Where Faith and Books Meet: Julie Klassen: Lady Maybe

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

One final cry…“God almighty, help us!” and suddenly her world shifted violently, until a blinding collision scattered her mind and shook her bones. Then, the pain. The freezing water. And as all sensation drifted away, a hand reached for hers, before all faded into darkness…

Now she has awakened as though from some strange, suffocating dream in a warm and welcoming room she has never seen before, and tended to by kind, unfamiliar faces. But not all has been swept away. She recalls fragments of the accident. She remembers a baby. And a ring on her finger reminds her of a lie.

But most of all, there is a secret. And in this house of strangers she can trust no one but herself to keep it.

My Review:

Lady Maybe is my second complete novel by Julie Klassen. Klassen actually approached me and asked if I wanted to review this book. Of course, I agreed. Klassen is the leader in Regency fiction because of her lifelike characters, comforting settings, and swoon worthy plots.

The pace and flow of the novel was spot on. The scenes flowed effortlessly with the romance and the intrigue weaved and flowed as both threads continued to build nicely, and the ending matched a Regency romance. Two people thrown together in the most unusual way, building lies off each other as the story progressed. The idea has been done before, but Klassen does a great job at intertwining the past with the present that it worked really well. With the flashbacks to the past, Sir John Mayfield and the Lady attraction and relationship bumped along the way, but it provided plenty of sparks and moments of suspense to appease all romance fans.

The writing was tight and grammatically sound. All of the internal monologues proved the internal struggle between The Lady and John. I really felt the struggle of the Lady who only desired to keep up the charade to provide for her newborn son, Danny. Most mothers would empathize with her for preservation for Danny. As for the dialogue, the conservation swirled around the Lady as much as me, keeping my attention focused on the action. The central conflict swirls around the Lady as she keeps up the charade and wondering how the truth will affect her in the end.

Klassen is at the top of her game in her detailed research. She really understands and allows the Regency period to come alive, at least for me. I really feel I am walking the hallowed halls of Clifton House and feeling springtime on my skin. Klassen learns the names of the different carriages, and who would be driving them. She also learns the name of the different pieces of jewelry and clothing. All of it invites me into the world, even if it is for a little while.

Since this book is published by a secular company, the romance has been kicked up a notch more than most of Klassen’s previous books published by Bethany House. For mature audiences, be aware there is a detailed “before” marriage night scene between two unmarried people. This might be too descriptive for younger audiences. In the same vein, the spirituality aspect that is popular in Bethany House’s books is tamed back a lot. The Lady prays in times of need, but no conversation scenes or anything I would expect from Klassen.

As for the romantic tension, it is between John and the Lady. John feels unwanted by woman, even though he is athletic, smart, and a gentleman. On the other hand, the Lady is a clergy’s daughter with little to no money, but sweet, timid, and gentle, attracting the attention of all those who meet her. For a while, the romantic tension features three different men all wanting the Lady’s attention. As for the ending, I felt cheapened. She made a decision of what three men she wanted to live with, but I didn’t feel it was justified. I wished she would have chosen another guy.

True to a Regency novel, Julie Klassen’s Lady Maybe is an engrossing tale of telling the truth the first time no matter the consequences. I believe fans of her previous stories will be in love with this book as much as her past novels.

Julie Klassen's Writing Bio:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. She worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Her book, The Silent Governess, was also a finalist in the Minnesota Book Awards, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, and Romance Writers of America's RITA Awards. Julie is a graduate of the University of Illinois. She and her husband have two sons and live near St. Paul, Minnesota.

Where to connect with Julie Klassen: