"Of Gold and Shadows" by Michelle Griep

Ami Dalton grew up the daughter of a renowned Egptologist and she's working hard to follow in his footsteps. She holds a secret identity as the Shadow Broker, seeking to find Egyptian artifacts and either place them where all can enjoy or send them back to their homeland. Her greatest desire is to one day lead an archaeological dig herself.

But when she literally stumbles into Edmund Price, England's most eligible bachelor, her short-term goals are sidetracked. Edmund has imported a shipment of Egyptian artifacts and needs someone to evaluate them and price them to sell quickly. Ami agrees to help with the ulterior motive of convincing him to sell them not to the public but to a museum in Cairo.

Edmund has never met anyone like Ami. She cares about different things and expresses herself unlike any woman he's ever met. It's refreshing to meet a female who isn't chasing after him. When strange things begin happening around his manor home, could they be related to the curse of the golden griffin than was found in one of his crates? Or is something more sinister and human in nature at work?

This is an adventurous novel full of intrigue and romance. I enjoyed the main characters and found them to be believable and worth cheering for. Though I saw some of the twists and turns coming, others took me by surprise. The romance was sweet and clean. I actually thought there was a little too much romance for my taste, if only because it seemed to dominate the middle part of the story. Your taste may differ. There are also beautiful layers of faith that will stir your heart even as the story stirs your imagination.

 

I'd recommend this story for all fans of historical romance with threads of suspense.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.