About the Book
Name of book: 12 Days at Bleakly Manor
Author: Michelle Griep
Genre: Historical Christmas
Release Date: September 1, 2017
England, 1851: When Clara Chapman receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet feels compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of five hundred pounds.
But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, Benjamin Lane.
Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar. Brought together under mysterious circumstances, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters.
What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.
Click here to purchase your copy.
My Review
Prepare yourself to be highly entertained by this delightful book!
"12 Days at Bleakly Manor" by Michelle Griep is the first book in the
"Once Upon a Dickens Christmas" series. Ms. Griep fills her
story with danger and mystery, leaving the reader guessing as to what will
happen next!
"12 Days at Bleakly Manor" is a mix of Charles Dickens's
"Bleak House", Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None",
and pure genius. I love BBC's version of "Bleak House", so I
was excited to pick this book up. I've never read "And Then There
Were None", but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having
read the book. It was fun for me to pick up the "Bleak House"
nods throughout the story. Ms. Griep reminds me of Dickens in the way
that she shows and describes the conditions of prisons, the plight of the poor
in Victorian England and the unfair and corrupt justice system.
This story is a fast-paced read with amazing characters and a gothic,
mysterious setting. Ms. Griep employs great descriptions and word
pictures. There is a darker side to the goings-on at Bleakly Manor.
I appreciate how Ms. Griep gives the readers a helpful list and description (at
the back of the book) of the Victorian Christmas traditions that are mentioned in
the story.
If you think the people at your Christmas get-togethers are crazy,
check out this group at Bleakly Manor! Some of the characters have
very funny and weird idiosyncrasies and eccentricities, which makes the story
all the more interesting. With everything going on in the house and mystery
looming everywhere, can the characters trust that God is in control?
"12 Days at Bleakly Manor" is a novel of second chances and
choosing between revenge and forgiveness. There is a theme of trust and a
strong faith element. I very much enjoyed this book!
Content: This is a clean read. There is a scene where
a man is in prison and the conditions are described vividly, which might make
sensitive readers uncomfortable. It also mentions that a character swears,
but the word is not actually used.
Rating: I give this book 4.5 stars.
Genre: Christian historical fiction; Victorian England;
Mystery
I want to thank Michelle Griep, Shiloh Run Press and Barbour Publishing for
the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a
positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in
accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s
CFR
16, Part 255.
About the Author
Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of both Regency and Colonial historical romances but also leaped the writerly fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery
Out of the Frying Pan. Keep up with her escapades at
www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on
Facebook,
Instagram,
Twitter, or
Pinterest.
Guest Post from Michelle Griep
Go Green With Victorian Christmas Décor
Guest post by Michelle Griep
Walk in any store and you’ll be bombarded with displays of Christmas lights, gaudy ornaments, and inflatable life-size lawn characters. Commercialization at its worst. 150 years ago, that wasn’t the case. Yearning to decorate in a simpler fashion this year? Here are some ways you can bring a bit of the nineteenth century to your home this Christmas…
TREE DECORATIONS
Queen Elizabeth’s husband, the German Prince Albert, introduced the concept of a Christmas tree to Windsor castle. And you know, if it’s good enough for royalty its good enough for the common folk, right? So, the tradition spread. Generally trees were brought inside on Christmas Eve and taken down on January 6th. Trees were decorated with homemade ornaments from paper or fruits and nuts, strings of popcorn or cranberries, or hanging cookies such as gingerbread men from the branches. And remember, an authentic Victorian Christmas tree would’ve been small, like small enough to stand on a table.
GREENERY
Holly. Evergreens. Mistletoe. Most Victorians couldn’t afford store-bought decorations even were there a commercialized industry at the time (which there wasn’t). So the next best thing was to bring in some free/natural ornamentations. Greenery would’ve been perked up with berries, ribbons, dough ornaments or flowers. Pinecones were also scattered throughout the house.
WREATHS
“Writhen” is the root word where we get the word wreath from. It’s an old English word meaning “to writhe” or “to twist.” While the art of hanging wreaths goes back to Roman times, Victorians continued the tradition.
CANDLES
Candles were primarily placed in one of two spots during a Victorian Christmas. A single candle in a window was lit to show that the house was willing to provide food and shelter to travelers. Candles were also used on each and every branch of a Christmas tree, which meant a huge danger of fire. Usually a servant would stand nearby with a bucket of water just in case the thing started to burn.
DRESDENS
Dresdens are ornaments hung from the tree, from a window, or really hanging pretty much anywhere. These were handmade by cutting out shapes (usually animals or trains) and painted with metallic paint so that they looked like metal.
And that’s about it. No obnoxious Santas or reindeer inflated on the front lawn. No psycho Christmas lights strobing enough to give every passerby a seizure. Just plain and simple decor that made the home feel cozy.
And speaking of cozy, how about grabbing a blanket and a cup of hot tea and settling in for a holiday read that’s sure to put you in the Christmas spirit? My latest release is 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, a Victorian blend of Dickens and Agatha Christie.
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Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift card and a signed copy of 12 Days of Bleakly Manor!!
