Thank you to Barbour Publishing Inc. for access to this NetGalley ARC. A man desperately seeking justice for his wrongful imprisonment and a talented opera singer on the run cross paths in this breathtaking historical fiction book! When Oliver Ward is imprisoned for a theft he didn't commit, he finds a way to escape, and winds up severely injured. Maggie Lee, a woman living in seclusion on the moor, brings Oliver into her home, never suspecting the perilous adventure ahead of them. The pair discover their stories are more entwined than they could have ever imagined, and so they set off with bravery and faith to face their demons, slowly succumbing to their growing feelings for one another along the way. This book was so well written and atmospheric! The pacing moved along beautifully with lots of moments of suspense and action, as well as quiet moments of tenderness. If you enjoy a good underdog tale full of excitement and romance, this is the book for you!

This review appears on my blog: https://confessionsofabookwormweb.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/blog-tour-and-giveaway-house-at-the-end-of-the-moor/

I've read some of Michelle Griep's Christmas novellas, and I have been meaning to check out one of her full-length novels for a while. And when I saw the title of her latests release - The House at the End of the Moor - I was immediately intrigued! I also need to admit that I only briefly glanced at the synopsis so I went into this relatively blind.

I did reall like this book, and I believe I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had been in a different mood - I have a tendency to be a mood reader - and wanting to read something more light-hearted...this book is a little bit heavy. However, I did love the themes of mercy and justice and vengeance. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters throughout the novel.

First, this ended up being different from what I was expecting, namely that based on the title I expected most of the book to take place at the house at the end of the moor, however only about thirty percent of this book takes place at this location.

Second, I found the writing style to be interesting, Michelle Griep chooses to keep switching between 3rd and 1st person narration. The 1st person is used when we are getting Maggie Lee's perspective and the the 3rd preson for the other two characters whose point-of-view we get - Oliver Ward and Sebastian Barrow. There were a few times I foound this a little bit jarring, but over the ourse of the novel I grew to like it.

The plot was intersting, although, as I have mentioned before, it was very different from what I was initially expecting! There is also a full cast of characters who I enjoyed getting to know over the course of the novel, especially the three main characters.

Maggie Lee was interesting and I was intrigued to find out why she is on the run from her "old" life and how her life interesects with Oliver, even before they officially meet. I also liked how while trying to seek out justice for the wrong done to her, she still knows when to show mercy and compassion to others.

And then there is Oliver Ward, who seeks to help those in need, but yet is very critical on those who seem to put the less fortunate down. I liked how he had to lern how pre-conceived notions can be wrong and learn how to show grace, even to those who had wronged him.

Then there is Sebasatian Barrow - or Officer Barrow, as he is known to the other characters - who is so bent on justice and believers it his duty to God to doggedy pursue and punish Oliver (and other "criminals"), in order to make restitution for something he did in his past. It was interesting to see how he is an embodiment of legalism and not fully realizing the freedom we have in Christ and how we are saved by God's grace and mercy, not works.

Some other characters I enjoyed getting to know, or found interesting, were Oliver's father, Jarney and the devious Mr. Groat.

Overall, I did like The House at the End of the Moor but I would have enjoyed it even more if I was not craving a more light-hearted read when I read it. I am looking forward to reading more from Michelle Griep in the future. 3.5/5 Stars.

A bit slow at first, but then very engaging :)

The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep
paperback
320 pages
Published: April 1, 2020
Published By: Shiloh Run Press
Reviewed By: mrsboone4
Date: 3/31/2020
Rating: 5 Stars

Maggie Lee is hiding. She is a gifted opera singer who has been frightened into hiding in a remote location, unknown to all who know her, in a house at the end of a moor. She lives a quiet life, surrounded only by her hired man, her mute maid and faithful servant Malcolm-a sheep dog that she has adopted. She makes her way, encircled by these three souls whom she has rescued and who have rescued her.

One day Nora, her maid has found a half dead man out on the moor. Together the two women manage to get him back to the house.

The man is an escaped convict named Oliver Ward. He almost died in Dartmoor Prison, under the care of a very sadistic guard and his henchmen. He was wrongfully imprisoned for stealing some jewelry. Maggie brings Oliver back from the brink of death. He is in a sorry condition. Starved and beaten and has taken some punishment during his daring escape from prison.

Oliver knows his stay at the end of the moor is limited, he needs to get farther away, so he can recover and clear his name and rescue a dear friend at the prison who was near death, when he escaped.

Together, Maggie and Oliver join forces to go back to Bath to clear both of their names and set their lives straight.

I wondered if I would like this book, because of the opera angle. I'm most definitely not an opera fan. The book is well written, yes Maggie is a professional opera singer, but she is in hiding, so it's as if she were on a vacation of sorts. This is a work of Christian fiction, very enjoyable.

Many thanks to Shiloh Run Press and Barbour Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book. I was under no obligation to post a review.

I loved this Book, but then again I love everything by this Author. She writes her stories in such a way that you want to keep reading way past your bedtime. I love the this books MC is a strong independent woman even thought in the beginning it seems totally not the case.
i love how the romance is slow and you may not even realize that it is happening.
the suspense of the story is just enough enough that it doesn't become boring.
So glad that i choose this book to read it kept me from going into a reading slump

Hey! I liked this! I'll search out more by this author.
I've been taking a chance on this genre of Christian romance, and I'm dubious, but Griep will be a re-read. Despite being a person to whom faith is central, I don't read Christian fiction, especially romance. I'm grumpy about badly-written "Christian" fiction that uses employs unearned, unrealistic formulaic prayers or fake faith as a plot device to shift people from sad to happy-ever-after. (Yeah, not at all judgy about the genre, am I?)
I read a lot of romance, and have finally steeled myself to find some Christian romance authors that surpass my fears and tell the truth about what it's like to actually live with faith. This first book by Griep won't be my last by her; I felt like the characters interacted with the conflict in their lives from a believable standpoint of faith that both felt contextually appropriate for the historical period and congruent with my own experience.
I'm an historian as well as a Christian; this well-researched tale didn't get up my nose.
Since the romance was also believable and the plot drama engaging, I'll be coming back for more.
(A few quibbles: no one can thrive in a strong faith isolated from others in a worshiping community; how did the heroine evolve such a strong theology of suffering if there were absolutely no good role models in her life? That was hard to swallow--how could she arrive at the truth without having a chance to develop it in community with a few mentors? It felt as if she were embodying the Victorian idolatry of the perfect, angelic woman who guided the troubled men in her life. I wanted to know how she came by those convictions and didn't quite find justification in her backstory filled with manipulation, abandonment, poverty, and the theatre.)
In a book where the Christian characters trust God for guidance, if there's a huuuuuge coincidence in the plot, am I to suppose that the author's taking liberties with plotting or that it was GOD saving the day? I mean, out of all the tea storage closets in all the towns in all the world, he happens to walk into THAT one?? I wished there were some plot reason that they were both drawn to Dartmoor. (I mean, he was drawn there by the police, but why was she there so her tea storage closet could be at just the right place?)
I also liked that the ripples of redemption extended beyond the hero and heroine. Cool, that.

Great story. Loved both Oliver and Maggie. I could have done without a bit of Sebastian's POV and more could have been added to Oliver's and Maggie's budding relationship. The romance felt a bit skimpy.


I would have given it 4 or 5 stars if it didn't switch from 3rd person to 1st person. The first switch was jarring and then it just became annoying.

Griep is one author I will always jump to read!

I was a little surprised by the fact this was a book about an opera singer. A different subject to be sure, yet it was done in a way that I was still gripped by the plotline.

I love the era of the setting, the descriptions were absorbing, and the characters ... Ooh, the characters, there is such an array points of view. I like how Griep isn't shy to show different characters from what some authors show in the Victorian setting.

Maggie Lee (A name that makes me think mob for some reason... *shrugs*), is not your usual heroine. Sure, she may have been in hiding much like some heroines but she is unique to the story, her story, and it is new to me. I'm not sure I've read a book featuring an opera star, I know very little of the art. Learning a bit about it was engrossing!

(*face desk* I had to look up character names. I read this book twenty books ago so that's all right, right? I mean no offense to the author since this book is spell bounding!)

Oliver was a hero I wasn't sure I would like, only from the blurb though. I mean once I started reading I couldn't help with like him. He was quite the hero!

Another character who I shall not name was an unexpected character it was an eerie to have his point of view.

The plot thickened as I rounded the fiftieth percent of the book and I loved it! As it ended I was sad that this book was not a part of a series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

The House at the End of the Moor was an interesting historical read.
I love Jane Eyre and when I heard that this book had a comparison to that I knew I wanted to read it. Michelle Gripe did a great job describing the scenes she set, from the prison to London, the vivid descriptions helped me feel like I was there. I think my favorite scene described was the moor, I have never seen one in person, but Michelle Gripe brought the look, feel, and smell of it to life for me.
I enjoyed the characters, I thought they had good personalities. I did not particularly care for how some of the characters switched from first-person to second-person point of view throughout the book. However, it did not distract from the storyline too much. The mystery was easy to follow, and I enjoyed the connections made through the characters.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the creative storyline, the interesting characters, and the great scene descriptions.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.