“It’s been a long time since I’ve been so thoroughly engrossed in a novel . . . The Lost Castle kept me spellbound!” —Tamera Alexander, USA TODAY bestselling author of To Whisper Her Name and Christmas at CarntonBroken-down walls and crumbling stones seemed to possess a secret language all their own.What stories would they tell, if she finally listened?Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s … they tell, if she finally listened?
Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French Resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .
Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.
Bridging the past to the present in three time periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged in the hearts of men, and of an enchanted castle that stood witness to it all, inspiring a legacy of faith through the generations.
more
With what is going on in with current events around the world I didn’t know if I’d want to immerse myself literary in a tumultous time. However, the author’s story telling ability had me hooked & I became invested in each story’s romance. I listened to this as audio and think she did very well. The narrartor was good at the different accents. Doing a triple time line sounds tricky to write but I think the author blended the different stories very well & connected the plots seemslessly. There is tragedy in the story but also hope. I feel this is accurate for the world we live in. The story had me feeling all the emotions and becoming very invested in the story. One thing I do miss is because there are multiple story lines there are some details that aren’t covered. The story is still full and complete. I wondered what happend to the h’s family from the french revolution & the Duc? That is a purely personal curiosity. The main questions and loose strings were wrapped up and explained great. I was wondering at some spots & wasn’t sure how a few specific things would come together. That worry was unwarrented in the end. I listened to this a few weeks ago and moved quickly onto the 2nd. I’m actually on #3 now.
Enchanting! Three eras are seamlessly woven together in this exquisite masterpiece. Castles, fairy tales and handsome princes are a dream come true in this captivating novel. Cambron immerses the reader into exotic settings alongside courageous men and women on their journey to freedom.
Recommend to readers who enjoy split-time romance.
I won a copy. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
I truly enjoyed this book of three unique, yet so interesting, settings, stories, and characters.
Seeing the history of a place play out over the centuries was so true-to-life. Each story was unique, but still connected and woven around the beautiful castle. The author’s note at the end brought tears to my eyes. I saw a lot of my own grandmother, who passed three years ago and suffered from Alzheimer’s, in Lady/Vi. It’s such a beautiful gift from the author to see and read their personal connections to a story. Kristy Cambron is one of my favorites and I’ll always look forward to reading her books!
Fascinating journey through life and time. A beautifully woven tale of struggle and hardships, of hopes and dreams. Wonderfully drawn characters pull you into their story as they find their way along new and unknown paths, discovering so much more about themselves. A bit of history and enchanting mystery all rolled into one.
Fascinating novel about a family’s history! The novel is set throughout three different time periods. It’s set in France and in the United States. There are love stories and secrets throughout. And what brings it all together is a family heirloom that was in the beginning and later it leads the family to dig into the past to find out what happened back then.
I enjoyed being involved in the lives of three different heroines during three periods of history all involved with the Lost Castle. I was especially interested in the details about the French resistance during WWII.
This split time story features three heroines who overcome many obstacles and become part of the ‘lost castle’ in the Loire Valley France. Readers travel through the French Revolution with brave and compassionate Aveline, fight Nazis with Lady Vi in World War II, and try to piece both stories together with Elle in modern day France. The weaving of stories that build from the past and shape what is present, reminds readers that they too are building their story to share with future generations; each day is precious and should be lived with courage and to the fullest. I read this in an audio edition, and the narrator was excellent. I look forward to more by this author and in this series.
Three different story lines in three different time periods had me working hard at the beginning to keep up with all of the characters. But it doesn’t take too long to figure out who belongs with each time period. The book is filled with tension, danger, family drama, love, loss, and three strong and feisty females. The historical setting makes for a fairy tale for adults.
Now that I have been sucked into the “sleeping beauty” tale, I am excited to read the second book in this series.
I found this story deep and heart wrenching. It makes one wonder about all of the lost stories that would be a testament to human strength if they had actually been passed down. I liked that Ellie was able to retrieve this story before it disappeared from history. Full review is at my website: lorainenunley(dot)com
I really enjoyed this trip to the wine valley in France during three different time periods stretching 300+ years. Great read that pulled me in right away.
Oh, how I adore time slip stories! Even before they had a name—or before I ever heard the term.
Ms. Cambron has taken three seeming disconnected stories and found the golden thread that weaves them all together. Three leading ladies and their heroes in three stories that come together across centuries.
Each of the three heroines, Ellie, Vi, and Aveline, step outside their respective comfort zones to act on passions of their heart. Braving unknowns to achieve heart-goals they hadn’t even known were there.
Ms. Cambron brought the three eras to life, vibrant and colorful, and telling in every detail. My heart constricted at the societal restrictions on Aveline, in a world where women were property and marriage a business deal. My heart soared as she dared—no spoilers, but suffice to say she defied her father and society.
Thrust into the war by defeat and resignation, Viola’s mission was more one of bravery and justice than a tug on her heart. I applauded her bravery and fortitude—and trembled with her in the face of the enemy.
Ellie clung to the comfort of the only family she had ever known—her Grandma Vi. Honoring her grandmother’s unspoken wish, Ellie put on a coat of intrepid—and plucky—courage, and overcame obstacles and barriers.
Three women accepting to a life that was laid out for them—until upheaval shredded those plans, thrusting them each into unknowns. The emotion they each felt, the questions, fear, the bravery, were so well written that the reader’s own heart pounds and weeps and exults with every word. Palpable, almost tangible, Ms. Cambron brings the pages alive, immersing the reader fully in the story.
Bonus for this reviewer—the story thread of D-Day, and I was reading it on the 75th anniversary of D-Day!
ROBIN’S FEATHERS
ALL | THE | FEATHERS!
I purchased this book, and offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my own honest thoughts and reaction to this book.
#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, The Los Castle, Kristy Cambron
1 Castle, 3 time periods, 3 sets of people that may or may not fall in love. Throw in a revolution, a war and a woman losing her memory. Very well done!
I loved this book…It was very hard to put down! I loved how it spanned generations! I can’t wait to read the sequel.
The Lost Castle was not at all what I expected. The split time was a little difficult for me to follow in the beginning, but I’m so glad I stuck it out. This story is not a quick read, but it’s well worth the time you invest! There are three time settings and three different stories that weave a tale of perseverance, love, and strength. I absolutely loved how the castle itself was a character in the story…and a beautiful character at that! Overall, I enjoyed The Lost Castle and would give it my recommendation.
Once you adjust to 3 different time periods shifting with 3 main women characters; this historical fiction book is fabulous. The determination, strength, situations and more are realistic as well as page turning. Lived the book so much that I pre-ordered and received the next in the Castle Series that was released a few days ago.
Loved it. One of the best books I’ve read recently. Highly recommend.
Going back and fourth between three different timelines sometimes was hard to follow.
The Lost Castle is a very excellent book!! The intertwining stories are woven together in a manner that makes it almost impossible to put down. I can’t remember when I have enjoyed a book so much and I read a lot of books!!
I really enjoy Kristy Cambron’s lyrical writing, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her book The Lost Castle. From the cover to the synopsis, the story captured my imagination, begging me to dive into the lives of the three heroines and follow them as they told their story. With The Lost Castle being a mixture of historical and contemporary romance, I knew what I was getting into when I opened the novel. I knew the story would take place in the past, but I also knew the story would have something to do with a lost castle, and all three time lines would intertwine around that castle.
The writing is clear and concise. Like I mentioned earlier, I enjoy Cambron’s writing. Her writing sings with imagery and flowery prose. I have no problem admiring her sentence structure and ability to capture a wonderful story as she writes. She is a wonderful painter with her words. The story is told in three different perspectives in three different time periods, so it could have been hard to follow, but not with Cambron subtitling the chapters with the time periods.
As for the characters, they are different with each of them wanting noble conquests. Aveline Sainte-Moreau, the heroine from 1789; Viola Hart, the heroine from 1944; and Ellie, the heroine from present day. Aveline, at the beginning of the story, tries to do what is expected of her. Viola, tries to be a heroine during World War II with her linguist skills and the SOE. Whereas Ellie, tries to save her beloved grandmother before she disappears from her life all together. Each individual character is on a journey of self-discovery, which centers around the castle in France.
The plot mingled and intertwined with each other. In time slip novels, there is always something connected the different time periods together. In The Lost Castle, it is surprisingly enough the abandoned castle in the outskirts of France. All three stories centered around the concept and the meaning of the burnt out castle. The plot was completely unique, and I have never read anything like this novel. The Lost Castle gripped my attention, and I honestly couldn’t wait to see how the three story lines would end up.
The spiritual element isn’t too preachy either. It is subtle, but I enjoyed pondering about it long after I closed the book. We all our beautiful, wonderful creatures modeled by God, but things happen, and our walls crumble, then we build up new ways to keep from being burnt again. But sometimes, it takes allowing God to fully come in to change and make us beautiful again. (I could be far-reaching here!) I really enjoyed the idea. Very timely for this world.
Overall, The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron is a wonderful thought out story with a unique setting. With vibrant characters, Cambron invites me into the lives of three strong heroines with a sweet fairy tale story of a castle needing to be brought back to life. I really can’t wait to read the next two books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.
This was a very interesting novel set in France with three different time periods. 1789 during the French Revolution, 1944 during WWII, and present day. Each chapter relayed the particular time period to keep you informed. The going between time periods wasn’t a problem for me but what did occasionally confuse me was that a time period might be represented at a certain time and then the next time it was picked up might go back in time itself. I found myself referring back to previous chapters to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.
The story itself was a good one. Previous castle owners, and family ancestors were connected to the present day characters. Ellie Carver went to France in search of lost history of her grandmother, who is fading slowly away with Alzheimer’s. She feels that the castle ruins hold a history important to learn about her grandmother Vi before it’s too late.
The two war periods held danger for those in the story as well as a strong faith in God to hold on to during those difficult times. Love was a strong component that triumphed over prearranged matches. And a true historical portrayal added to knowledge that I previously had not realized, a bonus for me. Avaline (from the first time period) showed a great love for violets. It made me want to go out and plant a bunch in my own yard!
My favorite quote from The Lost Castle: “The story we’re writing in this life, day by day, it’s a gift from God and we can’t afford to waste a moment of it.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to write a review.