About the Book
Author: Michelle Griep
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Time's Lost Treasures, Book 1
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: September 2024
In 1888 Victorian England, Ami Dalton navigates a clandestine dual life. By day, she strives to establish herself as a respected Egyptologist, overcoming the gender biases that permeate academia. But with a heart for rescuing black-market artifacts, she is most often disguised as her alter ego, the Shadow Broker. After eight years in India, Oxford's most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price, has come out of the shadows to run for Parliament and is in search of an Egyptologist to value a newly acquired collection. Expecting a renowned Oxford professor, Edmund instead finds himself entangled with Ami, the professor's determined daughter. As they delve into the treasures, their connection deepens, but trouble emerges when a golden griffin--rumored to bear the curse of Amentuk--surfaces and they're left to wonder if the curse really is at play, or if something more nefarious is hiding among the shadows. . . . Award-winning author Michelle Griep weaves a tale of love, mystery, and intrigue set against the backdrop of the gaslit streets of Oxford, England.
My Thoughts
If you are looking for a Victorian mystery with Gothic elements then this is the book to add to those TBR lists! I really enjoyed the leading female character being an Egyptologist. Ami truly captures the quirkiness of the character and she is truly full of charm although utterly bright and extremely passionate in everything that she does. She just really wants to be seen for more than just a the daughter of an Egyptologist and professor and we see that develop throughout the story.
The male lead character is also quite charming. Edmund is not your typical socialite. He wants to sell these artifacts to help out a friend. He falls for Ami and their relationship blossoms throughout the story. I love how he is with her and truly sees her for who she is and dreams to be. He doesn't want to take away those dreams from her but rather see them to fruition.
Besides the romance which was super sweet and swoony at times, there is a bit of mystery that needs to be solved. Honestly I did not figure out the way the culprit came about until much later in the book. Which is good because it definitely kept the pages turning.
Overall I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to see if we see these characters once more in the second book of this duology. If you enjoy romance, mystery and faith threads then this is the book for you!
I received a copy of this book for review. All views expressed are my own.
About the Author
I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I chose the latter. Way cheaper. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write...except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager. Oops. Did I say that out loud?
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