I’m pretty sure I’ve read every book Elizabeth Camden has written. As a church librarian, she is one of my “go-to” authors because she writes interesting, faith-filled historical romantic fiction. So, whenever a new title comes out, I jump on it!

Set in the Gilded Age of America- approximately 1870 to 1900- which was an era of extreme industrial growth plus huge waves of European immigration, this story reflects the lives and distinctions between the “haves” and the “have nots.” Gwen Blackstone Kellerman is from the incredibly wealthy Blackstone family of New York, and her love interest is Patrick O’Neill, an Irish immigrant who studied for the priesthood but ultimately becomes a lawyer with a keen interest in helping the poor in his Five Points neighborhood with their legal needs,

They are not the only interesting characters in the book; the Blackstone family members as well as wealthy industrialists JP Morgan and Andrew Carnegie feature in the story as well. There are plot surprises as well as a satisfying ending. All in all an excellent read! Five stars!!

I certainly look forward to the rest of this series!
I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House for an advance copy of this book. I really enjoyed it! It was a great blend of romance and suspense.

Carved in Stone is slated to be the first in a series about about the Blackstones, a wealthy and powerful family during the Gilded Age in New York. This book focused on heiress Gwen Blackstone Kellerman and her fight to keep Blackstone College afloat amidst financial wheeling and dealing. Along the way, she finds her long lost brother and meets Patrick, an Irish immigrant lawyer who changes everything for Gwen.

I gave this book 4 stars!

Carved in Stone was another fascinating historical romance from Elizabeth Camden. I love the way she always brings to light little-known historical facts and weaves them into a truly compelling read. I know I always say that about Camden's books, but it bears repeating. I love learning about these things that I probably never would've known otherwise.

This book really reiterated the fact that appearances can be deceiving. It was a good reminder to not be so quick to judge someone else just because they come from a different background or have a different opinion.

This story had a bit of a slow start for me, but it wasn't long before I became completely invested in it and couldn't read fast enough. I enjoyed getting to know the complicated Blackstone family and highly recommend this book to fans of historical romance.

I received an advanced copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

“You can ignore those not born into wealth and leisure, or you can open your heart to people who work with their hands and minds to make the world a better place…

CARVED IN STONE
I absolutely love when Elizabeth Camden comes out with a new series. Empire State and Hope and Glory are some of my favorites! So I was eager to dive into Carved in Stone which is the first book in The Blackstone Legacy series. In this series, she is inspired by JP Morgan and the history and rising power of banks and capitalism. Gwen Kellerman loves her home that is nestled in the Blackstone college and hosts all kinds of professors and pioneers of education and science. Her husband died years before but it wasn’t a happy marriage. Her only care now is making sure Blackstone receives the funding to keep making advancements in medical research. However, she is the heiress of the Blackstone family who has the money and power and is often riddled in scandal. Patrick O’Neill is a lawyer who has worked hard for everything and has such a giving heart. His next case, although, requires him to help a man who is writing a book which contains information about the Blackstones. That information is linked to the missing Blackstone boy, who was also Gwen’s brother. Two worlds collide with love, classism, and mystery.

Elizabeth Camden never disappoints! I always find myself completely immersed in her stories-which always contain imperfect characters trying to find their way into the world. But there is always a woman ahead of her time. Gwen is that woman in this story. While it was hard to like her at first because of her naivety and privilege, she grows on you, especially when she is exposed to the realities of the world around her. One of the truly difficult things she must endure is realizing her family isn’t the ideal family she thought they were. Patrick O’Neill is the quintessential Irishman who came to the United States with his mother for a better life. He knows how hard life can be, especially when those around you won’t give you a chance. I love his patience with Gwen as she comes to understand her privilege.

Not only are the characters wonderful with amazing chemistry but there is a mystery and innovation intertwined that gives this story so much depth. Gwen realizes how important it is to find out what happened to her brother, while Patrick sees the benefits of scientific breakthroughs in regards to vaccinations.

As always, the historical details are phenomenal and I am already counting down for book two! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

I've long been fascinated by the Industrial Revolution era, eating up books featuring names like Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan, and William Randolph Hearst. So when all three of these names appeared, to varying degrees, in Elizabeth Camden's book "Carved in Stone," I knew it would be a special read--and that I'd love it. I became even more appreciative after the company I work for got folded into the Hearst Corporation family. Who knew I'd end up working for Hearst after all? But I digress :)

(It doesn't hurt that I recently read and loved the "Hope and Glory" series, which, by the way, is well worth your time!)

This read brings the turn of the (20th) century to life with vivid imagery and a glorious New York setting.

'Carved in Stone's climax and denouement ended up being one of my favorites among recent reads. (Gosh, it's hard not to include spoilers!) The denouement in particular felt healthy, and proposed a fantastic alternative to those reads where simply "the meet-cute ends happily, and done, good-bye!" Especially at the turn of the century, Gwen provides a breath of fresh air as she challenges the status quo in more ways than one.

Two of my favorite lines in the book:
- "The ground is always level at the foot of the cross."
- "People of good character can disagree and still be admirable."

... both lines I know I could stand to remember during societal times such as these.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Carved in Stone begins a new series surrounding the Blackstone family. When Patrick takes on a somewhat unsavory client who challenges the Blackstone family, he had no idea that he would be thrust into the path of Blackstone heiress, Gwen Kellerman.

Carved in Stone is an interesting look at social classes highlighting that at the core we're all human. Money doesn't make us better than other people and poverty doesn't make us more noble...though I'll admit that at times Gwen's family was downright disgusting in their snobbishness.

Carved in Stone was a compelling read a I was drawn into the characters' story and wanted to know more about them.

Gwen was a sweetheart and her goodness and willingness to help others shone through. I was glad when she finally built up the courage to pursue her dreams.

Patrick had a lot of legitimate reasons for feeling the way he did when he was around Gwen's family, but he made the effort to put aside his snobbishness and get to know them. I would have liked to see more of how that played out since there were so many examples of them being mean to him. But, overall, I like how it played out.

The two mysteries (one old, one new) are intertwined with the romance between Patrick and Gwen which keeps the plot interesting.

Readers will be reminded that though bad things happen, God is still in control and  He's able to make good things come out of even the worst events in our lives.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley; a positive review was not required.

I love reading Elizabeth Camden's stories because she always weaves the historical aspect in with a romance, which are my two favorite things! I loved the romance in this book. They liked each other, but there were problems, which made it more real, in my opinion. I loved reading about the creation of U.S. Steel. I did feel like some parts of the story were rushed at the end so everything could be resolved, but other than that, it was a great read. Looking forward to the next one in the series.

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

Fans of Elizabeth Camden's will be thrilled for the start of her new historical fiction series, The Blackstone Legacy. Elizabeth Camden is one of my go-to authors for historical fiction, and she continues to impress me with her well-researched and fascinating glimpses into the past. This novel is loosely based on J.P. Morgan and the creation of the United States Steel Corporation.

Family secrets, an unsolved mystery years old, and an unlikely romance developing between an heiress and an Irish immigrant who became a lawyer make Carved in Stone a must read. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Carved in Stone is highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden is filled with romance, a missing child, and tons of wealth. The story gives readers a glimpse into the creation of U.S. Steel, J.P. Morgan and the Carnegie's at the height of the Industrial Revolution. I enjoyed seeing them interact. Camden made them come to life with real heart and issues just like any normal family. Just because they have money does not mean that the struggles of life do not occur. The romance was a little awkward for me. I did not mind the heroine and hero falling in love. It was just a little too fast. She fell in love within moments of meeting him and the rest is history. It was a nice story. I loved the plot. I couldn't flip through the pages fast enough. Since this is the first book in a three-book series, I am excited to see what comes next. Overall, Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden once again teaches readers a little more about history without a lecture, but a well-written and delightful story. I can't wait to see what the next book will cover.

I received a complimentary copy of Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Another great historical novel in a new series by Elizabeth Camden where she makes history come alive. It’s a bit of romance, suspense, history, family dynamics, personalities, and inspiration all mixed into one good read. I highly recommend this new series.

Once you begin turning the pages of this book, your in for a delightful treat, the pages couldn't turn fast enough for me. This story is rich in history and clashing of cultures, from giving to taking, and of course there are those who do not want good to happen.
I loved the Irish immigrant Patrick O'Neill, a lawyer for the down trodden, and then he meets socialite Gwen Kellerman, and life for both of them changes forever.
The story keeps giving right up to the end, from a tetanus vaccine, to merger of the steel mills, kidnapping of children to attempted murder, and so much more.
Be sure to read the authors notes at the end, and I am looking for more on the Blackstone family!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Elizabeth Camden is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read everything she writes. That being said, Carved In Stone is now one of my favorites of her books and one of the best I’ve read this year!
Patrick and Gwen’s love story is not sweet and fluffy, but real and honest. Patrick is a humble Irish lawyer and Gwen is worth millions thanks to her wealthy family. With the backdrop of family, professional, and personal issues it is beautiful to watch their relationship grow and develop.
I’m so glad this is the beginning of a series and I look forward to as many books as Elizabeth Camden would like to write!

Gwen Kellerman is a widow who is also one of the heirs of the Blackstone fortune. The Blackstones are a power family in New York banking along with the Rockefellers and the Carnegies at the turn of the last century. Patrick O'Neill is an Irish attorney in the rougher part of New York and he is representing an individual that the Blackstones don't want dredging up old scandal in the book he is writing. The past and the present collide for all involved. This is a great story with lots of action and suspense and some happy circumstances. I highly recommend this book. The period is well researched and the characters are real and engaging. The story is riveting.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Whenever Elizabeth Camden publishes a book, it always gets my attention. Carved in Stone is the first in the Blackstone Legacy series. A historical romance set in the 1900's in New York City.

Patrick O'Neil is a scrappy lawyer living on the wrong side of the city. He defends the poor and down trodden, usually take wages by barter. Gwen Blackstone Kellerman is an elegant refined lady, who approaches Patrick about a case he is defending. Mick Malone is writing a book, bashing the Blackstone family. Gwen's brother was kidnapped when he was a toddler and she feels Mick got away with the crime.

The story is so interesting, as Ms. Camden always writes with so much history intertwined among the fiction. I have learned something in every book she has written. The facts are always so fascinating when you come to the end of her books. I could not put this book down.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the Publisher and NetGalley. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

This novel laid out the differences between poor and rich in a riveting way. I enjoyed the interplay between the main characters and their romantic interest that was riddled with obstacles centered around financial status.
The plot is not a regular one that I see often in novels and I enjoyed the mystery of finding out the truth behind William Blackstone’s disappearance. As a reader I continued to turn the page!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

"His vows would be joyfully offered and forever carved in stone".

I really enjoyed this story of two opposites in every way, meeting one another and each being changed by knowing the other. This tale also highlights how the US Steel conglomerate came to be as well as highlighting medical and scientific advances (tetanus vaccine) of the time. (The tetanus part of the story was scary. We forget about how things were before this vaccine was invented. People with tetanus experienced painful muscle spasms that could lead to death. I had just had my tetanus shot recently and it made me grateful for its development.)

Elizabeth Camden always pens intriguing page-turning stories with interesting little-known history and wonderful well developed characters and stories wrapped in the tale of the historical event. She is on my must-read author list!!

Carved in Stone begins with Patrick O'Neill, recently having left the seminary, to help people in other ways. His mentor told him " The priesthood is a calling," he had said. "We can't have reluctant warriors in our ranks, but there are plenty of other ways you can serve God in the world." Patrick became a lawyer and finds his calling in helping immigrants, the poor, and the downtrodden. I love Patrick! He is a loveable character.

Gwen Kellerman belongs to the wealthy Blackstone family. She is kind, generously forgiving, and untouched by the wealth she has inherited. The same can't be said for all the members of her family. When an old scandal comes to life again, it makes for much drama, and a few murder attempts!

I highly recommend Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden, it does everything I enjoy in a story; takes me away to another time and place, keeps me turning pages, has wonderful characters and I learn something while having fun reading a compelling story!

Thank you to the author, Net Galley, and Bethany House for allowing me to read an early copy! All opinions are my own.

Elizabeth Camden makes history come alive, and this time she brings us a story loosely based on J.P. Morgan and the merger that formed U.S. Steel. Gwen Kellerman is an heiress to the Blackstone fortune whose goal is to keep her college funded and to find out what happened to her older brother who was kidnapped as a small child. Events in the story lead to a meeting with a lawyer who is dedicated to helping the immigrants in the Five Points area of New York City. Ultimately, they fell in love but realized their relationship would have difficulties since they were from such diverse backgrounds. I am not the type of reader to sneak a peek at the end of the book to see what happens (although it's a struggle to not take an early look at the author's end notes), but this ending would have been worth the peek! I do always love the end notes, and I enjoyed learning about the ancient date palms. I did have a little trouble keeping track of all the family members and the motives for their actions, but I recommend this very clean historical romance. It was a privilege to receive a complimentary advance copy of this book through NetGalley.

"Carved in Stone" is a romance set in 1900 in New York. I liked how Gwen forgave and helped others even when wronged. I admired Liam's willingness to do hard and uncomfortable things to gain his end goal (which was also to help others). But I had a hard time liking Patrick. He was a good lawyer, but he chose to serve those who were too poor to pay (at least in cash) out of guilt though he also called it his mission. His mother worked hard to earn the money for their rent and food. So he's living off a woman's money. But when it came to marrying Gwen, he didn't want any of her money. He wanted to be the provider and her savior because he didn't like that others thought he was marrying her for her money. He wasn't going to change to working for the rich and wouldn't let Gwen live in poverty with him. He refused to compromise one bit to get what he wanted even if it meant giving up a strong, compassionate woman who built him up. He's exasperating, though the point of the story was how he had to deal with his pride (while helping solve the mystery of Gwen's kidnapped brother).

The characters reacted realistically, were complex, and I cared about what happened to them. Gwen and Patrick admired each other's character and became better people from having known each other. Historical details about mega-corporations, powerful banks, worker unions, etc., were woven into the story. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting historical romance.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

What an interesting historical romance!
I really liked Patrick from the get-go, and while I was slower to take to Gwen, I did end up really liking her as well, particularly those times when she said exactly what needed to be said. Secondary characters Liam and Natalia were also really appealing. ( I personally relate to both of them more than Gwen, so I'm hoping subsequent books in the series will put them front-and-center.)
The romance was great. I loved the final scenes and how things worked out; I just smiled so much through those pages!
I was really glad the main culprit wasn't the character who would have been the obvious choice, although I would have liked to know more about the fallout for the culprit (that part of the story ended a little abruptly for my liking.).
There's a lot going on in this story, with a family mystery, business dealings, keeping a college running, and more, and but the details were really woven into the story so I got a great sense of what life was like at that time without ever feeling like the story was cluttered or bogged down. I especially appreciated how the author wove in historical details about tetanus, which is something that I didn't even realize I would want to learn about but found to be so fascinating.
This book is a great start to what I suspect will be a fabulous series! 4.5 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I liked this story. Elizabeth Camden mixed an interesting historical background with a romance. Romantic novels are not usually my first choice, This book was more focused on family dynamics and personalities, so the romance was not the main aspect of the story, I liked "people of good character can disagree and still be admirable." The focus on attitudes transformed during the story was an element I liked.
I appreciated that the emphasis was not on the gilded splendor of the home of the lead character. I also liked the historical medicine aspect of the story. Well done.