The Painted Castle (2019) — A Celebrate Lit Tour: A Guest Post & My Thoughts

About the Book

Book: The Painted Castle

Author: Kristy Cambron

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Bestselling author Kristy Cambron concludes the Lost Castle novels with this sweeping tale of art and secrets long buried in England.

It was supposed to be a one-week job: survey an art find, collect a hefty fee, and use that to settle historian Kiera Foley’s life back into balance. But from the moment she sets foot in the East Suffolk countryside, the mysteries surrounding the old English manor and the enigmatic art thief who’s employed her stir more questions than answers. Then, Kiera finds the existence of a portrait captivating enough to upend all of her expectations. This one could be a twin-a painting so close in composition to a known masterpiece, it may be rendered priceless if it truly captured the likeness of a young Queen named Victoria.

Set in three time periods-the rapid change of Victorian England, the tumultuous skies over England’s eastern shores in WWII, and modern day-The Painted Castle unfolds a legacy of faith, family, and stories that are generations in the making.

Click HERE to purchase your copy!

About the Author

KRISTY CAMBRON is an award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping series. She’s a Women’s Ministry Leader at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, and a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books, RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations. Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and has 15 years of experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation, working with such companies as the Disney Institute, IBM/Kenexa, and Gallup. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

More from Kristy

About The Painted Castle

A war-torn estate holding its secrets close. A lost library bricked off from the world. And a portrait-maker’s unknown masterpiece of a Queen named Victoria… What stories do they long to tell?

It was supposed to be a one-week snatch-and-grab: survey an art find, collect a hefty fee, and use that to settle historian Kiera Foley’s life back into balance. But from the moment she sets foot in the East Suffolk countryside, the mystery of an old English manor, a crumbling beekeeper’s cottage, and a library that had long ago been sealed off brick by brick, all stir more questions than answers. What begins as a novice assignment instead peels back layers, lulling Keira into the depths of the estate’s long-forgotten history.

Despite questions swirling around the enigmatic, rumored art thief who’s employed her, Keira finds the existence of a portrait captivating enough to upend all of her expectations. This one could be a twin—a painting so close in composition to a known masterpiece, it may be rendered priceless if it truly captured the likeness of a young Queen named Victoria…

1842— In order to salvage what’s left of her family’s shaky circumstances, artist Elizabeth Meade knows her duty must be to marry well. But she hopes looks can be deceiving enough to hide her true motives behind a congenial smile and gain entry into the ballrooms of England’s noble elite. Instead of husband-hunting, Elizabeth searches for the one thing that’s seared to her memory—the eyes of her father’s killer, whom she unwittingly sketched one snowy night in Piccadilly ten years before. She never expects to find answers tucked away in the countryside at Parham Hill, in the form of a portrait-maker who could help her artist dreams come true, if only she could forget the highwayman she’s hunted for the last decade—the estate-owner who unwittingly selects her as his betrothed…

1942—When the 390th Bomb Group arrives at Amelia Woods’ Parham Hill Estate, the American flyboys bring playing cards, B-17 “flying fortresses”, and enough bravado to believe they can triumph over Hitler just by staring him down. Amelia isn’t certain, and she’s unwilling to compromise the safety and security in a carefully-crafted world she’s built for the dozens of London-evacuated children left in her charge. But with Anderson shelters buried in the gardens and an Allied airfield a stone’s throw away, Amelia may have no choice but to wait out the war under blackouts and bombs, and accept help from the captain who offers it—even if it means risking all she has left of her late husband’s memory…

From the streets of Piccadilly and the lavish halls of Buckingham Palace to the countryside surrounding Framlingham Castle, a warn-torn estate, a hidden library, and the lost portrait of a queen come together to write the final chapter in the Lost Castle series. Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the tumultuous skies over England’s eastern shores in WWII, and modern-day—The Painted Castle unfolds a legacy of faith and the family we fight for, of risk and reward, and the artful crafting of a story that can be generations in the making… yet still change everything about a single life.

My Thoughts

A Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Cambron is the queen of time-slip storytelling. A Painted Castle tells the story of three very unique, very strong, and very capable women from three very different time periods: 1843, 1944, and present-day. Each story is expertly crafted, so much so they could be excellent standalone stories, but in Cambron’s hands, these three stories weave into one poignant and gripping tale that has definitely left its mark on this reader’s heart. I loved every single second of this novel. I smiled, I sobbed, I cheered. I cried out in frustration and I had my heart shattered. This book ran me through the gamut of emotions! OH! And, the romance!!! Superbly written. Not one relationship felt forced or fake or trite. A Painted Castle is truly an exquisite read.

A predominant theme that runs through each storyline is the power of redemption — how no one is ever too far gone to be redeemed and made new. Elizabeth, Amelia, and Keira all go through points in their respective stories where they feel like they can’t overcome. They do all eventually realize the truth, redemption is capable for everyone who goes to Jesus Christ — but what struck me about their redemption stories is that redemption does not happen until each woman STOPS and LISTENS. Knee-jerk, emotional reactions seem to be par for humanity. It is in these highly charged moments where we make the BIG mistakes and we often say the worst things. It is only after we have removed ourselves from the situation that we realize what we said or did, and can see our part in the situation for what it really was. At this moment, we are ready to listen — to the other person in our story, to our hearts, and to God. We can see where apologies need to be made and forgiveness given or received. When we pause and take stock, when we respect the others in our stories enough to really listen to them and be heard by them, we are at a place where we can separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak and get to a real place of redemption. I love this lesson so much, and I pray that the next time I’m in a situation that has made me a little hotheaded I remember to STOP and LISTEN.

A Painted Castle is a brilliant story that I could continue to gush over for days and days. The words in this review just are not good enough to convey how amazing this novel truly is. Suffice to say, it’s superb, it’s masterful, and it’s heartbreaking. A Painted Castle is a novel I will not soon forget. I implore you to purchase a copy for yourself today. You will not be disappointed that you did!

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the author via NetGalley and Celebrate Lit. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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