Author: Julie Klassen
Publisher: Bethany House
Publish date: January 12
Available for purchase now
Set in the Regency period, historical fiction fans might enjoy The Maid of Fairbourne Hall's look into the stark differences between being a servant and being a Lady.
In Julie Klassen's The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, Ms. Margaret Macy flees London because she has overheard a conversation between her step father and his nephew directing to secure her by any means possible. Due to inherit in just a few months' time, Margaret is unwilling to be compromised and forced into a marriage that isn't based on love. She decides to leave London in disguise and eventually finds herself hired on as a housemaid at Fairbourne Hall, the home of a man whose marriage proposal she rudely refused a few years prior, and his brother, whom she hoped to marry instead.
As she literally fumbles through learning her job as a housemaid, she comes into contact with Nathaniel Upchurch, the man whose proposal she spurned. As she edges closer to becoming of age to claim her inheritance, focus is turned toward Fairbourne Hall in her step father's search for her. Will he give her away to get revenge for her refusal, or will he keep her secret?
The end is neatly tied up and I enjoyed the look at a servant's life. Most historical fiction books that I read focus on the rich lords and ladies and not on those who are in service to them. The Maid of Fairbourne Hall had a good pace. It didn't seem rushed, nor did it seem to drag on painfully slow. There was even a bit of sword play mixed in to the storyline. If you're a fan of Regency period romance, you may enjoy this romantic story of a woman who valued herself and her virtue enough to flee and not allow her stepfather to manipulate her into a marriage not borne of love.
Disclosure: A complimentary copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall was provided at no cost to me for the purpose of review. This blog review is not compensated and the opinions are 100% my own.
1 comment:
The romance in this book is a classic Christian romance. Which if done incorrectly, is just awful. In this case, however, it was done strangely. On the one hand it was a nice romance, but on the other a part of me doesn't know how a romance evolved from the boss and the maid. I must admit though, I liked it all the same. It's an odd romance but one that thoroughly enjoyed.
There's a touch of suspense in the mix. It's a small part of the book and not a huge part of the storyline and it was handled pretty well. All the components made sense and the timing was great. It's not a hugely difficult suspense to solve, but I don't think it ever was supposed to be. Even though I figured it out way too early I still enjoyed the twist and the thought that was put into the suspense.
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