Lady Maybe By Julie Klassen

Lady Maybe

by Julie Klassen

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764245282

Being an avid Julie Klassen fan, and having read all of her stories, I was excited that she revised Lady Maybe and published through Bethany House! She sent me her book for review.

Summary:

One final cry of terror, 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. . . . 

In the midst of a fierce storm, a carriage carrying Sir John Mayfield, Lady Marianna Mayfield, and her lady's companion careens off a narrow cliff road, changing their fates forever. When the wreckage is found, Sir John is gravely injured, and a woman is discovered unconscious wearing a valuable ring. As the woman regains consciousness in a strange house, she grapples with fragmented memories of the accident, unsettling dreams of a child in peril, and a deep mystery tied to the ring on her finger. Surrounded by unfamiliar faces and haunted by a sense of foreboding, the survivor realizes she cannot trust anyone and must uncover the truth of what happened that stormy night, even as danger mounts and enemies conspire against her. 

In this revised and updated 10th anniversary edition of Julie Klassen's acclaimed novel, a woman's startling secrets lead her into unexpected danger and romance in Regency England.

My Review:

In true Julie Klassen style, she had me riveted to Lady Maybe from page one! Trying to give a review for a book that is built upon secrets and amnesia is a little difficult. Because of that, proceed with caution in regards to my review. 

At the beginning of the story Lady Mayfield is being taken to an undisclosed location by her husband Sir John Mayfield. At the last moment, Lady Marianna's previous companion, Hannah, joins them, much to Sir John's dismay. On the way to their new home an accident causes one woman to be washed away and the other left with amnesia. 

It doesn't take long for the reader to find out which woman survived. Hannah doesn't realize who she is because she has amnesia. With everyone referring to her as Lady Mayfield, she just goes along with it. Since Sir John is unconscious, he can't confirm or deny her identity. Along comes Sir John's solicitor and adds another layer to the mix with a bit of attraction to Hannah. 

Since it's well-known the kind of woman Lady Mayfield is, not very committed to her husband, Hannah is in a bit of a quandary. While she's kind and caring, Lady Mayfield is not. As Hannah begins to remember who she is, she realizes how deep she is into her lie. Unfortunately, there's a lot at stake with her sticking to the lie... at least until she can escape.

Listen, there are twists and turns throughout the story. Romance ensues, but how can she keep up the charade when Sir John regains consciousness? The household clearly loves Hannah... at least most of them. The story of Sir John's past with his unfaithful wife unfolds more and more as we read! We also learn more of Hannah's part in the story while she's employed by them.

Sadly, infidelity shows its true colors throughout. You see time and time again of how damaging it can be and what the consequences are. While God can bring good from the bad, it's clear as Hannah's charade unravels how truly devastating it can be.

As others have said, it gives Jane Eyre vibes, and that's one of my favorite classics! It's full on Regency and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm thankful that this was revised to leave out some of the sensual stuff in the original, which I never read. This was definitely more my speed.

About the Author:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyreand Jane Austen. Her books have sold over 1.5 million copies, and she is a three-time recipient of the Christy Award for Historical Romance. The Secret of Pembrooke Park was honored with the Minnesota Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie has also won the Midwest Book Award and Christian Retailing's Best Award and has been a finalist in the RITA and Carol Awards. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for 16 years and now writes full-time. She and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit JulieKlassen.com.