The House at the End of the Moor - Michelle Griep

An innocent man wrongly imprisoned; not just wrongly imprisoned, but targeted and accused, in order to stall his work to improve the lives of the poor.  A beautiful opera singer, propositioned with the threat of blackmail, forced to leave her gift behind and live an anonymous life on the barren moor.  A daring escape, an injured stranger, a Constable bent on meting out justice, plots uncovered  - in all of this, what is God's plan? Where is His justice?

There was so much action, redemption, and reconciliation in this book; it was thrilling, heartbreaking, and gripping.  Yet, the dark characters and the violent evil they wrought on undeserving and unsuspecting recipients was harsh and difficult to stomach.  I understand that it highlighted their depravity and lack of understanding of God's mercy and justice, but I felt that it could have been hinted at, but left a bit more off of the page.

I give this book 4 stars; I loved so much of it, it would have easily been a 5-star read without so much violence.

You can find The House at the End of the Moor HERE.
You can find the author HERE. I will definitely be looking to read more from her!

The Noble Guardian - Michelle Griep

Abby Gilbert leaves a loveless home situation with high hopes that her planned marriage to a Lord will turn out to be a love match, even though she's only met the man once.  Along the way, she encounters Samuel Thatcher, a lawman with his own baggage and doubts, but one who takes his duties very seriously.  As the two travel long distances through dangerous situations and complications arise such as a request to deliver a small child to her aunt, they each must face whether the holes they're looking to fill can be met by a person, themselves, or whether they need to look to Someone greater.

I am not a huge fan of historical fiction, but the more I heard about this book, the less I could resist it.  I am so glad that I finally picked it up; Abby and Samuel are such compelling characters that you can't help but want their hearts to heal and for them to find their fulfillment with God.  I always love when a male character appreciates the strong points of the female character, rather than just her curves or fine features, and Abby's bravery and inner strength were what drew Samuel to her over and over again.

I give this book 4 stars.  It seems that this is part of a series, but it was definitely enjoyable as a standalone novel.  I will be looking for the first two, though, if they're as good as this one!

You can find The Noble Guardian HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

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

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.