The Girl in the Gatehouse

November 15, 2010
Mariah Aubrey, banished from her family after a social scandal, moves into her aunt's gatehouse in this rich Regency romance. When the aunt dies, Mariah is left at the financial mercy of her aunt's spendthrift, amoral stepson; she becomes an anonymous authoress of novels to make ends meet. Meanwhile the estate is let to naval captain Matthew Bryant, fresh home from the Napoleonic wars. While Klassen (The Silent Governess) keeps many plot-plates spinning simultaneously, the action is easy to follow and surprises pop as the story ends. A crush of minor characters means that a few are less successfully differentiated. The author has done her historical homework. Complexity of plot and characterization make this a cut above standard-issue historical romance.

December 1, 2010
It might not be much, but the abandoned gatehouse is Mariah Aubreys new home. After a brush with scandal threatens to tarnish her familys social standing, Mariah is sent away by her father. Fortunately her aunt, Mrs. Francesca Prin-Hallsey, offers the use of the old gatehouse on her late husbands estate. But since Mariah also needs a way of supplementing the meager funds provided by her family, she begins writing novels. Inspiration for her literary efforts is the one thing not in short supply, especially once Captain Matthew Bryant arrives to lease the estate after her aunts death. Both kind-hearted and courageous, Matthew is the stuff from which romantic heroes are made, and he would be perfect for Mariah if only he wasnt so determined to marry another woman! Christy and RITA nominee Klassen creates a wonderful cast of engaging characters while neatly stirring in a generous dash of mystery and danger into the plot of her latest, charmingly romantic inspirational romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)