Brentwood's Ward

by Michelle Griep

Overview

“I suppose I can’t expect to keep you under lock and key. You’re hardly a criminal.  .  .are you?”   
 
It takes a criminal to catch one, and Nicholas Brentwood is just the man for the job. Reformed in more ways than one, the rough-around-the-edges Brentwood is a member of the Bow Street Runners, London’s early nineteenth-century fledgling police force. There’s none better than Brentwood at catching the felons who ravage the city’s streets, and there’s nothing he loves more than seeing justice served.  Beautiful and beguiling, Miss Emily Payne is not the sort of miscreant Brentwood usually hunts down. When he is assigned as her bodyguard, he vows to protect her from her father’s enemies, who will stop at nothing to carry out their mission fueled by greed and revenge.
          
All her life, Emily has longed for love, but it remains beyond her grasp. This season she’s determined to find a husband, which is quite the undertaking with a hound-dog guardian like Brentwood watching her every step. If he would just give her some measure of freedom, she is sure she could win the heart of society’s most eligible bachelor. 

Emily’s headstrong persistence challenges Nicholas in ways he doesn’t expect but of one thing he’s certain—of all the cunning criminals he’s dealt with in the past, this time he’s met his match.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630586799
Publisher:	Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	01/01/2015
Series:	The Bow Street Runners Trilogy , #1
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes—except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, where she teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op. An Anglophile at heart, she runs away to England every chance she gets, under the guise of research. Really, though, she’s eating excessive amounts of scones while rambling around a castle. Michelle is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). Keep up with her adventures at her blog "Writer off the Leash" or visit michellegriep.com

Editorial Reviews

11/10/2014
Regency romance writer Griep (A Heart Deceived) sets this action-packed novel in the days of the Bow Street runners, amateur neighborhood police in early 19th-century London. Spoiled heiress Emily Payne means to escape her unloving father by taking up with Henley, a handsome cad. Unknown to her, however, her father has run afoul of the smugglers with whom he’s been doing business and has made his own plans to skip town. He hires experienced lawman Nicholas Brentwood to watch out for his daughter in his absence. There’s one pursuit after another: Brentwood chases Emily as she sashays around town, oblivious to the danger she’s in; unscrupulous characters chase first her father’s business partner, then Emily; Brentwood chases Henley and the smugglers; and finally Emily and Brentwood chase each other as the only safe havens in a perilous world. A dying sister, a pregnant maid, and a gaggle of murderous foes round out the character list. Terrific fight scenes and tender reunions round out the galloping plot. The inspirational element is light, potentially enlarging the audience for this historical romance. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

I absolutely loved this book! It started out a bit light-hearted and bordering on comical. But the story also had quite a bit of depth to it. There is a strong Christian theme about having faith that God is in control. The characters have a lot to learn in this novel, and it was enjoyable watching them receive their lessons.

Writing About Stories - Dana Kamstra

Michelle Griep pens an exquisite Regency novel that’s set in London 1807, incorporating shades of suspense, mystery, and romance in such an atmospheric story that it gives you the impression that you've just fallen into another era. And much like the misty rain blanketing London, a cloak of intrigue envelops this story, wholly enticing the reader to lose themselves within.

A master at words, author Michelle Griep adeptly molds her prose to bring life to every sentence in an invigorating story that serves up scads of suspense, peril, romance, and faith. I adored the richly-crafted characters such as the extremely perceptive hero Nicholas, and the self-indulgent Emily that has a penchant for hats, and found that these two inspired the most delightful dialogue. Woven throughout and tying this novel together, were the heartening messages on building trust and developing more positive attitudes in spite of circumstances.

NetGalley - Noela Nancarrow

Brentwood’s Ward is a very unique story. Giving us a glimpse into the lives of the very first police officers. I had no knowledge of how the police came to be until I read this book. Michelle Griep has captured 1800s London in a way that I have not read before. I could not put this book down! I was on the edge of my seat (quite literally) for a good portion of the time. The depth of emotion is tangible in our leading characters. I believe that almost anyone can relate to the people in this story.

Bookworm Mamma - Rachel Dixon

Oh, oh oh!! I loved this book! I've loved each and every book I've read from Michelle Griep and this latest book is wonderful.Fun, adventurous, great characters, strong story... I love it all! This is a perfect winter read... so go grab it now!

NetGalley - Jenilee Goodwin