A Heart Deceived: A Novel

Pretty entertaining story. I am ambivalent toward Michelle Griep, having hated "Gallimore" with a passion but having loved "Mr. Brentwood's Ward." This offering was more in keeping with "Mr. Brentwood's Ward." Her characters were deep enough to keep me interested (especially Ethan--I wanted him to win out!), her plot was engaging, and her writing style kept my attention. My only gripe is that occasionally she was a little too descriptive in how Ethan/Miri's bodies were reacting to each other. Even though mild and somewhat tactfully addressed, it made me uncomfortable to read about the almost-precise location of their amorous feelings--and I'm a nurse, so that is saying something! :) All in all, I would recommend the book cautiously, given that I am a pretty conservative, "keep-it-squeaky-clean" romance reader.

PG-13. Some mild sexual references (enough to annoy), but no overtly graphic sexual scenes. Some violence (written very well and not gory--I enjoyed the action). Mild British euphemisms. Some intense situations (I liked these too--it added quite a lot of interest to the story!)

Welcome to England in 1795. King George III has already suffered from an episode of mental illness, but the Regency era has not yet begun. The king, once he was declared permanently insane, was able to live out his life in seclusion at Windsor Castle, but ordinary Englishmen and women weren't so fortunate. The mentally ill, whether merely depressed or severely deranged, were harshly treated. They were sent to the nearest insane asylum, from which they seldom returned. Conditions were deplorable, as were the treatments the patients received. The Bethlem Royal Hospital, better known as Bedlam, was one of the most notorious asylums during this time.

It's no wonder, therefore, that Miri wants to keep her brother Roland from there. The former headmaster contracted brain fever and was sent to recuperate in the home of a Bedfordshire vicar. But the vicar has gone missing, and Roland is abusive toward his sister both physically and mentally. Today, Miri could have left him and sought assistance, but not in 1795. Ethan's arrival brings light to her life but just when happiness seems within reach, forces conspire to bring heartbreak and despair to all. What follows are extensive descriptions of life in an asylum and at Newgate Prison in London.

A Heart Deceived is a good though often brutal novel. There are several scenes of violence, and the descriptions of life in the London slums, the asylum and the prison aren't exactly pleasant. But there are expressions of faith, and the inclusion of John Newton shows that there is always hope that a person's heart can change. I did, however, have unanswered questions and I felt that some events were a little convenient or easily resolved.

Thank you to David C Cook for my free electronic copy of A Heart Deceived, which I downloaded from NetGalley. No review was required.

Reading "A Heart Deceived" was like embarking on a treasure hunt; finding gems hidden deep within its pages, precious nuggets of truth and inspiration where least expected, and discovering characters whose lasting value had been buried under layers of sediment after experiencing grotesque and unsavory experiences. When the lives of a redeemed reprobate and lovely sister of a deranged interim vicar coincide, a story erupts that exudes mystery, mayhem, and highly unlikely romance.

It is 1795 in Bedfordshire, England and Miriall Brayden is hideously trapped in a rectory with her brother Roland, whose sanity is precariously hanging by a thread . Mourning the whereabouts of her younger brother, she is surprised one evening when a total stranger, sick and near death arrives at the back door, knowing her name and that of her missing brother. While innocently bestowing kindness, refuge and nourishment, Miri is inextricably drawn to the man, whose speech and mannerisms are that of a gentleman, but whose appearance is likened to someone who has lived a cruel existence on city streets.

"God works powerfully lad, but for the most part gradually and gently"; the Reverend John Newton's prophetic words to Ethan Goodwin. After Ethan experiences tragedy and finds forgiveness through salvation, he flees London desperate to find Will Brayden's sister. Never mind that his friend failed to mention that Miri was breathtakingly beautiful, wore a head of riotous curls, had porcelain smooth skin, or spoke words of kindness like an angel. Over time however, nothing at this rectory is as it seems. When Ethan's past comes knocking at the door and Roland Brayden is accused of unmentionable acts, Miri finds herself caught in a tight web of mystery and deceit which threatens her very existence and that of her newfound faith.

"Sometimes faith is a moment-by-moment thing"; Ethan's words to Miri just before their love and their future is nearly extinguished. What will it take to bring all things into the light of discovery? Michelle Griep has written an extraordinary story which deserves to be savored and quite possibly read over and over and over again.

Michelle Griep has written about knights and Vikings in previous books. Both were fascinating time travel twisted romance novels. Her latest, A Heart Deceived, focuses in on just one time period, Georgian England. She paints a rich picture of social divisions and prepares the soil of story for characters who are struggling with more than just feelings and relationship issues.

Miri, her female lead character finds herself in a situation where she is a single woman at the mercy of her brother who seems to be slipping into insanity. He plans to wed her to the most repulsive man in the town because that man is willing to take Miri on. And willing to take any liberty he can when he manages to get Miri alone.

Ethan, a barely reformed opium addict, finds Jesus after being saved from the streets by John Newton. Ethan's friend, Will, is Miri's brother and after a tragedy, Ethan sets out to find her and break the news and hopefully find a safe haven away from the brutality of the streets.

Griep masterfully weaves a tale of intrigue and tension set within a darkly romantic era. Her characters are three dimensional and compelling. I found myself turning pages as quick as I could and reading just-one-chapter-more and okay-one-more late into the night.

I loved the mini history lessons lived out through the characters' lives and the ending was satisfying. I'm impressed with Griep's skills and strengths. A few scenes in the book will likely be too intense for the gentle reader. Griep peppers her word weaving with some spicy attraction scenes and some sense layering that includes visuals and olfactory details about the mean streets. There are characters who spend some time in a brothel, and obviously there is mention of drugs, addictions and side effects. In addition, there are some scenes that could be disturbing to self-diagnosed literary chickens. Consider the book a PG-13 rating. However, this is a great read for folks interested in English history, those who love a riveting story and rich characters. Need a plane or a beach read, this would be a perfect one. Cook, you continue to impress me with the novels you are publishing.

I was so excited to pick up this book because a) I love the author and b) I love regency. I thought I had read just about every plot that could happen in a regency novel, but I was mistaken. In fact, I would say that this novel probably slipped more into gothic with creepy characters, middle-of-the-night happenings, and an interesting mystery. While reading this novel, I found that I sympathized with Miri's character. She is so likeable. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders and she handled it as best she could. Ethan was another favorite of mine. His story of redemption was powerful and moving. I will say, that this novel probably moved way faster than most gothic/regency novels that I have read and I think the pace of the book was a bit distracting. Everything seemed to happen so quickly. Overall, I found it to be a fascinating read and quite the look into how the criminal society in London worked and how they deal with mental illness back then. Spiritually, Miri has to learn to trust God even when it looks like He isn't moving (and boy did she go through) and Ethan has to learn to stay steadfast. The novel wasn't quite what I expected, but I found it to be entertaining.

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

A Heart Deceived breaks rather new ground for author Michelle Griep. A regency as you likely have not seen it before. Little in the way of bonnets and balls here, rather this story opts for darker and more difficult subject matter including drug addiction, corruption, madness and even murder, but also redemption and a hint of romance.
The central characters Miri and Ethan were certainly interesting and well- drawn, though Ethan's `journey' and struggles are perhaps more poignant and his story perhaps a little more complete.
The romantic elements also seem to be generally done well, except some passages I did not like for their seeming to border on suggestiveness or sensuality, like Miri just happening to meet Ethan when he had is shirt collar loosened, and them ending up almost doing something inappropriate, when I doubt any gentleman would dare to repsent himself to a Lady in such a way.

The central theme of the story appears to be that of deceit and its impact upon the characters' lives and story, in which the actions and deeds that have sought to run away from or hide from others both threaten to destroy them.
Whilst it is easy for the characters to grow attached to the protagonists, and vouch for them through their struggles, their exact circumstances may not be such as most readers could relate to. Most people don't have to conceal their siblings' descent into violent lunacy after all, though the hopelessness of a life without God, and the necessity of trusting in him are themes which could speak to many.
Yet, maybe somehow there were aspects of the story which were lacking. I felt for instance that as much as the author wanted to make this book `grittily' realistic, it had some of the same problems as her previous titles in this regard.

I'm not really familiar with this period at all, but I did feel that is that the nastiness and unpleasantness of the setting and circumstances sometimes seem a little exaggerated and overdone, especially in the later part of the story.
18th century London may have been an unpleasant place to live for the poor, but I don't think all the poor areas were entirely squalid, vermin infested slums, and the period was that of the Enlightenment so I found the descriptions of the conditions and treatment of inmates in the asylum to be a little implausible.
And would people with facial disfigurements really have been consigned to an insane asylum? And the villain seemed to be able to get away a little too easily with unlawful acts like having someone imprisoned indefinitely without charge which has been prohibited even in the Magna Carta. I mean could everyone be so easily bribed?

On a spiritual level, the Christian theme was well done, but the treatment of the gospel message and those who delivered it was not something I always felt entirely comfortable with.
It was Miri's mad murderous brother, and other unsavoury characters who were depicted as delivering a message on sin and condemnation, but the `good guys' who gave one focusing more on mercy and love. This did seem a little like watering down, or as though the former was presented as a `bad' way of preaching what is an integral part of the gospel.

Altogether, Heart Deceived is a worthwhile read with an original plot, despite some shortcomings and reservations I would recommend it.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review. All opinions expressed in it are my own.

A Heart Decieved" by Michelle Griep is a great book. As it states in the description, Miriall (Miri) Brayden walks a fine line between keeping the peace and her sanity. The author does a very good job of showing us the roiling emotions in Miri's life and you can't help but feel for her circumstances. You are afraid when she is; you are angry when she is; you are happy when she is. Ethan's character is charming in a roguish way. He is enough of a gentleman to hint at his past upbringing, but his appearance and mannerisms speak of a life on the streets. The only complaint I have about Ethan is his change was a bit rushed. I felt like I needed more of his background to understand that he could just believe so quickly after the life he had been living.

This book is what some might consider preachy. However, I think that fits the setting. Ethan comes to know God from a Reverend. I would expect a Reverend to preach the gospel and speak a lot about it. Miri lives in a rectory with a Bishop and her brother, a former minister of God. I would also expect to hear a lot about God from their characters. I didn't think it was over-done as some novels tend to be, though, so I was ok with it.

Overall, Michelle does a great job of conveying her message: to trust in God, no matter what. Her characters are written in a way that the reader can relate to. The descriptions of the asylum and the people in it makes the reader both disgusted for the place they live in and sympathetic with their plight.

Definetly a book worth reading. God's devine intervention works for good to the characters. Fantastic love story!
A book that makes one wanted to get to know more of God's love.

A new-to-me-author, this was my first introduction with Michelle Griep's writing. This woman really can write! Usually I'm not so much into books with a sort of `dark' setting and that's why I looked at this book for at least three times and every time decided not to request it for review, but then I did it anyway--and boy, am I glad I did!
The author has a unique way with words that drew me into the story right away--on the first page I sat next to Miri in church and reluctantly had to let my new friend go on the last.
The descriptions are so rich and full, I could almost feel, hear, smell, and touch them. The emotions splattered from the pages--fear, despair, unfairness, hope, love, romance!
Extremely well written, excellent research, and a brilliant plot!!

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley.*

This is a terrific read. Reminded me of the gothic romances I loved to read when I was younger, but with a truly redemptive thread (not preachy). At times very gritty, yet eloquently written. This author knows how to open scenes with dynamic punch. And talk about making things worse and worse for her characters. I can't imagine things getting any worse for a hero and heroine. Read it, you'll love it. If you're a writer, study her style.