Tuesday, February 26, 2019

"Ladies of Intrigue" by Michelle Griep Blog Tour (Review) & GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Title: Ladies of Intrigue
Author: Michelle Griep
Genre: Christian Historical
Release date: February 2019
Publisher: Barbour

3 Page-Turners Under One Cover from Reader Favorite Michelle Griep!
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.

Click here to purchase your copy!

My Review

“Ladies of Intrigue: 3 Tales of 19th-Century Romance with a Dash of Mystery” by Michelle Griep has been a much anticipated read for me as I love Ms. Grieps’ books! This particular book is a collection of three of her novellas. Each novella can be read as a standalone, but you might as well read them all since each one is amazing!

The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady

Fans of “Poldark” will swoon over this novella that takes place on the Cornish Coast and deals with smuggling. I love the main character, Helen, and her spunk. She may seem like a fragile governess, but she quickly shows that she has another side to her personality. I appreciate the moral dilemma that Isaac (our hero) runs into concerning smuggling. Both characters learn about trusting in God’s provisions. Isaac needs to try to not enact his own justice but to leave it to God. Helen learns about surrendering instead of just pretending. This was my favorite of the novellas because I love the setting and time period.

The Doctor’s Woman

I like the hate-to-love story between the two main characters (Emmy and James) in this novella. Ms. Griep does a great job with the setting and time period (Dakota territory, 1862). Emmy and James both let emotion get the better of them at times and run ahead to help, instead of waiting for God to lead. This often leads to dangerous situations. The characters learn to believe that God is in control.

A House of Secrets

I really enjoyed the cute romance in this story. It also has a nice message that the only good opinion we need is God’s and that we are loved by Him.

Content: Overall, I give this collection a PG rating. Some examples of the content are: Mention of people cursing, but the word isn’t actually written; mention of ale and drunkards; the word “Sheol” is used; men sing bawdy drinking songs; the words “hell” and “devil” are used; some medical descriptions of blood and gore; Native Americans are referred to as “Injuns;” mention of harlots and brothels (in the 3rd novella).

Rating: I give this book 4 stars!

Genre: Christian fiction; Historical; Novellas; Romance

I want to thank Celebrate Lit, Michelle Griep and Barbour Books 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 has been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). Keep up with her adventures at her blog “Writer off the Leash” or visit michellegriep.com.

Guest post from Michelle

3 Reasons to Read Historical Fiction

Guest post by Michelle Griep

Believe it or not, some readers snub historical fiction, preferring instead to stick to contemporary reads. Several have good reason to, simply preferring one genre over another. But others have never given historical fiction a try. If you fall into that camp, here are some reasons you should consider reading a tale from the past.

Historical fiction books are not as boring as your high school history class.

Does the thought of endless names and dates make you break out into hives? Good news! Historical fiction is a painless way to glean some historic facts without mindless memorization. You can experience a different era and culture vicariously through heroes and heroines that live on the pages of yesteryear.

Makes for great conversation.

In a world that prides itself on keeping up with the Kardashians, dare to add a little cultural zest to your next dinner conversation. Reading historical fiction arms you with interesting tidbits of things that’ve happened in years gone by.

Because truth is timeless.

Some people yearn to go back to a simpler time. The truth is, though, that the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the historic side of the fence. People have had tough issues to deal with no matter the era. . .but therein lies a great reason to read historical fiction: truth is timeless. Be it ancient, biblical, medieval, Victorian, or anything in between, truth never changes.

In my new release, Ladies of Intrigue, you’ll experience all these things and more. Find out about the smuggling trade in Cornwall in The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady. Learn about the rough and dangerous life on a military fort during the 1860’s in The Doctor’s Woman. Find out why the gilded age wasn’t as glittery as we often think in A House of Secrets.

Don’t be doomed to repeat history. Grab a cup of tea and master it with a great read!