This was a really sweet book with moments of apprehension, drama, and excitement. It was well written and despite its short length, was very complete having characters with depth, background, and motivation as well as a satisfying conclusion. Ben and Clara were sweet and mature enough to desire a conclusion that wasn't petty and full of revenge for one another or others that might be having a hand in their misfortune, both past and present.

12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas) was a great read! I enjoyed the premise of the story where they have to stay in the Manor for the 12 Days of Christmas in order to win the prize. Each person was promised a different prize by staying, and there are several characters who cause all kinds of problems. Who do you root for? Clara needs the money but Ben needs his freedom from being falsely accused of theft. Both Ben and Clara learn to overcome the difficulties of past and present to reach the goal.

I enjoy Michelle Griep's writing style and can't wait for more in this series.

I received a preview of this book from NetGalley/Barbour Publishing, Shiloh Run Press for my honest review.

Mystery, romance and Christmas time, in a Victorian setting for this book which caught my attention right away.

Clara is kind and generous to everyone she meets. An invitation requesting Clara go to Bleakly Manor for the Twelve Days of Christmas. If she stays through the 12th night, she will receive five hundred pounds.
Get ready for one intriguing Christmas.

I had a hard time putting this book down. What is going to happen next at Bleakly Manor?

This book was fascinating. At first I wondered if it was a parable, the words and descriptions were almost lyrical and seemed to hold many layers of meaning. It was very deep and heartwarming, with the whimsy of association of a famous author. I love that it is a book that can be read by my grandchildren, and I know they will be better for having read it.

12 Days at Bleakly Manor by Michelle Griep is full of mystery, humor, romance and many fun twists and turns. The setting is an old English manor in the 1850’s.
An odd assortment of characters is invited to Bleakly Manor to spend the 12 days of Christmas. Each has been promised a different reward based on their need. Miss Scruffy desires to regain her hope, Clara her lost money, and Ben his lost freedom. We quickly learn that Ben has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit and believes Clara may be responsible for his suffering. Clara believes Ben has taken her family’s funds when he left her at the altar. Mr. Pocket is a lawman who Ben believes is there to watch him so he cannot escape. The rest of the group includes Mr. Minnows, Mademoiselle Pretents and the wheelchair bound Mr. Tallgrass. Strangely, the Lord of the Manor is not present. The guests soon learn that there are many strange happenings about the place starting with missing jewels. Will everyone stay for the full 12 days or will they decide it is too dangerous and not worth their promised reward?
This is a really fun read! The story line is similar to a mystery dinner theater play. The characters are all very diverse and no one is exactly who they seem to be at first. There is plenty of action with lots of twists and turns keeping the reader engaged to see what will happen next. The writing is superb as I always expect from this author. The quirky characters are well developed so you think you know them but then some details of character are later found to have been missing. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It is definitely a 5 of 5 stars. I recommend it to everyone who loves to read historical romance.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Avery unusual mystery and love story. The characters are interesting and the story has some twists and turns. A good cozy for the beach!

While written in modern day English, this delightful book hearkens back to a Charles Dickens' novel. Intrigue, well developed characters, twists and turns, lost love, unrequited love, thievery, mishap and death abound in this novel. The author keeps the reader guessing until the very end. Very well written. The descriptions of the places and areas of London are well done. They make the reader feel in familiar surroundings. Ms. Griep has done a wonderful job of developing her main characters and has you cheering them on (or not) in their endeavors. It is set in the mid 1800's in London. An intriguing Christmas story to be sure. Happily I find that this is volume one in a series by Ms. Griep. She has been ever so kind as to whet your appetite by include an excerpt of Once Upon a Dickens Christmas #2.

I was pleasantly surprised with this story. It followed along the lines of Agatha Christine's "And Then There Were None" with a Charles Dickens flair. It was true to the time period and showed God's grace throughout. A wonderful story of wrong doings, mystery, suspense and love. It was a truly a beautiful story.

Miss Scarlett in the library with a candlestick.........
I can't help it this novella reminds me of those Clue books I devoured as a kid. A huge mansion with a collection of quirky characters, all compeating in a challenge for a prize, oh and with a Christmas twist.
Very enjoyable, sweet love story based on second chances and trusting in God.
I received this book through netgalley, for my review.

Fast-paced read with an Agatha Christie feel to it, this Christmas mystery brought crime and romance to an eclectic group of Victorian characters. Charles Dickens has a cameo, making this a delightfully surprising book with twists and turns to entertain any reader. It's a quick read, so you only need a few hours to go from beginning to end, and if you read by a fire with a cup of hot tea, you'll feel like you're sitting right inside the book.

Clara Chapman gets an intriguing letter bidding her come to Bleakly Manor, where, if she stays for twelve days, she will receive 500 pounds. Desperate for money after her ex-fiance embezzled from her family's company, she agrees and heads off to the manor. Little does she know that said ex-fiance, Benjamin Lane, also received a letter. His prize? Freedom, after being falsely imprisoned for the past nine months. Their meeting is bittersweet, as both feels the one has betrayed the other. But they soon realize their problems are much bigger as accidents begin to happen to the other guests. Christmas at Bleakly Manor may not be as merry as they first hoped, and their rekindled love may not be enough to save them.

Both Clara and Ben were relatable characters, with imperfections that helped the reader connect with them quickly. Clara was, perhaps, a bit more frustrating, because she did have moments where I just wanted to shake her. She was slow to believe in Ben's innocence, even when it should have been obvious. If you love someone, should it be so easy to believe they would steal from you? Ben was charming and quickly forgave Clara for her disbelief, which was admirable. It made me like him even more in the end.

Michelle Griep writes yet another good read, and this will be great for Christmastime. It's quick, enjoyable, and inspiring.

An interesting, heart-warming and mysterious Christmas story. Set in Dickens' England, the setting is eerie and the characters are a strange mixture of people. The questions are: who set this up and whole will survive the 12 days of Christmas.

This is the first book I have read by Michelle Griep. I enjoyed the story (and the cameo appearance of Charles Dickens). Several unlikely characters are brought together at Bleakley Manor to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. As the story unfolds Clara and Ben must decide whether to trust each other again in order to solve a mystery. A nice light read.

Fascinating short novel that takes the reader back to England in the mid 1800s. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had it all - a little mystery, a little romance, and great characters.

Michelle Griep is an author I've always enjoyed ever since I found her. 12 Days at Bleakly Manor is a rollicking read that takes place over Christmas. A random group of people have been invited to spend the twelve days of Christmas at Bleakly Manor. A skeleton staff has been left to see to the needs of the guests. What the guests don't really know is that they are being watched.

This book reminds me of those parties where the guests play characters in a murder mystery and the job of each one is to find out "who-dunit." Clara Chapman and Benjamin Lane are two of the guests. A year ago, they were supposed to be married, but Ben stood Clara up at the altar, or so she thought.

While the rest of the guests are having to find what is missing in their lives, Clara and Ben are having to find what they've lost.

This is one of the most compelling books I've read in a while. I give it five stars, two thumbs up, and a stay at a manor house.

My thanks to Shiloh Run Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

I felt like I stepped back in time. The manor sounded grand, but a bit bizarre at the same time. What a combination of characters to have at a holiday gathering. Each person had such an interesting reason to be at the manor. I truly expected the servants to slowly disappear one by one and have the guests fix their own meals. This book was a book I had a hard time setting down. I was hoping there was a way for all to get their hearts desire. But only one can win the grand prize. I liked the concept of the book. The pace was good and kept me entranced. This story works well for a historic cozy mystery too. What a delight!

"12 Days at Bleakly Manor: Book 1 in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series"
by Michelle Griep
This is a Romance, Suspense, Victorian era novel... and be sure to read to the very end.. then let me know who the very last character mentioned just might have been... I have my opinion... and wonder if you will agree.
This is a little bit of my typically favorite story genre (1800's England).. and a bit out of my normal selection range.. BUT !! I am very glad I stretched myself and selected this book. There are many twists and turns, false starts and unexpected out-comes... thus this is a page turner.. at least it was for me. Bleakly Manor is well named, as is Miss Scurry... I wonder if you will agree with me ?? This is a "I liked very much" book... I just may have to read it at least one more time ... just to see if I missed any clues to get a step or two ahead of the characters as they persevere through the holidays.

Michelle Griephas written a delightful, yet mysterious story in 12 Days at Bleakly Manor.
From the first chapter, until the last sentence you are wrapped up in a sense of wonder and hope for the future.
I'm looking forward to more books from Ms. Griephas!

A good clean, Christian Mystery. I believe it is a Historically set story of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Very entertaining, could have used a little more Romance between h/h, however, it's obvious that they are still in love. I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

This book reminded me of the Clue game. During the twelve days of Christmas a group of unusual people ar stuck in a manor house. One by one they leave and the one left will win a prize. People ore getting hurt one by one and who is looking thru the lions eyes?