Michelle Griep brings a sweeping tale of love and superstition with her latest novel Man of Shadow and Mist.
Book Blurb
Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated. Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.
James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a disease for which he’s desperately trying to find a cure—an illness that will eventually take his own life.
When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can she accept what she can’t explain—especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.
Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?
My Thoughts
Michelle Griep is always one of my go-to authors, and this story was no different.
I am always going to love a bookish hero or heroine. Rosa was the perfect mixture of sweet and strong. I loved her desire to get books in the hands of anyone who wanted one. This was a great glimpse into her heart and her desire for everyone to have access to knowledge.
Now James is a wonderful, brooding hero. I have to admit that I have a soft spot for the brooding hero, so I immediately loved James. But what I loved most about him was his dogged search for a cure for his mother’s illness. I have to give Griep a lot of credit here for the research she did into a disease that others would associate with the myths of vampires.
James and Rosa have such a sweet romance. I loved watching their relationship develop from acquaintanceship to friendship to romance. The obstacles between them don’t feel contrived, especially in light of James’s struggles.
I also love the nods to Dracula and Bram Stoker.
Overall, Man of Shadow and Mist is a sweet romance with a gothic flair for historical romance lovers.
(Note: I received a copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.)
To purchase your own copy, click the book cover link.
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