The Maid of Fairbourne Hall - Julie Klassen

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one much more than the last couple of Julie Klassen novels I've read. It may be because the heroine wasn't being punished for being a "fallen woman." Thankfully, this one was much less heavy and preachy, not so full of judgment and condemnation. At the most, some Bible verses and a few quick prayers were all that reminded me that this was a Christian romance, thank God. I do like to read a good romance that focuses more on the emotional aspect of love rather than sex scenes, but also doesn't preach at me. Believe it or not, that's hard to find.

Mainly, this was a story of a selfish, proud woman who finds herself in the position of a servant and learns what it's like to be on the other side. The upstairs-downstairs aspect was interesting. I do tend to enjoy how Klassen's romances explore aspects of the time period that you don't often get in a romance, making them closer to the Historical Fiction end of the spectrum. Although some of it might have been a bit far-fetched, that's often true of Regency romances.

I was able to sit back and enjoy this one. I'm glad I decided to pick it up. I almost didn't after the bitter taste the last couple books had left me.

Restoration - Carol Berg

Restoration by Carol Berg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy! From almost the first page, I was holding my breath. There was no slow build here. It just jumped right in and punched me in the gut, then ran away. Seyonne goes through so much. More than ever before. Aleksander too. The empire undergoes some upheavals that bring him into his own transformation. I loved that he is much more prominent than he was in the second book. Seyonne and Aleksander's friendship... just wow. Heartwrenching at times, but also so worth it.

This book built on both the first and the second of the series, but wasn't just a continuation. It was a synthesis of everything that came before, and a new height of revelation. Each part of the trilogy stood so well on its own, but together they're so much more. And just in case you're reading the description for the first book and thinking it's all about demons, it's really not. Not even close. Nothing is ever quite as it seems.

I feel as if I've been hollowed out and filled back up. Fantastic.