Well written stories and nicely tied together. Maybe a bit dull but nice. Narrators did a fantastic job. Thank you netgalley & publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook: An excellent narrator plus 3 wonderful stories made for an enjoyable listen. I thoroughly appreciated how the three stories which were rich in history and tied together. With memorable characters, Leedswick Castle became quite a powerful setting. I would have loved to hear even more of any of these stories. I would highly recommend this novella collection especially if you haven’t read any of these three authors before. I received an audio book copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

These stories are centered around the same castle, set in different time periods with descendants of the same family. The descriptions of the grounds and gardens are lush. The stories depict the relationships of the women with humor and an understanding of trying to fit into the English society etiquette of the time in contrast to the men of the castle who have to abide by the constraints of propriety. Thanks to NetGalley, I enjoyed the audiobook version. Highly recommended.

This is 3 novellas that take place in countryside of Britain that surround several generations in the same castle. A story of family curses, love, and great historical references. I think my favorite was the first one. I could just envision the castle and countryside's beauty. I listened on audible and enjoyed the narrator. Thanks for the opportunity of an ARC audible copy.

The Castle Keepers is a historical romance novella collection penned by J'nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan, and Aimie K. Runyan. The setting is Leedswick Castle located in the English countryside, home to generations of the Alnwick family.

Each novella addresses an interesting time in history:

1870 Following an embarrassing social season in New York, American socialite Beatrice Holbrook travels to England with her parents and meets Charles Alnwick, the future Marquess of Northridge. Soon after they marry, tragedy strikes, casting a dark legacy on the Alnwick family.

1917 After Tobias Alnwick, grandson of Charles and Beatrice, sustained extensive facial scarring in WWI, he returned to Leedswick Castle and is reluctant to venture outside its walls. Artist Elena Hamilton is summoned to create a custom mask to cover his face and bolster his confidence.

1945 Alec Alnwick is a veteran of World War II and the great grandson of Charles and Beatrice. While not physically injured, he has deep psychological scars from his war experience. Alec creates a convalescent center at Leedswick Castle for a group of fellow soldiers with the assistance of researcher Brigitta Mayr, niece of a famous Austrian phychoanalyst.

I've read novels by each of these historical fiction authors and I enjoyed this collection. It was a pandemic project which might explain the thread of a dark family curse that's woven through the stories.

I occasionally appreciate novellas because the plots unfold at a brisk pace due to limited word count. The first two novellas featured subjects I've seldom read in historical fiction. The first introduced me to the term 'dollar princesses' - daughters of wealthy American families who sought to marry into the British aristocracy; the financial resources bolstered the British grand families and the American families gained a connection to nobility.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for access to the audiobook narrated by Ann Marie Gideon.

Leedswick Castle in Northumberland has been in the Alnwick family for hundreds of years with a curse that seems to follow each generation. This trio of novellas follows the fate of those who keep the castle at Leedswick.

1870: Miss Beatrice Holbrook, a “dollar princess” heads to England to find a titled husband after an ill-fated dinner at the Astor’s shuts New York society’s doors. In London, Beatrice meets the very eligible Charles Alnwick, whom most considered an impossible catch, and attempts to become the next Marchioness of Northridge.

1917: Elena Hamilton is a talented bohemian artist, who wants nothing but to aide the men disfigured by the Great War. When Tobias Alnwick’s parents commission her to paint a mask created for him, she jumps at the chance to help Tobias find the confidence to “face” the world again. Elena finds a man whose battle wounds go far deeper than the surface, and she does what she can to remind him of what he was fighting for—to see the good again.

1945: Brigitta Mayr is working on her doctorate in psychoanalysis in Vienna when she is asked to join a group of men recently home from battle suffering with their reentrance to society. Alec Alnwick believes his estate could be used to help veterans who are suffering from what we now know as PTSD. Brigitta and Alec are determined to change the Alnwick family legacy of suffering, and end a curse forever.

Each generation of Alnwick men in these novellas has seen war that has greatly affected them, and each finds a bride that brings helps them find peace afterwards. The mysterious and in some areas deadly castle gardens are a prominent feature in each tale. All three storylines were interesting and a bit predictable, though the third seems much more focused on Alec than Brigitta breaking the format of the female character feeling like the lead.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and of course the authors: Aimee K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Castle Keepers is out now. All opinions are my own.

A family under a curse, and three different generations of women who will put their mark on the castle they come to love...

This was a fabulous read, and I appreciated how it was broken down by each generation instead of jumping back and forth between their lives. From Victorian times to more modern day, - the castle holds a secret, and each generation has tried to figure it out, without any luck.
But as they continue their families, each finds that they have a bit more inside of them than they realized.

Loved it! Great weekend beach read!

I definitely enjoyed this and the narration was top notch. The only downfall I would say is I was more into the first story/timeline than the second and more into the second than the third. The story of Beatrice and Charles kept me on my toes, trying to figure out not only their relationship but what was happening in the background with his family (who are downright dastardly!). In the following story, a couple of generations later we are met with artist Elena and Tobias following the great war. Tobias, wounded and terribly disfigured, has retreated to the Alnwick estate and his parents bring in Elena to help create a face mask for him. Finally, in the third iteration, we are introduced to Alec, returning home from WWII and Brigitta, a psychologist who aims to help him create a rehabilitation center for soldiers at the estate.

All of the stories were sweet love stories with a healthy dose of mystery thrown in and the backdrop of Leedswick Castle tying them all together.

I went back and forth between listening and reading and I really enjoyed the audio! The narrator’s voice was perfect for the time period and I loved all of the themes intermixed within the book. I especially loved the first short story featuring Beatrice and Charles. Aimee did a fantastic job showing us the comparison between American and British life in the late 1800s. The mystery within this short story gave it more dimension and I couldn’t stop reading until I found out who the killer was. I loved it!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a rather sweet story. I thought all three stories flowed together well despite different authors, and the narrator did a good job at differentiating. I enjoyed the historical aspect of it as well.

A sweet collection of three stories that tells the story of the Alnwick family across three different timelines. Most of them related to a post or current wartime setting in England. Overall, this historical novel is a sweet read, with easy to identify villains and happy endings. It was an enjoyable read, but not anything particularly deep. The style of all three authors blended well together, and I really had a hard time differentiating between the stories because of this.

The narrator was easy to listen to, with decent pronunciation/accents. There was a pronunciation of one word in the last story that was particularly nagging at me, but now I can't seem to recall which word it was for.

I would recommend to women's historical fiction fans at my library. I think many of them would enjoy it. I appreciated the idea of the timeline series, as that made the title a little unique and I would definitely try something like it again.

Following one English Manor home and its inhabitants over three generations, and in three different time periods was a premise I couldn’t resist. I enjoyed all but found I connected most with the first two. It was interesting to meet the people and learn their backstory while also seeing how the next generation fared. The gilded age, World War I, and World War II all were explored, and each brought a unique setting to the story.

As I listen to the audiobook, I found the narrators engaging and ensuring that each character truly had their own voice. As it is told through three distinct stories, this is a great book to pick up if have only have short bits of time to read, or in my case, listen.

Beautiful stories that sweeps you away to 3 generations that lived in a haunted, crumbing old castle. Three new authors for me, that wrote each a novella set during gilded age, the Great War and World War II. Each story brings a little more of the curse that has befallen upon the owners of the castle. Very well written and love when I learn a tidbit of usual unknown facts of the past. The narrator will keep you intrigued throughout each story. Well done ladies! Looking forward to reading more from all of you. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheCastleKeepers Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #TheCastleKeepers

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 loved this. The strength and compassion of these women are remarkable. I would definitely recommend this book!

This had such a unique and interesting layout, a curse that continues through generations and we get to see that through 3 different stories in 3 different timelines. I loved seeing the connection and learning about all the different characters. Although each book was written by separate authors I think they intertwined really nicely and everything was written beautifully and the narration also really fit with the stories. Overall I think this will be a hit for fans of historical fiction who want to read something unique.

Thank you to #netgalley and #harpermuse for the #giftedaudiocopy.

Since I have been reading so many alternating timeline novels lately, it was refreshing to read a book that had 3 distinct sections, each of a different time period, in chronological order. It almost read like 3 short novels. It was also refreshing to have a novel that focuses on the effects and healing process of PTSD in wounded veterans before many people of the time knew about that condition. Poignant and thought-provoking!

The concept of three generations who kept Leedswick Castle was intriguing to me, especially with three authors. It did not disappoint.

In 1870, Beatrix comes from America to London in search of a husband with a title and finds Charles Alnwick, slightly damaged by war and family dynamics. She will stand up for him and Leedswick no matter the consequences.

In 1917, Elena, a nomad artist, arrives at Leedswick to paint a new face for Tobias Alnwick, who was injured in WWI. He tries to hide from everyone but she sees him for who he is.

In 1945, Brigitta, a psychoanalyst, comes from Austria to help Alec Alnwick, who she corresponded with during the war, build a rehabilitation center at Leedswick for men returning from WWII with scars beyond those that are physical.

The stories are full of secrets, societal expectations, poison, and curses as well as a little romance!

I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you like clean historical fiction with beautiful romance, this is your cup of tea. It had strong women who also liked to be protected. I loved it as a reprieve from some heavier books I've read lately. I listened to the audio and loved the narrator, Ann Marie Gideon. I did like one story the best and one the least but I am not going to taint your perception going in.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpermusebooks for the advanced audio copy in the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how all of these stories related together. Even though separate people wrote them they tied together really well. I honestly felt like it was the same person writing the whole time but just using a different character’s personality. Love the toxic plants too 😏

This was a nice collection of stories to listen to, all linked to a place called Leedswick Castle. It was interesting to read about the Alnwick family throughout the ages. I especially connected with the characters in the stories set in 1870 and 1917.

It was a fascinating parallel to read stories where the main characters were finding love while persevering through trial, yet all under what was rumored to be a “curse”. These couples may have found their happiness together, however, it was sad to see how long the people of the village continued to treat the family badly due to rumors that were perpetuated about them.

I enjoyed seeing how some things changed and others stayed the same as each tale progressed. The narration was nicely done and I liked listening to this audio book. I did notice an expletive in the first novella, however, this is overall a clean collection of stories.

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

Thank you #netgalley and #harpermuse for the audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Castle Keepers is a trio of intertwined novellas written by historical fiction authors Aimie K. Runyan, J’nell Ciesielski, and Rachel McMillan. Three generations of the Alnwick family own an aging Leedswick castle near Birchwick. Beatrice is an American Socialite in the 1870's, Elena is an artist from 1917 and Alec is a veteran from the 1940s.

Each story is dynamic and I enjoyed the connection between each generation. Visiting different parts of the castle, the garden makes the setting a character on its own. However, it felt like each author struggled with the shortened word count and scrapped connections and world-building to meet the word count. I haven't read any of the author's books individually, but some sections felt like when my friends edited my college essays and scrapped all of the descriptive terms. Not a bad book, but not one I would go back to or highly recommend.