Klassen devotees will be pleased by The Silent Governess, and readers new to Klassen will dash to the shelves to discover her other romances.

The central love affair is surprisingly suspenseful, as the familial relationship between the lovers is enigmatic the romance is chaste, this being a Christian novel, but the story’s religious elements are subtle and natural. Every character seems to have a secret, and their pasts are displayed and unwoven in a sophisticated and satisfying manner. The Silent Governess, is the story of Olivia Keene, who runs away from home, as she thinks that she has killed her abusive drunken father. Klassen weaves a complicated tapestry of love and suspense that is not easily unfurled. Whether you enjoy Jane Austen's England, or you just like a good suspenseful, romantic story, The Silent Governess is a great addition to any reading list. This is a simple summary of a complex story. The Silent Governess is a delightful page-turner, and although I figured out some aspects of the story on my own, Julie Klassen saved some surprising twists and turns for the end. A recent accident has made Olivia temporarily mute, and so she cannot betray his secret which would ruin his place in society. Moving, mysterious, and romantic, The Silent Governess takes readers inside the intriguing life of a nineteenth-century governess in an English manor house. When Lord Bradley learns that Olivia has heard his secret, he hires her into his household to keep an eye on her.

On her way to a girls’ school, Olivia overhears a conversation between Lord Brightwell and his son Lord Bradley, in which the father admits that the son is adopted. This is the first time I've read a novel from Julie Klassen and it won't be my last. Add a little mystery and suspense, hidden secrets, romance, humour and finally a good dose of family interaction and you have The Silent Governess. In mid-19th century Britain, an imminent threat causes Olivia Keene to flee her home, separating her from the mother she loves and the father she fears. Take a dash of Downton Abbey, a pinch of Pride and Prejudice, a generous helping of Jane Eyre and mix.

The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen