I have not read anything by this author prior and am always interested in the historical fiction genre. The setting of Britian during WWII was another strong interest of mine. I was surprised when I noted the Christian Fiction genre attached. I am non-denominational and so was hesitant on what I was going to experience. I expected a story with lots of Christian doctrine references or discussion. There is only one portion at the end that seems to fit this genre and feels somewhat unnecessarily added. If I had not seen the subgenre, I would not have found any of the god references to be out of character of natural conversation for the characters experience. Overall, this story is three timelines (Victorina, 1940s and contemporary) woven around a castle in Britian. However, the stories are very different from each other which I enjoyed. There is some romance, some female rebelling, two different mysteries to figure out and lots very likable characters. All three stories are woven together by the end and author does a nice job weaving them. You may figure out one but you won't get all three. I really enjoyed the journey and will definitely be considering her other books.

An old English manor destroyed by the war, a painting of Queen Victoria gone missing and a hidden library make for a very interesting story.

Kristy Cambron is an amazing author with lots of vision, knowledge about history and storytelling. Her books transform you to another time and place and keep you wanting more.

Growing up in an Irish family, I've been aware of the upheaval in Ireland since I was young. I do know firsthand the qualities of the Irish strength, sticking to a purpose that you believe in, and loving a good fight when you know you're right. The Irish are strong in their heritage as well. This story illustrates that beautifully, expertly and smoothly - woven from three different time frames. It takes you from the 1700s to early 1900s to present. It shows the reality of war and the people who live during it. The English "owned " Ireland for many years. The present time frame shows how not all battles are in history, and the vulnerable. And strength and resilience. Excellent read.
I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #ThePaintedCastle #KristyCambron #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

Due to a personal difference in beliefs (WITH THE PUBLISHER) I will not be finishing or reviewing this book outside of Netgalley nor do I plan to support Thomas Nelson in the future due to their decisions of late and the lack of fiction with good Biblical values.

This does not mean I do not like the book, it just means I will no longer be reviewing Thomas Nelson books.

The Painted Castle is an engaging story of an overlapping location during three different time periods. The romantic aspects of the character relationships were predictable, but the stories of the house and the painting were what kept me roped in. I wanted to know all the details from each time period and how the story would come about.

I really enjoyed this final book in the Castle series by Kristy Cambron. It was one of my favorites of hers. Cambron really excels at multiple POV and timelines. I’m always engaged in the story and the characters she creates. She always seems to find the most beautiful settings for her book and I love reading her lifelike descriptions and feeling I am there with the characters. For the multiple pov and timelines Cambron does well with character and story development without feeling too rushed or short-changed. This book is definitely one I can see myself re-reading.

The Painted Castle was an okay read. I'm not sure why I didn't love it, but I just didn't. I think I had a difficult time with the time jumps and keeping track of everything.

The characters were fine and it was interesting at times, but overall I just didn't really connect with the story and it wasn't a book for me.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Classic Kristy Cambron. Beautifully written. Captivating. Time split by three. Intriguing. Well crafted. Five stars.

This third book in the “lost castle” series has been my favorite. I love the triple timeline story that weaves itself into a beautiful portrait of love, loss, trust, pain, and healing. The author has such a gift of drawing the reader into the pages and making you care about the characters.

I am going to miss the people I’ve met as I explored various periods in history through this series. The characters were well developed and the depth of emotions the reader is exposed to makes these books a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I have loved every single book in the Castle series! They just keep getting better and better. The ways each story is uniquely crafted to not feel even a semblance of one of the others is outstanding! You will love the characters and details written into these pages.

I love time-split novels, and in this one I got three stories! But the downside is that no story is as deep or fleshed out as I wanted it to be. However, this was a pretty good book and I did enjoy it! I will be reading the author's other books because I think she is a good writer who is able to write convincing romance and historical fiction.

I am just going to be perfectly honest up front and say that I retained very little of this book after I read it.

Publisher summary: Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the tumultuous skies over England’s eastern shores in WWII, and modern day.

Considering above statement, I think what threw me the most is I came into this series not realizing it was a series. So Keira's storyline was almost entirely lost on me because I have her brother's backstory's to set me up for this story with her. And it kind of let me feeling off kilter the entire time.

The storyline in the 19th century with Elizabeth I also struggled with. I understood she was an artist who of course was intrinsically tied to Keira through her painting. I suppose my issue was I much more invested in how relationship was playing out. I found that far more interesting.

The storyline I came to this book for was Amelia's. When this was marketed originally, one of the tags was WWII fiction which is one of my favorites. I don't think it should have been marketed that way because it's not strictly WWII fiction. That being said I found Amelia's storyline with the children, her home, and the man that she falls for very intriguing. I wish I had had a whole book of that.

Overall, to be fair, I may have liked this more if I was invested in the series, but I just had trouble being invested in the characters.

Over the past few years, I've found myself very picky over the fiction that I read. Maybe it's my age. I could not get into this title. There were some parts that I found engrossing and some that I just wanted to skip over. There's a lot of good to say though. I liked the storyline. The dialogue sounded realistic.

I've yet to find out what makes my kind of fiction. I hope I figure it out soon.

Anything by Kristy Cameron is worth reading. She writes descriptive passages that pull you and make you feel like you can see exactly what the characters were seeing or feeling. A missing artwork, everyday working folks, aristocracy, WWII, and the author’s magic make this a great read. Well-written, easy to read, and easy to visualize.

I love the way these three stories tie together and the history laced within giving me insight on things I didn't know. The romance leaves you swooning and wanting to weep at times. Excellent trio-line!

Follow the lives of three different women, from three different time periods, each one searching for something - even though they might not know what that something is.

This story was beautiful. I could not get into it the first time I tried, but I set it down, determined to come back to it eventually. I read this in two sitting, just soaking in the story of three amazing women, who were all working toward their futures - and even finding love along the way.
An easy weekend read!

THOUGHTS:
I really liked the way this story goes to different eras to understand the history of the estate manor, Parham Hill. The suspense and mystery of a hidden library will keep you turning the page. The heroines' Elizabeth, Amelia and Kiera are all strong women regardless of the era they live. Kristy weaves the eras together in a way that leaves you living in all three. Seeing, living and seeking their own independence, you'll have no problem feeling that you are within the character itself. A great read!!
Blessings,
Karen Hadley
Rating: 5*
I received this book for my honest review!

The Painted Castle is a moving story with dual timelines, which I thought were really well done! I enjoyed how the story unfolded, even if it was a little slow sometimes. Recommended!

In the third Lost Castle novel, Kristy Cambron intertwines stories across history with exquisite talent, and The Painted Castle proves to be a page turner, indeed.

Kiera Foley (sister to the brothers featured in the previous two books) has the opportunity to restore order to her life with a trip to the East Suffolk countryside. Yet, what she finds there draws her into a centuries-old story, connected to women with incredible opportunities and lessons in trust.

If you love historical-contemporary fiction, multiple timelines with an intriguing connection, and sweet, sweet romance, I highly recommend The Painted Castle (and the rest of the series). It’s a story worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

I loved this book. From the first page I was pulled into the rich and haunting story. The characters were so vivid in my memory the author did a fantastic job of portraying these people and involving you in their story. I have not read the other books in the series but do you want to bet they’re on my to read list now. The author tells an enchanting story over three different timeline; the three women in this book have such interesting stories. I was so wrapped up in this book I read long into the night because I need to finish it.

I have never been disappointed with any book by this author and will continue to read her books with gusto.