The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

Worlds lie between the marketplaces of India and the halls of a magnificent country estate like Highland Hall. Will Julia be able to find her place when a governess is neither upstairs family nor downstairs help?
 
Missionary Julia Foster loves working alongside her parents, ministering and caring for young girls in India. But when the family must return to England due to illness, she readily accepts the burden for her parents’ financial support. Taking on a job at Highland Hall as governess, she quickly finds that teaching her four privileged, ill-mannered charges at a grand estate is more challenging than expected, and she isn’t sure what to make of the estate’s preoccupied master, Sir William Ramsey.

Widowed and left to care for his two young children and his deceased cousin Randolph’s two teenage girls, William is consumed with saving the estate from the financial ruin. The last thing he needs is any distraction coming from the kindhearted-yet-determined governess who seems to be quietly transforming his household with her persuasive personality, vibrant prayer life, and strong faith.

While both are tending past wounds and guarding fragile secrets, Julia and William are determined to do what it takes to save their families—common ground that proves fertile for unexpected feelings. But will William choose Julia’s steadfast heart and faith over the wealth and power he needs to secure Highland Hall’s future?

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky was an interesting and enjoyable novel that beautifully wove together a story of romantic love and biblical faith between the main characters. The plot line contained a balanced mix of humor, suspense, tough circumstances, and biblical truth. The author created beautiful settings and situations through descriptive language and character conversations. The themes were well developed and included topics such as following God's will, looking past class distinctions, trusting God and one another, and being honest with your friends and family. The narration of the novel was third person, but alternated between William and Julia's point of view so that the reader had an idea of what each character was thinking.

The characters of this novel were well developed and easy to relate to. Julia and William were different yet contained similar characteristics, and they each had their own strengths, struggles, and personal growths throughout the story. The other minor characters such as William's sister Sarah and the other servants contributed to the depth of the main plotline as well as having their own personal storylines and struggles during the novel.

Overall, I found The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky to be a delightful read, and I look forward to reading more of her novels. I would highly recommend this novel to any reader who enjoys historical romance novels that have a convincing and well woven Christian theme.

I received this novel for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.