I was ready to give this book the five stars the other works by Julie Klassen I’ve read so far earned in their own right. However, and even when I tried, I can’t give The Silent Governess more than four. Don’t get me wrong. It is far superior to other books to which I gave four stars; but still, I can’t give it five. Let me explain myself.Something I love about Julie Klassen’s writing is her elegance. Words flow and form beautiful sentences, the dialogues never feel forced, nor the metaphors, an...

Stunning! I get breathless just thinking about how good this is! I grieved when it was over. Klassen has an exquisite command of the English language and she isn't afraid to use it. Rich descriptions paint a vivid picture and carry the reader away into an Austen-like setting. "The autumn air was crisp, the wood a colorful fresco of flaming brown and orange beechwood trees..." (p.96) Doesn't that conjure up a reaction in all your senses? I can smell the musty scent of decaying leaves, hear them r...

Forced to escape from her home, because she thinks she killed a man, Olivia Keene arrives to Brightwell Court where overhears a great secret concerning the family who lives there. Worried for his future, if that secret is revealed, Lord Bradley decides to keep an eye on Olivia (who is temporarily unable to speak because of an accident) and offers her a post at his father’s estate until she is perfectly recovered. The relationship between Olivia and Lord Bradley starts badly because they do not t...

I enjoyed it. And I immediately realised that Jane Eyre was one of sources of inspiration. And Edward for the main lead... really? How much obvious does it have to get.

To be a lonely Governess for the rest of your life is one thing... To be marked by a tainted family name and a questionable past, is another.Secrets galore leave you guessing throughout the book for both of the main characters!Julie Klassen masterfully weaves an intense plot and ties up the end so neatly, you are in tears with the joy it produces. She is so talented and I am thankful to have read another great book. Some of the aspects of this book hits home for me regarding family, so I knew I

It's difficult to satisfactorily review a book when you care so much about it. I've waited a week since finishing to tackle this review, and yet I don't know how to express how much I enjoyed getting lost between two covers! First I had it from the church library in the fall. I was only a few chapters in and had already made it to the point of carrying it in the car...and then my mom had to wait for me, and got so completely absorbed in it that she made it beyond where I was. She was going throu...

TYPE OF NOVEL: Historical Romance, Regency RomanceTIME FRAME: 1815MAIN CHARACTERS: Olivia Keene, Edward Bradley, Judith Howe, Lord Brightwell, Mr. Croome, Simon Keene, and Dorothea KeeneWHY I WANTED TO READ THIS NOVEL:- Loved the previous two books I read by this author - The Apothecary's Daughter and The Tutor's Daughter- I love reading novels about governesses (especially if there is romance involved!) Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite novels. My great-grandmother was a governess.SYNOPS...

Wow, I was swept away in the tides of this book! It took me longer to read than a book normally does because I wanted to fully absorb it all! This is a book that keeps you reading far into the night and thinking about it first thing in the morning. You thought you had things figured out but in actuality you were far from figuring it out! Intrigue,suspense, a bit of creepiness and a hint of romance make for an exciting story here. I look forward to reading more Klassen books in the future!

2022 Reread: 5 Star book for excellent writing, but while this is a well loved JK novel & I do enjoy it, it isn’t my favorite of hers. There’s plenty to love, but I think it’s my first impression of the hero Edward that bothers me. Edward is so snotty toward her in the beginning & then suspicious & accusing of her for most of the novel. He redeems himself for sure but I didn’t care for him for the first half of the book or more. Olivia’s character is very likable & is quite saintly. I love that

This is the first novel I've read by Julie Klassen, and I'm eager to read her other novels since finishing this one. While it is your typical regency romance/mystery, the plot was very creative.This book was mainly plot-driven; I could hardly stop reading because I just had to see what was going to happen next. I love when a book is like that. I really enjoyed watching the mysteries unravel as Olivia, the main character, figures everything out. It's hard to say much about the mysteries without g...

This is the story of Miss Olivia Keene, who is a teacher in a local school for girls. She returns home one day to find her mother being strangled. Olivia rushes to her mother’s aid and strikes the attacker over the head. Her mother gives her a purse and pleads with Olivia to run, in case she has unintentionally killed him, and Olivia obeys. She hopes to find sanctuary with a friend of her mother’s some distance away, and hopes that they will take her on to work in their school. Olivia has a near...

I noted while I was reading that this book was like vanilla pudding with vanilla sprinkles on a very vanilla day.Upon finishing, I still hold to that statement. The plot was bland, the conflict was bland, the romance was bland (not because of the lack of, um, physical carnality but because there was not even a fizzle—much less a spark— between the two characters), and the characters were bland. There was a great deal of potential in the plot, such as: a governess who stumbles upon a secret is fo...

There are no words. (Now watch me prattle on in typical fangirl fashion. ;) Yes, I just used the word 'prattle'.)The Silent Governess is such a treasure! It has everything a historical fiction fan could want! Mystery, suspense, contention, suspicion, some humor, light (clean) romance, family, friends, loyalty, betrayal- lots of unexpected plot twists and discoveries! Trust and the value of family are the major themes in this story, and they are proved over and over to our confused and searching

I really enjoyed this book. I loved Olivia, and my heart broke with all she had endured even before she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and overheard Lord Bradley's secret. I grew to love her even more as she found the courage to stand up for what was right, help solve mysteries, and fall in love into the bargain!I also enjoyed Edward, though there were moments when I wanted to talk some sense into him. Obtuse, much? He did eventually figure things out, and make things right f...

I bought this book from a used bookstore thinking I would get a light romantic read. I had just finished an epic series and wanted something not as time consuming. I got what I wanted. A modern romantic story set almost like a movie backdrop to Regency England. I overall liked the story, but found myself criticizing the reasons why our protagonist was in her predicament. I didn't understand how she allowed herself to get there and just accepted the situation with whole-hearted trust. *sigh* I'll...

Amazing! When this was recommended to me I was told that what happens through the book is all so unexpected and not what you think is going to happen - and it's true! I could not believe all the twists and turns the plot took and how everything worked out! It was so nice to not know what is going to happen in a story! It was wonderfully written and never got boring, keeping me interested the whole time! The characters were wonderful - they had so much depth to them and the hero and heroine toget...

My word, what a novel!I have no idea what to say...I loved it!! It was SO engrossing right from the start, and the excitement didn't drop once. From the prologue was are swept in a web of intrigue, mystery, secrets and adventure. This book is like, impossible to put down. Olivia Keene, the heroine, was absolutely amazing. She was courageous, loyal, clever and fierce and I loved the way she stayed true to herself and stood up to Lord Bradley from time to time. Her relationship with the children w...

This was my first read by Julie Klassen (Shocking I know) but it won't be my last.Julie has a gift of drawing the reader in with various mysteries, interesting ladies, handsome but a bit rugged gentlemen, too many bad guys and a story that flows and builds beautifully.I enjoyed the various mysteries intertwined in this book and the small clues given to the reader, enough to solve the mystery, but not too obvious that you are being kept in the dark right till the end. Even at the end when I thoug...

by Andrea Renee CoxLet me catch my breath...Julie Klassen knows how to create breathtaking stories that carry you off to faraway places. The Silent Governess does not disappoint.When Olivia Keene goes on the run, she intends to keep her secret, not overhear someone else's. When an incident leaves her voiceless, Lord Edward Bradley forces her to work in his father's household until he may discern what details about his secret she knows... and if she'll have a loose tongue once she is no longer si...

Julie Klassen is a pretty good writer, and the plot of this book was interesting. I liked the characters, all the little mysteries going on, and the theme of redemption the book had. I don't know why it is called The Silent Governess, since Olivia is never a silent governess. She is a silent under-nurse, then a non-silent governess. I kept wondering how she could be a governess if she was silent, but that never happened.I thought the romance was the weakest part of the book. I never particularly...