Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Blog Tour: The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

Welcome to the blog tour for The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen!


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?

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.

For more information, visit www.julieklassen.com

Buy the book here!

Review:

Margaret Macy has found herself in a horrible situation. Only 3 months shy of inheriting a fortune, Margaret's step-father is insistent that she marry his nephew. When Margaret overhears just how far her step-father is willing to go to ensure the marriage takes place, she does something desperate. She runs away with her maid.  Margaret is forced to hide as a servant in a large manor home. Not only does she have to hide her lack of knowledge of what maids do, she must hide her identity from the Upchurch family. Having once spurned one Upchurch brother for another, Margaret finds her situation to be even more desperate than before.

I was excited to read this book, and I was not let down. It is filled with the period charm and drama that you would expect of a classic book. It is fun to watch Margaret Macy gradually change and learn to focus on other people. Learning the intricacies of the downstairs staff and their duties was so much fun! It really made me want to read more about how the staffs kept the houses running. There were so many things that had to be done; things I had never thought about before like emptying chamber pots. Margaret had clearly never considered these things either. As her empathy for the servants grew, she became a much more interesting character.

This book is very fun and fairly quick to read. I found myself quickly absorbed in the story. There were a couple plot points I didn't see coming, so that was fun to discover what would happen. I really enjoy when a book can surprise me. This book has everything you could want-romance, mystery, and intrigue all wrapped in a fun period wrapper. I think this is a book a lot of people will enjoy. If you love historical novels with the feel of a great classic, then definitely check out this book!

Book provided for review.



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 3/14/12. Winner will be announced at Julie's Fairbourne Hall Book Chat Party on 3/15. Julie will be hosting an evening of chat, trivia and a sneak peek of her next book - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books and a Downton Abbey Prize Pack (Seasons 1 and 2)!

So grab your copy of The Maid of Fairbourne Hall and join Julie and friends on the evening of March 15th for a book chat party.
Enter via Twitter
Enter via E-mail Enter via Facebook
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 March 15th!


What an awesome prize! Be sure to check out all the stops on the tour for more great reviews and information! Thanks for stopping by.

1 comment:

Julie Klassen said...

Thanks for the review, Lisa. So glad you enjoyed the book!