The Girl in the Gatehouse

I am such a nerd. I finished a book on Thursday evening, and decided to re-read a book that I've not yet reviewed, and finished it LAST NIGHT! I was up until 3 am! Yes, I''m a little crazy... :)

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen is a wonderful book about God's forgiving grace and learning to not only accept that grace and mercy, but to forgive yourself as well. I love this author and I've read several of her books (though this is only the second review I've written for her, which I intend to fix!).  She always writes about issues that were not commonly written about back in that time period. Her characters are so real and relatable. The plots are interesting and captivating. She is just a great author!

This book introduces us to Miss Mariah Aubrey and Captain Matthew Bryant. Miss Aubrey has "fallen" from society and her father decides to hide her away so her shame will not ruin their family. She goes to live with her aunt at Windrush Court in the gatehouse. Mariah is a lovely heroine. She acknowledges her mistake and lives with the consequences. She is ashamed of herself, and like most of us when we sin, believes she has fallen so far even God couldn't want her still.

Captain Matthew Bryant has been trying to prove himself worthy of a certain "lady's" love and affection for the past four years. He is strong willed and determined, to a fault. He is also a very relatable character because his pride is what keeps him from acknowledging his growing feelings for Mariah, and then keeps him from realizing his mistakes (for a while anyways). Don't we all struggle with prideful ways? I know I do sometimes!

The character development in the book is believable and fantastic. I love seeing the slow transformation in each character as those around them teach them to accept the gift of God's forgiveness and to learn to forgive themselves in the process. Throw in a little mystery and some romance, and this book moved to one of my favorites!

I highly recommend this book, and I hope you all enjoy it too! :)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girl-in-the-gatehouse-julie-klassen/1100203662?ean=9780764207082