A touching love story with a search for true identity mixed in.

This book tackles hard topics in a refreshingly hopeful way. Jennifer Deibel weaves real history throughout her book, which I absolutely love. The time period is not my favorite but it still was very engaging. Watching our heroine overcome the extreme hardships she faced while falling in love was beautiful, even though the abuse she dealt with was sometimes hard to read about. All of the characters feel very layered, even the "bad" characters had deeper nuances. I can't wait to read more from this author.
Also, I love a good glossary!

Star Rating: 3/5
CW: Toxic relationship, abuse

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ballymacool is an interesting setting for this story of Brianna, an orphan who has grown up in the boarding school. The mystery of who Brianna actually is slowly becomes apparent as the mystery unravels. The traeatment Brianna endures by Magee is horrid. Michael is a sweet, compassionate character who never gives up on helping Brianna. Enjoyable story.

his is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed her writing style. The Maid of Ballymacool tells the story of Brianna Kelly, an orphan who is a kitchen maid at the Ballymacool School and under the supposed care of the frustrated, unhappy Maureen Magee, headmistress of the school. Magee is a tough leader to all of the staff but she is particularly cruel to Brianna, who had been left on her doorstep when she was just a few months old. The story unfolds slowly as we learn of the mystery of Brianna's birth and it opens a window into the Ireland of the early part of the 20th century. I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

Brianna Kelly’s earliest memories involve working. First as collector of eggs, and now as scullery maid and whipping girl for Maureen Magee, headmistress of the Ballymacool House and Boarding School for Girls. At twenty, she’s learned to read and write and find the presence of God in her beloved woods. But with her endless round of menial tasks and lack of friendships, she feels on the edge of losing hope for any possible way out.

And then she loses the one thing that connects her to her murky past—the necklace and pendant she had around her neck when someone left her on Mrs. Magee’s doorstep as an infant.

Although it’s the 1930s, Michael Wray’s parents seem stuck in the last century. Michael prefers to spend his time with people—any people, common or aristocracy. His parents prefer him to only associate with people of his own class. When they give him the task of staying at Ballymacool House and Boarding School for Girls to supervise his incorrigible cousin, he goes with great misgivings.

After all, what can he do to help a young girl who irritates him and everyone else? But when he arrives at the school, he discovers maybe God sent him for more than one purpose. The beautiful and intriguing maid of Ballymacool could use a friend in a household where things don’t seem quite right.

What I Loved About This Book

Diebel builds a beautiful Cinderella story in Ireland during a time in history where modernity and the old ways clash. Sins from the past haunt the present and the future. Readers will relate to Brianna’s struggle to remain positive when the world seems set against her, and she must learn to trust in God’s timing.

Fans of Roseanna M. White will enjoy this inspirational historical romance with a touch of mystery and intrigue.

Brianna has worked for terrible Mistress Magee at Ballymacool since she was a small child. She wants so badly to know her history and and to feel loved but Magee ruins this every chance she gets. Luckily, Michael Wray shows up to help with his cousin’s attitude problems and helps her to feel love like she never has before as well as uncover her history.

This was a wonderful story and a great example of how God is included without it being obnoxious or unbelievable! The character development and dialogue was perfect. I loved the history of Ballymacool.

Thank you NetGalley and Revell for the ARC!

This wonderful story transports us to beautiful Ireland with its mystery, secrets, and romance. Full of numerous emotions, it keeps you riveted until the very end.

Circumstances of the past beyond her control have made Ballymacool Briana Kelly’s home since infancy. She is now maid to the boarding school she grew up in under the direction of Headmistress Magee who always seems angry with Briana regardless of what she does.

Michael Wray has been sent to the school by his parents to help corral his wayward cousin. Upon his arrival to Ballymacool, he is struck by the lack of warmth in the boarding school and Headmistress Magee. He is drawn to Briana when he first lays sights on her and quickly discovers she bares the brunt of Magee’s displeasure.

Michael works to gather evidence of the harshness of Ballymacool to take back to his parents. In the process of doing so, he works to unlock the secrets about Briana.

My favorite book thus far by Ms. Diebel! The story grabs you and pulls you in as if you are living it with the characters. The mystery kept me guessing trying to figure out exactly what was lurking beneath the surface. This is a must read!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!

I really enjoyed this spin on a Cinderella story. I loved the setting and the historical basis. It’s a beautiful story with an amazingly empathetic romance and a lovely, heartwarming ending. A beautiful, relaxing afternoon read!

This is a review of the latest & upcoming by another of my historical fiction authors, Jennifer Deibel, titled "The Maid of Ballymacool," that will be released on Feb. 21, 2023. I love Jennifer Deibel's stories because they are set in Ireland, and this one is also set there as well. Ballymacool House, where the story takes place, was a real house, and there was a Boyd family who lived there, but the rest of the characters and story are all her own! One of the things I love about her writing is that she weaves her stories in real places, with real historical events which she thoroughly researches, with her own characters and narratives, and the result is a beautiful, real, and amazing story that I really don't want to end once I finish it!! That is exactly how I felt reading this book! I read it in 1 day, and when I read the last page, I really was sorry to see it end, as it really touched my heart because it was such a great story from beginning to end!

Brianna Kelly, the maid at Ballymacool House boarding school for young girls, never has a minute to sit down, because she must do whatever the headmistress, Maureen Magee, orders her to do, because Ms. Magee found Brianna on her doorstep one day, and took her in all those years ago. It wasn't out of the kindness of her heart that Ms. Magee takes Brianna in, as she knows full well who Brianna is, but because she wants to get revenge for something that happened in her own past. So Ms. Magee treats Brianna like a slave, and keeps her real parentage a secret from her throughout the years, but now that Brianna is 20 years old, things are threatening to come completely unraveled for the headmistress, and she must do all she can to keep her dirty secrets, but sees no problem taking out her spite and hatred on Brianna.

Brianna, on the other hand, knows no other life than Ballymacool House, and since this story takes place in 1935, Ireland, it is normal that a young orphan girl would find herself serving in the place where she grew up to earn her room and board, since her family is unknown to her. She has tried to make the best out if her life at Ballymacool House, and even though she knows Ms. Magee hates her, she just goes about her duties, trying not to rock the boat...but someone comes to the school that will do just that!

Michael Wray, the heir to Castle Wray, finds himself on his way to Ballymacool House boarding school for ladies because his little 13 year old cousin, Adeline, who has taken a particular shine to him, is having troubles adapting to her new school as he is told, but is really causing havoc at the school, so his parents ask him to go and see if he can help her to settle down, and then report back to them. Being aristocracy, he has the power to do just that, and he hopes to get to the bottom of the problem with Adeline quickly, then get back to living his own life. Michael isn't like most of his aristocratic peers, as he is a kind and gentle man who doesn't think he is above everyone else, but this trip to Ireland may not be as fast as he hoped!

When Michael arrives at Ballymacool House, he is greeted by the un-welcoming Ms. Magee, who runs the house as an absolute servant major, with rules and regulations aplenty, and who gives him the rundown on the real issues with his little cousin. She explains to Michael how Adeline, who comes from a rich and aristocratic family, looks down her nose at all the other girls, and has made no effort to befriend them at all, and Michael is sent by the family to deal with this problem. Michael, seeing a deep character flaw in his cousin, decides to stay at Ballymacool House, and work on helping Adeline to see things differently. But while Michael is helping Adeline, he meets Brianna, and immediately sees how she is horribly treated by Ms. Magee, and decides Adeline isn't the only one who needs his help!

So Michael sets out to help make some changes to help Adeline adjust better, and along the way befriends Brianna, but he finds that Ms. Magee will try and block him at every turn. Brianna thinks Michael is kind, but can she really trust a person from a completely different world from hers, or is he just being friendly?? Ballymacool House is never the same after Michael Wray darkens its doorstep, and Brianna has no clue that her life is about to change dramatically... But you will have to read this to find out what happens!

This book touched my heart because the main character, Brianna, who has been unloved from the beginning, and has hardly known a kind word, doesn't let that make her bitter, or stop her from doing her duties, or unwilling to love others, but trust does come hard, but Brianna, will learn to overcome with the help of the love God sends her thru people He brings in her life.

Michael, the hero, is an aristocrat that doesn't believe, like many of his peers, that he is better than others because he was born into a life of privilege. He trusts God with his life, and obediently goes when his parents ask him to go to Ballymacool House, and I love this character's character. He is a genuine person, who just wants to help others where injustice has happened, but trusts the place,God leads his heart.

Adeline's character is a typical spoiled, entitled child, that thinks she's better than others because of her family, but thru her forced relationship with Brianna, she begins to see how her attitude may be more hurtful than helpful. Scary thing entitlement!

I loved Finnuala's character, because she is the strong, grandmother type, who prays for Brianna, and faithfully trusts God with her life, but who doesn't think God needs her help, but waits for His timing. I loved how she sacrifices for Brianna, and is not thinking about what's best for herself, but for Brianna. That is someone who is like my own grandmother, without whose prayers and love, I wouldn't be here today.

I saved Ms. Magee for the last.. She is the perfect villainous character we all want to hate, but I liked how the author showed that this is a broken woman, who has been hurt deeply, and as a result, she hurt Brianna. Hurting people hurt others! But what I appreciated in the story that there was no bitterness on Brianna's part, as a result of all Ms. Magee did! It doesn't excuse what she did, but as I read this, I could see that Ms. Magee had sadly let the past hurts make her into a bitter and angry woman, and all she could do in the end was hurt others as she had been hurt. This made me glad that as a result of my hurt and pain, I let Jesus Christ take it to the cross and heal me, and I am thankful that He didn't let bitterness take root in my heart, as it did in Ms. Magee. And I totally agree with what Finnuala told her about Brianna, "“Ye have no idea the treasure ya have in that lass, do ya?”

Brianna indeed is a treasure, and so is this book!! I loved it from beginning to end! It gets 5 out of 5 stars, and like I said, this book touched deep into my heart! So take time to read it, as I can't recommend it highly enough!! Jennifer Deibel is an amazing author!!!

This was a lovely book!
This is my second read by Jennifer Deibel, and it's even better than the first if that's possible! Brianna Kelly is a maid at the Ballymacool School for girls, and she is the sweet and loveable main character of this Cinderella-like tale. It also reminded of Frances Hodgson Burnett's "A Little Princess" a bit, especially the hateful headmistress.

This book is perfect for readers young and old, and is simply a wonderful Irish historical romance.
I absolutely could not put it down!!!

Thank you to the publisher and author for the paperback copy as part of Mrs. Deibel's launch team! Thank you also to Netgalley for the e-book. A positive review was not required of me but was gladly given, and the thoughts above are my own.

Michael Wray is called in by his parents to go to Ballymacool boarding school to find out why his cousin is having such a hard time. Adelade is not settling into the school very well and he has come to discover her difficulties and to ascertain a way to curb her misbehavior as well as help her fit in better.

One of the first people he meets at Ballymacool is Brianna Kelly, the scullery maid of the school. She works from early morning until past midnight on kitchen duties. She gets one half day a week off, but rather begrudgingly.

The mistress of the school is Maureen Magee, who rules the school with an iron hand. She and Mr Daid, the teacher, combine forces to make the school a most unpleasant place. They both heap abuse on the workers and the students as a show of force to keep the power within their own hands. Michael's presence has worked to upset their little applecarts of dictatorship over the school. While keeping tabs on his cousin, he is also intrigued and drawn to Brianna. He hates the way she is treated by Miss Magee and stands up for her whenever he can.

There are secrets and mysteries surrounding Brianna and the school, that she doesn't even know herself. I kept thinking those secrets were going to go one direction, but I was totally surprised by what the secrets actually were when they were finally revealed. That is only because of the skill of the author, Jennifer Deibel. She has woven a compelling tale that keeps the reader involved from the very first words until the final page. This is not a romance novel with a bit of mystery, this is a novel that has romance, mystery, a bit of "mean girl" vibes, and a lot more. This is a novel that has a significant spiritual truth of seeing oneself as God sees. The Maid of Ballymacool is at times heart-wrenching, and at times heart-warming. It is maddening, gladdening, and satisfying.

Jennifer used quite a few Irish idioms throughout the book and provided a glossary for understanding those that cannot be discerned through context clues. I really appreciated that. It was a bit cumbersome to flip back and forth to figure things out, but that was not overly distracting because it made understanding the conversations so much better.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a friend who will champion for you at every turn.

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A light, escapist romance woven with threads of redemption.

THE MAID OF BALLYMACOOL has a definite fairytale vibe, which should appeal to readers of clean / Christian fiction. The setting in Ireland is fun and the touches of Gaelic, while distracting at times, add to the authenticity.

I was a little surprised by a couple of plot points. For example, it seemed unusual for a school to have an unmarried male come to address an issue with a student. Also, I found the epilogue to be slightly unsatisfying.

However, overall, this is a story about a loving God who sees and redeems all. The downtrodden main character tugs at the reader's heart strings. I look forward to more from this author.

“Brianna Kelly, don’ let anyone tell ya that who ya are doesn’t matter. Everything ya do, shows His glory to the world. At least, it can if ye’ll let it. You are a daughter of the King, and it’s high time ya treat yerself as such.” ~ Finnuala

The Maid of Ballymacool is the story of an orphaned young woman who has bore the brunt of her guardian’s disgusted and ire for nearly her whole life. Brianna is a sweet, docile, soul who has no family and spends her days working for her keep at the Ballymacool School for Girls. Working herself ragged, from before sun up to well past sundown, to appease Mistress Magee. She longs to be cared for, to be loved, and to have a place in the world. She has all but given up hope, until Michael Wray arrives.

Michael Wray has come to the school with the expectation of keeping his wayward cousin out of trouble. He begrudgingly sees to his duty, but soon finds himself caring for more than Adeline. Michael discovering unsettling conditions for the girls and the staff and decides to use his influence to make much needed changes, especially where Brianna is concerned.

Michael has a heart of gold to match that of Brianna. They soon find themselves quiet taken with each other. But Brianna is a lowly servant and Michael a gentleman from an esteemed family. Can they find a way to be happy together?

This is a sweet Cinderella story, filled faith and mystery. And a most deserving happily ever after.

Thanks to Netgalley for my arc. All opinions are my own.

#jenniferdeibel #themaidofballymacool #netgalley #christianfiction #historicalchristianfiction #historicalchristianromance #historicalromance #cleanromance

An enchanting story with a strong reminder that God is in control and He sees all things. Knowing that you have a purpose and place in life is important.

A heartbreaking, yet hopeful read that I could not put down. Well written with a captivating storyline and well developed characters. I really enjoyed it

Travel to Ireland to read a tale that spans time and position.
Sadly, I can very much relate to the main character Brianna. Used and abused, forced to do the household work, feeling unloved and so alone.
Hope feels elusive as one dreary day after another drags on.
While my ending was not as fairytale like as this story, I’m in a much stronger, better place. God was all I had to hang onto for many dark years and He never abandoned me.
The characters in this story are well developed.
The native language used throughout the story was appreciated.

This book is a beautiful retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale that is sure to keep readers up WAY too late trying to finish it!!!

Brianna was sweet, curious, and always able to maintain a positive attitude, despite the challenges in her life.

Michael was willing to stand up for what is right, while having the sense to know how to go about doing it. Although I thoroughly enjoyed his character, I felt like Michael's character would have been even better if he had to deal with more conflict throughout the story.

The villain's character was by far the most interesting. I loved the scenes that were from her point of view. They made it easier to understand her motivations and just made her into the most complex character in the book. I did wish the reader got to see her point of view at the very end of the book, since it would have nicely closed out her character arc.

I found the ending of the story a bit too predictable, but, otherwise, I really enjoyed the plot.

The bits of Gaelic (I think) sprinkled throughout the book added a nice touch of authenticity to the characters. And the author included enough context clues for all readers to be able to understand what the characters were saying at all times.

Overall, I loved this book. I would highly recommend it to fans of clean, Christian romance!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite thinking Brianna was somewhat childish at times, this was an enjoyable read. Jennifer Deibel is quickly becoming a favored author with the way she weilds her words to make any reader believe they were experiencing historical Ireland for themselves. Michael was such a lovely hero, with a unique personality to Deibel's previous heroes. So many of the secondary characters were fun, and while the mysterious subplot was obvious, it was still enjoyable.

SPOILER: One critic I have is the epilogue. I detest when the heroine or hero decides to "be the better person" by not pressing charges on the villain and lets them get away with their crimes.

Jennifer Deibel’s stories are a delight to read. In The Maid of Ballymacool, Brianna works hard every day, but never pleases the head of the school. Even in the most difficult times, she keeps her faith and enjoys the respite of the nearby forest. Michael arrives at Ballymacool with the intent of helping his cousin, then leaving. Then he meets Brianna. Deibel weaves a story of deception, and anger with hope and joy. I love the pictures she paints with her words and the beautiful ending to a fairytale like story. If you haven’t read Jennifer Deibel’s books, I highly recommend them. I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley. My opinions are my own.

Not only is it like a love story it's about like a boarding school too. It's a fun Christian story about a school abd it has a lot of faith content in it. I enjoy the book. This book was c approved by netgalley and the publisher fir me to read and review.

There is certainly a market of readers for this light romance. Set in Ireland, The Maid of Ballymacool follows an incredibly hard working maid who has lived at the girls boarding school (Ballymacool) as long as she can remember. She catches the interest of our male lead, who is visiting the school long term because his cousin, who is a student there, has been causing trouble both the headmaster and his parents believe he can solve.

The novel is a quick read that is perfect for fans of Julie Klassen. The scenes are highly visual and the dialog contains intriguing phrases in Irish, complete with a glossary in the back to learn proper pronunciation.

Although the outline of the story line is intriguing in both the motivation for the characters' decisions and the relation of the characters to Ballymacool that gets revealed at the end, the plot decisions in the beginning feel a little questionable. What school would choose to have a family member to come stay to solve behavioral problems with a student? Even further, what school full of female students from wealthy Irish families would permit that family member visiting for some time to be a younger, unmarried male?

However, despite this, there are most likely many readers that will accept this premise with no qualms and happily read on, following our maid through the hallways and grounds of Ballymacool to the end.