I love The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, so I tried another Julie Klassen. The pacing in this book was just way too slow with none of the great romantic tension like Fairbourne Hall.

This is on a 99c Kindle sale. I know a lot of clean Regency romance readers love Julie Klassen's books, but she's been hit-and-miss for me, and this one is at the bottom of the pile. It was way more gloomy and angst-ridden than I like in my romance reading. YMMV, but my recommendation is not to auto-buy this one.

This book just matched my mood today I guess. I got caught up in the story of Mariah and the atmosphere of the book, like I was transported back in time to Regency England. I really liked Mariah and thought she was a great leading lady. The book starts soon after her father banishes her after a mistake she has made. Alone in the world except for her companion, Miss Dixon, she finds a place to stay at her aunt’s gatehouse. I really liked the setting; the quaint gatehouse seemed cozy and inviting....

Reputation and RedemptionRating: 4.5 out of 5 starsTYPE OF NOVEL: Regency Romance, Historical FictionSETTING: 1814, Whitmore, EnglandSYNOPSIS: Mariah Aubrey is no longer welcome in her father’s house, and therefore must move to an abandoned gatehouse on her aunt’s estate. Happy to have a roof over her head, Mariah strives to make her new life a success. But after a few months it is looking a little bleak, and Mariah doesn’t think they will have the funds to continue living there much longer… Her...

I had read good things about Julie Klassen's inspirational regencies so I sought this book out. It started out well. The setting of a young woman in "exile" because of misbehavior and a romance with a sea captain promised a good riff on Jane Austen's themes. However, Ms. Klassen can't hold a candle to Austen when it comes to creating believable characters and witty dialogue. I could have seen past the dialogue problem--who besides Georgette Heyer has come close?--but the clumsy plotting was just...

This is my favorite Julie Klassen book so far! I enjoyed the little mysteries and secrets revealed in the story, and the secondary characters were wonderfully original and interesting. I also enjoyed the little parallels of the heroine with Jane Austen, as she was also an authoress. The plot was enjoyable intricate. Well done.

This book kept me guessing all the way. It starts off with immediate action, with the heroine leaving her parents' home for exile with her former nurse. She is under disgrace for her actions while at a house party (we aren't told details until later in the story). It had the feel of a true Regency story with some elements of mystery thrown in. The romance was very subtle and enjoyable; we didn't get the know the characters only for their bodily traits and perfect fitness for each other, but for

I plainly, honestly, loved this book. It is my fourth by this amazing author, and when you think things can’t get better, there she does it again. I was pleasantly surprised by The Girl in the Gatehouse, it was impossible to put down, and it got me reading late into the night, because I just needed to know more. First things first. I feel compelled to say that not every piece of Regency fiction is to be compared with Jane Austen. That’s unfair, and unnecessary, to say the least. Although in this...

I cannot trust my friend to ever give me book suggestions again. If I ever hear her refer or compare this to Austen I shall slap her face with a salmon.

I have a standard "No Christian fiction" policy that stems from the general irritation I feel when a story is going along swimmingly and then all of a sudden it's like you're in Sunday School - and I hate Sunday School. One minute you're reading about a mystery, the next the main character is pontificating on things like mercy and salvation. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a complete pagan, and I get that these are good things. I just don't like them in books. They feel wrong somehow, too out in the...

I think that I have figured out something very important about Klassen's books that I wish I had understood from the very beginning. While the faith element is present, it is subtle. She lets the reader choose either to draw more, as her stories are rich with meaning and imagery if you are looking for it, or you can take it at face value and see little faith in it. This is a story of redemption. The road to redemption isn't easy. Finding forgiveness from others and oneself is hard. Klassen did a...

Julie Klassen has done it again. A wonderful story full of intrigue and mystrey and many twits and turns in the plot which, I can assure you, you will not expect! It kept me hooked the whole time and I read far too late into the night to finish it – I just had to know what was going to happen! It had more serious themes running through it than the Silent Governess (with talk of mistresses and the heroine herself landed in the Gatehouse due to the loss of her virtue.) However, it was a great stor...

This was disappointing. It built a nicely complex story, but the characters were often unconvincing and at times the plot development felt forced, taking away from the stories' power as a tale of redemption and forgiveness and making it seem more like an Austenesque soap opera.

I absolutely ADORE this book. It is probably now one of my top two favorite Julie Klassen reads. I was quickly invested in the story & I really couldn’t put it down the further I was in to it. There were a lot of mysteries to be solved & hidden identifies to uncover. I love how rounded & flawed both of the main characters are. Mariah was very endearing & I was on the edge of my seat trying to piece together the puzzle of her scandalous background. Captain Bryant (Matthew) is the definition of my...

2/1/2022 update: $1.99 today. Loved this one! (See review below.)"'It is you,' he began foolishly. 'I almost did not recognize you. Without the cap, I mean, and. . . well you were dressed so. . . That is, I thought you were . . . '""'A maidservant?' she said easily." "'He winced. 'Forgive me.'""'There is nothing to forgive. You came upon me in my jam-making attire.' She smiled. 'Yet I recognize you out of uniform, Captain Bryant.'"Update: I added my 2011 Amazon review of this book at the botton

What a fun historical romance! I enjoyed this one.

“When my mother and father forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”~~Psalm 17:10This verse kept running through my mind as I read Julie Klassen’s historical novel, The Girl in the Gatehouse. In the story, Mariah Aubrey stumbles into disgrace and, as a result, is harshly rejected by her autocratic father. He banishes his heartbroken daughter from their home—with only a brief good-bye for her mother and sister—and hides her away in a relative’s gatehouse. It is there, in a quiet corner of a cou...

I really liked the mysteries within the mystery of the "girl in the gatehouse" herself. Also, Klassen's nod to Persuasion's Capt. Wentworth made me happy since I love that book and that character. Like Jane Austen, I know I can count on Klassen to provide no loose ends and happy endings. I also like that she subtly weaves in the spiritual elements behind the story and connects it well with the plot. It's like reading a parable at times. I definitely recommend this book if you like Jane Austen. :...

As far as the story goes... it was kind of fun and cute. As for the writing.... I thought it was lacking. A lot. The characters were one sided. They fit the role they were written for and nothing more. The plot twists were obvious. Coincidencs piled up so high that it was almost funny. (Miss Aubrey the hidden author happens to be in personal connection with 3 other famous writers of her time. In fact they are all living on the same property at one point). Anyhoo... my other complaint is that Mis...

The Girl in the Gatehouse begins with Mariah Aubrey being dismissed from her family home in disgrace. With only her former governess to serve as a companion, Mariah is forced to rely on the generosity of a beloved aunt. Aunt Francesca allows Mariah to live rent free in the estate gatehouse, but she is firm that Mariah is not allowed to venture up to the big house without invitation. This does not seem to disturb Mariah who takes solace in nature walks and writing novels.However, when Francesca d...