About the Book
Can truth and love prevail when no one is as they appear?
The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady
Cornish Coast, 1815
When a prim and proper governess returns to England from abroad, she expects to comfort her dying father—not fall in love with a smuggler. Will Helen Fletcher keep Isaac Seaton’s unusual secret?
The Doctor’s Woman (A Carol Award Winner!)
Dakota Territory, 1862
Emmy Nelson, daughter of a missionary doctor, and Dr. James Clark, city doctor aspiring to teach, find themselves working side by side at Fort Snelling during the Dakota Uprising. That is when the real clash of ideals begins.
A House of Secrets
St. Paul, Minnesota, 1890
Ladies Aide Chairman, Amanda Carston resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, starting with the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house that’s secretly owned by her beau—a home that’s his only means of helping brothel girls escape from the hands of the city’s most infamous madam.
Excerpt
Excerpt taken from The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady
Directly across the table, Mr. Farris leaned forward, nearly colliding with a bowl of soup being placed in front of him by a servant. “Tell me, Miss Fletcher, as Mr. Seaton intimated you are recently arrived from Ireland, did you by chance happen to hear of the fate of the ship Nancarrow?“
She sipped a spoonful of beef bouillon, savoring the saltiness along with the thought that she might be the one to bring criminals to justice. “As a matter of fact, sir, I was aboard that very ship. Furthermore—”
Isaac Seaton’s spoon clanked against the edge of his bowl. “Excuse me, but how does your father fare, Miss Fletcher?”
Drat the man! Well did he know her father would’ve expired long ago had he not intervened with medical care. She lifted her face to the bully. “He is weak, yet lives.”
He flashed a smile, the gleam in his eye far too knowing. “I am glad of it.”
Mr. Farris shoved his bowl aside, ignoring the broth. “Were you on board for long after it harbored, Miss Fletcher?”
“Indeed.” She glanced sideways at the big man next to her. “I was there when the brigands attacked.”
“Were you? Splendid!”
Mr. Seaton’s gaze shot to hers. Was that slight dip of his head a request or a threat?
Esther motioned to a servant for the first remove. “I fail to see how such a frightening experience could be splendid, Mr. Farris.”
“Nor I.” Isaac Seaton’s deep voice filled the room. “This is hardly a conversation fit for dinner. Tell us of your own travels—”
“I shall.” Mr. Farris waved of a refill of his wine glass. “But first I must know, Miss Fletcher, what you saw, or more importantly who you saw. Would you be able to recognize any of the men should I apprehend them?”
The smuggler at her side ran his palms along his trousers, a movement only she could witness. Clearly, he waited to see if she’d hand him over as easily as the footman passed a platter to Esther.
Should she? There was no debating Isaac Seaton had broken the law and therefore ought to be held accountable. But by implicating him, was she sentencing her ailing father to destitution? Was it right to repay her benefactor with such a harsh retribution? She’d not even thanked him yet for his provision. How had something so straightforward tangled into such a snarl?
Review
I’ve enjoyed quite a few of Michelle Griep’s stories in the past, including some of her novellas, however I felt that this collection of novellas fell victim to one of my most common complaints about novellas: lack of time to develop the story to its full potential.
Of all of the novellas in this collection, the premise of the first was my favourite, set on the Cornish coast and featuring a couple who first meet when the hero raids the ship the heroine has just arrived on. It would have been a simple thing for Helen to out Isaac Seaton as the man behind the raid—if only Mr. Seaton weren’t also the man whose generosity was providing for her father in his illness and had paid her passage so she could be with her father and care for him. It was a great plot, but the romance developed too quickly and therefore lacked depth and believability, and Isaac’s internal conflict suffered a similar fate.
Although a very different plot and setting, I thought the second novella shared the same problem with the romance developing too quickly—and I say this as a reader who has read and enjoyed stories where characters form quick attachments or progress to serious commitment in a short period of time. The believability comes down to the way the relationship develops and the way the characters’ deepening regard is expressed, and to me, this story overdid the sentiment compared to the connection I could feel within the story. But again, I enjoyed the general plot and would probably have appreciated this more as a full length story.
The final novella in the trio was a little different in that the couple is already engaged at the beginning. I therefore found the romance more believable, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by the hero’s reason for keeping the secret he kept, and the overall story didn’t capture my interest the way the first novella in this collection did.
Overall, I would say this collection is more suited to those who are looking for a lightweight historical romance read with a dash of intrigue.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
About the Author
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan.
Connect with Michelle: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest
Leave a Reply