Hello bookish friends and happy Monday!
I hope you all had a great weekend and that you're week is already off to an amazing start!
I'm personally hoping and praying that this week will include my return to work finally. I'm thankful I was able to have some time off to heal from injuries, but I'm definitely feeling ready to go back now.
Today I wanted to talk to you all about when a favorite book series finally comes to an end. Part of you is beyond excited to dive into the last book. You can't wait to find out what's going to happen to your many favorite characters but you're also hesitant to pick up the last title as that it means its over, and there will be no more stories about these beloved characters.
That's how I felt when I picked up the last book in Kristy Cambron's Lost Castle trilogy. The first two books were beautiful, and a whirlwind to try and keep up with, and I was really looking forward to the third and final title. However, I was also a little nervous about how she was going to choose to wrap everything up, and whether or not I'd end up enjoying it as much as I did the first two books in the series.
Today I'm here to share with you all what my final thoughts were when I did finally finish reading this highly anticipated follow up.
The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron:
Source: Publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 15th, 2019
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction/Time Slip
Series: The Lost Castle
Synopsis:
Bestselling author Kristy Cambron concludes the Lost Castle novels with this sweeping tale of art and secrets long buried in England.
It was supposed to be a one-week job: survey an art find, collect a hefty fee, and use that to settle historian Kiera Foley’s life back into balance. But from the moment she sets foot in the East Suffolk countryside, the mysteries surrounding the old English manor and the enigmatic art thief who’s employed her stir more questions than answers. Then, Kiera finds the existence of a portrait captivating enough to upend all of her expectations. This one could be a twin—a painting so close in composition to a known masterpiece, it may be rendered priceless if it truly captured the likeness of a young Queen named Victoria.
Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the tumultuous skies over England’s eastern shores in WWII, and modern day—The Painted Castle unfolds a legacy of faith, family, and stories that are generations in the making.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
The Painted Castle is the last title in the much beloved Lost Castle trilogy, and it may honestly be my favorite of the three. Kristy Cambron is a master craftsman when it comes to weaving timeslip novels that keep the reader engaged over multiple time periods, and this particular title showcases the crazy depths of her talent with telling a timeless tale that stretches over three differing time periods.
In the 1840's, we are introduced to a young woman who's well ahead of her time named Elizabeth. Elizabeth's father held a prestigious title, but with his death came also the loss of the title and the loss of most of the family's precious finances. Her mother is not one to sit around and do nothing about their situation though, and her solution to the problem is to find Elizabeth a suitor who's in a prominent position to support her and her mother financially. Elizabeth is not one to go along idly with these kind of arrangements, but when the match is made with a man who she suspects had a hand in her father's death, she decides to pretend to go along with the match to discover as much about him as she can.
In the 1940's we are introduced to Amelia. Amelia was left Parham Hill estate after her husband's tragic passing, and she's struggling to keep the estate afloat with only her wits and determination to do so. She's already feeling stretched beyond her means with how many children she's agreed to house who've been evacuated from their homes. However, when she discovers that her estate has been chosen by the US government to house many of their "fly boys" she's unsure how she can possibly be stretched even further. She's forced to make do the best she can, and she finds an unlikely ally and new friend in Wyatt, a Captain with the regiment that's boarding at her estate.
In the present day, the reader follows the journey of a disgraced art fine art curator named Kiera Foley, who's given an opportunity she can't say no to from a mysterious man who shows up at the Foley's family pub named Emory. Kiera expects it to be a quick trip in and out to help with some art pieces that were discovered, but is blown away with just what the glorious discovery entails. As Kiera and Emory work together to discover the treasures and mysteries hiding within the walls of Parham Hill, they'll discover the many stories that exist from previous couples like themselves throughout the estate's grand history.
I've always had a soft spot for timeslip novels, and as such, I've read quite a few over the years. However, I've never seen another author be able to master three separate time periods the way that Kristy Cambron does so effortlessly. One of the main reasons I can say that this is my personal favorite of the trilogy lies within the fact that I couldn't pick one of the timelines that I enjoyed more than the others. I found myself invested in each individual story, and trying to guess what revelations were going to occur that would tie the tree time periods together like it had in the previous two installments in the trilogy.
I adored each couple; and the harsh circumstances they were forced to work through along the way of finding each other. I enjoyed the focus on the art world, and the way it spans so many generations. I loved how atmospheric the writing was, and the fact that the reader feels like they're right their in England with all the characters experiencing everything with them. Perhaps my favorite part though of any Kristy Cambron title is that it's obvious to the reader the painstaking amount of research she puts into each and every one of her historical titles. I learned things about history I had no clue about, including the prominent 1840's artist named Winterhalter, and the amazing origins of the Curious George children's books.
I can't end this review however without stating that another inclusion that set this book apart from its predecessors for me personally was that I felt that the faith element was much stronger in this particular title. I love when titles published by a Christian publishing house actually include an emphasis on faith, and that was much appreciated by this reader.
Final Rating: 4/5
The Painted Castle is a beautiful, well crafted story that's the perfect conclusion to the beloved Lost Castle trilogy. This title was everything I was hoping for and more, and I highly recommend it checking it out for yourself.I definitely recommend reading the titles in order though, so you don't miss out on any of the details along the way.
Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
I hope you all had a great weekend and that you're week is already off to an amazing start!
I'm personally hoping and praying that this week will include my return to work finally. I'm thankful I was able to have some time off to heal from injuries, but I'm definitely feeling ready to go back now.
Today I wanted to talk to you all about when a favorite book series finally comes to an end. Part of you is beyond excited to dive into the last book. You can't wait to find out what's going to happen to your many favorite characters but you're also hesitant to pick up the last title as that it means its over, and there will be no more stories about these beloved characters.
That's how I felt when I picked up the last book in Kristy Cambron's Lost Castle trilogy. The first two books were beautiful, and a whirlwind to try and keep up with, and I was really looking forward to the third and final title. However, I was also a little nervous about how she was going to choose to wrap everything up, and whether or not I'd end up enjoying it as much as I did the first two books in the series.
Today I'm here to share with you all what my final thoughts were when I did finally finish reading this highly anticipated follow up.
The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron:
Source: Publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 15th, 2019
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction/Time Slip
Series: The Lost Castle
Synopsis:
Bestselling author Kristy Cambron concludes the Lost Castle novels with this sweeping tale of art and secrets long buried in England.
It was supposed to be a one-week job: survey an art find, collect a hefty fee, and use that to settle historian Kiera Foley’s life back into balance. But from the moment she sets foot in the East Suffolk countryside, the mysteries surrounding the old English manor and the enigmatic art thief who’s employed her stir more questions than answers. Then, Kiera finds the existence of a portrait captivating enough to upend all of her expectations. This one could be a twin—a painting so close in composition to a known masterpiece, it may be rendered priceless if it truly captured the likeness of a young Queen named Victoria.
Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the tumultuous skies over England’s eastern shores in WWII, and modern day—The Painted Castle unfolds a legacy of faith, family, and stories that are generations in the making.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
The Painted Castle is the last title in the much beloved Lost Castle trilogy, and it may honestly be my favorite of the three. Kristy Cambron is a master craftsman when it comes to weaving timeslip novels that keep the reader engaged over multiple time periods, and this particular title showcases the crazy depths of her talent with telling a timeless tale that stretches over three differing time periods.
In the 1840's, we are introduced to a young woman who's well ahead of her time named Elizabeth. Elizabeth's father held a prestigious title, but with his death came also the loss of the title and the loss of most of the family's precious finances. Her mother is not one to sit around and do nothing about their situation though, and her solution to the problem is to find Elizabeth a suitor who's in a prominent position to support her and her mother financially. Elizabeth is not one to go along idly with these kind of arrangements, but when the match is made with a man who she suspects had a hand in her father's death, she decides to pretend to go along with the match to discover as much about him as she can.
In the 1940's we are introduced to Amelia. Amelia was left Parham Hill estate after her husband's tragic passing, and she's struggling to keep the estate afloat with only her wits and determination to do so. She's already feeling stretched beyond her means with how many children she's agreed to house who've been evacuated from their homes. However, when she discovers that her estate has been chosen by the US government to house many of their "fly boys" she's unsure how she can possibly be stretched even further. She's forced to make do the best she can, and she finds an unlikely ally and new friend in Wyatt, a Captain with the regiment that's boarding at her estate.
In the present day, the reader follows the journey of a disgraced art fine art curator named Kiera Foley, who's given an opportunity she can't say no to from a mysterious man who shows up at the Foley's family pub named Emory. Kiera expects it to be a quick trip in and out to help with some art pieces that were discovered, but is blown away with just what the glorious discovery entails. As Kiera and Emory work together to discover the treasures and mysteries hiding within the walls of Parham Hill, they'll discover the many stories that exist from previous couples like themselves throughout the estate's grand history.
I've always had a soft spot for timeslip novels, and as such, I've read quite a few over the years. However, I've never seen another author be able to master three separate time periods the way that Kristy Cambron does so effortlessly. One of the main reasons I can say that this is my personal favorite of the trilogy lies within the fact that I couldn't pick one of the timelines that I enjoyed more than the others. I found myself invested in each individual story, and trying to guess what revelations were going to occur that would tie the tree time periods together like it had in the previous two installments in the trilogy.
I adored each couple; and the harsh circumstances they were forced to work through along the way of finding each other. I enjoyed the focus on the art world, and the way it spans so many generations. I loved how atmospheric the writing was, and the fact that the reader feels like they're right their in England with all the characters experiencing everything with them. Perhaps my favorite part though of any Kristy Cambron title is that it's obvious to the reader the painstaking amount of research she puts into each and every one of her historical titles. I learned things about history I had no clue about, including the prominent 1840's artist named Winterhalter, and the amazing origins of the Curious George children's books.
I can't end this review however without stating that another inclusion that set this book apart from its predecessors for me personally was that I felt that the faith element was much stronger in this particular title. I love when titles published by a Christian publishing house actually include an emphasis on faith, and that was much appreciated by this reader.
Final Rating: 4/5
The Painted Castle is a beautiful, well crafted story that's the perfect conclusion to the beloved Lost Castle trilogy. This title was everything I was hoping for and more, and I highly recommend it checking it out for yourself.I definitely recommend reading the titles in order though, so you don't miss out on any of the details along the way.
Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.
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