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Janushek in Love

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Brik Janushek is nothing if not resilient. But as his time in Ormdale stretches longer than he intended, he begins to wonder if he will recover from the enigmatic woman who has captured his heart. Or could he dare to find a way through the wall that stands between them?

A short story in The Secrets of Ormdale.

Note to readers: This story takes place during the events of Books 4 & 5 in the completed series The Secrets of Ormdale. As such, it is best enjoyed after reading the entire series. It contains moderate spoilers for Book 5 (Valley of Dragons).

This story is available exclusively from the author's online shop.

29 pages, ebook

Published August 15, 2025

181 people want to read

About the author

Christina Baehr

8 books762 followers
I live in wild and cosy Tasmania, Australia, and I write intrepid historical heroines who discover the world is more wondrous than they previously imagined.

I'm also a big reader of books both old and new, so here's a quick heads up about my review policy:

1. If you are a living author, as another living author I will not be giving you a critical review, because I know writing books is hard! Reading mean reviews makes everything harder.

2. If you are dead, the gloves are off!

3. Absence of stars may mean ambivalence as to quality, it may also mean I don't feel Aristotle needs my star rating.

4. Five stars may not mean I think the book is perfect. It can mean that I deeply enjoyed the book despite inevitable flaws, or that I consider it an excellently-crafted example in its genre (even if the genre is not my favourite). I may also be more generous with star ratings to living authors who need encouragement. E.M Forster won't mind if I give him 4 stars (see point 2).

6. I may occasionally flag major content I think will be distressing to people who follow my reviews, but I don't do granular content/trigger warnings, because I read books as whole works of art, and don't note the swears etc as I go. My brain is tired enough as it is. So please do look elsewhere if you want to know every single thing that's in the book beforehand.

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5 stars
58 (69%)
4 stars
19 (22%)
3 stars
6 (7%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Christina Baehr.
Author 8 books762 followers
Read
August 12, 2025
I can’t review this because I wrote it. (At least, I’m pretty sure I did. I’m never quite certain with Janushek.)

Anyway, he wanted me to flesh out his HEA, so I did. This little story (which is about the length of three of the normal chapters in my novels) mainly takes place during book 5 of the main series.

Available exclusively from me, through my online shop, starting August 15th.
Profile Image for Angela Bell.
Author 5 books382 followers
November 6, 2025
*happy sigh* 🥰

A must-read delight for fans of The Secrets of Ormdale Series!
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
1,624 reviews190 followers
August 19, 2025
Thank you Janushek for letting us see more of your story! You’re a gem. We get more of Lily too. ❤️
Profile Image for Grace Soto.
Author 4 books71 followers
August 19, 2025
Short and sweet, a lovely little installment in the Ormdale series 🥰 Christina has such a way with words and even when using this few of them, she conveys so much heart and warmth. Absolutely delightful.
Profile Image for Alisha.
1,244 reviews148 followers
August 13, 2025
A must-read for anyone invested in the Ormdale series! And truly, at this point, I think I'll just read anything Christina Baehr writes 😀

This is a short (and sweet) story that seems to effortlessly land you back in Yorkshire for a little behind-the-scenes exploration of how Janushek gets to where he is by the end of the Ormdale series. It's fun and adorable and heartfelt. So excited to see what comes next...

Thank you to the author for the ARC of this short story, due out very shortly!
Profile Image for Sydney Witbeck.
Author 2 books152 followers
January 12, 2026
5+ ★ // 9❤︎ – A Top Favorite

He held out his hand to her and waited.
Her smile came back again. Had he really ever thought this place was grey?
It had been amber all along.


NOTE:
To quote the author: "Proceed with caution! This story takes place during the events of Books 4 & 5 in my completed series The Secrets of Ormdale. It contains medium-strong spoilers for Book 5, alley of Dragons. It is best enjoyed after reading the entire series. (Think of it as a sweet treat at the end.)

First of all, God bless all the authors who give us epilogues, and Five Years Later, and short stories with characters. Salt of the earth. I cannot tell y'all how much I enjoyed this story!! I would love to just quote the whole thing (I won't) but I looked forward to getting into Janushek's POV - and let me tell you it did not disappoint!!

I will say the same thing about my review. So if you haven't read the whole series yet, please, please go read that first!! Thank you!! <3 There are books that make you feel like you've come home again. I finished Valley of Dragons in December and the minute I started reading Janushek in Love, I was in Ormdale once again - and it was just as lovely as I remembered.

The fact that we get A WHOLE BOOK *chef's kiss* OF MY FAVORITE REFORMED POLISH THEIF (if you've read my other reviews, it's no secret how much I love this character) absolutely melted my heart - no holds barred. 🥰🥰🥰 It's a small book, go ahead and read it in one sitting and then go back and read it again ;)

I will be the first to admit I matched Janushek up...oh...about 2 or 3 times. (Moment of silence to the ship I held on to the longest which was based one....ummm....one singular scene?? Sorry, that's just how my brain works!) But seeing Janushek with Lily...I have no more doubts, these two were absolutely meant for each other and oh, I can't wait to read Menagerie of Dragons and see them again! Two broken people falling in love with each other and realizing even though they are broken and scarred, the world can be whole and beautiful when the other person is in it - that will always be one of my favorite tropes. People learning to trust again, to love again, and to start again, but holding each other's hands. 😭

QUOTES: (far too few....)

Cholera, he wanted to see what colour her eyes were. He had an impression of brown, but he wasn’t sure. What must he do to get her to look at him...all of a sudden Lily's eyes lifted to him, silencing him like a hand over his mouth.
They were amber.
Her eyes were pure amber, such as people had combed the shores of the Baltic Sea to find for thousands of years.

He was aware that he had never been in appearance anything approaching an Apollo, even before the burns to his face, but nonetheless, women had never seemed to find him distasteful—rather the contrary. In fact, he had several times been alerted to this fact by a sudden sharp blow to the nose. Never administered by the women themselves—it was always some self-appointed protector or rival.

“Can you tell me about the sea?”
“The sea?”
“Yes. Please.”
And she was looking at him expectantly. A thousand facts about the sea vied in his mind, all of them equally unequal to the situation of sitting there with a woman he was falling in love with at the breathtaking speed of starlight.

It was Rusalka’s voice. Later, this would be funny. But for now it was utterly unimportant to him because the woman he wanted to marry had seen his confidence shatter like a plate on the kitchen floor, and she had picked up the pieces.

Original Review:
OH BE STILL MY BEATING HEART!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩*swoons clean away*

Review coming soon!!!!

(and by soon I mean as soon as I have recovered and can write something nice and calm and concise and not safshafjsajhfsjhfsjfh AHHHHHH which is all I can do for the moment)
August 12, 2025
4.75 ✨

Ahhh I’m so happy to be back with these beautiful babies! I enjoyed the cameo appearances of the other characters as well! This one is pretty short, I read it in one sitting but it was so cute and fun to learn more about Janushek.

I would recommend brushing up on some of the characters from the book before reading this, because for some reason I thought Janushek ended up with someone else in book 5 (don’t ask lol). Haha! But I enjoyed it anyways. I was hooked and I can’t wait for the next book!! Eek!! <333

*I received an ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.*
Profile Image for Haniah Avery.
Author 1 book13 followers
February 13, 2026
This was beautiful. The story, the prose, the heart.
I would have read a novel.
Profile Image for Charlotte (The Boundless Bookshelf).
90 reviews2 followers
October 22, 2025
“She was both a mystery he burned to solve and a song he could happily hear every day.”

A really sweet short story about Janushek’s romance! I loved revisiting some of the characters from Ormdale once again as well as witnessing a beloved character find true love. Very lovely, beautifully written little story– I cannot wait for more books from Christina!!! (Additionally, I will begin using the phrase “Shut thy cake-hole” with certain people from now on 😏).

Recommend for teens and older who have read the entire Secrets of Ormdale series.


Profile Image for Lillianna Bliss.
417 reviews14 followers
November 8, 2025
4.5 ★- (loved it, favorite!)

"I'm worried about my cousin," she began, refusing a chair, which, to be fair, had a piece of toast on it."

{Reviewed 10/26/25} °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・

~ Note: I received an advanced reader copy from the author and I was not required to leave a positive review. All views expressed are my own. ~

Totally dropped the ball on this as I didn't realize how short or how soon it would be releasing, whoops! But I'm dreadfully glad I read it now as my books are talking to each other in regards to chemistry XD And goodness, what a lovely peek into dear Janushek. Christina's prose never ceases to make one feel right and cozy! The star scene hehehe. I never considered light years like that but it's delightful. Oh and the giddy smilesss I found myself smilinggg. I love Smok. And the wonderful amount of grace! Of redemption!! I SERIOUSLY CRIED AT THE ENDING AWW. So many bits of beauty in this... and a touch of humor amidst gravity. Rather than choosing a quote for the beginning of this review like usually do, one I feel captures the essence of the story. I, of course, had to choose one of the silly lines, it was too good to pass up XD

Anywho, I've fallen in love with Ormdale all over again XD And, not that I ever wasn't, but I'M TRULY VERY EXCITED FOR THE NEXT SERIES EEK!!!!!

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・

Recommended for readers who love the late Victorian era, dragons, light romance, redemption. Similar to? Set in 1890s Yorkshire Dales, England. Feels like?

***Content Warnings: antisemitism, fear, scars, "cholera" and unwritten cursing, children out of wedlock, heartbroken, courting, alluding to past r*pes, thievery, lying, hate, one light kiss and mention of more, arms around a lady's waist, stealing.

All thoughts are my own!
Profile Image for Katja Labonté.
Author 31 books348 followers
August 27, 2025
5+ stars (6/10 hearts). It's no secret that Janushek is my favourite character in Ormdale.

What makes him amazing is he’s unique, fascinating, funny, dramatic, tender, but could absolutely kill someone if they needed to be stopped that way.
Ya know when Anne Shirley said Fred Wright was hopelessly good and she wanted a husband who could be wicked but wasn’t? Well, that sums up Janushek’s appeal. I don’t make the rules 💁🏻‍♀️
Ok but for real his arc is so good & we love a man who actively betters himself out of love but not for reward (witness the everlasting appeal of Fitzwilliam Darcy).


I wrote that on Threads a while ago and still stand by every word.

Anyways. Yeah. It was obvious I would love this book. It's Christina Baehr. It's also Ormdale. And it's Janushek. But let's not forget Lily, who I also love.

I can't say much for fear of spoilers, but this little story is full of twinkling humour, somber reflections on being a foreigner and an immigrant, delightful little nods at bilingualism, sweet love, and deep understanding. It rounds out the series so perfectly, and I can hardly keep myself from diving back into this cozy world by rereading the entire series...

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
Profile Image for Jordan Comeaux.
76 reviews10 followers
October 14, 2025
I would like to start a petition, in which we get ALL of the Ormdale books also from Janushek’s pov because while I thought I loved him in the main series (I did. I do!) I am absolutely, positively, utterly in love with him now…
I laughed out loud, you can’t help it if it’s Janushek and I definitely would’ve cried had this story continued only a little more. I don’t want to wait for the next series to read about him and Lily and I don’t want it to be ten years later, I want to read all of theyears..!
That being said. This story was absolutely perfect.
Profile Image for Suzanne Roq.
335 reviews32 followers
December 5, 2025
This short story took all of 30 minutes to read and put me right back into Ormdale with all the spunk of the characters, magical feelings of dragons, and, yes, Janushek. In love.
Profile Image for Kristalyne, love.lovely.books.
244 reviews46 followers
August 21, 2025
Janushek is a favorite character from The Secrets of Ormdale series. I just love him! It was so fun jumping back into this world with his point of view! We get glimpses of him throughout the series as he falls in love with a certain lovely character. It was such a joy to read!

Christina is such a talented author as she made me feel all the feelings in this short story. Her words are beautiful, and I could not be happier for Janushek. These two characters, who’ve experienced challenges in their lives deserve all the happiness, all the joy, and I’m so happy they find it in each other!

I can’t wait to get a glimpse of Janushek and his sweetheart 10 years later in Christina’s next book ‘The Gilded Age of Dragons’!!!!

This short story is definitely a treat for lovers of this incredible series!!!!
.
.
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Thank you to the author for the arc copy. All opinions are my own.

*This is a short sweet story about Janushek finding love. This story is available when you sign up for Christina’s newsletter, or it is available in her shop. The author says that this book should be read as “a sweet treat” after you’ve completed the 5 book series as there are spoilers.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,346 reviews56 followers
August 14, 2025
I loved the Secrets of Ormdale series and gobbled the first four up quickly after I discovered them, and then had to wait a bit for the last one, but it was worth the wait. As the author said about this short story, "think of this like a nice little dessert at the end.” And this story was just that, a look at Brik Janushek and his pursuit of Lily, from his point of view. I liked getting to know him better, his feelings and inner conflicts and his determination not to give up on the prickly Lily, who has her own scars and insecurities. It was nice to get a little fix of Ormdale until the next book comes out, which will be set ten years later, in A Menagerie of Dragons, Book 1 of The Gilded Age of Dragons series, I can’t wait!
Profile Image for Ashley.
1,184 reviews45 followers
August 15, 2025
Did I immediately start reading this as soon as I received it? Absolutely! Did I miss some sleep to do so? You bet! And I have absolutely no regrets.

Janushek is one of my favorite characters from the Secrets of Ormdale series, so I was ecstatic for this short story. It did not disappoint. I loved getting to know him better and seeing things from his perspective. And I adored the romance. It was so sweet!

This short story packed a big punch. It’s a must-read for fans of the Secrets of Ormdale series. Be sure to read it after completing the series, though.

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Samantha Mendell.
132 reviews11 followers
August 12, 2025
Stunning. Such beautiful, lyrical prose and heartfelt storytelling packed into just a few pages. Janushek was one of my favorite characters of the Ormdale cast, and this peek into his love story was everything I’d hoped for and then some. Highly recommend!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for Madison Wright.
97 reviews2 followers
February 15, 2026
Thank you, Christina for offering this lovely little treat for free to your email subscribers. I always enjoy your newsletter, but this was extra sweet. ❤️
Profile Image for Michaela.
288 reviews12 followers
February 14, 2026
This was a sweet short story that takes place during Books 4 and 5 of the Secrets of Ormdale series. I loved getting inside Janushek’s head and seeing the progression of his feelings for Lilly!
Profile Image for Amy Harris.
180 reviews4 followers
February 14, 2026
Such a great character! I believe that Brik deserves his own full length book. I love getting a glimpse of the world through his eyes.
Profile Image for Claire.
Author 10 books99 followers
November 9, 2025
I saved the final version to read and what a great treat it was!
Profile Image for Audrey.
113 reviews8 followers
August 15, 2025
This brings back the excitement of reading and the love for The Secrets of Ormdale books. Not that I ever ceased to adore them. Eventually, I will reread the whole series in order and read this in the correct spot. It was short and sweet. I was so excited to find it had been published. I'm so happy for you Janushek!
Profile Image for Lindsey Eubanks.
19 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2026
I basically inhaled this in one setting. Such a sweet, tender story. DO NOT READ if you haven’t finished the series. GO READ THE WHOLE SERIES first. I am so excited to jump back into Baehr’s writing again, so I am looking forward to her next series. That being said, reading this made me want to go back and reread the Ormdale series! So good!
Profile Image for Kez Sharrow.
Author 4 books39 followers
August 16, 2025
A sweet romance for one of the loveable rogues in the Secrets of Ormdale series. I was sorry when the story came to an end!
Profile Image for Kassie Cox.
209 reviews5 followers
August 17, 2025
Loved hearing Janushek and Lily’s love story from their POV! Just wish the book had been a little longer!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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