I always enjoy reading Kristy Cambron's historical fiction novels. I believe The Lost Castle is my favorite so far. It is different from her other books due to the main character being a 13th-century castle in France's wine country. The story bounces back and forth from France's revolution to 1944, and on to modern day France following the lives of 3 women and their involvement with Chataue de la Mothe-Chandeniers or The Sleeping Beauty. The plotlines are strong with witty, enjoyable characters. Kristy has certainly researched her facts and created an enjoyable work of historical fiction. So grab your tea and settle in for a great read.



I was given a copy of The Lost Castle for review purposes. All thoughts are my own.

Romance, clean
Lovely 3 period romantic read that was very well crafted. Beautifully told in the past, near past, and present with 3 different story lines centered around a castle, a vineyard and the people who passionately defend it and make their country home. Beautiful twists and turns and the past and present intermingle and the loves of the past influence the future as the past secrets are revealed.
Beautifully lush characters and setting, drama and tension with the different wars, and loved how the secrets were gradually revealed over the course of the novel. Lovely romance in all the time periods. Loved the courage of all the MC as they faced war, deprivation, and illness. Perfect read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction with some clean romance mixed in. Beautiful, poignant, dignified, passionate, and courageous characters made for a lush and complex read. Highly recommend. Definitely will read more by this author.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion or my review. My opinions and thoughts are my own.

I enjoyed parts of this, but I feel like the format was just too convoluted. I realize that the time jumps were important to the story, but it was SO confusing, especially since we time jumped between three different main characters, and then within that time jumped to different parts of their lives. In the end I was so confused. I managed to piece it together, but I'm not altogether clear on what happens. I feel like this would be better split up into three books or something. It was too much for one book.
However, I did enjoy the different time periods and characters, and would have loved to see them in a less confusing novel.

I have such mixed feelings about this story! It was a little confusing at first to jump around between so many different time periods, and I really had to pay attention to the date at the beginning of each chapter. I was also extremely curious to see how Kristy would wind together the stories of Aveline, Viola, and Ellie. Their stories were spread out over more than 225 years, and all of them ended up in the same place in France, the Loire Valley, for different reasons. Ellie went in search of her grandmother's past during World War II, despite receiving very little information from her grandmother, whose health was ailing. Aveline traveled there for her engagement party on the eve of the French Revolution. Viola, Ellie's grandmother, wound up there in the time leading up to D-Day. As usual, I enjoyed the history lesson as it played out in Aveline's and Viola's lives. I found Aveline's story to be more complex and compelling than Viola's, and I really related more to her character's awakening of France's political climate and a desire to examine and change her values. Ellie and Quinn, the two modern-day main characters, drove me a little crazy. When Ellie arrived in France in search of her grandmother's history, I feel like she went about it in all of the wrong ways. I'm sure that that was due to her own personal past, but as I am a lover of genealogy and history, I was so impatient for Ellie to come right out and ask the pertinent questions and really start her research! That's just my own silly pet peeve, though. Quinn is quite unlikeable at first, but isn't that how a lot of great love stories start? Just like all of Kristy's other books, the romances in the story build subtly and slowly, and it's so satisfying when they finally come together!

***I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I had never heard of this author before finding her on netgalley. I was first drawn in by the beautiful cover and then by the description. I am so glad I was chosen to read Lost Castle. I really enjoyed the story. I loved the mix of three time periods and thought each had its own stand-alone story and characters. The way the author mixed the storylines and connected the characters made the book even better. I got lost in the story and wished I was exploring castles in France with the smell of Lavender wafting by in the background. And of course eating a pain au chocolat as well! I enjoyed the history, the characters, the romance of the setting, and the love stories from each time period. I was so pleased to find that it was a clean read that I could easily recommend to my family and friends, which I've already done! I look forward to reading more by Kristy Cambron and so glad to have found her books.

I've been a huge fan of Kristy Cambron ever since I read The Butterfly and the Violin and I've read almost all of her novels (I'm still waiting to read The Illusionist's Apprentice). I would have been drawn to this novel even if I hadn't read any of Kristy's previous novels, the stunning cover practically invites you to follow the path and discover the fairy tale within.

"Crumbling walls were rare, beautiful things. They could display vulnerabilities without shame for they'd already proven their worth in surviving generations-deep fractures and a multitude of fallen stones." From the very first lines, The Lost Castle is pure poetry, rich in word imagery and wonder.

Crafted in a split-time format, the story follows three incredible women and their link to the secrets hidden in the fairy tale castle. I really enjoyed the French Revolution time period and the present day. Kristy Cambron masterfully weaves three time periods together, and I was enthralled with how all the pieces of this literary puzzle intricately fit together. I felt that the World War II time period became a little slow in the middle but it had me in tears by the end. The shift in time lines follow a specific pattern so it was easy to to anticipate what time period the story was going to move to at the beginning of each chapter. The Lost Castle is the first book in the Lost Castle series and I am eagerly awaiting the journey Kristy Cambron will take us on next!

The Lost Castle, by Kristy Cambron is currently available for purchase from your local or online book retailer.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A beautifully written novel. Three timelines that all twine together. Loved this book. The author is new to me and I enjoyed her style and look forward to reading more books by her. I highly recommend this book.

The Lost Castle is a split-time romance with a difference. I’ve read several dual-timeline romances, but this is the first with three timelines, all three centering around a mysterious lost castle in the Loire Valley, France—an area famous for wine and chateaux.

The oldest timeline is set amongst the French nobility in 1789, the eve of the Revolution. Aveline Saint-Moreau is about to be married when the castle is stormed and the nobility flee for their lives. She remains at the Chateau des Doux-Reves in the care of the master vinter, recovering from her injuries. She is the Sleeping Beauty, the origin of the legend of the ruined castle.

The middle timeline is set in the same location towards the end of World War II, shortly before D-Day (well, I knew D-Day was coming even though the characters didn’t). This is the story of Viola Hart, an English woman escaping from the Nazis in France. But how did she get there? Her story unfolds as the novel progresses, but ties together both the past and the present story.

The modern story is that of Ellison Carver—Ellie (although I did a double take when I first read the name, as I’m a James Bond fan and Elliot Carver was a James Bond baddie). Ellie was raised by her grandmother, Lady Vi, who is now confined to an Alzheimer’s unit, but who has a request for Ellie: go to France, find the Sleeping Beauty castle, and discover the significance of the castle and the handsome man in the photograph.

The writing is spectacular, especially the descriptions of 1789 France—the clothes, the chateau, the social inequity. This was definitely my favourite of the three timelines, because it’s a less common period to read about. I also enjoyed the Christian theme of God’s faithfulness woven throughout the three timelines.

Kristy Cambron’s first stories were dual timeline, and both had World War II settings (and in both, I thought the historical portion of the story was more compelling than the present). Her later novels have been straight historical fiction, in American settings. Personally, I prefer her dual (and now triple) timeline stories.

The Lost Castle takes Cambron’s talents in writing and researching, and brings the French Revolution and D-Day France to life. Recommended for readers looking for Christian fiction that’s a little out of the ordinary.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Such a compelling title! The story tracks well between three timelines - a fabulous blend of historical and contemporary, weaving separate storylines beautifully. Poignant, charming, fantastic writing - I was sad to finish this book!

The Lost Castle, what a wonderful premise - you have such a great storyline and an intense one at that. It takes you through so many situations in so many Generations in one book.. The characters made by this author are so precious and unique you feel so much for them - your heart feels so connected to them. You not only feel for them and things are intense in this book - you are brought through so many situations and you say whaaaaaa? The author is very specific in their words because they want to build a world that you and I could live in - and we do when we are reading it - you are a part of this world - we are invested in this world and that is how the author made it - that is how you know this is one fantastical author. This is one story you truly will enjoy if you take the time to read it.

The Lost Castle

A Split-Time Romance

by Kristy Cambron

Thomas Nelson–FICTION

Thomas Nelson

Christian , Romance

Pub Date 06 Feb 2018

I am reviewing a copy of The Lost Castle through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

Ellie Carver is expecting to find her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away instead her beloved Grandmother begins speaking of a secret past, and of Castle ruins forgotten by time. a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French Resistance in World War 2.

Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too, helping her to see not only where she came from as well as who she is becoming. The problem is Ellie is fast loosing her Grandmother to the shadow of Alzheimer’s so she needs to act quickly, if she wants to be able to uncover the truth of her families history. Soon Ellie finds herself drawn by the mystery of the castle named The Sleeping Beauty, the Castle was named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale. Ellie journeys to France’s Loire’s Valley in hopes that she can unearth the secrets before they are buried forever.

This book takes us from Present Day, to World War 2 and The French Revolution.

The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost.

I give The Lost Castle five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

My Thoughts: The story inside is just as lovely as the cover, and that's really saying something! There are three different stories taking place in three vastly different eras. The only complaint I have is that is was confusing in the first 100 pages as you were getting established within 3 different stories while all three stories bounced to a past and present moment in the heroine's timeline. Once I became grounded and could understand the flow of the story, I was able to fully enjoy it.
Cambron touched upon eras and settings that I rarely get to read: The French Revolution, WWII in France, and a present-day French vacation. Each one was enjoyable and even though they took place in the same locations, they felt vastly different. The setting was easy to visualize through Cambron's vibrant descriptions.
All three plots carried their own purpose, spunky heroine, romance, and one had a thicker mystery while the other two had higher threat levels.
Overall, this was a delightful novel and I'm looking forward to the Irish adventure Cambron is preparing for us.

Rating and recommendation: I'm giving The Lost Castle 5 stars and recommending it for those who enjoy historical fiction, war fiction, and multi-timeline stories.

~ I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I’m not sure I can honestly find anything I didn’t like about this book. I loved having 3 timelines included. The French Revolution, World War II and present day. I will admit to being on the edge of my seat at times, anticipating what comes next. And wiping away tears at others. This book brought a myriad of emotions. I loved how the castle itself took on a character like persona. It was the centerpiece of each era. Definitely going in my top reads of the year!

Between 3 1/2 and 4.

The first third of the book was hard to read through with the three POVs and three storylines. I put it aside and read other books, and came back to it with plans to not finish.
But I got engrossed and did finish and liked it. The last third gets a lot more interesting and I'm glad I gave it another chance.
The history of the castle was intriguing and the relation the three women had to it grabbed my interest more and more.

If you've read this author before, and liked her, and you're having a hard time with the beginning of this book, then stick with it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love this author's evocative writing style, making it easy to get lost in a different era. The three different stories all focus on a strong female- Aveline, an aristocrat in hiding during the French Revolution, Vi, who is on a mission and also in hiding in Nazi-occupied France, and Ellie, our modern-day heroine who is searching for answers and connecting the secrets of the past. I have to admit that I really struggled with the triple timeline that gave each story equal attention, I generally prefer when one story is central and the other(s) are used to enhance it. I was fascinated by each character's journey, but felt drawn out of it too quickly with each shift. But I wouldn't let my personal hangup prevent you from reading this book- so many of my reader friends are raving about it, and it really is beautifully written!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Wow. Just wow. What a powerful read this was! Kristy is a master storyteller. The book is about three brave, lovely heroines (Aveline, Lady Vi, & Ellie - Ellie is Lady Vi's granddaughter), their equally great heroes (Robert, Julien & Quinn) during three different time periods (French Revolution, WW2, & present day) that all revolves around a hidden castle. Lady Vi has Alzheimer in the present day and wants Ellie to uncover the truth about her past in WW2 which leads to the infamous castle, the Sleeping Beauty. I love how all three stories were woven together. It adds more to story. My heart broke several times towards the end. Chilling and beautiful read. I'm so happy Kristy is making this into a series. Can't wait to read the next one! I recommend to all!

I truly had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book.

Three different POVs, from three different centuries and times, yet, they're intertwined. They're connected.

18th-, 20th- and 21st century France. All of the events, whether happy or tragic, took place at The Sleeping Beauty castle.

I love how the stories were unfolding in parallel. The first two were about war and revolution, while the third was about an internal war; more metaphorical.

I'm honestly going to tell you that I have no idea how to express everything I've felt while reading the book and what I'm feeling right now, after having finished it and trying to write this review. I fear it might not make much sense, so I apologize.

I can tell you that it's a story about love. All three stories have one. How they end, well, you'll have to read the book because I'm not going to give that up but be ready, grab some tissues, because you'll need it.

You know what I loved? Reading about how in the 18th century, Robert raised his hand and asked Aveline to dance. About Julien kissing Vi/Lady for the first time. About Quinn giving Ellie a scarf.

All of the above may not make sense now, but read the book and they will. You will understand why they moved me and why I cried so much.

I think it's time to end this review with the following - I loved it, am giving it 5 stars and I shall read the following book/s in this series and others by this author because Ms. Cambron knows how to weave a story.

Not right now, because I'm still drying my tears, but one day.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book through Netgalley.

A lot of books have 2 stories interwoven, but this one has 3! It is quite ambitious and necessary to pay attention to the chapter heading dates to avoid confusion. I liked all 3 of the storylines. Strong women from 3 different time periods, all connected to a castle in the Loire Valley, the sleeping beauty. A delightful book!

The story is centered around a castle in the Loire Valley in France. We get to experience life in three different time periods: The French Revolution, WW II, and present day. It was really interesting reading about Ellie and the other two women and learning about what life was like in the past. I have read stories that took place in two different time periods before, but adding in a third time period added a depth to the story that made it even more intriguing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.