THE MAID OF FAIRBOURNE HALL, by Julie Klassen

When Margaret Macy’s mother remarried, she unwittingly married a man who has designs on the fortune Margaret is due to inherit on her next birthday. Margaret's stepfather brings his unscrupulous nephew into the family home, and urges the nephew to press Margaret to marry him--by whatever means necessary.
When Margaret learns of the plan, she disguises herself as a housemaid and flees. However, she never thought she'd end up actually employed as a maid. Margaret finds out quickly what life "below stairs" is all about. To her chagrin, she realizes how poorly she treated the servants in her parent’s home.
While Margaret strives to hide her identity, she finds herself attracted to the master of Fairbourne Hall—a man she once rejected.
Klassen has woven an entertaining story of life in the early 1800’s, her specialty. I enjoyed this novel, but not as much as her earlier ones. For me, the ending felt too crowded with secondary plot lines. Having said that, The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is still a fun read, one Jane Austen fans should relish.

THE GIRL IN THE GATEHOUSE, by Julie Klassen

Mariah Aubrey is The Girl in the Gatehouse in Klassen's newest novel.

Mariah has been sent from her home in disgrace. An aunt offers lodging in an abandoned gatehouse on her English country estate. Forced to support herself, Mariah finds she can earn a small living by writing novels--as long as she conceals her identity as the author.

When her aunt dies, the estate is leased to a ship's captain who has his own secrets and ambitions. In addition to the captain, The Girl in the Gatehouse is filled with memorable characters, all of whom add richness and color to Mariah's life.

I'm a Julie Klassen fan. The Girl in the Gatehouse is her most Austen-like novel to date. Abounding with romance, secrets, and misunderstandings, it is a delicious read.

Be sure you have some time set aside when you sit down with The Girl in the Gatehouse. You won't want to stop reading until you've turned the last page.

THE APOTHECARY'S DAUGHTER, by Julie Klassen

In Lily Haswell, Klassen has created a fascinating heroine and placed her in a setting that intrigued me. Lily is The Apothecary's Daughter. She helps her father in his shop, although at the time the story is set, women are not allowed to be apothecaries. Lily is blessed with a memory that forgets nothing, so the blending of herbs is a task she performs with skill.

However, when an offer comes to leave her small village and live in London with a wealthy relative, she is introduced to a life quite different from anything she's ever known. Although Lily has any number of men interested in her, her background in the apothecary shop is considered shameful and something to be hidden.

Klassen tells the story in the style of Jane Austen, with the manners and mores of the Regency period. Each chapter is headed with an authentic quote about herbs or their uses,which serves as an introduction for the events to come.

How all the twists and turns in this plot resolve themselves makes this book a treat to read. In addition to The Apothecary's Daughter, I've read Klassen's other books, The Silent Governess, The Lady of Milkweed Manor, and The Girl in the Gatehouse, and thoroughly recommend them as well. I’ll be posting a review of The Girl in the Gatehouse in a future blog.