Review: Castle on the Rise

Happy Monday, Reader Friends!

I hope you had a warmer weekend! I don’t know about you but we’ve been have a pretty good chill in northern Virginia. But today and tomorrow are supposed to be warmer. Hooray! Anywho, I’m sharing my thoughts on Kristy Cambron’s Castle on the Rise. It’s book 2 in the Lost Castle series. This book releases tomorrow so preorder now!

About the Book

A storied castle. A band of rebels. And a nation chasing the centuries-old dream of freedom . . . What legacy will they leave behind?

When Laine Forrester travels to France to attend her longtime friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find a bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks–a devastating diagnosis, a castle restoration put on hold, and the emergence of deep-seated family dynamics that threaten to derail the new couple’s fledgling marriage–it seems the storybook life Laine had imagined for her friend–and once, for herself–is suddenly crumbling before her eyes.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending for one of them, Laine throws support behind her friend and agrees to accompany the couple to the groom’s family home in Ireland, where the merging of a mysterious inheritance, long-buried wounds, and a fractured family set out to upend the trip from the start. It’s in the unlikely corners of a historic Dublin pub, and across the wide-open moors bordering Ireland’s majestic Wicklow Mountains, that Laine is slowly drawn in by the land and the people, sparking hope for something she never imagined possible: the courage to heal. But with secrets of her own–and a heart afraid to trust again–Laine must determine how much she’s willing to risk in mending the broken places within herself, and whether she believes that even through the depths of our pain, a beautiful story can emerge.

Set in three time-periods–the revolutionary era of the late eighteenth century, Ireland’s turbulent Easter week of the 1916 Rising, and present day–Castle on the Rise weaves a story of legacy, conviction, and redemption against the backdrop of Dublin’s storied streets, and the stretch of Ireland’s stunning emerald shores. It raises the question: given the choice between the fairy tale or a life of truly anchored faith–which legacy would you choose?

Links: Amazon, B&N, CBD, Goodreads

My Thoughts

Y’all, this is a read that begs you to take the time to just soak in the atmosphere and the words that appear in front of you, because they’re not just words. Ms. Cambron arranges them so artistically that you’re transported to the magical world of Ireland and all that it inspires.

Set in three time-periods, Ms. Cambron takes you on an adventure. I must admit that the present day timeline was my favorite. How could it not be with a hero such as Cormac. He might even be my favorite Cambron hero with his quiet ways and understanding heart.

But the other heroes are nothing to sneeze at. A pirate? A vicar? Each man in his own way leaves a mark on his heroine and a memory for the reader.

But let me not forget about the heroines. Each woman finds her way. Finds her strength rest on the power of God and the opportunities He lays before us.

Castle on the Rise is a story worth reading, dreaming, and passing on to a friend.

*I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley. My review was not required nor influenced.