As I began reading this book, the copy I purchased, I thought it was very familiar. I did not realize this was a compilation of three previously published novellas by Michelle Griep.
I enjoyed having them all in one book.
A novella written by Michelle Griep has never disappointed me. I found these to be fully engaging, well formed stories.

The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady can be found in The Regency Brides Collection
The Doctor's Woman is in The courageous Brides Collection
House of Secrets is the Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection

I have to say I just love Michelle Grieps stories!
Her characters are deep and endearing, the plot captivating, interesting scenery, and always a dash of mystery and intrigue.
Well this was not the exception! I was not expecting well developed characters, because they were not full length novels, but I was wrong! In a short time I feel I knew this characters and was quickly rooting for them and their HEA's!
I loved each story and especially the heroes and heroines! They are all strongminded, but kind and compassionate as well. Helen and Isaac, Emmy and James, and Amanda and Joseph. All of them ready to put their heart and life on the line for others.
My favorite of all was definitely "The Smugglers Lady". I totally fell in love with Helen and Isaac. Seemed opposite but they were the perfect match, and I loved the adventurous part of the story!
I really enjoyed each one, and I have to say that I would love it if Michelle would expand them into full length novels. There's awesome material there!
A definitely must read! Totally recommended!
I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing via Netgalley. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was my first time reading anything by Michelle Griep and I was not disappointed! Michelle Griep has woven these 3 stories of mystery into an amazing collection! I went away from each of the 3 stories really wanting to know more. Isn't that the mark of a good storyteller?

While I loved each of the stories, I have to say I enjoyed the first story the most! The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady reminded me so much of the show Poldark. The scenery and the smuggling made for a mysterious setting. I highly recommend this book. I'm off to the library to look for more :-)

The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady
Cornish Coast, 1815
When a prim and proper governess returns to England from abroad, she expects to comfort her dying father—not fall in love with a smuggler. Will Helen Fletcher keep Isaac Seaton’s unusual secret?

The Doctor’s Woman (A Carol Award Winner!)
Dakota Territory, 1862
Emmy Nelson, daughter of a missionary doctor, and Dr. James Clark, city doctor aspiring to teach, find themselves working side by side at Fort Snelling during the Dakota Uprising. That is when the real clash of ideals begins.

A House of Secrets
St. Paul, Minnesota, 1890
Ladies Aide Chairman, Amanda Carston resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, starting with the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house that’s secretly owned by her beau—a home that’s his only means of helping brothel girls escape from the hands of the city’s most infamous madam.

Great stories and suspense are woven together in this book. I loved how each story was unique and had underlining themes of faith and some romance.

<i>"If one cannot trust in God's provision, then perhaps one has no business professing a faith at all."</i>

<i>Ladies of Intrigue: Tales of 19th-Century Romance with a Dash of Mystery</i> (2019, Barbour) by [author: Michelle Griep|2754194] is a collection
of three historical standalone Christian romances. Griep is one of my favorite authors, so I didn't pass up the opportunity to read this collection. However, I was surprised when I realized that I had previously read the first story. So I checked my GoodReads friends' reviews on this book, and courtesy of Karen R., found that this collection includes the following <u>republished</u> novellas:

*<i>The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady</i>, originally published in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2149224552?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1"><i>The Regency Brides Collection<i></a> (This links to my review of the book.)
*<i>The Doctor's Woman</i>, originally published in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27409443-the-courageous-brides-collection"> <i>"The Courageous Brides Collection</i></a>
*<i>A House of Secrets</i>, originally published in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32927109-of-rags-and-riches-romance-collection?ac=1&from_search=true"><i>Of Rags and Riches Romance Collection</i></a>

********************
<b>Overall rating: 4.67 stars</b> (This will show up as 4 stars, because I don't round up.)

*All novellas in this collection: 4.5, 4.5, 5

********************
<b>Novella #1: 4.5 stars</b>

<b><i>The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady</i></b> (2017) is set onboard <i>The Nancarrow</i>, and then in Cornwall, England, 1815

<b>The plot:</b> <spoiler> Issac Seaton is stealing back something that belongs to him, which makes him not quite the typical smuggler. He and his band of men have been boarding various ships to take what rightfully belongs to Seaton, and nothing more. This time, on his very last raid, he takes one thing more: Helen Fletcher. He knows that under the circumstances, Helen is not safe, so he kidnaps her to in order to protect her. Helen is not aware of this, so she isn't at all pleased! </spoiler>

<b>Christian elements:</b>

*"I know in my head God is always present, but in my heart? I cannot credit it."

*"Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything… even in man."

*Helen pretends not to know the whereabouts of her friend Esther in order to protect her. In response to a man's inquiry, Helen replies, <i>"I do not. She is a very busy young lady. Good day, sir."</i> Saying <i>"I do not."</i> is an outright lie. Helen justifies the lie to herself by thinking, <i>"It would be wrong to lie - but just as devious to reveal Esther's whereabouts."</i> This quote could be taken to mean that there is no way out of sinning sometimes, and this is simply not true. Helen could have simply omitted the statement, <i>"I do not."</i>

<b>Content:</b>

*An unnamed swear and a British swear Specific instances are quoted below within the spoiler tag.

<spoiler> "A curse flew from the captain's mouth, tingeing the lady's cheeks with a fine shade of scarlet."
"Oh, hang it all."
"Blast!"</spoiler>

*Drinking

"Unless you men would prefer to take port beforehand?"
The hero looks forward to "drinking a glass of Madeira."

<b>What I liked:</b> I really liked the basic plot of the story. I'm sure it's a challenge to create a hero that <spoiler>seems like a villain.</spoiler>

<b>What I didn’t like:</b>

*See the above comment about telling the truth in the content section of this review. Truth-telling in Christian fiction is a sticking point for me and I think this should have been worded a bit more carefully.

*While including alcohol may be period appropriate, I think it's preferable not to include it in a Christian fiction story.

***********
<b>Novella #2: 4.5 stars</b>

<b><i>The Doctor's Woman</i></b> (2016, Barbour), Minnesota, 1862

<b>The heroine:</b> Emmaline Nelson, grief-stricken, has lost her physician father, and now needs to move to Aunt Rosamund's in Minneapolis. However, the nearby fort has an emergency need of a physician, as the new doctor hasn't arrived yet, and Emmy is the best option for now. She acquiesces, steps in and does as much as she can. And does it very well.

<b>The hero:</b> James Clark is the new doctor at the fort, and he arrives some time after Emmy has begun helping out. He admires the feisty, intelligent Miss Nelson soon upon meeting her. She intends to leave once he has arrived, but with an unmanageable number of patients to be tended to, Dr. Clark asks her to stay.

<i>" 'I need you.' He bent toward her, a rogue grin flashing across his face. 'Though I won't admit to saying that in a court of law.' "</i>

<b>Christian elements:</b>

<i>"You have a healing gift, daughter. It's not for man to chide what God's given. Never be ashamed of what you are."</i>

<i>"... but is it not true that God doesn't always call us to the comfortable places?"</i>

<b>Content issues:</b>

*Swearing mentioned, unspecified. <spoiler><i>"One fellow slapped his hat against his leg with a curse."<i></spoiler>

*I'd call this one steamy clean, or nearly so. I've had to skim bits of it again to write this review - it's been a long time since I read it - and the portions that I've read are unquestionably clean. But the characters definitely have passion.

<b>What I liked:</b>

*<i>"He might release her, but he'd never let her go. And God help the man who tried to take her from him."</i>

*For a novella, the development is over the course of a few months, and is deep and sweet. I really enjoyed the story because of this.

<b>What I didn’t like:</b>

*If anything, maybe a bit less of the "steamy clean," but I'd have to read it again to decide that for sure.

********************
<b>Novella #3: 5 stars</b>

<b><i>A House of Secrets</i></b> (2017, Barbour), Minnesota, 1890

<b>The heroine:</b> <i>"As the new Ladies' Aide Society chairwoman,"</i> Amanda Carston comes up with a new service project idea - to <i>"restore the old Grigg house into a school for the downtrodden."</i>

<b>The hero:</b> Joseph Blake, city attorney, brings Amanda to a brothel - to serve papers to shut it down - on their way to their betrothal dinner. He's under tremendous pressure by the city to successfully get the brothel shut down.

<b>Christian elements:</b> Quotes in the story show a Christian worldview.

<i>"Surely if God created such beauty in the midst of ashes, He could do anything….. for surely it would take heavenly assistance to accomplish the plan she was about to undertake."</i>

<i>"...he silently prayed - for truly, what else could he do?"</i>

<b>Content issues:</b> A brothel is part of the plot.

<b>What I liked:</b>

*Joseph maintained his integrity, even in the face of great opposition.

*This was not a story of boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love. This was a different sort of story. It's nice to change things up every once in a while!

*<i>"Most of the shameless maples had already disrobed for their coming marriage to winter, but a few discreet maidens refused to shed their orange and red leaves."</i>

<b>What I didn’t like:</b> Coming up empty...

********************
<b>The bottom line:</b> As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong reading a Michelle Griep book. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical Christian novellas! I am going to just put a reminder here that this is a collection of previously published Barbour novellas - as outlined above - so if you read a lot of those collections, you might want to check your personal library (or your "read" list on Goodreads).

Griep is an author I plan to stay committed to, and I am presently looking forward to <i>[book: The Noble Guardian|41457269]</i>.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

I have read a few of Michelle Griep's books and I am a fan. Ladies of Intrigue is really 3 separate novellas. Each are quick and fun reads. Each is a sweet romance with historical detail and each has a strong well-developed female lead character with a little adventure added in for good measure. This would be a great vacation book for reading on the beach, or curling in front of the fire on a cool winter night!

#LadiesOfIntrigue #NetGalley

Michelle Griep is an amazing writer. She creates world, not just stories. You feel as if you step into the past and watch the stories unfold. It is an awesome experience. This is my second novel of hers and like with the first it was wonderful. It was an escape into another time, one that is hard to put down and this one has three stories so it was very fun. I completely recommend reading this!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book is easy reading. It is light and fun, with a little splash of adventure. The second short story is my favorite, though that is to be expected for this nurse! Each story is the perfect bite size for doctor’s visits or rainy afternoons. Cuddle up and enjoy this one!

Rated PG for some mild peril in short story #1 and some light adult themes (tactfully handled) in short story #3.
—no explicit sexual content
—no language
—little violence

I was given a free ebook copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

This collection of previously published novellas is a good introduction to this author. The stories of strong heroines and the heroic men who love them are just right when you need a shot of historical romance but are short on time. My favorite story was "The Doctor's Woman" but all three feature likable characters with some danger, clean romance, and light spiritual content. It's a good read when you just want something short but satisfying.
* I received this book free of charge from NetGalley.

This is three short stories about three different women in years past.  They stories are sort of uneven.  The first one is great and I wanted it to be developed more into a longer story.  The second one wasn't.  The third one was sort of in the middle.

I appreciated that there were no instances of bad language.  

This was a pleasant book that could be used to while away an afternoon and you would have enjoyed it.

Who can you trust when no one is who they appear to be?



In The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady, Helen Fletcher travels to Cornwall to comfort her dying father. She is literally swept off her feet by a masked man near the wharf. Who is the man behind the mask, and are his intentions good?



Her father has a strong faith, and encourages Helen throughout the book. I liked the way that Helen and Isaac meet formally, great tension and throughout. Good interaction brings the characters together. I also enjoyed the climactic ending.



In The Doctor's Lady Emmy Nelson is the daughter of a missionary doctor, while Dr. James Clark is a city doctor with his eye on teaching. They find themselves working together at Fort Snelling during the Dakota Uprising.



Dr. James has his path all planned out, he only intends to be in Dakota Territory for a short time before going back to the big city. Emmy is passionate about working with the Indians and helping those in need. She and James work together, but they don't see eye to eye despite their growing attraction.



James and Emmy share their faith, and I like how they both learn to look at things a little differently through the other's eyes. I liked how they got to know each other while working together, and had a strong respect for each other. I admired Emmy and her outgoing and compassionate nature. Overall, a enjoyable read, with great characters.



In A House of Secrets Ladies Aide Society President Amanda Carston wants to do more than knit socks and have teas, she wants to do more to help those in need. She sets her mind on fixing up a run down side of town and attempts to enlist the help of her fiance, Joseph, but he seems to be dragging his feet. Will Joseph's secrets get in the way of Amanda's plans to clean up the city and their relationship?



I like that Amanda has a heart to heart to help others and feels the calling to do more. I admired her passion for her cause. There are many secrets to be revealed, and it definitely kept me guessing. I liked the characters, and this was an enjoyable read.



Overall, a collection of stories that revolve around a secret, all set in different places during different time periods. Each of the stories stand on their own. An enjoyable collection.





Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

Ladies of Intrigue is an excellent collection of stories by Michelle Griep. I thoroughly enjoyed these three stories with mystery, danger and romance all rolled into one. It is a quick an easy read as each story is 90 or so pages and with great characters and intriguing plots, the book is hard to put down once you start it(at least it was for me!). These stories aren’t brand new as each was published before in previous Barbour novella collections but they were new to me and I loved each one of them.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

I am a Michelle Griep fan. I love the depth of her characters and how she quickly whisks readers into the time period she is writing about. I also enjoy how she naturally weaves in the faith message into the characters situations. These three novella sized stories feature three strong, women facing struggles true to the time period presented. I was first drawn to the beautiful cover and thrilled when I read the authors name. I knew this was going to be fun.
First up is The Gentleman’s Smuggler’s Lady. Filled with action and adventure in 1815 set in Cornwall England. Can Helen see Isaac Seaton other than the scoundrel smuggler she thinks he is. Can Isaac be vulnerable and show her who he really is?

Next is – The Doctor’s Woman – Dakota Territory – Mendota Minnesota - 1862.
Dr. James Clark and Emmy Nelson, daughter of a missionary doctor who has been well trained in using herbs to heal people are thrown together in less than desirable circumstances. The two bump heads until Dr. James Clark sees Emmy at work and realizes he might learn a thing or two from this skilled lady.

Last but not least – A House of Secrets – setting St. Paul Minnesota – 1890
Engaged couple with huge hearts and a passion to help the poor and destitute, Amanda Carston newly elected chair women for a ladies aide society and Joseph a city attorney have a few things to work out before they can truly be a husband and wife team in helping the people God brings their way. But there might be a few challenges, secrets and the rumor of ghosts standing in their way.

Each love story has a type of mystery and challenge the couples must face. The stories are enjoyable as I liked the journey through time and the difficulties these women faced. I like learning a thing two as well. These stories were inspirational, engaging, with unique, endearing characters I enjoyed hanging out with.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher/Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine https://www.bookfun.org/page/past-iss...

I’ve enjoyed quite a few of Michelle Griep’s stories in the past, including some of her novellas, however I felt that this collection of novellas fell victim to one of my most common complaints about novellas: lack of time to develop the story to its full potential.

Of all of the novellas in this collection, the premise of the first was my favourite, set on the Cornish coast and featuring a couple who first meet when the hero raids the ship the heroine has just arrived on. It would have been a simple thing for Helen to out Isaac Seaton as the man behind the raid—if only Mr. Seaton weren’t also the man whose generosity was providing for her father in his illness and had paid her passage so she could be with her father and care for him. It was a great plot, but the romance developed too quickly and therefore lacked depth and believability, and Isaac’s internal conflict suffered a similar fate.

Although a very different plot and setting, I thought the second novella shared the same problem with the romance developing too quickly—and I say this as a reader who has read and enjoyed stories where characters form quick attachments or progress to serious commitment in a short period of time. The believability comes down to the way the relationship develops and the way the characters’ deepening regard is expressed, and to me, this story overdid the sentiment compared to the connection I could feel within the story. But again, I enjoyed the general plot and would probably have appreciated this more as a full length story.

The final novella in the trio was a little different in that the couple is already engaged at the beginning. I therefore found the romance more believable, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by the hero’s reason for keeping the secret he kept, and the overall story didn’t capture my interest the way the first novella in this collection did.

Overall, I would say this collection is more suited to those who are looking for a lightweight historical romance read with a dash of intrigue.

I loved the variety of stories in this book of novellas! Michelle does a wonderful job of bringing her characters and their time periods to life.

Three tales of intrigue set in the 19th-century that have romance with a bit of mystique thrown in.
This is one of my all time favorite authors right here. I love the mystery in her books and the words just flow, no slow or awkward parts. I read this in less than a day. I just couldn't stop reading. I had to see how the twists and turns were resolved. The cover is very eye catching as well!
Published February 1st 2019 by Barbour Books
I was given a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions express are my own.

Wow! This one is a bit different. Like many others these stories are about strong women. These are a little less " fluffy" though, and not quite as light a read. All good, smart characters with a lot of heart. And quite interesting. It's a book that you don't want to put down!

"Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything. . .even in man.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This is actually a set of romantic stories. Each is compelling in their own right. I enjoyed each viginette immensely. It is so good I would recommend it for your keeper shelf.

Each story draws you in quickly, is full of surprises, and has a great ending. One a Lady finds herself falling in love with a smuggler, the second, a Doctor's daughter finds herself assisting another Doctor in the middle of an Indian uprising, the last woman is a fiancee who finds her betrothed keeping secrets.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to read this ebook through Netgalley.

This book contains three well written novellas: The Gentleman Smuggler's Lady, The Doctor's Woman, and A House of Secrets. Although short each feels complete with good plot lines and characters that are well developed.

Filled with mystery and romance, each had a realistic hero and heroine. Sometimes at cross purposes, they still were intent on reaching the same goal. Each is a quick, enjoyable read that can be read in one sitting for most readers.

My favorite was The Doctor's Woman. Although Emmy Nelson and Dr. James Clark looked at medicine from different perspectives, they both wanted the same end result. Emmy had learned natural herbal healing from her father that often worked better than the newer, more modern methods (such as blood letting with leaches) favored by Dr. Clark. As they worked together for both the military personnel at the fort and the Sioux Indians being protected just outside the fort, they learned from one another and discovered that there was a place for each of their methods in order to achieve healing. Emmy was a lady ahead of her time when it came to doctoring. She was willing to learn new things and teach others from her knowledge.

A good read for those who like well developed novellas for a short read.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Books through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.