Ellie Carter is watching her last family member succumb to old age and Alzheimer's. Her beloved grandmother who raised her has become more restless of late and Ellie is trying to figure out why. During Ellie's visit, a photo is found in a book. A photo of her grandmother and a man Ellie's never seen before in front of a castle. The back of the photo says Loire Valley, France 1944. Ellie is shocked she's never heard of her grandmother being in France during WWII, let alone this man who is not her grandfather. She immediately goes to France to see if she can find answers that will give peace to her grandmother and answers to her.

Aveline Sainte-Moreau prepares to meet her fiancé, the heir to the Duc et Vivay, as the Third Estate rumbles revolutionary tides across France. Even though women aren't supposed to even know politics or economics exist, Aveline has been too interested for her own good. She hopes her future husband will appreciate her interests more than her father. But is that too much to hope for? And as a member of the Second Estate, is her family safe anywhere in France?

Viola Hart can no longer stand by idly while she watches the Nazis bomb her British home city, so she signed up with SOE and months later finds herself a fugitive in Nazi occupied France. She stumbles into the Loire Valley starving and exhausted, looking for food and accidentally meets Julian, a member of the local French Resistance.

As the stories of Aveline, Vi, and Ellie spin out and come together, one character remains central, a castle in the Loire Valley.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and all three very different women's stories. It is told enthrallingly, and even though chapters alternate between stories, the clear dates at the beginning of chapters and the castle weaving throughout helps it flow quite well. (But do take note of dates as Vi and Aveline's stories go back and forth in time a few times.) Figuring out how they all tied together was a fun puzzle that kept me engaged too. The writing really makes the Loire Valley come to life and points out ways an area can change drastically as well as stay the same over long periods of time. The choice to weave together these three time periods in one book isn't one I've seen before, but I liked it. I think Aveline was my favorite of the three main characters, but Vi is a close second. Ellie comes in third only because she frustrated me with how she went about her hunt for answers once she gets to France. It didn't make sense to me that she felt like seeing the castle would give her more answers than showing the photo of her grandmother around and asking if anyone knew the man in it. I will acknowledge that since she is in a highly emotional state so she's not likely to think super logically. It also sounds in the end like even if she did show the photo certain people wouldn't have given her answers straight out, that they felt she had to go on a journey of discovery. Her story does end up pretty touching and cute. All three of the women have romantic interests, but each story plays out in very different ways. The Christian elements in this are light, with just casual comments about faith or God's provision. It isn't preachy at all. It feels like natural conversations and as something woven into their lives. I liked the way it was done. The author says this is the start of a series, but this book feels pretty complete as a stand alone. I do have just one lingering question -- what happened to Vi's brother and his family that Ellie thinks her grandmother is the last of her living family?. I'll be ordering a copy of this for our library. I think it will appeal to teens as well as adults.

Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content beyond some kisses. The French Revolution chapters and WWII chapters include some severe injuries and deaths. A very bad wound is bloodily described in a WWII chapter. Wine making is the main income of the Loire Valley, so those who have issues with drinking wine may want to avoid this book.

Amazing! You will need to keep the box of tissues handy and a lump in your throat is guaranteed! What does a grandmother with Alzheimer's, an 18th century French woman and the grandmother's granddaughter all have in common? How about foxes,French wine and a brooch ? This story about the Sleeping Beauty is remarkable, partly based on fact part fairy tale. Beautiful sumptuous you will swear you are there with the vivid descriptions described within. Three story lines taking place here that I'll admit are slightly confusing to keep track of at first but the more you read the easier it is to understand and it all masterfully ties together at the end. Cambron is a master storyteller here and I don't know how her next one can beat this one as she's at the top of her game here!
Pub Date 06 Feb 2018
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

An absolutely riveting read by an outstanding author. I think this is her best book yet! I loved how readers were pulled through the past and present into a fascinating read that kept one on the edge of your seat. I loved getting to know all of the 3 main characters and the periods which the lived in. Well written and utterly engaging this book was outstanding.

Split time—1789, 1944, present day with 3 wonderful heroines! Cambron weaves together a beautiful tale of love and bravery in the face of adversity. Her gentle handling of Vi’s Alzheimer’s is so authentic to anyone who has seen a loved one succumb. I really wasn’t ready for the story to end. You won't go wrong if you take the time to read this novel.

What can an 18th century noble Frenchwoman, a lady ravaged by Alzheimer’s and her granddaughter have in common? Nothing—until Lady Vi has a moment of lucidity and tells her granddaughter, Ellie Carver, about a mysterious first love. When Ellie finds a never-before-seen photograph of her grandmother as a young woman posing with a handsome young man along a castle wall, she knows she has to uncover the story.

What Ellie discovers has the power to heal—not just her, but an entire community.

I loved this book for many different reasons. The layered stories feel like what I imagine biting into one of Adriano Zumbo’s Desserts must be like. If you love mystery, romance, suspense, and good stories, this book is for you.

An awesome historical story! At first it was confusing with the changing of timelines, within the timelines. But it all came together beautifully. And because of that I would not recommend it read over time. It should be read over a few days, so the timelines don't get confusing and lost.

I've read other books by Ms. Cambron and, based on those, would highly recommend this one. Unfortunately, the pdf file provided by the publisher was too small to read on my Nook so I'll wait until it publishes to get another edition to read.

Based solely on previous books of Ms. Cambron's I've read, this will be equally as great.

I quickly got pulled into this book. There are several smaller story lines that all connect in some way. i really loved this book

I have loved all of Kristy Cambron's previous novels, and this new book is no exception. I love the way she is able to tell three distinct stories that weave together in the end. The plot lines center around the beginning of the French Revolution, World War II in France leading to D-Day, and present day France all set surrounding a castle in French wine country while telling stories of love, loss, bravery, and healing. I was happy to see that this novel was the beginning of a series and look forward to reading the next book.
I was provided this book by Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Kristy Cambron captured my heart with her debut album The Butterfly and the Violin and I have been following her ever since, reading each of her novels as they come out. I was ecstatic to be accepted to read the ARC for The Lost Castle prior to its publication. What a beautiful piece of literature this is!

The Lost Castle timelessly weaves together three stories of three women in the picturesque French countryside of the Loire Valley, around a castle that encompasses the French Revolution, World War Two, and present day. Cambron brilliantly paints an incredible story of loss, love, and triumph - even amidst the darkest days of revolution, war, and losing a loved one.

Kristy does a beautiful job of creating an awe-inspiring landscape through her words, painting delicate portraits of the world around her characters. "Sunrise was already streaking yellow in a line across the stone floor, piercing the chapel with colored light sifted through the stained glass. Strange, but Vi could hear birdsong in the stillness, a melody just as lovely as ever. And a loud cry cut the morning—a hawk maybe, circling somewhere overhead. It was peace. Defiance even, as if nature itself resisted war with beauty in the birth of the day’s first moments." I really loved her descriptions of nature and the colourful backdrop she placed her characters into.

I also appreciated how Kristy tied all three of the stories together. I'm not typically a huge fan of criss crossing dates so much in a book, but Kristy did a masterful job of linking all three together with the castle as the main backdrop and touchstone that she kept coming back to. As always, Kristy's characters themselves shone beautifully and their relationships with one another sparked intricately and effervescently.

In short, Kristy has managed to write not only a charming fairytale about a French castle, but a timeless story about loss and love that revolves around a familiar landmark such as the ones we all know and love. Kristy takes a lofty thing like a castle, something that we usually reserve for shallow stories or noble poetry, and brings it to the human level: reminding us of the true things in life that transcend boundaries or time itself, things like loss, adversity, strength, and love.

Thank you so much to Kristy Cambron, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

The Lost Castle was an enjoyable read. I always love a good Christian romance that takes place in Europe. And this one even had a castle! The author does a great job of weaving three different timelines of quite-differing time periods together into one cohesive story. If I'm honest, it was still missing a "certain something" for me to have made it fantastic, but I would still recommend this to my friends and family, especially if they love being whisked away to Italy's wine country.

Compelling and thought-provoking, this engaging novel switches between three time periods: the present, World War 2, and the French Revolution. It is the story of a young woman determined to uncover the secrets of her dying grandmother's past, brought to light by the discovery of a forgotten photograph. Interwoven among the various plotlines are the elements of faith, rebuilding, and love. I highly recommend this book as an addition to any adult fiction collection.

"But then the brooch, the photo....the discovery of a lost love and the breaking open of a story she'd never known existed. As fairy-tale romances went, Ellie had to admit that finding him in the photo and giving him her grandmother's decades-long answer to a secret proposal was up there"

The three separate time periods --modern day, WWII and the French Resistance and the height of Revolutionary France are interwoven well with the crux of their action emblemized in a decaying castle in the Loire Valley. While the descriptions and historical verisimilitude are exceptional throughout, I found myself a little disappointed when it turned to the modern setting once more. Mostly because Cambron is such a superb historical writer and it is in these instances that her voice truly comes to life and the world is painted in such a deft and intricate way.

Personally, my favourite story was that of Avaline and Robert: the second son of a duke who manages the vineyard in the cottage adjacent the eponymous castle. Their love story was heart tugging and unfolded gracefully and naturally on the page as well as set during a time period I wish was involved more in CBA fiction. Fans (like myself) of the Alice Network will appreciate the tenacity and verve of Vi's mission as well as her budding relationship with Julien.

It is Ellie and Quinn's story that I felt the most detached from ( though Titus' link in the chain that binds the centuries was incredibly poignant. That being said, I fell deeply into this accessible and immensely readable tale. It just meant ( in a good way) that since the interlocking historical events were so heart-pulsing and fascinating, the modern counterpart became ( quite understandably) a duller shade in comparison.

Cambron did well at putting the ticking time of Alzheimers on her modern frame --- comparing its destruction to the wars that threatened the the preceding portions of the complex book.


And some of the words cultivated magic: "Spring was toying with them, keeping Paris under skies of a colourless gray, plaguing the streets with a chilling drizzle that refused to release its steadfast grip in winter."

All in all an exceptionally smart and well-plotted look at an enchanted castle shrouded in an enchanted wood with a keen eye for historical detail and a fresh fuse of imagination. 2 out of the 3 narratives get an A+ for me.


I would love to read more about Avaline and Robert--- that just deserved a novel of its own. Indeed, readers, go find Robert--- he is one of my favourite heroes this year.

read it!

This is a fantastic book by Ms. Cambron. This is the first book that I have read of hers, but it will definitely not be the last! This novel provides an in-depth look at three different time periods at one historical location. The reader is able to learn about three different main characters and how they are all connected. The book will have you guessing what is going to occur (or what did occur) throughout the entire book. This is a well-written novel that will not disappoint you as you read it. I highly recommend this book!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

When this book ended, my brain couldn't stop whirling.

Everything came together so well—all three settings, 1789, 1944, and Present day. I'm so amazed how Krisy Cambron weaved all three stories into one. It is her most well-written, easy to follow stories yet. And it is only the first of a trilogy—I can't wait for the next two!

Three woman—Avaline, Vi, and Ellie. They each have stories that reach into the heart of mankind and reveal raw emotions. I couldn't decide who I preferred more. There is something special about each woman that made me anxiously await for each of their chapters.

The descriptions were phenomenal. Everything came to live through the imagery words and it really did feel like a fairy tale, adorned with the most glorious sights and scenes. There are dark and sad moments, but so many happy times too. The theme of the story is faithfully living the life God gives each of us.

Spiritual content was more than in The Illusionist's Apprentice, but still light and minimally threaded throughout. Somehow, though, it seems stronger because of the way this author brings to life her theme and intentions of a beautiful story. The romance is soft and sweet. It never came too soon, but followed the story perfectly. There are several kisses, some slightly detailed, but all written sweetly. There are a couple social drinking scenes, and a setting involving a winery.

This is the type of book I could read again and view it through fresh eyes. Also, a warning: once you start this, don't put it down for too long in between reading times. It will grip you far too much ;) If you've never ready Kristy Cambron, then you must try one of hers. Because her stories are the type that will linger for years to come, ones I would consider a classic in every essence of the word.

Solid five along with a box of tissues. You ripped my heart with this one, girl!

I've been trying to compose myself to write a proper review but I've failed miserably. So I'm just gonna try to get some words out without giving away too much of the plot.

Kristy Cambron is one of my favorite authors and I first fell in love with her stories through her split-time WWII books, therefore I knew how masterfully she could write this type of story. Even so, I confess I warily started out "The Lost Castle" because we wouldn`t be taken through only two different time-settings but three...
But I should not have doubted. Right from the beginning, this book owned my heart.

When you see ruins, do you believe in a potential story there or do you just see a decaying useless place? Do you see possibilities or just waste?

The historical settings tell the stories of Aveline during the French Revolution and Viola Hart during WWII and how each one of these brave women came to a magnificent castle. Theirs is a world torn apart by wars challenging human beings to survive and to not treat each other with hostility. Still, once you've seen true devastation and once you've experienced desolation, how can you go back to a naive and protected life? I dived into these two stories from the beginning and held my breath many times. My heart also melted through sweet moments of tenderness woven here in there, which promised to be more than a calm before the storm, but an honest building of camaraderie to see through battles coming ahead.

Present day, we follow Ellie Carver in search for answers about her grandma, the one person who she used to think she knew best of all but who might actually have secrets never shared with her granddaughter. In the brisk of loss caused by Alzheimer, Ellie is willing to cross sea and valleys in search of a story before it is too late. I adored this setting with Quinn butting heads with Ellie and Titus's sense of humor adding the perfect spice to keep me turning the pages. Oh, and don't get me started on the descriptions of wine country France and small enchanting French villages - oh la la!
Nevertheless, I didn't put much faith in this part, didn't believe in its potential to add depth to the story or to make me connect and understand the characters. May I say I was so wrong, so very wrong. The author brought everything together so beautifully and organically that I shed tears through most of the last quarter of the book. I was (am) awestruck.

To be able to provoke such strong compassionate and thought-provoking feelings through the entire book, one, may I point out again, set during three different timelines, is a true work of art and surrender of a gift.

In sum, the past stories were about two women working alongside their people to persevere, maintain a legacy, keep hope alive and find contentment in not just being, but genuinely living. And so they (re)build a story greater than themselves. The present time story is also about restoration and the opening of eyes to the potential and gifts we each have been given. But, in addition, it is about rediscovering, reawakening, and knowing of an ever-present and ever faithful Love that overflows and exceeds understanding.