Time for a Breather

I took a little week long blogging break before Christmas when my stress level was skyrocketing, and that one little week did so much for my perspective and peace of mind!  So, when the new year began, I resolved that I would take a week long break from the blog (and internet in general) every couple of months just to have time for all the *stuff* I ignore when I’m having fun blogging, thinking about blogging, planning to blog, reading blogs… you get the idea. ;) 

Lent begins this week and so it seems like a good time for me to take a little break and, I don’t know… maybe clean the house, talk to my husband,  or some other crazy thing. :)  Really, it’s good for me to refocus and rethink my priorities on a regular basis so that’s what I’m going to do.   I’ll schedule out a MckLinky for the Art Box on Monday, and then I’ll see you all on Wednesday or Thursday. 

I hope you all have a beautiful week! :)

Book Review – The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen

I recently received this book and I am so glad I did! This was an excellent read, and I enjoyed it very much .
I am a fan of British literature and Jane Austen happens to be one of my favorite authors. Julie Klassen has been compared to Jane Austen, and normally I do not enjoy books that are written in imitation of someone else’s writing style. I have to say, though, that Julie Klassen is a fine author in her own right, and has a wonderful style all her own. She has a good understanding of the time period about which she writes and the characters in this book were extremely well developed and “real” to me. I could hardly put this book down and ended up reading it within 2 and a half days of receiving it!
Olivia Keene is fleeing from her hometown and a secret involving something horrible she believes she has done. In the course of finding her way to a new home she overhears a secret regarding Lord Bradley of Brightwell Court. Lord Bradley discovers her and after some thought (and an incident in which Olivia is nearly strangled and thereby temporarily loses her voice) decides to place her in his home as a servant so he can keep an eye on her. She is ordered to remain silent and all the other servants believe she is a mute.
This book is full of mystery regarding Olivia’s past, and this is interwoven into the mystery surrounding Lord Bradley’s birth. The mistrust that the two initially feel for one another eventually turns into something quite different as their secrets bring them together.
I enjoyed the suspense, the mystery, and the romance of this book very much and look forward to reading more books by this talented author.
Thank you to Bethany House Publishing Company for sending me this book to review!