By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: The Bird of Bedford Manor

Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Historical Christian Fiction / Regency

Release Date: February, 2026

Bedfordshire, England, 1820: Ruined by the sins of her father, Juliet Finch is cast into a life of self-reliance. Survival is a harsh taskmaster, but she is a quick learner and excels at tracking and snaring wild game to feed herself. Juliet embraces her new identity until the day Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land--a crime punishable by death. Henry, however, has other offenses on his mind: namely, the troublesome stalker who's making a misery of his sister's life. To try to put a stop to her torment, Henry charges Juliet with tracking the elusive villain so he can be brought to justice. Using her skills, Juliet hunts down the rogue. . .but may just become the prey herself.

My Thoughts:

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep is a mystery that keeps readers guessing. I love how Griep takes the heroine and makes her strong, independent, yet resilent in being able to survive. The plot takes a different approach when the hero captures her poaching on his land. Majority of the plot focuses on a mystery that draws the heroine and the hero into the throws of romance. The romance is sweet, yet enduring. I adore how Griep makes her heroes realize the worth of a woman, especially in the ages that she puts her characters into. Most woman were not seen as intelligent characters, but Griep allows bright and intelligent woman characters to shine on the pages of the story. I love the setting with the Regency era. Griep does a wonderful job at describing the setting and placing the characters into this world. So well that as a reader we will feel like we are walking the halls of this estate and watching the events unfold. Overall, The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep will delight readers who enjoy mysteries in their Regency stories.

I received a complimentary copy of The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep by Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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About the Author

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the Christy Award-winning author of historical romances: A Tale of Two Hearts, The Captured Bride, The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

More from Michelle

The Waltz: The Dance That Shocked Regency England

Post by Michelle Griep

I’ll be the first to admit it…I can’t dance a lick. Not a jig, not a reel, and certainly not anything that requires turning in rhythm without stepping on someone’s toes. If you ever spot me on a dancefloor, it’s because someone shoved me there or I lost a bet. Which is probably why the waltz both fascinates and terrifies me. A dance that actually expects you to glide gracefully while holding someone close? Absolutely not. And yet in Regency England, it became the talk of the town.

When the waltz swirled onto the dancefloors of England in the 1790s, it caused more shock than delight. Imported from Austria and southern Germany, it was a turning, closely-held dance—far too close for the comfort of polite society. Many called it indecent, warning that no respectable couple should stand chest-to-chest before a room full of onlookers. Some critics even claimed the dance “ignited dangerous feelings” and threatened to erode proper English restraint.

Shocking, right?

But fashions shift, and all it took was the Prince Regent giving the dance his approval in 1814. Overnight, the waltz transformed from scandal to sensation. By the 1820s, it was everywhere.

Here are a few fun bits of waltz trivia from the era:
• Some etiquette books warned that too much turning could cause “disorientation” or “undue excitement.”
• Early chaperones sometimes counted the number of turns, convinced it reflected a couple’s level of impropriety.
• A lady’s hemline was said to act like a “barometer” of a gentleman’s behavior—if it swayed too wildly, he was holding her too tightly.

In The Bird of Bedford Manor, set in 1820, this same world of rigid rules and whispered scandals forms the backdrop for Juliet Finch—resourceful, determined, and driven into the woods by her father’s downfall. When Henry Russell catches her poaching on his land, everything changes. What begins as a crime punishable by death becomes something far more dangerous as he charges her with tracking the stalker tormenting his sister.

Juliet can track anything. But this time, she may become the hunted.