Ladies of Intrigue - Michelle Griep

Ladies of Intrigue contains three novella-length stories:
"The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady," set in 1815 in Cornwall, England;
"The Doctor's Woman," set in 1862 in Mendota, Minnesota; and
"A House of Secrets," set in 1890 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Three stories, involving three women with very different settings and backgrounds, yet they manage to fit together by their main character's pluck and dedication.  Helen, in "The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady," has come to England to care for her ailing father, with the generosity of the Seaton family enabling her to have left her job as a governess to do so.  However, she isn't sure she can trust her host, as her first experience with him has him kidnapping her off her newly arrived ship after having looted it.  "The Doctor's Woman," Emmy, is just about to travel to her aunt's home after her father, the town's doctor, has died, to return to a "civilized" life of dining and dancing.  Instead, she finds herself being called upon to use her medical experience within the nearby fort.  A temporary doctor arrives, and together, they see to the needs of the fort's occupants, and the large group of Sioux which has been led into the fort for temporary containment.  The third woman, Amanda, is happily betrothed to the city attorney, Joseph, in "A House of Secrets.  Yet, as she attempts to please her father by taking on a large charity project, she soon finds that the titular house is not the only thing hiding secrets.

I enjoyed this collection of stories more than I expected, with Helen and Isaac, perhaps, being my favorite characters.  I enjoyed the banter, and how the women in all three stores were strong, and spoke their minds, yet meshed well with the men who admired their spunk.  All three women were looking to serve, putting others' needs above their own.  The men in their lives supported and enhanced these pursuits, with encouragement and enthusiasm, rather than condescension or apathy. 

I give this book 4 stars.  It's really hard to feel invested in characters in such a short space, but I feel that this author did a service to her Ladies, and I wish only that there was more to their stories so I could read more about them!

You can find Ladies of Intrigue HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.