{"id":23661,"date":"2018-10-14T00:51:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-14T05:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=23661"},"modified":"2018-10-13T19:10:31","modified_gmt":"2018-10-14T00:10:31","slug":"a-tale-of-two-hearts-by-michelle-griep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=23661","title":{"rendered":"A Tale of Two Hearts by Michelle Griep"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

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MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Tale of Two Hearts<\/em><\/strong> is the second book in Michelle Griep’s delightful Once Upon a Dickens Christmas<\/strong> series. Set in Dickens era England the story features Mina Scott who secretly admires William Barlow. When he asks her to pose as his bride for just one evening to help him gain a desperately needed inheritance, Mina jumps at the chance only to find herself caught in a rapidly growing trap of lies and deceit. This story is a fine example of the often quoted “O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!” by Walter Scott. One lie led to another one as Mina and William’s good intentions seemed to offer them excuses to continue the charade. <\/span><\/p>\n

The plot was creative and expertly crafted with wonderful characters, some of whom were extremely easy to dislike. A strong theme of grace, mercy, and redemption was skillfully woven throughout the tale and I loved how the author wrapped it all up at the end.<\/p>\n

A Tale of Two Hearts<\/strong><\/em> is a perfect Christmas story, especially for lovers of Dickens and historical fiction. Both this book and the previous one 12 Days at Bleakley Manor<\/strong><\/em> would make excellent gifts for readers in your circle of family and friends.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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ABOUT THE BOOK:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Book Title: <\/strong>A Tale of Two Hearts<\/p>\n

Author:<\/strong> Michelle Griep<\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Christian Historical Romance<\/p>\n

Release date<\/strong>: September 1, 2018<\/td>\n

\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Innkeeper\u2019s daughter Mina Scott will do anything to escape the drudgery of her life. She saves every penny to attend a finishing school, dreaming of the day she\u2019ll become a real lady\u2014and catch the eye of William Barlow, a frequent guest at the inn.<\/p>\n

William is a gentleman\u2019s son, a charming rogue but penniless. However, his bachelor uncle will soon name an heir\u2014either him or his puritanical cousin. In an effort to secure the inheritance, William gives his uncle the impression he\u2019s married, which works until he\u2019s invited to bring his wife for a visit.<\/p>\n

William asks Mina to be his pretend bride, only until his uncle names an heir on Christmas Day. Mina is flattered and<\/em> frustrated by the offer, for she wants a true relationship with William. Yet, she agrees. . .then wishes she hadn\u2019t as she comes to love the old man. And when the truth is finally discovered, more than just money is lost.<\/p>\n

Can two hearts survive such a deception?<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to purchase your copy!<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Michelle Griep<\/strong>\u2019s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Captured Bride,<\/i> The Innkeeper\u2019s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood\u2019s Ward, A Heart Deceived, <\/i>and Gallimore,<\/i> but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan<\/i>.<\/p>\n

GUEST POST FROM MICHELLE:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Victorian Christmas Foods<\/strong><\/h4>\n

So, it\u2019s September, and you know what that means? It\u2019s back to school. Pumpkin spiced everything is just around the corner. And it\u2019s nearly time for cardigans and colored leaves. But besides all these autumn staples, it\u2019s also time to start thinking about Christmas, because it will be here before you know it. How about this year you plan ahead to serve some traditional Victorian food?<\/p>\n

In my newest release, A Tale of Two Hearts<\/a><\/em>, the heroine\u2019s father is known for his annual oyster stew that he serves on Christmas Eve. Here\u2019s a bit of the background on that tasty soup.<\/p>\n

Victorian Oyster Stew<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oysters have been savored in Britain since the days of the Romans. By Victorian times, industrialization cheapened oysters to the point of them becoming a staple of the poor man\u2019s diet and were a frequent fare served in public houses. This, however, depleted their abundance, and by the mid 1800\u2019s, the natural oyster beds became exhausted, making it harder to find good oysters. While other foods were served as well on Christmas Eve, oyster stew was as common as goose or turkey.<\/p>\n

Another Victorian favorite that goes great on a crisp evening is good ol\u2019 hot chocolate, though in Dickens\u2019 England, it would\u2019ve been called something else.<\/p>\n

Drinking Chocolate<\/strong><\/p>\n

What we now call cocoa or hot chocolate was called drinking chocolate in the mid 1800s. This beverage was a favorite among Victorian ladies. You can find recipes for it even from the Regency era (early 1800s) and here is one<\/a> for you to make at home.<\/p>\n

And last, but not least, who hasn\u2019t heard of Christmas pudding? To our American ears, that sounds like a tasty dish that you\u2019d eat with a spoon and slap a little whipped cream on top. Actually, it\u2019s more like a fruit cake.<\/p>\n

Christmas Pudding <\/strong><\/p>\n

Christmas pudding is quite a production, one that begins well before Christmas Day. In fact, it begins on Stir-Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent (which is five weeks before Christmas). This is why when Mina, the heroine in A Tale of Two Hearts<\/a><\/em>, returns home from dinner at Uncle Barlow\u2019s, and though it\u2019s not yet Christmas, she sees the pudding moulds on the kitchen table.<\/p>\n

If these tastes and the accompanying smells still aren\u2019t quite enough to get you in the Christmas spirit, then snatch yourself up a copy of the second book in the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series. A Tale of Two Hearts<\/a><\/em> is sure to get you in the mood.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

BLOG STOPS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Kat\u2019s Corner Books<\/a>, <\/span>October 2<\/td>\nSimple Harvest Reads<\/a>, <\/span>October 9 (Guest Post from Mindy Houng)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creating Romance<\/a>, <\/span>October 2<\/td>\nMary Hake<\/a>, October 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Just the Write Escape<\/a>, <\/span>October 2<\/td>\nD\u2019S QUILTS & BOOKS<\/a>, <\/span>October 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Avid Reader<\/a>, <\/span>October 2<\/td>\nCarpe Diem<\/a>, <\/span>October 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Genesis 5020<\/a>, <\/span>October 3<\/td>\nStories Where Hope and Quirky Meet<\/a>, <\/span>October 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Power of Words<\/a>, <\/span>October 3<\/td>\nBritt Reads Fiction<\/a>, <\/span>October 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Just Commonly<\/a>, <\/span>October 3<\/td>\nLuv\u2019N Lambert Life<\/a>, <\/span>October 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Baker Kella<\/a>, <\/span>October 3<\/td>\nA Baker\u2019s Perspective<\/a>, <\/span>October 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Among the Reads<\/a>, <\/span>October 4<\/td>\nBy The Book<\/a>, <\/span>October 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fiction Aficionado<\/a>, <\/span>October 4<\/td>\nTruth and Grace Homeschool Academy<\/a>, <\/span>October 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Godly Book Reviews<\/a>, <\/span>October 4<\/td>\nBook by Book<\/a>, <\/span>October 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Inklings and Notions<\/a> , <\/span>October 4<\/td>\nBigreadersite<\/a>, <\/span>October 11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Captive Dreams Window<\/a>, <\/span>October 5<\/td>\nMore Of Him<\/a>, <\/span>October 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Christian Author, J.E. Grace<\/a>, <\/span>October 5<\/td>\nPause for Tales<\/a>, October 12<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Proud to Be an Autism Mom<\/a>, <\/span>October 5<\/td>\nWith a Joyful Noise<\/a>, <\/span>October 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Multifarious<\/a>, <\/span>October 6<\/td>\nHave A Wonderful Day<\/a> , <\/span>October 12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reading Is My SuperPower<\/a>, <\/span>October 6<\/td>\nBabbling Becky L\u2019s Book Impressions<\/a>, <\/span>October 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Christian Fiction Girl<\/a>, <\/span>October 6<\/td>\nBibliophile Reviews<\/a>, <\/span>October 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Texas Book-aholic<\/a>, <\/span>October 6<\/td>\nTell Tale Book Reviews<\/a>, <\/span>October 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remembrancy<\/a>, <\/span>October 7<\/td>\nVicky Sluiter<\/a>, <\/span>October 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Splashes of Joy<\/a> , <\/span>October 7<\/td>\nDaysong Reflections<\/a> , <\/span>October 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Blossoms and Blessings<\/a>, <\/span>October 7<\/td>\nTo Everything A Season<\/a>, <\/span>October 14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Debbie\u2019s Dusty Deliberations<\/a>, <\/span>October 7<\/td>\nHenry Happens<\/a>, <\/span>October 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Back Porch Reads<\/a>, <\/span>October 8<\/td>\nAll-of-a-kind Mom<\/a>, <\/span>October 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Reader\u2019s Brain<\/a>, <\/span>October 8<\/td>\nReader\u2019s Cozy Corner<\/a>, <\/span>October 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Christian Chick\u2019s Thoughts<\/a>, <\/span>October 8<\/td>\nBook Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses<\/a>, <\/span>October 15<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Janice\u2019s Book Reviews<\/a>, <\/span>October 8<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

GIVEAWAY:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card!!<\/p>\n

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/promosimple.com\/ps\/d4ef\/a-tale-of-two-hearts-celebration-tour-giveaway<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MY REVIEW: A Tale of Two Hearts is the second book in Michelle Griep’s delightful Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series. Set in Dickens era England the story features Mina Scott who secretly admires William Barlow. When he asks her to pose as his bride for just one evening to help him gain a desperately […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,57,249,52,34,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-christmas","category-dickens","category-england","category-historical","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23661"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23670,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23661\/revisions\/23670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}