A Tale of Two Hearts: Book 2 in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas

This is the second book in Michelle Griep's series Once Upon A Dickens Christmas. I enjoyed this so much, I need to go back now and read the first one, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor. The setting for this is 1853 London, around Christmas time. Michelle is such a great writer, if you are a Dickens fan this is a must read. I have not read many of the classics since I got out of school, but I still enjoyed this tale and the references to his writings. I loved the exchange between Mina and Uncle Barlow, both ferocious readers. When ever they would get together, Uncle Barlow would quote a line or two and quiz Mina to see if she could tell him which book it was from. She never disappointed. I was jealous of their ability and knowledge. This author has a quick wit and a tender heart. I found myself smiling through half of the book and almost whipping away tears throughout the rest. You will love the characters. Michelle has given us everything, from the deplorable cousins you just love to hate, the sweet Uncle Barlow, a perfect grandfather figure, Mina our heroine who is a beautiful, innocent and the questionable hero Will. Michelle will transplant us back to this Victorian time period. What a fun story, which does not have to be read at Christmas, it can be enjoyed anytime. I received this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalleys. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Tale of Two Hearts by Michelle Griep is the second installment in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas. Mina Scott works at The Golden Egg Inn owned by her father, Jasper Scott in 1853 London. Mina is engrossed in David Copperfield when her father finds her and sends her back to work. He fails to understand her love of literature. She enters the taproom and finds her crush William Barlow along with his friend Thomas Fitzroy. William is a law clerk with a gentleman’s upbringing and an ailing mother with crippling medical bills. His uncle, Charles Barlow is ready to name his heir. It is between William and his conniving cousin, Percy. When William learned his uncle would prefer to leave his estate to a married man, William may have given him the impression he had a bride. Now Charles is hosting a tea for his heirs and their wives and William needs to find a woman willing to play the part. When Mina appears, Williams asks if she will do him the favor of playing his wife for the tea. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned and the deception will need to continue until Christmas. Uncle Barlow is kind, gracious and a lover of literature just like Mina. While she dislikes Percy and his equally odious wife, Mina does like deceiving the sweet man. What happens when the truth is revealed? I enjoyed reading the book to see how the tale would play out. A Tale of Two Hearts is the second book in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series, but it is a standalone. Michelle Griep brought London in 1853 to life with her descriptions of the clothing, language, literature as well the architecture, cobbled streets, the inn and the insides of the buildings as well as the class stations of the characters. I especially loved the imagery of Purcell’s where they had tea with Uncle Barlow. A Tale of Two Hearts has delightful characters. I especially liked Uncle Barlow and Miss Whymsy. They are two charming people who have a touch of whimsy. There are some good life lessons included in the story. Second chances, forgiveness and Christian charity being the main themes. Every one of us has needed a second chance at one time or another. I thought A Tale of Two Hearts was well-written and had steady pacing which made for an engaging story. The book is told from William and Mina’s point-of-views giving us different perspectives. It is always fascinating to see how different men think from woman. There are references to Charles Dickens work scattered throughout the story. Uncle Barrow loves discussing literature with Mina and challenging her to guess the book title from a quote. My rating for A Tale of Two Hearts is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I highly recommend reading the first book in Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series which is 12 Days at Bleakly Manor. It has an intriguing mystery and a mysterious atmosphere. A Tale of Two Hearts is the type of story that will leave you smiling and have you longing for Christmas.