The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

What is your favorite fairytale?  Do you like when fairytales are incorporated into other books?  The Maid of Ballymacool is a Cinderella type story and I loved it!

Brianna Kelly has worked at Ballymacool House her entire life. Ballymacool House is a boarding school for wealthy girls.  She was left there as a small child and all she has of her own was a locket that was left with her.  She works from early morning far into the night.  Her only pleasure is treasure hunting in the woods near Ballymacool House.  Why are there treasures in the woods and what do they mean?

Michael Wray is the son of a local gentry and has been sent to Ballymacool House to help deal with his cousin, Adeline.  He is dismayed by his cousin and her actions, but he is also drawn to Brianna.  Why does she seem so familiar?

I loved the characters and story in this one.  I especially liked the evil headmistress Magee.  There was a mystery involved with Magee that I liked learning more about.  I also enjoyed the Irish setting and the use of Gaelic throughout the novel.

This was a clean read and I loved the slow build sweet romance that grew between Brianna and Michael.

The author’s note at the end was very interesting as well.  Ballymacool House and woods is a real historic location.  I’m putting it on my bucket list of places to visit!  I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland.

The Maid of Ballymacool is a good Cinderella story with a great clean and sweet romance.  I highly recommend it.

Review Copy from Revell a division of Baker Publishing   Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·         Title: The Maid of Ballymacool: A Novel

·         Author: Jennifer Deibel

·         Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction

·         Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Co (February 21, 2023)

·         Length: (352) pages

·         Format: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, & eBook 

·         ISBN: 978-0800741747

·         Tour Dates: February 13 – 27, 2023

 

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.

ADVANCE PRAISE

·         “Deibel’s update on the “Cinderella” story features sympathetic, three-dimensional characters that readers will find easy to root for as they navigate the page-turning plot and find their way to one another. This heartwarming entry will keep readers hooked till its satisfying close.”— Publisher’s Weekly

 

·         "A slow-building, delicious romance wrapped in a mystery!"— Erica Vetsch, author of the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries

 

 

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BAKER PUBLISHING | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

 

AUTHOR BIO

Jennifer Deibel is the author of A Dance in Donegal (winner of the Kipp Award for Historical Romance) and The Lady of Galway Manor (a Parable Group bestseller). Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and in other publications. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS