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 … 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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I loved all the elements in this book! A hardworking innkeeper, a British spy, smugglers, gamblers, musicians, puppets… the unique details made it stand out from others with a similar theme. Johanna’s circumstances are desperate, and she keeps coming up with ideas to bring in more funds, only to find that when her plans fail, the Lord has things in hand. The spiritual message is to trust God even when there seems to be no hope left- especially then. Both Johanna and Alex find themselves in situations that definitely put that to the test, and the steady pace of the plot kept me glued to the pages. I was surprised by some of the more gritty descriptions, but I appreciated the reality it portrayed and the sense of danger and desperation was heightened. I felt like I got to know the cast of characters quickly, from Johanna’s mother and brother to Alex’s mysterious colleague to the troublesome Mr. Nutbrown. I loved seeing the different elements weave together as the action built toward the exciting climax which was anything but predictable. The sweet friendship that blossoms between the skeptical Johanna and the protective Alex was the icing on the cake and the yearning there for something more brought another level of tension that slowly builds throughout the book.
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
The Innkeeper’s Daughter has a lot going for it. Griep’s writing is as lovely as ever; her descriptions are vivid and help the reader envision the setting and the way the story takes place. Despite this the story didn’t resonate with me like I had thought it would. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did Brentwood’s Ward. For me, there is a lack of cohesion in the way the plot unfolds for the lead characters, Johanna and Alex. Much of the meat of the story takes place with them not together. Then when they come together, it starts feeling repetitive. When I started wishing that another lady in the story would take over, that’s when I knew – I was a bit bored. I didn’t particularly resonate with Mr. Nutbrown’s portions of the story, nor find them to have a lot of purpose, though as a character he is quite quirky and interesting. Mam’s character propelled the story quite a bit for me – I enjoyed the added mystery that she gave, though at times I felt she was unnecessarily close-mouthed.
In the last 25% of the story, the plot culminates in some very exciting scenes and really held my attention. Johanna and Alex share some screen time, so to speak, and it really made the last bit of the book shine. I also love how the ending keeps the reader on pins and needles until the last possible moment.
Although The Innkeeper’s Daughter was not a full out win for me, I’ll certainly continue to read Griep’s books. She has a unique way of describing her characters and situations in the story that do resonate with me as a reader. If you haven’t read Griep before, my recommendation would be to start with Brentwood’s Ward and/or The Captive Heart. Also, feel free to take this review with a grain of salt. Many of my friends loved it, and you may, too!
Good read to pass the time
This is a mystery set in Regency England. The writing is cumbersome and the story was not a page-turner.
Interesting and exciting
Johanna’s life of hard work has taken her smile and is threatening her faith. She is reminded by one of her boarders that God knows and cares about her.
This is my first book by Michelle Griep, but it won’t be my last! Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this novel filled with mystery and romance. It took place in England during the early 1800s. The story of Johanna and Alexander was well written, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. The mystery traitor who Officer Alexander Moore was on a mission to find kept me in suspense. I couldn’t wait to find out who was the traitor! Mr. Nutbrown (a supporting character) was a little too quirky for my liking, but I enjoyed reading “The Innkeeper’s Daughter.” The history of the Bow Street Runners provided in the story was very interesting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Enjoyable & inspirational without being heavily spiritual.
Entertaining read. Characters that are relatable and a story that is engaging. Twist and turns that leave you reading way late into the night.
In the face of adversity she still trys to provide for her family as best she can. Wven though it’s never enough enough money and degrading, she still keeps trying.
I really enjoyed this book! I was a fast read and kept me engaged until the end!
I love reading stories about the Amish. This was a great story.
This book was just hard to get into.
enjoyed, would recommend
I enjoyed this book. I read a lot and appreciated a solid story without smut and gore. Cute and I enjoyed the characters.
Fun
Enjoyed this book…couldn’t put it down.
Very good book – suspense, humor, clean romance, eccentricity and a surprise or two mixed in! It is a Christian-based story, but not in a forced, in-your-face way or preachy way. My only complaint is that it did drag on just a bit. I would have been happy if it had wrapped up a chapter or two early. I really enjoyed the characters, both major and minor. Overall, I really enjoyed the storyline and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Love story + mystery. Just when you think you know what is going to happen next, the author throws you a curve ball.
Good plot but a little too sappy in much of the wording.