goes far deeper than mere physical compatibility. … Meanwhile, the happy ending really is, with a capital “H”. … That’s a feeling we can all use, isn’t it? Especially these days."
Lisabet Sarai
5 Stars
"Emotions run sky-high in the first book of The Good Man series, where a very proper man meets a woman who hides many secrets about her past. I have always enjoyed stories written by the talented Dee S. Knight, as she has a knack for making her characters particularly believable while they face some difficult challenges in their lives. There are definitely some trying moments in this story, where a decision could lead to a blissful future or years of wondering about the what-ifs. The convincing developments all through ONLY A GOOD MAN WILL DO convinced me that the characters really must exist.
As a teacher at Westover Academy, a top school for boys, Daniel Goodman always sets a good example for how the students should conduct themselves. His own actions when a child were unusually somber and seldom lighthearted, and he is happy acting the same way as an adult. Since he aspires to be the school’s headmaster, keeping his life free of scandal and always following the guidelines is a must. But when Daniel becomes entangled with Eve Star, a woman whose son is a student, he has to weigh the risks when several facts about her are revealed.
There are so many likable characters in ONLY A GOOD MAN WILL DO, and their appeal is based on a wide variety of personalities. The students at the school are often adorably entertaining, while one of Daniel’s brothers has a charming nature. There is another sibling in this set of triplets yet to be met, but he sounds like a unique person. As for Daniel, he is way too serious most of the time, but upon interacting with Eve, his life is thrown into chaos. He is totally confused by his response to a woman the complete opposite of him, and I so enjoyed seeing him work out what path he should accept when it comes to her. Eve is a wonderful mother to a delightful young boy, and she always puts his needs before hers. My respect for her only grew after some of the choices that she was forced to make.
The passion between Eve and Daniel is often off-the-charts, yet there are still genuine emotions behind their reactions to one another. While they do explore lots of fantasies, they are also forming a surprisingly close connection. I could not stop smiling during some of their more candid scenes, as they were having fun along with expressing their sincere feelings in various ways. This is a notable start to the series, and I am very eager to see what takes place when the next brother tells his personal story." -- Amelia, AlwaysReviewing.com
5 Stars
"The prestigious Westover Academy with its old-world traditions is Daniel Goodman’s world. A senior English teacher with a reputation beyond reproach and the coveted position of headmaster all but his - until two people turn his stuffy academic world upside down. Jonas, his triplet brother arrives with the news their parents will marry after 37 years together, and worse, in front of the local media. No one within the Academy’s hallowed halls knows Daniel’s mother was a stripper while his father did jail time for fraud. Then Eve Star, manager of a low-class tavern calls him with an emergency. She is walking a tightrope of lies to keep her son at the school, but this emergency demands Daniel’s complete discretion. His comfort zone is shaken again by his intense attraction for this beautiful woman, and its mutual. Their need for each other is electric, their sex intense, but being seen with an unmarried mother who’s broken Academy rules would end his career. Nor does Eve want anything from him, she’s been too badly burned to trust again. Yet they meet again and again in secret, ignoring the growing love until Eve’s unhappy past catches up. I wanted to slap sense into Daniel, but thankfully life changing events did just that. I loved this book. Dee S. Knight captures Daniel’s and Eve’s emotions from uncertainty to primal lust to love so well, and I believe we will meet them again when she introduces Daniel’s brothers and their free-spirited parents in the second and third books of her Good Man Series. After reading Only A Good Man Will Do, I can’t wait." -- Jan S., author of The Proposition
5 Stars
"This story is so well written, it sucked me right in and didn't let go. The characters are very appealing. I really felt for the brave heroine as she struggles to do what's best for her son. As for the hero... Well let's just say I will never look at schoolteachers in quite the same way again! The love scenes are so well crafted, and really show the bond between the characters, not just in the physical sense but the emotional as well. The story never flags, powered by the hot, beating heart of their relationship. A great read to warm you up this autumn!
This story … sucked me right in and didn't let go. I really felt for the brave heroine [and] … as for the hero ... let's just say I will never look at schoolteachers in quite the same way again! The love scenes … really show the bond between the characters, not just in the physical sense but the emotional as well. The story never flags, powered by the hot, beating heart of their relationship. A great read to warm you up this autumn!" -- Markie Mark
5 Stars
"An incredibly well-written story!
This is one of those books that just flowed. I honestly wasn't sure if I would like it when I first started reading, but I was steadily pulled through the book like a building crescendo and then BAM! Daniel's big realization about Eve hit and everything changed from there and it was SO awesome!
Daniel certainly had a tough decision to make, follow his head or follow his heart, and I enjoyed reading how he rationalized and hashed out what the next step in his life should be. He had plenty of doubt, and I felt that made him a realistic character.
I admired Eve's dedication to her son. She was willing to do whatever it took to make sure he was taken care of, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness. She fully accepted that, and Dee did an excellent job writing Eve's emotions as she prepared herself to make a life-changing decision. (No spoilers!!!)
I haven't read Dee's books before, but holy smokes is there some heat in here! Given that the setting is primarily in a boarding school, I wasn't expecting much in the heat department, but boy, was I wrong!
I learned of Daniel's two other brothers, and I hope they get their own stories too! I will DEFINITELY be reading them!!!" -- Lauren Seiberling, Romance Novel Giveaways
5 Stars
In "Only A Good Man Will Do," romance novelist Dee S. Knight transports the reader into the world of Westover Academy, a private boys' school in New Hampshire where Daniel Goodman is a teacher and dorm master. Described as "Volvo-driving-serious," Daniel also is a candidate for headmaster and is being pursued by Sydney Thomas, the daughter of the senior board member who will have a lot of say in who gets the job.
Daniel's friend, fellow teacher Stan Baxter, notices a woman with a young boy at Parents' Weekend. She's dubbed the "lady in red." Knight writes: "The breeze at her back molded the material to the curves of her hips and ass and fluttered the dress's full sleeves. A wide-brimmed hat hid her hair, but, based on what was visible, Daniel easily imagined a long column of neck designed for kissing."
There's a problem, though. As a student's mother, she's off-limits. ... Responding to an emergency involving a drunk student, Daniel meets the woman and discovers she's a former stripper, Eve Star, who is managing a tavern that is off-limits to students. She also has enrolled her six-year-old son, Timothy, under a false name and address; and lied about being a widow. She likes Daniel. "Just like his name, he was a good man."
Knight expertly sets up the conflict. ... Knight's "Only a Good Man Will Do" is a sexy read with a strong plot and characters. I can't wait for the sequel -- Jordan James, author of The Law of Attraction
Daniel walked into the parlor of the headmaster’s house Saturday afternoon seeking first the food table and second, his friend, Stan Baxter. He spotted them both near the front window.
“You’re late,” Stan said.
“Lots of people wanted to chat.” Parents’ Weekend, when teachers sat in their classrooms to meet their students’ mothers and fathers, meant mandatory tea afterwards for all professionals at the Academy. Board members and parents attended at their own discretion, and the boys—the reason the school existed and they were all there—mostly stayed out of sight and hearing.
“Fortunately for me, a good many parents now have grabbed their progeny and left campus, so I have access to the snacks unimpeded,” Daniel said, examining the finger food on display before making his selections. The challenge was always how to load his plate while appearing to take a socially acceptable portion. “Did I miss anything?”
“Only an angel.” Stan turned toward the window.. “Holy Mother! Look at that,” he muttered.
“What?” Daniel asked, fitting a cucumber sandwich beside the smoked salmon-topped cracker on his dessert plate. “Am I missing a table of fare? I swear, every year the offerings at these teas are more meager than the last.”
Stan chuckled and answered in the same low voice, “Is your stomach all you think about? I was talking about another kind of dish. One you can have fun eating in bed, if you catch my drift. And she just slipped out onto the lawn.”
“Is your libido all you think about?” Daniel bit a carrot stick in two and sighed. Only three more hours and he could order a pizza. With all of his charges gone from the dormitory for Parents’ Weekend, he had a rare, private, two-day holiday ahead of him. With the tiny plate full, he joined Stan at the large windows. “Where is this goddess?”
“There. In the red dress and hat.”
Daniel saw nothing but the shapely form of a woman walking away. Slender ankles topped three inch heels. A dress of some kind of lustrous material hit her mid-calf. The style was soft and feminine, and berry red. Not many women showed up at Westover in a color sure to make them the focus of attention. Not that most of them didn’t expect to be the focus—didn’t demand it, in fact—but they usually weren’t so obvious. The breeze at her back molded the material to the curves of her hips and ass, and fluttered the dress’s full sleeves. A wide-brimmed hat hid her hair, but based on what was visible, Daniel easily imagined a long column of neck designed for kissing.
“If the rest of her matches the back view, you’ve got reason to be drooling down the front of your gown.”
Frowning, Stan glanced down as though to make sure the drool comment was only facetious. “Can’t afford to drool on this. I had to use my tax refund to pay for the thing and show off my Master’s chevrons. I don't know how you afforded to pay for your Ph.D. paraphernalia.”
“The new degree looks sharp on you. Now, why are you mooning over a woman you see at the headmaster’s tea, when you know she’s some student’s mother and off limits?”
“She looks young enough to be a sister, so it’s not a given she’s out of bounds.”
At that moment, a young boy wearing the school uniform and a big grin ran up to the woman. She bent to catch him in her arms. When she straightened, she ruffled the boy’s hair. His expression and his wagging finger showed that he chastised her, but then he laughed and finger-combed the mussed hair back into place. She took his hand and they walked toward the circle where most of the parents parked. Looking up at the woman, the boy’s lips moved the whole while, carrying on a steady monologue.
Something in her actions captured Daniel’s attention. They were artless, performed naturally and with unabashed love. The child fairly skipped beside her and the frequent turns of her head showed she looked at him as though hanging on every word he spoke.
“How wonderful,” Daniel murmured, impressed with her total attention to the boy. “Did you see that?”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think her hips would ever stop swaying, and it’s a crime they make hemlines so long.”
Daniel laughed. “You’re such a hedonist.”
“And proud of it. But you were right. Looks like she’s a student’s mother after all. Damn the luck.”
For once, Daniel agreed with his friend. But not just because of the woman’s obvious good figure. More because she seemed to love her son and didn’t care who knew it. He normally kept his distance from flashy women, as this one appeared to be, based on her dress color, but her easy manner with the boy would be enough to make him ignore his own inclination toward the conservative. If she weren’t also a patron of the school. Assuming the gods smiled on him and he became headmaster, he and the woman would be on business terms, and nothing good ever came from mixing business with pleasure. Pleasure is what every male instinct in him screamed she would be.
