Also, fans of Griep's Brentwood's Ward will be happy to learn that Nicholas Brentwood makes an appearance here. Nutbrown, the viscount and his daughter, and more. Besides Alex and Johanna, I enjoyed learning about Johanna's 10 going on 25-year-old brother, her mother, the quirky (and surely mentally ill) Mr. The characters are a particular strength in this novel.

I think that's because Johanna's insistence on self-reliance grated on me (I get it at the beginning, but she kept things close to the vest for far too long, in my opinion), as well as because Alex's story-involving gamblers, smuggling, a fake relationship, and so many people whose motives were difficult to discern-was just so fascinating!

I must admit that, while I enjoyed the romance between Johanna and Alex, I cared far more about Alex's story than anything else. Nutbrown's-it moves fairly slowly at the beginning but then picks up speed, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, something would shift! It's definitely more of a mystery than I was expecting, but I really enjoyed trying to determine the identity of the traitor Alex was looking for. Told from three perspectives-innkeeper Johanna's, spy Alex's, and inn guest Mr. The Innkeeper's Daughter is full of intrigue with a touch of romance. That made the decision really easy when I had the opportunity to request a review copy of her new novel The Innkeeper's Daughter.Ī London officer goes undercover to expose a plot against the Crownĭover, 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.Īll Johanna 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.Īlex 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. I loved it, and Griep instantly became one of my must-read authors. While it wasn't a novel I'd normally go for, I saw so many glowing reviews from bloggers I trust that I decided to give it a chance. Just over a year ago, I read Michelle Griep's The Captive Heart.

The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep