Review & Giveaway: A Lady's Maid by Jen Geigle Johnson

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis


Molly O’Malley, lady’s maid to the progressive Lady Amanda Halloway, is determined to continue the life’s work of her lost love, killed in the Peterloo Massacre. But when her efforts and a trip to Lady Halloway’s charitable orphanage culminate in her own abduction, Molly’s eyes are opened to the horrifying crimes transpiring in the city’s slums. Despite the risks, she broadens her mission and is drawn ever closer to the peril all around them.

Thomas Flaherty, a footman in the Halloway household, has been with Molly from the beginning, but he fears she will never trust him with her heart. Even though her cause and happiness are of foremost importance to him, his loyal patience is tested by the fears that keep her at a distance. But with their safety on the line, Thomas is resolved to sacrifice everything for the woman he loves.

Risking their lives and their love, Molly and Thomas and a team of nobles on their side will stop at nothing to empower the powerless, no matter the personal cost.


My Review

There is amazing history in this book. The kind that I am so grateful for as a woman and try not to take for granted the sacrifices of those who paved the way for suffrage. I was glad to learn about the historical details that were new to me. Even though this book has a slow beginning as it introduces a bevy of characters, the action and suspense picks up the pace with quite a few dangerous situations- much of it due to Molly's naive recklessness. I had an overall feeling of anxiety and stress as I read, and had a difficult time connecting with the emotions of the main characters. The narrative is split between several characters, and I felt like it divided my focus. I thought the romantic moments between Molly and Thomas were wonderful, but the ones between Chloe and Annesley fell flat. Perhaps if I had read the preceding book, A Nobleman's Daughter, I would have been drawn in more.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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