"These walls were not meant to be a prison but a refuge."⠀
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The Castle Keepers⠀
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The Castle Keepers by Aimie K. Runyan; J'nell Ciesielski; and Rachel McMillan is a set of three historical fiction romances that revolve around the grand and mysterious Leedswick Castle in Northridge, England. The tales follow the women and men of the castle as they navigate love, loss, trauma, and hope. ⠀
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My favorite of the three stories was that of Elena Hamilton and Tobias Alnwick. Set in 1917, artist Elena is hired to provide a mask for veteran and heir to the Leedswick Castle Tobias, to disguise his facial disfigurement from a war injury. Elena is a likeable character with an artist's eye that makes her dialogue almost poetic. Tobias is a strong, kind man who is fascinated with the enigmatic woman who has entered his life. Their search to unravel the mysteries of the castle and it's poison garden brings a nice bit of action to the romance and everything comes to an exciting end as they discover a devious plan that threatens to ruin both of their lives. ⠀
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All of the stories have sweet period romances intertwined with the difficulties of war and the pressures of society. The couples find solace in each other as they attempt to maintain the their home and bring it's mysteries to light. I enjoyed all of the historical aspects of the book and the fade to black romance was beautiful and inspiring. I'd recommend The Castle Keepers to anyone who loves cozy historical fiction and period dramas! The narrator was great and really brought the book to life. ⠀

Wow. Just wow. This is the first time I have read anything by any of these authors and you can bet I will be reading more of their works. I am super impressed with the flow of the stories. It was hard to remember that each one was written by a different author. They were that good! This story has stuck with me over the last couple weeks since I finished. I believe, in part, the narration played into that-it was superbly executed.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Three different stories set in 1870, 1917, and 1945, all revolving around a castle in England and its inhabitants.

Each of the three authors wrote one of the stories and, luckily, managed to seamlessly connected them through the Alnwick family, who have owned the castle for generations. The rich histories and mysteries surrounding the characters were intriguing and kept me interested. It’s really three short stories combined to make one novel which made it seem to fly by quickly.

While I did enjoy the time period and the cozy mysteries, I think the book could have used a bit more editing. There were words and phrases, especially in the first story, that would have befitted from some trimming. Other than that I enjoyed this quick cozy read!

Thank you Harper Muse for the #alc via Netgalley.

The Castle Keepers is the perfect title for this book. I tend to enjoy books that take place in old homes and castles and Leedswick Castle was such a fantastic setting. It worked well for the book to be divided into three parts and I found the stories of each of the three Alnwick gentlemen equally compelling. The narrator was fantastic and I devoured this audiobook - - fascinating historical fiction!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. Cover is beautiful. I really enjoyed these 3 short stories that are intertwined. I reay enjoyed the first two a lot. I wish they first story would have been a full length book ha. The third was probably my least favorite but it was entertaining. I was so happy to read a book that didn't have sex and cussing. The narrator did a great job.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review.

This was narrated by Ann Marie Gideon who did an excellent job! Highly recommend the audio book!

This is a collection of 3 movellas based in a cursed castle in England. Its an interesting collection of 3 different generations who all lived in and faced struggles within the castle walls. I loved how each novella built on the former and was generationally accurate for the period whether at or between wars The stories are well-written and engaging. The narrator did a great job of bringing the characters and settings to life.

The mysteries within each novella added intrigue and suspenseful moments, with some action. The romances that developed were all different, tender and sincere.

Highly recommend!

It was okay. I just got confused between the different time lines. I enjoyed the narrator. Thanks for letting me read!

The Castle Keeper’s is 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 had the privilege of listening to an audiobook copy as well. Ann Marie Gideon did an excellent job as the narrator. She captured the various characters, male and female, of all ages and truly brought them to life through the listening experience.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Based on the true story of one of America’s wealthiest self made women, this fascinating novel takes readers back to post Civil War Virginia, where Belle Yarrington is working at a gambling hall. There she catches the eye of Uber wealthy Collins Huntington, a railway tycoon. He wants Belle as his mistress, but she makes it clear that this will only happen under her terms. Their ensuing story, a child born out of wedlock, a marriage after Huntingtons wife passed away and the reluctance of society to accept Belle, makes for fascinating reading

The stories of each of these women was well-written and engaging! I thoroughly enjoyed the three different eras in which the stories were written. Each lady set with different challenges with one joining thread that linked them all together.

Altogether they have three stories in this beautiful delicious historical romance book my favorite was Helena and Tobias but as soon as I say that I think of their son story which I also love the story with the American actress it goes from one couple to their sons romance three generations and every story has a touch of war and drama and romance in every story is so worth reading on its own much less altogether I loved this book and listen to it as an audio and thought the narrator did such a great job not only with the different accents but setting a great tone for the book. It was such a good book a total five star read and if you love historical romance there’s three different eras, three different romances and one great book. This is a fabulous read and one I highly recommend. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher Harper Muse but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Overall 3.5*

First off that cover! It was the first thing that attracted me to this book and second the title! How could I not go for it?!!!

The audio was very entertaining. These are 3 novellas about members of an aristocratic family, the Alnwick's. Their ancestral seat is, Leedswick Castle in Northumberton, England. Each story involves some type of War.

The first story is called, The Truth Keepers.

This is Beatrice and Charles' story and my favourite one! It is centred around The Gilded Age which always fascinates me. Beatrice lives in NYC but when something embarrassing happens at a society function she is shipped off to England to find a husband. There she meets Charles who is the heir to Marquess Alnwick. He is currently an Earl. There is a rumour going on about him about his Wartime service. The two agree to marry but all is not calm. There is a mystery and curse they must battle and solve and hopefully love will prevail.

The second story is called, The Memory Keepers.

This is Elena and Tobias' story. Tobias is the Grandson of Beatrice and Charles. This story takes place around WW I era and Tobias has returned from war facially disfigured. His parents hire an artist who now makes masks for the wounded soldiers. Elena is full of spunk and their relationship is set but they must battle to stay together.

The third story is called, The Dream Keepers.

This is Alec and Brigitta's story. Alec is Elena and Tobias' son. This story takes place in the WW II era and Alec has come home from war and wants to help the soldiers with shell shock. He has written to a famous psychologist and has an idea to open his castle up to the soldiers that need help. The Doctor sends his niece to go to the castle and try experiments on the soldiers by analyzing their dreams and nightmares to help them overcome their mental pain. While this was somewhat interesting I could not really get behind the couple. The story was a bit dull compared to the others.

All in all a great concept and effort by all three authors. Nice storytelling!

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Harper Muse for granting me access to this Advanced Listening Copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the ARC of The Castle Keepers.

The premise of this book is extremely interesting. It is three stories, written by three different authors, telling the story of three generations of owners of Leedswick Castle.

I really enjoyed these stories. Beatrice's was by far my favorite but learning about the mask painting in Elena's story was SOOOOO interesting. I had not heard of this before and Elena's grace with Tobias's injuries was so beautiful. I was worried that the stories would be disjointed since they were written by 3 different authors but they were not. They were all beautifully written and consistent with the history of the family. Alec's story was my least favorite. It did not seem as fully formed as the other two.

The narration of the audiobook was very good. It definitely was an asset in keeping the flow of the book consistent across the different stories.

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.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of The Castle Keepers by Aimie K. Runyan. This is a triple timeline story, with all living in the same castle. With much negative energy that surrounds its grounds.

I really enjoyed this collection of historical novellas. Each novella is written by a different author, but I found that the three authors melded their stories very well together as they wrote about these three generations of family.

Each generation has a man returning from war, each wounded in ways seen and unseen.

There is a running theme of a “curse” hovering over the castle that each generation inherits, and I loved the continuation of the Poison Garden throughout each story.

The first story takes place in 1870, and deals with the drama of Dollar Princesses, which I always enjoy.

The second story takes place in 1917, and includes a fascinating story of the FMC creating a lifelike mask to cover the MMC’s traumatic facial wounds.

And the final story takes place in 1945, and focus more on the PTSD elements of war.

I thought the audiobook narrator did a great job with all the accents and voices without being distracting (she had American, English, and Austrian accents to cover).

This is a great read for those that enjoy historical fiction with a heavy romantic twist to it (no more than kissing), and some mystery and intrigue to keep the story moving.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing me with an Audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Castle Keepers" by Aime K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan, Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon. It was an emotion ride that is filled with love, sorrow and humor. I couldn't stop listening to the book and I finished this in 1 day and I repeated it 3 times, because it was so well narrated and the narrator really depts their emotions into the story and I was overwhelmed with emotion. Definitely worth the time to listen. Grab a tissue, you will need it.

Thank you!

I just reviewed The Castle Keepers by Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan. #TheCastleKeepers #NetGalley

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a great audiobook. Three different time periods all involving the same family castle/estate. I enjoyed all three stories. The first I think was my favorite though.
When I first started listening I did not quite realize these were all completely different stories. But they were all very good.

I received this audiobook as a gift from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not sure what to expect from this collection of three novellas set in a "cursed" Castle in England, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The stories are well-written, engaging, and full of historical details and romance. The narrator did a great job of bringing the characters and settings to life.

I was captivated by each story and the characters' journeys. I loved how the authors incorporated historical facts and events into their plots and made me feel like I was visiting the castle with them. I also liked how each story had a different tone and mood.

I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves historical fiction, romance, and castles. It was a wonderful listening experience that surprised me in the most incredible way. I couldn't stop listening to this book and I'm sure you won't either.