A Little About The Book, THE MAID OF FAIRBOURNE HALL:
To escape a scheme to marry
her off to a dishonorable man, Margaret Macy flees London disguised as a
housemaid. If she can remain unwed until her next birthday, she will
receive an inheritance, and with it, sweet independence. But she never
planned on actually working as a servant. And certainly not in the home
of Nathaniel and Lewis Upchurch--both former suitors.
As
she fumbles through the first real work of her life, Margaret struggles
to keep her identity secret when suspicions arise and prying eyes visit
Fairbourne Hall. Can she avoid a trap meant to force her from hiding?
Here is some information about the author, Julie Klassen:
Julie Klassen loves all things
Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of
Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes
full time. She has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The
Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also
won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband
have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Want to buy the book? Click here:
My Review:
This is the first time I have ever read one of Julie Klassen's books, so I was pleased with The Maid of Fairbourne Hall.
Julie's characters are strong without being overwhelming. Her plot was solid and I was easily caught up in the story. Using just the right amount of details and historical background, I could "see" Margaret and her fellow servants in Fairbourne Hall.
I enjoyed how at the beginning of each chapter and throughout the book, Julie used various quotes from Jane Austin (one of my favorite authors) and various sources that were apropos to the time of the story. One of my favorite quotes she used was:
"A good character is valuable to everyone, but especially to servants. For it is their bread and butter and without it they cannot be admitted into a creditable family, and happy it is that the best of characters is in everyone's power to deserve." [pg 86]In following the story, I watched a spoiled girl in a bad situation change into someone who was deserving of a good character. I found myself cheering Margaret on when she was faced with difficult situations in her new position as a maid.
Filled with danger and romance, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, opened to doors to the belowstairs world of a 19th century English manor. Julie wrote a wonderful book that kept me intrigued and hopeful and rooting for Margaret.
Julie Klassen is a fine writer and I will be looking forward to more of her work. If you are looking for a book similar to Jane Austin's style, then you definitely won't be disappointed in Julie Klassen and her work.
This book was provided free to me for the purpose of review through Litfuse Publicity and Bethany House.
CONTEST INFORMATION!
Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/
Don't miss the perfect blend
of Regency-era romance and mystery in The Maid of Fairbourne Hall! Grab a
copy and then be sure to enter Julie's Kindle Fire Giveaway and RSVP
for her Author Chat party on Facebook! Swoon.
One fortunate winner will receive:
*A brand new Kindle Fire
*A Julie Klassen Library (The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Silent Governess)
Enter
today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends
3/14. Winner will be announced at Julie's "Fairbourne Hall" Facebook
Party on 3/15 . Julie will be hosting an evening of chat, trivia and a
sneak peek at her next book - bring your friends! She'll also be giving
away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and a Downton Abbey
Prize Pack!
So grab your copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and join Julie and friends on the evening of March 15th for an evening of fun.
Don't
miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the
15th!
Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/
Take the Quiz here!
3 comments:
Thanks so much for the great review. I'm glad to know you enjoyed the book!
You're welcome Julie. It's always a joy to be able to give a positive review to deserving authors and their work. I really did enjoy your book. I'd be happy to review for you again.
Julie Klassen is an excellent writer, and I think this is her best novel I've read yet. She does thorough research, develops well fleshed-out characters, puts them into historical settings, builts interesting situations, and transports her readers into the story.
Margaret overhears her stepfather tell his nephew to compromise her if necessary to get her to marry him, so they can get the fortune she will soon inherit. She runs away with her former maid, who's been dismissed, and ends up as a maid in the house of the man she rejected two years ago in favor of his brother, who later snubbed her. As she learns to do manual labor and sees what it's like to be a servant, she begins to change her haughty ways.
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