The Innkeeper’s Daughter (2018) by Michelle Griep is a fantastic stand-alone novel, but it does reference characters from her novel Brentwood’s Ward. This story is available in all forms including eBook, and is 320 pages in length. With a full-time job and a very busy five-year old, this book took me four days to read. I received a review copy of this novel in paperback form from Barbour Publishing. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. I was under NO obligation to post a review. I give this book 5+++ STARS. This story is a Christian Historical Romance set in Dover, England in 1808.

About the Book

A London officer goes undercover to expose a plot against the Crown

Dover, England, 1808: Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue. . .until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm.

All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn’t come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse—where she’ll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother.

Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission—finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown—must come first, or they could all end up dead.

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My Thoughts

The Innkeeper’s Daughter is a wild ride. It is a fast-paced page turner that I hated to put down. It has everything a reader could want in a story: a James Bond-esque hero, a beautiful but downtrodden heroine, unique and diverse secondary characters, murder, intrigue, and romance. What more could you ask for in a book?!

Johanna, the heroine of The Innkeeper’s Daughter, is my fictional soul sister. She hates numbers. I hate numbers. She believes the lie that she has to work non-stop to fix all her past mistakes, and that she is undeserving of God’s love because of her past fails. I, too, believed this once upon a time. Seeing myself in her character made Johanna a very realistic heroine. She is tough and strong, especially in her moral code. I really like that about her. Johanna is also selfless to a fault. She will often work herself to past exhaustion in order to shoulder all of the burdens so her mother’s and ten-year old brother’s needs are met. Johanna really is an excellent heroine, and she managed to worm her way into my heart. I often wanted to hug her hard, and then find a way to shoulder some of her burdens for her…the girl really needed a break! Even in this, though, I found I could relate. There are a couple of times where Johanna is at her breaking point, and she wants help, but she doesn’t even think to trust in God. She just barrels her way through things trying to fix and do and go on her own. I have done this many times in my life. It’s not that I mean to forget about God. I just get so caught up in my life I get tunnel vision.

The absolute best part of this book for me is the hero, Alexander Moore. He is SO cool. He’s the Regency-era version of James Bond or Jason Bourne. He is smooth, smart, strong, and a keen observer. He knows when to fight and when not to, but when he does fight an opponent he does so in such a smart, efficient, and super cool manner. Let me give you a small taste:

“Well then,” the fellow lifted the barrel of his gun. “Like my friend said, be on yer way.”

[Alex] faked a hiccup, then swiped his mouth and held up his hands. “Ay now, no harm. I’m off.”

[Alex] lurched around, giving the fellow enough time to lower his guard, then swung back around with a kick to the man’s arm. Bone cracked. The gun dropped. The bullet went wild. Horses took off, and before the other fellow could draw his pistol, Alex aimed two guns at him. “Disarm. Now!”

Seriously, Alex may be one of the coolest heroes I’ve read in a while. He’s just so capable. And the best part about him — he genuinely loves God and he immediately wants to protect Johanna. These two things alone make him a #1 hero in my book. Many times throughout this story, Johanna wants to give up. And, I don’t blame her. She is so done with the cards that have been dealt her. But, Alex schools her. Time and time again, he reminds her that she needs to put her trust in God. He even admits that things may not get easier in her life, but when we go through life with God life is doable. When we let God have at our burdens, He grants us a peace that helps us get through anything. Not only is this a great reminder for Johanna, but it’s a great reminder for me.

One small note before I wrap up — the suspense in this novel is stellar. Twice things happened that I just did not see coming. At one point, I actually gasped loud enough to make my husband ask if I was ok. It’s been a long time since a story has made me gasp out loud in shock. Also, there are two characters — Mr. Quail and Mr. Nutbrown — who I just could not figure out. I was all over the place with my suppositions, and I was wrong most of the time. It was so refreshing to read a book that kept me guessing and kept me on my toes. I think I love the book the most for this reason. I very much interacted with this book and its characters, and I love, love, love when a book allows me to do that!

The Innkeeper’s Daughter is a fantastic read. I am very sorry that my time with this book is over, and I look forward to a third book in this series. If you are looking for a book that has it all — murder, suspense, romance — then I cannot recommend this book enough. Run to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of this book. You will not be disappointed that you did!

Giveaway

I am giving away ONE (1) paperback copy of The Innkeeper’s Daughter by Michelle Griep. The giveaway begins today, 3-3-18 at 8:00 pm (PST) and ends on Wednesday, 3-7-18 at 12:00 pm (PST). To enter, click on the Rafflecopter link below. Good luck!

Congrats to Bonnie Moore!

You have won this giveaway. Thank you for your participation. It is greatly appreciated.

***Please Note: Open to Continental U.S. mailing addresses only.*** Winner will be notified via email at the end of the giveaway, and will be announced here on this page.