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The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep

February 23, 2026 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: The Bird of Bedford Manor

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction / Regency

Release Date: February, 2026

Bedfordshire, England, 1820: Ruined by the sins of her father, Juliet Finch is cast into a life of self-reliance. Survival is a harsh taskmaster, but she is a quick learner and excels at tracking and snaring wild game to feed herself. Juliet embraces her new identity until the day Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land—a crime punishable by death. Henry, however, has other offenses on his mind: namely, the troublesome stalker who’s making a misery of his sister’s life. To try to put a stop to her torment, Henry charges Juliet with tracking the elusive villain so he can be brought to justice. Using her skills, Juliet hunts down the rogue. . .but may just become the prey herself.

Reader favorite Michelle Griep has penned yet another masterpiece with this page-turning adventure that has it all:

swoon-worthy romance
clever turn-of-phrase
colorfully memorable characters
charming British setting

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at http://www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

More from Michelle

The Waltz: The Dance That Shocked Regency England

Post by Michelle Griep

I’ll be the first to admit it…I can’t dance a lick. Not a jig, not a reel, and certainly not anything that requires turning in rhythm without stepping on someone’s toes. If you ever spot me on a dancefloor, it’s because someone shoved me there or I lost a bet. Which is probably why the waltz both fascinates and terrifies me. A dance that actually expects you to glide gracefully while holding someone close? Absolutely not. And yet in Regency England, it became the talk of the town.

When the waltz swirled onto the dancefloors of England in the 1790s, it caused more shock than delight. Imported from Austria and southern Germany, it was a turning, closely-held dance—far too close for the comfort of polite society. Many called it indecent, warning that no respectable couple should stand chest-to-chest before a room full of onlookers. Some critics even claimed the dance “ignited dangerous feelings” and threatened to erode proper English restraint.

Shocking, right?

But fashions shift, and all it took was the Prince Regent giving the dance his approval in 1814. Overnight, the waltz transformed from scandal to sensation. By the 1820s, it was everywhere.

Here are a few fun bits of waltz trivia from the era:
• Some etiquette books warned that too much turning could cause “disorientation” or “undue excitement.”
• Early chaperones sometimes counted the number of turns, convinced it reflected a couple’s level of impropriety.
• A lady’s hemline was said to act like a “barometer” of a gentleman’s behavior—if it swayed too wildly, he was holding her too tightly.

In The Bird of Bedford Manor, set in 1820, this same world of rigid rules and whispered scandals forms the backdrop for Juliet Finch—resourceful, determined, and driven into the woods by her father’s downfall. When Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land, everything changes. What begins as a crime punishable by death becomes something far more dangerous as he charges her with tracking the stalker tormenting his sister.

Juliet can track anything. But this time, she may become the hunted.

My Impressions

Oh, my stars! It’s amazed I am. The story, the twists, the villians, the red herrings, the faith nuggets plainly on display.

Michelle Griep’s singular gripping storytelling abilities, married with her ability to authentically transport us back in time to Regency England had me salivating at the first sentences. I had trouble getting through the book, but probably not why you might think. Not only are the characters relatable and endearing, but the linguistic paintbrush Griep employs so beautifully caused me to stop and reread many a sentence. “She was like a caged falcon, barely restrained, her sharp green eyes always moving, calculating, waiting for the right moment to fly away.” Or “The place was naught but a collection of boards leaning against one another like drunkards, each seeming to hold up the other by sheer accident.” I just had to sit for a while and take in the beauty of that carefully formulated prose!

The story itself is a great one. Caught poaching on manor land, Juliet is offered a solution other than the hangman’s noose. Her benefactor, Henry Russell, pardons her on the condition she hunt for him. He wants Juliet to discover who is terrorizing his sister, Charity. “Who better to hunt for a man than a hunter? And a female one at that?”

Several characters in the novel totally surprised me. I love a mystery that is twisted enough I can’t figure it out, and the personalities involved seem to perform out of character. However, in the end, it all makes sense, even though my deduction skills weren’t equal to the task. Bravo, Ms. Griep! It was such an exciting, fun journey, I don’t think I can read another book because of the hangover from this one! Definitely my fave Griep novel yet!!

Could I ever relate to Henry in his understanding of a childhood event. I wonder how many adults look back at some childhood event with completely different eyes, sometimes not until someone shows us another perspective.

Don’t miss this fantastic book! I look forward to it to be a 2026 fave of mine.

I received a copy of the book from Barbour Books and Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy, because…the Keeper Shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“…tell me why you cannot trust me.” “Because you have the power to undo me.” – Juliet, Henry

“I am sure you suffer more from my filthy state than I do.” – Juliet -[such well-placed humor!]

“Many a lie is garbled as truism.”– Henry

“Your past- no matter how tragic- does not define who you are.” Henry

“A bull in a china shop only alerts every teacup to its doom.” – Juliet

“Anything good in me—any strength or virtue—comes from God alone. Without Him, I would not even try to do what is right. And that is the thing…“The truth is none of us are good on our own. Every last one of us falls short.”- Henry

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Only because more than five are not allowed. Superior!!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 24

Devoted Steps, February 24

Bizwings Blog, February 25

Book Looks by Lisa, February 25

Where Faith and Books Meet, February 25

Sylvan Musings, February 26

Sydney Schmied Books, February 26

Lily’s Corner, February 27

Melissa’s Bookshelf, February 27

Inspired by Fiction, February 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 28

Texas Book-aholic, March 1

Simple Harvest Reads, March 1 (Guest Review from Mindy)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 2

Books You Can Feel Good About, March 2

For Him and My Family, March 3

The Bookish Pilgrim, March 3

Betti Mace, March 4

Cover Lover Book Review, March 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 5

Blogging With Carol, March 5

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 6

Blossoms and Blessings, March 6

Stories By Gina, March 7 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, March 7

Holly’s Book Corner, March 8

Pause for Tales, March 8

Vicky Sluiter, March 8

Devoted To Hope, March 9

To Everything There Is A Season, March 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/zqeQC/the-bird-of-bedford-manor-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase

Vengeance in Vienna by Sara L. Jameson Review and Giveaway

December 1, 2025 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Vengeance in Vienna (Troubled Waters Book 3)

Author: Sara L. Jameson

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 16, 2024

A moonlight sail. A sniper on the shore. A terrorist financier determined to kill Jacob and all he holds dear.

Interpol Special Agent Jacob Coulter and his fiancée Riley Williams set out on a moonlight sail, but a sniper turns their idyllic Austrin vacation into a deadly nightmare.

On temporary assignment to the Vienna Interpol office, Jacob must apprehend a notorious terrorist financier and uncover his operations in Austria. But the financier is determined to destroy all Jacob holds dear. And that includes his kid sister and his fiancée, Riley Williams.

Opera singer Riley Williams is tired of dodging terrorist attempts on her life. When she insists on helping Jacob catch the financier and his henchmen, she gets into more trouble than she bargained for.

But the financier’s tentacles of evil reach far deeper into the Austrian economy than Jacob and Riley suspected. What they uncover appalls them. The clock is ticking. Can Jacob find them before it’s too late?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Sara L. Jameson won Scrivenings Press’s grand prize publishing contract in January 2021. They released her debut romantic suspense novel, Cruise to Death, in June 2021. Death in High Places, (Book 2 in the Troubled Waters series), released February 2023, followed by Vengeance in Vienna, July 2024. She is currently working on books 4 and 5 of the Troubled Waters series for Scrivenings Press.

In real life, Sara is a multi-published former university professor who has also written non-fiction under her real name and edits book manuscripts for other authors. She also pens WWII historical novels. When not at her computer, she enjoys reading, swimming, cooking, and dog-sitting.

More from Sara

Ever since childhood, I’ve loved to travel. Memories of family cross-country car trips still make me smile. Breakfast and lunch prepped from goodies chilled in the ice chest. Kellogg’s single-serve cereals or cake doughnuts with milk and juice. (Rare treats in our household.) A sandwich prepared at a roadside picnic table for lunch. As an adult, their lack of nutrition makes me shudder.

These days, my tastes have grown more sophisticated. Scrumptious buffet breakfasts in European or Asian hotels make my mouth water. Local dishes creep into my books. And no trip to Antwerp, Belgium is complete without a serious stop at a delectable chocolate shop. Naturally, for the reader’s sake, Sampling these treats for authenticity in the novel is a must, right?

While tempting the palate with sumptuous Viennese pastries at Heiner’s, my favorite Konditorei (pastry shop), Vengeance in Vienna whisks readers through the stunning Austrian countryside with assassins at Jacob and Riley’s backs, and a terrorist financier determined to destroy them. Dehmel’s is another Konditorei readers might want to visit. Both Konditoreien are steeped in history, atmosphere, and Old-World charm. Are you salivating yet?

Better yet, grab a copy of Vengeance in Vienna and curl up for a nail-biting armchair trip to beautiful Austria filled with heart-pounding romantic suspense.

My Impressions

“That verse in Psalm 92, God gives us the ability to stay calm in the time of adversity until the wicked have been caught. Right now, he needed an overdose of Godly calm.”

Kudos to Sara L. Jameson! In her third book of the Troubled Waters series, Vengeance in Vienna, Jameson totally changed my attitude towards the main characters.

First, a little catch up. Riley, an opera singer, and her fiancée, Jacob, an Interpol agent, are on a-separate-rooms vacation in Austria. But that is also a cover for Jacob’s team to sniff out international terrorist financier Armand and his money laundering businesses. Unfortunately, Armand seems to be one step ahead of Jacob and Riley, and he doesn’t allow betrayers or enemies to survive. Thus, Riley and Jacob race around Vienna and the rest of Austria trying to both elude and capture Armand.

Plus there are a few problems on the home front. Jacob’s jealous coworker, Margot, dislikes Riley and seems determined to get Jacob off the job. Jacob’s parents are not happy with him… and neither is his much-younger teenage sister for whom he is supposedly guardian. And Riley insists on helping Jacob in his cases ( not so bad), but doesn’t listen to his direction ( not so good at all)!

Riley’s attitude became tiresome for me.“My dad is overprotective. He likes to rule the roost, tell us how to think, what to wear, what to do.” She stabbed a scallop. “And not to do.” I could understand it. But it came into play way too often and I wanted to ask her if she’d really considered what effects her attitude and action might have on Jacob’s job? Yikes, for being engaged, this couple has some issues to work through.

I liked seeing Riley’s character growth arc, especially as she emerges into a spiritual helpmeet for Jacob.

I did like that Jameson shows their strong faith by their frequent prayers, Bible verse repetitions at appropriate times, and just crying out to God in times of danger. I did have to laugh- Riley is able to squash many of her fears by recalling a certain Bible story and taking strength from that Biblical hero’s faith.

Somewhere along the way, the very real social evils that Jameson deals with, and the faith they use to combat it, move her characters from the two-dimensional world into our three-dimensional world. I could barely turn the pages fast enough at that point.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Character had to be built, not bought.”

“ ‘Nevertheless, we must forgive others.’ The wetness from her tears dribbled onto his face. ‘And if we don’t forgive ourselves, guilt, shame, and condemnation will destroy us from the inside out.’ “ – Riley

“We’ve prayed about this. We must believe God has a solution.” – Riley