What a sweet, wholesome story, and yet shot through with deep, burning passion, angst and mystery!
Fans of ‚Downton Abbey‘ will find every character amongst the servants one could think of in good old England.
What a great character Daniel is, and I loved how the layers of mystery were slowly peeled back. Just gorgeously done!
Out now!
Yorkshire 1710
Young Daniel Huntington is offered a position as Master of Horse at the renowned estate of Baronet Brigham. He accepts, overwhelmed by this unique opportunity. While he soon settles into his new life, there is one thing puzzling him: Among the servants is a maid who never speaks and is shunned by everyone. Fascinated by her friendship with a white mare that does not suffer anyone else to touch her, Daniel tries to find out more about the girl. The last words of the old Master of Horse hint at a gruesome secret…
Reader’s voices
Sometimes historical romance novels have a wallpaper feel, but the setting here was well done….lots of insight into what life in a country manor would have felt like in how it was staffed, operated, and interaction with neighbors.
This is a slowly developed romance that has a very real feel to it. It is a clean love story, but not “sweet.” There are some gritty topics, but the romance is believable and satisfying. Daniel is a great beta hero. He is consistently kind and strong without ever being a bully, and I was rooting for him the entire way.
Okay – WOW
I just read this entire book in one sitting and I’m astonished at how amazing it was.
It was so pure. I felt so heartbroken for Bella’s life. The anguish she has suffered. And Daniel? He’s so pure too. Such a sweet man.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book – having everything (sans one scene and the pro/epilogue) be in Daniel’s POV really hit home from me. I felt emotionally connected with a male character, which I think a lot of other books aren’t able to accomplish.
Clean read, low romance = more focused on plot development and progression.
It was fascinating how the story has romantic, emotionally beautiful aspects on the one hand, while on the other it is full of tension like a suspense novel. In the course of the story, the drama becomes ever more evident. To me as a reader it was especially lovely to read Daniel’s thoughts in his letters to his mother.
The Silent Maid is a beautiful historical romance, letting the reader get lost in past times to experience the events on the estate first-hand. The storytelling is fluent, colourful, emotional and right from the start filled with an underlying tension that makes the reader curious and keeps them glued to the pages, while they mingle with the inhabitants of the estate to get to the bottom of all the secrets. The descriptions create gorgeous images before the reader’s inner eye. The Christian aspect is also transported beautifully, for the story is about trust in God, hope and forgiveness.
I have deeply enjoyed reading this book. Especially the character of the Baronet and the explanation, why he acts the way he does, was quite different from the usual, which really surprised me. The maid’s psychological struggle was also very well presented following her suffering. Being a former horse girl, I loved everything concerning the horses, except two scenes which pained me a bit. But these make the story seem even more real.
Annette Spratte 