BOOK REVIEW - Until the Dawn

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners. The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land. Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There’s a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
Author's Website: http://elizabethcamden.com/books/until-the-dawn

MY REVIEW: 
Elizabeth Camden has given us another exciting read filled with history, romance, and mystery. The story takes place in a historic mansion in the Hudson River Valley. This part of New York and the Dutch migration were unfamiliar to me and I enjoyed learning more about them as I read the book. One thing I appreciate about Elizabeth Camden's books is that she always has interesting and different locations for her stories. She effectively describes both the interior and exterior of Dierenpark and it was easy to be drawn into the intrigue of the surroundings. I can understand Sophie's desire to want to stay at a mansion that has both a design of elegance and the spirit of a home.

The book has several characters that are growing spiritually and maturing throughout the story. I thought Camden did a great job defining the characters, giving you the ability to follow the characters as they developed. Sophie was very likable and she possessed great spiritual wisdom at a young age. I liked that she was independent in a time when this was not common or accepted. She did not have a full education, yet she was smart, intuitive, and had an unsinkable faith. Her smarts were gained from reading the books in the mansion's library and I appreciated this part of her story. My favorite character in the book was Quentin as I found myself routing for him despite his disbelief and cynicism. As we came to know more about his past my heart felt a tugging toward him. I can relate to some of the feelings and pains he was experiencing. I am a believer in true love and that God can ignite a fire between two people in order to show His love between them. They were exactly what the other person needed and that can only happen by Divine hands.

This is the second book I have read by Elizabeth Camden and I have become a huge fan. I am grateful to have been given this book for review by Bethany House Publishing for my honest opinion of Until the Dawn.

BOOK REVIEW - Love Everlasting

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Abrianna Cunningham has always viewed her longtime friend, Wade Ackerman, as a protective  brother. Lately, however, she’s begun to see him differently and finds herself attracted romantically to him. But she’s confused and overwhelmed by these unfamiliar feelings.  Wade, on the other hand, has loved Abrianna for some time and has been waiting for her to realize they are more than just friends. When he asks her to marry him, she asks for time to adjust to their changed relationship. And then there’s Priam Welby, who has been relentlessly pursuing Abrianna. Will his underhanded tactics succeed in luring Abrianna into marriage with him?
Author's Website:  http://traciepetersonbooks.com/brides-of-seattle-series/

MY REVIEW:
Maybe it is the happy ending, but I always find the last book in a Tracie Peterson series is my favorite.  Throughout the series I have grown fond of our heroine, Abrianna, and her exciting adventures. Love Everlasting lets us see Abrianna in an adventure that may just cost her life and she deserves the casting role of heroine.

All along in the series, we have known that Wade has started to think of Abrianna as more than a friend and we finally get to see how Abrianna returns those same feelings.  I enjoy the differences in their personalities and how they compliment each other.  I believe that makes for a great marriage.  Her lively, adventurous spirit works well with his calm, practical spirit.  He tames her somewhat and she brings him to life.  How Wade would quieten her with his kiss was perfect.  My favorite parts of the book were their conversations.

As I read this book, I was reminded of the word change.  Abrianna was 21 years old and that age range brings about a lot of changes - physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.  Then, I felt the spirit remind me that life is full of changing seasons.  I recently turned 40 and I feel like I am going through one right now, so I wondered what lessons I could learn from Abrianna's story.  Remember to fully trust God, remember that I have friends and family that love me, and remember that in times of change... never change who I am.

BOOK REVIEW - Beyond All Dreams

BOOK DESCRIPTION
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.