Anna O’Brien has the perfect job at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across a baffling mystery of a ship that disappeared at sea. When forces conspire to prevent her from learning the truth, she turns to a dashing congressman for help.
Luke Callahan is one of the most powerful men in congress until his career begins collapsing amidst scandal. When he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship, he is stunned to find himself falling in love with the down-to-earth librarian. Despite the attraction, strict rules forbid Anna from any romantic entanglement with a member of congress, and each meeting puts her career in jeopardy. From the gilded halls of the Capitol where powerful men shape the future of the nation to the scholarly archives of the nation’s finest library, Anna and Luke will begin unraveling a mystery larger and more dangerous than ever imagined.
Author's website: http://elizabethcamden.com/
MY REVIEW
Beyond All Dreams was the best book I have read in quite a while. I was quickly drawn into the story by the seventh page when the heroine, Anna, was questioned by the Navy with her finding of a nautical map error. I was barely into the first chapter and my attention was captured by a nautical mystery, the lure of the Library of Congress, and a heroine that I felt I could relate to personally. Anna would be what we call today an Introvert and she felt comfortable in the walls of the Library. She was inquisitive, funny, and had seen her fair share of hard times. She had a past and dealt with a residual physical obstacle. I could relate to this as I have dealt with speech difficulties after trauma. Anna also displayed a strong, witty sense of humor and we are introduced to our hero, Luke, when she calls him out during a House Committee meeting. It was at this point our romance begins and I have to say I thought this was a true Beauty and the Beast romance. The characteristics with these characters are amazingly similar - a beauty who loves books and is kind and loving with a beast who has a heart of love yet struggles with anger issues. Our hero has a past as well and we find that these two "beautifully broken" people are the salve the other needs - Anna's imagined flaw was the very thing Luke needed to calm his own. He needed her "cool wit and steady logic"...love it! Outside of the romance and mystery, I feel the leading theme of this book is forgiveness. Both hero, heroine, and supporting characters dealt with needing to forgive somebody in their past. Even an old school bully of Anna's needed to seek her forgiveness for treating her cruelly. I particularly liked this scene as I had some bullies in my past. I enjoyed the growth of Luke's nephew, the aspiring artist, throughout the book and would love a sequel about his future. Beyond All Dreams was set in my favorite time period in probably the most fascinating setting, The Library of Congress. It was full of romance, history, and mystery.. I think I have found myself a new favorite author. Thank you, Elizabeth Camden, for taking me into this true love romance and intriguing plot.
Great review!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my review and leaving a comment!
ReplyDeleteA very good review and it certainly entices me to read this book. It's interesting that you personally found in the main characters so many things which you can relate to. It's always exciting to discover a new author!
ReplyDeleteI just finished this and I LOVED this book! It was a great read! I loved all the history and I learned so much about our history. Elizabeth Camden did a great job of making the story come to life!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited that you liked the book! I agree, she gave us some great characters. :)
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