It's listed at The Blackstone Legacy, Book 1 -- so I hope there are more books to come in this series!

A really interesting story - heiress Gwen Blackstone Kellerman has lived a secluded life on the campus of the Blackstone College, but has a lot going on - her husband cheated on her and his mistress and child also live on campus, her older brother was kidnapped as a child and never found, and now her Uncle has just pulled the funding of the college and threatens to shut it down. Patrick is an Irish immigrant lawyer who is representing the man (Mick Malone) who was previously arrested for kidnapping Gwen's brother. They meet when she goes to represent the family in trying to get Mick's book about the kidnapping from being published. Meanwhile, Liam Malone - a steel worker from Pittsburgh comes to support his uncle Mick. It's a whole twisty storyline but will keep you interesting the whole trip.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

"They will be carved in stone to last for all time."

Elizabeth Camden has a way of painting little known historical facts during the Gilded Age into full masterpieces and her inaugural novel in The Blackstone Legacy series is no exception. The author fuses the founding of a conglomerate steel corporation with advancement in science and medicine, the swirling decadence of the elite with a close look at the slums and tenements within the backdrop of 1900 New York City. The main characters are opposites as well but they work to bridge the differences in their worlds and, in many ways, learn to complement each other. This story has it all - great historical background, spellbinding backdrop, fluid writing, deeply layered characters, intriguing suspense, achingly tender romance, and a seamless faith thread.

I loved Patrick and his steadfast loyalty as the lawyer and spiritual counselor for the downtrodden. I needed a bit more time to warm up to Gwen, the ivory tower princess wrapped up in botany and comforts of academia, but her compassion and generous spirit won me over. Their flirtations are quite delicious and the humor sprinkled throughout the book is quite unexpected but equally enchanting. I loved learning about development of tetanus serum and vaccine among many other things.

If you enjoy historical romance, this book will captivate you. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I received the book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.

This book really missed the mark in so many ways. The plot was scattered and had too many threads, and the characters were inconsistent and hard to like. There were so many bizarre plot twists in this book that I felt like it was a 10 ring circus. The characters, especially Gwen, gave me whiplash with how inconsistent they were. She was part bohemian wealthy heiress, and part mobsters daughter. Her relationship with Patrick was just plain odd. Her patronizing manner and privileged lifestyle made their time together seem really forced and unnatural. I felt like Patrick was constantly compromising his values, wants, and opinions because of Gwen. She had no growth in this story and got everything she wanted, which makes sense because she was rich and was in a position to obtain anything she desired. I was disappointed in Patrick’s character. His occupation should have afforded him the ability to be honest and uphold the law, but several times I felt that he crossed lines and made excuses when it suited his purposes. His blind adoration of Gwen was emasculating and off putting. There was so much bickering in this book. So much bickering. Liam and Patrick, Liam and Gwen, the entire Blackstone family…it was exhausting and furthered my distaste of them. They were sending major “crime family vibes and it was confusing as a reader to see the author highlight them in any way in a positive light. I felt like right and wrong blurred lines so many times in this book. Even now I’m not sure what the actual point of the book was. It had so many different focal points that it is hard to differentiate what the theme is this book was. Gwen was completely and utterly obsessed with “saving” the college and it was so tedious to read that thought over and over again. I had so many struggles with this one and sadly wouldn’t recommend it.

I honestly struggled to relate to and like Gwen but when the pieces of her past started falling into place, I couldn’t stop reading.

I love Patrick’s strong, proud Irish self.

The subplot with the tetanus scare seemed very rushed to me; I wanted to get back to the decades-old scandal/mystery, and I really enjoyed how that all played out!

The ending is great, but can Patrick please start calling Gwen by her given name now? 😂

I hope the next books in the series are about Liam and then Natalia and her count!

This book is a historical fiction and is the start of a new series for Elizabeth Camden. It had themes of overcoming the past, pride, love and sacrifice set in the time where unions were acting against corporations. While I could predict some of the plot, there were events that did surprise me. I will say that the main character is a much nicer person than me!

If you are a fan of Tracie Peterson, you will find this book enjoyable. I look forward to seeing where the author takes this series in future. I got this book in exchange for an honest review.

CARVED IN STONE is the first novel in the Blackstone Legacy series by ELIZABETH CAMDEN, and, after reading it, I cannot wait for the next book in the series! It is an historical romance set in the Gilded Age of American history, with the entitled and wealthy upper class, as represented by the Blackstones and the hardworking poor, such as Patrick O'Neill and Liam Malone.
There is one member of the Blackstone family, Gwen Blackstone Kellerman, who is different to the rest of her family and who is passionate about the Blackstone College, founded by her father, botany, her home and garden.
Patrick is an Irish lawyer who lives in the Five Points and acts on behalf of the poor people in the area. He is a protector by nature and has great insight into people's problems, having trained originally for the priesthood. He is looking for a wife and family, a relationship that will be "carved in stone".
When he falls for the beautiful Gwen his pride raises its ugly head and that, together with the disdain shown him by her family, threatens their relationship.
It is a story about unconditional love, sacrifice, class distinction and shady business practices played out with a cast of very interesting characters.
We see also how God can turn things around and bring good out of something really bad that happened in the past.
I highly recommend Carved in Stone as an exciting and inspirational read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.