I received this product free from NetGalley, Purchased on Kindle for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. Any blessings we receive go to helping our homeschool and grocery budgets!
Carved in Stone by Elizabeth CamdenSeries: The Blackstone Legacy #1
Find the Author: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
ISBN: 9780764238437
Genres: Christian Historical Fiction
Published by Bethany House Publishers on August 2021
Pages: 352
Format: eARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Purchased on Kindle
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Her gilded world holds a deeply hidden secret.
After years of tragedy, Gwen Kellerman now lives a quiet life as a botanist at an idyllic New York college. She largely ignores her status as heiress to the infamous Blackstone dynasty and hopes to keep her family's heartbreak and scandal behind her.
Patrick O'Neill survived a hardscrabble youth to become a lawyer for the downtrodden Irish immigrants in his community. He's proud of his work, even though he struggles to afford his ramshackle law office. All that changes when he accepts a case that is sure to emphasize the Blackstones' legacy of greed and corruption by resurrecting a thirty-year-old mystery.
Little does Patrick suspect that the Blackstones will launch their most sympathetic family member to derail him. Gwen is tasked with getting Patrick to drop the case, but the old mystery takes a shocking twist neither of them saw coming. Now, as they navigate a burgeoning attraction and growing danger, Patrick and Gwen will be forced to decide if the risk to the life they've always held dear is worth the reward.
I just downloaded a copy of Hearts of Steel and then I realized it was the third in a series. I set out to look, and sure enough discovered I had bought Carved in Stone as well as Written on the Wind with good intentions to read them. Oops. Quickly, I downloaded the missing books and set to read them. Gwen was a unique character and I thoroughly enjoyed her story. I found myself craving to go back and find out what would happen next with her and her lawyer connection when I had a moment to read. As per usual, I have lots of books on the go, and this one called me back time and again and when I finished it, I didn’t even wait a night to start into the sequel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for provided a copy for review. I’m delighted to have bought a copy to have added to my collection for future reading. I’m so sorry that I didn’t read it sooner, as I didn’t know what I was missing.
I received this product free from NetGalley, Purchased on Kindle for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. Any blessings we receive go to helping our homeschool and grocery budgets!
Written on the Wind by Elizabeth CamdenSeries: The Blackstone Legacy #2
Find the Author: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
ISBN: 9780764238444
Genres: Christian Historical Fiction
Published by Bethany House Publishers, Bethany House on May 2022
Pages: 352
Format: eARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Purchased on Kindle
Buy on Amazon | Buy from Publisher
Find on Goodreads
He carries a dangerous secret, but can he survive long enough to expose it?
Count Dimitri Sokolov has been charged with overseeing construction of the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway, but during this work, he witnesses an appalling crime, the truth of which threatens the Russian monarchy. In an effort to silence him, the czar has stripped Dimitri of his title, his lands, and his freedom . . . but Dimitri has one asset the czar knows nothing about: his deep and abiding friendship with Natalia Blackstone.
Natalia is the lead analyst for her father's New York banking empire and manages their investment in the Trans-Siberian Railway. Her bond with Dimitri has flourished despite the miles between them, but when Dimitri goes unexpectedly missing, she sets the wheels in motion to find him. Once they join forces, they embark on a dangerous quest in which one wrong move could destroy them both.
From the steppes of Russia to the corridors of power in Washington, Dimitri and Natalia will fight against all odds to save the railroad while exposing the truth. Can their newfound love survive the ordeal?
After finishing the last pages of Carved in Stone , I didn’t wait many moments before diving into Written in the Wind. I had meant to read these books a while ago, but my to do lists got away from me and it was when I downloaded Hearts of Steel for review that I realized I had been lacking. I’m astonished that I read the book in two days, but I just couldn’t put it down. While not quite five stars for review, it is pretty darn close and now I’m making a list of all the backlist of Elizabeth Camden that I may have to go and read…
Much in the way that the characters in the first book were unique, Natalia and her Russian Count are not any personalities that I have come across on the page before. If I had not started to understand a little more about history and the power of propaganda, I may have missed some details, but it was a perfect time for me to have a better understanding and surprise of the power that it held even then. While this book doesn’t quite get into it, you can feel the bubbling under the surface of turmoil in Russian politics. This book has a bit of action and mystery and I really enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for provided a copy for review. I’m delighted to have bought a copy to have added to my collection for future reading. I’m so sorry that I didn’t read it sooner, as I didn’t know what I was missing. I’ve already started in the third novel.
I received this product free from Libby, NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing it. I received no other compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my personal, honest opinions. Your experience may vary. Please read my full disclosure policy for more details.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. Any blessings we receive go to helping our homeschool and grocery budgets!
Hearts of Steel by Elizabeth CamdenSeries: The Blackstone Legacy #3
Find the Author: Website, Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram
ISBN: 9780764238451
Genres: Christian Historical Fiction
Published by Bethany House Publishers, Bethany House on January 2023
Pages: 336
Format: eARC, eBook
Source: Libby, NetGalley
Buy on Amazon | Buy from Publisher
Find on Goodreads
His steel empire has catapulted him to the top of the world, but loving her could cost him everything.
Maggie Molinaro survived a hardscrabble childhood in the downtrodden streets of Manhattan to become a successful businesswoman. After a decade of sacrifice, she now owns a celebrated ice cream company. But when she offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of calamities that threaten to destroy her life's work.
Liam Blackstone is a charismatic steel magnate committed to overhauling factory conditions for the steelworkers of America. Standing in his way is the same villain determined to ruin Maggie. What begins as a practical alliance to defeat a common enemy soon evolves into a romance between two wounded people determined to beat the odds.
A spiraling circle of treachery grows increasingly dangerous as Liam and Maggie risk their lives and fortunes for the good of the city. It will require all their wit and ingenuity to protect everything--and everyone--they hold dear.
I devoured this book. Three am, totally there. Bedtime reading turned into a nighttime marathon reading for two nights in a row. It is really difficult to get me to approve a five star rating and Hearts of Steel gets it from me. It was a great continuation of Carved in Stone that I was fond of and Written on the Wind that carried me away. The entire trilogy was filled with long hours of my not being able to put it down as I had to turn that next page. I’ve already convinced two local libraries to add the book to their collection as I started with a Netgalley eARC and finished with a Libby library loan. I ended up buying the first two in the series before I finished reading them, and this one is obviously on my to buy list. This book is completely worth it, the entire series is a story that I wish I could continue in the lives of these characters.
My life and perspective has changed in the last few years due to observation and experience. I really feel so much more connected to understanding these characters and caring about history and people’s ability to learn from it all than I think I would have before now. This is a book, a trilogy, full of strong capable women who stand on their own two feet and the men they find to stand near and with them. Worth every minute.
About Elizabeth Camden
Elizabeth Camden (elizabethcamden.com) is best known for her historical novels set in Gilded Age America, featuring clever heroines and richly layered story lines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won Christy, Carol, and RITA Awards and have appeared on the CBA bestsellers list. She lives in Orlando, Florida, with her husband, who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.
The post The Blackstone Legacy by Elizabeth Camden {Trilogy Review} appeared first on Creative Madness Mama.