Book Review: The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

 


The Maid of Ballymacool - Jennifer Deibel - 5 Stars - Full of mystery, romance, history, faith, cinderella vibes - so GOOD!

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel is one of my favorite books of 2023 so far! Full of mystery, romance, history, emotions, faith, secrets, Cinderella vibes, a swoon-worthy male lead and a villainous headmistress -- this story has all the makings to be one of my favorite books of the year! 5 stars!

I have loved both of Jennifer’s books so far, A Dance in Donegal and The Lady of Galway Manor, but The Maid of Ballymacool is my favorite one yet! There was something about Michael and Brianna that just made them unforgettable and unique.

Set in the 1930s in Ireland, Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as a baby. She’s worked there her entire life and the Headmistress, Maureen Magee, runs the school and is a force to be reckoned with. Miss Magee also raised Brianna since she was a baby who was left on her doorstep. She is so cruel to Brianna and we are trying to figure out why she holds such a grudge against her – because it’s obvious there’s some internal turmoil secretly stored with Miss Magee about Brianna. Michael Wray comes to Ballymacool to oversee his unruly cousin and from the very beginning he stole my heart in this story. He meets Brianna, they connect immediately, and things take off from here as Michael shows his loyalty and heart throughout the story. He is truly the hero in this story and I LOVED it! What they discover together throughout this book changes so much in Ballymacool House and Boarding School.

The reason I loved Michael so much in this is he showed such love, loyalty, strength, commitment. He was not afraid to stand up for what is right, especially to the headmistress. Jennifer pulled Michael in the story at all the right moments when I, as a reader, would think “I hope Michael is about to show up!” and he did! He just has such a tender, loving heart and respect for others that I loved. He also had a good foundational faith that I really appreciated.

Brianna was such a complex character, and I was so intrigued from the very beginning. Her story really reminded me of Cinderella in many ways. She was passive because of all the hardship she had in her life and Michael helped her really open herself up to everyone else and be able to grow. Also loved the side characters, specifically Finnuala.

Overall, this is my favorite of Jennifer’s books so far and I highly recommend if you love Historical Romance! (Also, loved seeing a couple of characters from A Dance in Donegal here! 😊 )

Thank you to Baker Publishing, Revell and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy to honestly read and review.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4926442550
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44oTKqC
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465113
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

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