This fictional story follows 3 generations of the Alnwick family, the keepers of Leedswick Castle in Northumberland. Each generation face unique trials that ultimately lead them to find love.

In 1870, there is Charles Alnwick whose leg was injured in the War, and his 'Dollar Princess' Beatrice Holbrook. In 1917, we meet their grandson Tobias Alnwick whose face was injured in WWI, and the artist who paints his hand crafted mask, Elena. Then finally in 1945, we meet their son Alec Alnwick who returns from WWII with psychological scars, and is assisted by training Psychoanalyst Brigitta.

I really enjoyed each section of this story and would happily have read each as its own full length book. The fact that Leedswick Castle was based on Alnwick Castle, such an iconic place with the notorious Poison garden, made the characters seem real.

Thank you to all three Author's, @Netgalley & @harpermusebooks for providing such rich, intertwined stories that took me through the human repurcussions of thtlree wars too! I've willingly provided this review and all opinions are my own.

The book is divided into three novellas that take place in Leedswick Castle, previously owned by the Marquess of Alnwick. Each novella focuses on a different generation of women who discovered the castle and how it affected the Alnwick family. The three main characters, Beatrice, Elena, and Brigitta, all possess unique qualities that set them apart. Beatrice's bravery, Elena's positivity, and Brigitta's keen observations were noteworthy. What I found most admirable about these characters was their ability to influence others positively. They also overcame obstacles and inspired those around them, including the Alnwick men whom they love despite challenges.

Despite being written by three authors, the book flows smoothly, making it feel like a single writer penned it. The narration is consistent; reading it is like finishing a series without waiting for the next installment.

The stories seamlessly integrate issues of post-war copings, such as injury, PTSD, and mental illness. This book is engaging, especially for novella enthusiasts who seek impactful stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

A delightful collection of generational stories that connect through the beauty of an old family estate. The stories center on the Alnwick family, beginning in 1870. I loved all the stories, but this one was truly special as it kicked it all off. I love the tenacity of Beatrice to overall her hardships. I especially enjoyed the love story that built between Beatrice and Charles. A very tender tale that truly drew me in and captivated me. The continuation with Elena and Tobias was uplifting and fun. Yes, there were difficulties to overcome, but Elena’s free spirit and her ability to see the true heart of people, no matter their outward appearances, was genuinely special. I loved seeing her draw out Tobias and Tobias return to a fully living version of himself under her unconditional love. Lastly, Brigitta and Alec show how true change, transformation, and redemption are possible. Both are willing to take a risk to try something new and, in the process, learn that new paths can be forged beyond old stories and curses. I love how this generational tale captures various personalities, love stories, and the hope of better things to come.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

This book was a bit of a surprise for me. From reading the description, I was expecting a multiple POV historical fiction that went back and forth between the 1870's, 1917 & post-WWII era. The book is divided into three novellas each written by a different author, a point I seemed to miss at first!

I loved taking a historical deep-dive into three different time periods, three different strong women characters, three separate Alnwick men/former soldiers. A common thread being that the stories all take place in idyllic Leedswick Castle in the English countryside. The setting was gorgeous and a strong presence throughout the three stories.

I really enjoyed this different (to me) format, and recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction.

A richly detailed historical fiction, The Castle Keepers tells of an English castle’s history from three perspectives in three different time periods. And that was enough to hook me. I mean British titles and family drama, love stories and the effects of war—what’s not to love?

But on another level, I was captivated by the fact three authors joined forces to write it. Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan together tell the story of Leedswich Castle, where the Alnwick family has lived for generations. What a test of creativity! I wondered if their voices would merge in a complimentary style, or if each author’s voice would be too distinct to harmonize.

They achieved the perfect balance. The authors compose a seamless story, but also deliver individuality. Each portrait left me wanting more. Each section could be an entire book.

I wanted to know more about Beatrice and Charles, who in 1899 negotiate marriage and family ghosts. And I wanted more of Tobias and Elena’s story, which was set in 1917—would they be able to overcome the physical devastation he experienced as a result of his service in WWI? Finally, in 1945, when Alec inherits Leedswick, would he and Elisa succeed in using the castle as a refuge for shell-shocked soldiers of WWII?

Sweet love stories, interesting antagonists, fascinating insights about both wars, and lush detailed prose combine to make Castle Keepers a winner. And if the authors decide to expand each story into their own books, count me in.

The Castle Keepers spans almost a century and gives sweeping sagas of three different branches of the same family in the north of England. Each saga is written by a different author, but each storyteller provides the same emotionally charged connections with their characters, it is almost difficult to distinguish between them all.

In the first installment, an American heiress must flee New York's society scandal to find a husband in England. It doesn't take long, but then another scandal finds the couple almost immediately after their quick marriage. Husband and wife are portrayed as genuine and not over the top. This story shows a true testament to the bond of marriage and promise.

The second installment finds an artist visiting the famed English family after WWI to complete an odd task to help a son hide his disfigurement. Readers will be sympathetic to the situation and will no doubt fall in love with how this tale is portrayed.

Finally, in the third installment, the family heir has returned from WW2 with a partner to help heal hidden scars from those who suffered major atrocities. The family castle remains a staple through all three novellas, and each group find a way to be the perfect keepers of such an important family treasure.

If you love historical fiction, these sweeping sagas will transport you to the past and ensnare your heart.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Castle Keepers by three authors is a beautiful story about PTSD and its effects on the soldiers and the people around them. Each story is about a different generation of a family that seems to be cursed and how each of them deal with it. I really liked the stories, but my favorite was probably the middle story. I am thankful for the opportunity to read and listen to this, as I also had the audiobook version. Thanks to the publisher and the audio publisher for this opportunity. All opinions are my own.

Three generations of a family in a castle in Northumberland. The male heirs bring in entirely different women to the castle. Each such uniquely different relationships but all responsible for the castle through the years, which is in different states of repair and upkeep. Each generation going through unique personal circumstances. Interesting, intriguing book.

I received this book free from the authors, 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 #TheCastleKeepers #AimieKRunyan #JnellCiesielski #RachelMcMillan #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #HarperMuse

The Castle Keepers is a collection of three short stories that are connected by the setting and the family that lives there. I loved the first story, liked the second, and was completely bored by the third. I would have loved a full length novel of Beatrice and Charles' story. Their characters were the most developed and the story had the most interesting plot. Elena and Tobias' story kept my interest and really picked up by the ending. Alec and Brigitta's story felt disjointed and confusing. I don't know if that was intentional due to the plot, but it just didn't work and made the story a slog to get through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for access to this arc.

I was familiar with two of these authors (Ciesielski and McMillan) prior to this collection, and it sounded like something I'd enjoy. Unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me overall. I loved the fact that it's a novella collection, and I was able to fit the stories into a busy day. I appreciated the connection between the stories with the Alnwicks family and their home at Leedswick Castle. I also liked that it spanned various time periods (1870, 1917, and 1945).

I absolutely loved the first story by Runyan. I really liked Beatrice and her unconventional ways. I was sorry to see her story end. Sadly, I didn't feel the same interest in the other two stories.

The tone and prose of the first story flowed so nicely and easily pulled the reader in. Unfortunately, I struggled to engage with the other two novellas. Some parts were too drawn out or just confusing. Characters weren't as developed, and some plot points felt rushed or predictable.

3.25/5⭐️

This anthology includes three short stories from three authors which are connected through different generations of the same British family, the Alnwicks and their ancestral home Leedswick Castle. The time periods include 1870, 1917 and 1945, and the stories center on the male heirs and the strong women behind them. The stories focus on the horrors of war/PTSD and the pressure and expectations of inheriting a family legacy that may not be your choice.

While the stories were fine overall, two of them were not as well-written, easy to follow or as interesting as the third in my opinion. My favorite was the J’Nell Ciesielski story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I loved this story collection. Three unique, wonderfully told stories, but with themes, a setting, and characters that carry throughout. I enjoyed that the stories built on the first, then second one, showcasing multiple generations of the same family. I haven't read much about Dollar Princesses, the use of facial masks after the wars, or rehabilitation centers for similarly wounded soldiers -- and I love the novelness of this collaboration!

** “I’m not here to fix you, for that would require you to be broken. Which you are not. A bit scratched and bent, perhaps, but then, who of us isn’t?” **

Authors Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski and Rachel McMillan join forces to create three connected stories in “The Castle Keepers,” a story that follows several generations of the war-torn and seemingly cursed Alnwick family.

Runyan delivers the 1870 story of Charles Alnwick, injured in the Indian conflict. As his family’s beloved Leedswick estate faces financial instability, he meets Beatrice Holbrook, one of America’s “new rich.” Will they survive the village’s resentment of the family and Charles’ battle scars to find true love?

Ciesielski takes up the 1917 tale of Tobias, returned from World War I missing part of his face. When his family hires the quirky artist Elena Hamilton to create a facial mask for him, Tobias comes to learn to find life’s true beauty, love and self-acceptance.

The 1945 story of Alec, told by McMillan, reveals a man haunted by the memories of war. He decides to open the family’s estate as a retreat to other men suffering from mental and emotional battle scars, along with the help of psychoanalyst Brigitta Mayr. Will he find the healing he needs, as well as healing for his family’s decades-long struggle with acceptance?

The three authors expertly weave together the stories of three generations, as if one author wrote one cohesive story. They create wonderful characters that are incredibly relatable and flawed, as well as inspiring.

They also fill “The Castle Keepers” with several great themes, like facing one’s convictions; not dwelling in the darkness; people are worth fighting for and forgiving; find your joy and purpose; seeing potential in others; and “one bad weed can overtake a whole garden.”

Fans of authors like Katherine Reay and Kristy Cambron will love “The Castle Keepers,” which is due out May 2.

Five stars out of five.

Harper Muse provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

THE CASTLE KEEPERS by AIMIE K RUNYAN, J’NELL CIESELSKI and RACHEL McMILLAN is a novel covering three generations of the Alnwick family, custodians of Leedswick Castle, and how war affected the Alnwick men who came back broken from their wartime experiences, but also how it affected the castle, which was said to be cursed along with the family. The book is very well written, with each of the authors blending seamlessly as they each write about a different generation. I found the novel thought provoking, with a depth to the stories that kept my interest throughout.
In 1870 Beatrice leaves New York in disgrace to find a titled husband during the London season. She is what is known as a “dollar bride”, who brings her father’s “new money” to the marriage market as a dowry. She has great strength of character as she faces her hateful mother in law and brother in law and supports her husband with all that is in her……
In 1917, artist Elena Hamilton, who works for the Tin Noses Shop in London, takes up a private position at Leedswick Castle to make a mask for Tobias Alnwick who had half his face and one eye blown off in the war. The Tin Noses Shop wants to give dignity to those who had lost a part of themselves, as they went “Onto the next chunk of masticated meat they called a soldier. Where the war had chewed them up and the world had spat them out.” Elena, with her bright colours and exhuberant character “healed the only way she knew how. With paint.” She feels that “people are worth fighting for and forgiving.” ……
In 1945 Alec Alnwick, who has been corresponding during the war with Dr Henrik Mayr and his neice Brigitta, Austrian psychoanalists, and having read the teaching of Dr Arthur Hurst, decides to turn the castle into a healing centre for those returning home who are unable to cope with life after the horrors of war. Brigitta agrees to be part of this experiment……
The book is exciting with murder, a poison garden and false accusations that turn the people of the village against the Alnwicks. Will this use of the castle to heal the wounded prove to be its redemption? As Alec says to Brigitta “You can help me understand myself a little bit better but also redeem the use of this place.”
I highly recommend The Castle Keepers as an excellent read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Harper Muse. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Set in three different timelines, three authors pen novellas which tell one family's story, with the intriguing link of a family curse that has haunted the family for generations.Three generations of the Alnwick men have fought in different wars. Each man longs for healing from the wounds of war, physical and emotional.

The novellas are set in 1870, 1917 and 1945. I absolutely loved the individual stories and the power of love to heal as each heroine brought her own unique gift and personality to Leedswick Castle. My favorite story was the second one set in 1917. I love learning something new, and was intrigued by the fashioning of masks for soldiers who survived severe facial injuries. I adored Elena's free spirit, full of strength and spunk.

Realizing the authors were held to the word count of a novella instead of a novel, my personal opinion is that some of the plot lines were a little rushed. But I felt as if there was good character development, with the expected romance developing at a natural pace.

Fans of historical fiction will find this novella collection entertaining.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Very enjoyable collection of novellas set at the same castle in northern England in three different eras by talented authors Aimie k. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan. I love how the stories are tied together to give continuity and family history. Each story has memorable characters, obstacles to overcome, mystery and romance. I highly recommend this collection of novellas for lovers of historical fiction.

#1 In a world where she is only prepared to make a great marriage match, will Beatrice Holbrook find her match and her purpose after the wedding? She is a Dollar Princess from America (A Dollar Princess referred to an American heiress, often from newly wealthy families, who married a title-rich but cash-poor British nobleman.) She marries Charles Alnwick a very eligible bachelor with a title, who was wounded in war. Rumors from war follow him, setting the town against him. His mother and brother are awful. Beatrice and Charles face tragedy and scandal together.


#2 The story of a wounded WWI war hero (Tobias Alnwick, grandson of Charles and Beatrice) and the eclectic artist (Elena Hamilton) who comes to make a mask for him. I really enjoyed this story, of healing, restoration and romance!

#3 The story of Alec Alnwick (son of Tobias and Elena) the returning heir to the castle from WWII with PTSD. He opens his home to other soldiers with similar experiences as a place to heal from the war before going home. He hires Brigitta Mayr, "the brilliant young psychoanalyst whose correspondence was a lifeline during his time on the Western Front".

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

P.S. After reading, I had fun googling and finding out about the Alnwick Castle in Northern England. It was the site of a Downton Abbey Christmas special! And one of the ancestors died for his faith.

A series of stories about a family and a curse that haunts them. I didn't realize that this was stories when I saw the multiple narrators. I thought it would be more like flashbacks, but these were three different stories.

"Leedswick Castle has housed the Alnwick family in the English countryside for generations, despite a family curse determined to destroy their legacy and erase them from history.

1870. After a disastrous dinner at the Astor mansion forces her to flee New York in disgrace, socialite Beatrice Holbrook knows her performance in London must be a triumph. When she catches the eye of Charles Alnwick, one of the town's most enviably-titled bachelors, she prepares to attempt a social coup and become the future Marchioness of Northridge. When tragedy and scandal strike the Alnwick family, Beatrice must assume the role of a lifetime: that of her true, brave self.

1917. Artist Elena Hamilton arrives in Northumberland determined to transform a soldier's wounds into something beautiful. Tobias Alnwick's parents have commissioned a lifelike mask to help their son return to his former self after battle wounds partially destroyed his face. But Elena doesn't see a man who needs fixing - she sees a man who needn't hide. Yet secrets from their past threaten to chase away the peace they've found in each other and destroy the future they're creating.

1945. Alec Alnwick returns home from the war haunted but determined to leave death and destruction behind. With the help of Brigitta Mayr, the brilliant young psychoanalyst whose correspondence was a lifeline during his time on the Western Front, he reconstructs his family's large estate into a rehabilitation center for similarly wounded soldiers. Now Alec's efforts may be the only chance to redeem his family legacy - and break the curse on the Alnwick name - once and for all."

I KNOW you want to find out about the curse, but I'm here for the man in the mask.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The book is comprised of three stories, each separate, but connected by the "real estate." The enormous estate, even during the Gilded Age where the first story begins, is in need of large amounts of money to repair and keep it running. As was done then, marriage pacts are made based on one's fortune. The first novella was my favorite and I was disappointed when it ended so abruptly.

The second novella had a very clever theme as it wove the story of an artist, Elena, who has a unique special gift for working with veterans to paint masks that help to emulate their original features that have been damaged during WWI. A love and a deep respect between the artist and Tobias, the son of the manor ensues.

The third story also had an interesting premise around Alec, the son of Elena and Tobias, returning from WWII with PTSD. He and a female Viennese student psychoanalyst turn the manor into a safe haven that other veterans suffering from PTSD can go for help. This story although interesting as a topic, was my least favorite.

Running throughout all three novellas is the history of how the manor is seen as "cursed" due to alleged actions by the son in the first story. The idea of the curse is broken at the very end.

Three novellas written by three historical fiction authors to collaborate this book.
The Castle Keepers is three novellas about the Alnwick family that lives in Leeswick Castle in Northumberton, England. Three different generations of women , Beatrice, Elena, Brigitte who made an impact on the lives of the Alnwick family.
I loved the settings, interesting characters and the poison garden that was in all three novellas.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the opportunity to read this book.