About the Book:
Title: Of Silver and Secrets
Series: Time’s Lost Treasures #2
Author: Michelle Griep
Publisher: Bethany House Fiction
Released: June 3, 2025
Genre: Historical Romantic Suspense
Buried underneath are truths bent on keeping them apart. . . .
In 1889 Victorian England, Eva Inman is haunted by guilt over her parents’ deaths while struggling to care for her blind sister and manage her family’s crumbling estate. With the tax deadline looming, Eva’s situation looks dire until an ancient silver ring is unearthed on the property. Despite superstitions warning against disturbing the supposedly cursed acres, Eva’s need for funds ignites her curiosity about the potential of finding more buried relics.
Cambridge professor Bram Webb must prove a legendary Christian Roman settlement exists, or he’ll risk exposing his uncle’s deteriorating memory and they’ll both lose their positions. Then Eva steps into his office with the prospect of an archaeological dig that might lead to the very evidence Bram requires–provided he and Eva can set aside painful memories of a time they would rather forget. As the dig forces the two to confront their pasts, the work becomes fraught with challenges that threaten Eva’s and Bram’s hopes, as well as the growing attraction between them.
“Sure to delight fans of archaeological adventure and historical romance.”–JULIE KLASSEN, bestselling author
Dive into the past in this clean historical romance as Michelle Griep transports you to Victorian England with an appealing mix of mystery, Roman archaeology, and charming banter. This enthralling tale will appeal to fans of Mimi Matthews, Andrea Penrose, Anna Lee Huber, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke.
Get your copy below!!
https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Secrets-Victorian-Archeological-Treasures/dp/0764242571
My Impressions
“The end of Eva’s world started with a window she never should have left open.”
Whew! What a gripping, suck-you-in-like-a-whirlpool opening sentence!Michelle Griep pens this Victorian romance with such beautiful, flowing artistry that I often had to stop and reread a sentence or a whole paragraph. Just for the beauty of the construction. So I’m in love with the writing style.
And the characters. A young lady, Eva Inman, who is convinced her mistake twelve years earlier caused her mother’s death, her sister’s blindness, and their now-fatherless estate to be in extreme need of funds. The corresponding male main character, Professor Bram Webb, who knew Eva in childhood,now returns to create an archaeological dig on her estate lands. ( Webb must prove an ancient Christian civilization, hiding from Roman tyranny, existed on Inman land.) Eva doesn’t know if she’s attracted to the man from her past or if she despises Bram, the man she considers “the first in a string of people to leave her.”
In some ways, there are elements that give the novel the feel of a certain well-known fictional archaeological character. Fun. Yet, Bram’s reason for joining his uncle Pendleton on the dig are very self-sacrificing. I cannot imagine the fortitude Bram shows as he supports his history prof. uncle. I would have been explaining myself by this point. Eva doesn’t trust Bram becsuse of their childhood connection, but she fails to understand that Bram has undergone a transformation. Indeed, Bram has many enemies and people he would seem justified to hold a grudge against, but, instead of taking vengeance, he explains to Eva. “Perhaps his conscience is buried beneath layers of deceit and bitterness, yet it is not beyond redemption. Harsh words and flying fists will not change his heart. Only God can do that.” How he moves from ready-to-fight anger to a willingness to hand his enemy over to God speaks so much for his character!
A great supporting character is Penny, Eva’s outgoing, curious, and unafraid blind sister. Penny is 13 going on 30. How will Eva ever keep her charge safe?
Twists! This novel has some truly great ones. My eyes widened as I read many times, surprised at how each successive obstacle worked out!
Stars and thunder!! I was unhappy when I finished the book! I loved Of Silver and Shadows so much, with its many themes, truth nuggets, amazing romance and twists. I just didn’t want it to end!! My definition of a perfect book!
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher and NetGalley. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“…though truth might be absolute, discerning the right course of action when living that truth was often anything but obvious.”
“It is easy to judge from the outside, but we can never truly understand the burdens others carry or the choices they feel forced to make. We are all fallen creatures.”
“Love is a gift, worth risking everything for… let nothing stand in your way.”
“The very first time you asked to be pardoned, you were. That is what grace is all about. “
“We are all tethered to something…When that tether snaps, as it is wont to do, this is when we realize the true extent of our faith.”
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 