Review: Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron

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About:

A storied castle. A band of rebels.

A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom.

And three women who rise above it all . . .

When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden.

From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn in to the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of legend, fighting for survival through the 1798 rebellion that started it all.

Spanning more than two centuries, Castle on the Rise unites the legacy of three women who must risk mending the broken places within for life, love, and the belief that even through the depths of our pain, a masterpiece of a story can emerge.

My Thoughts:

Castle on the Rise is a lovely novel that is split into three different time periods all taking place in Ireland. The different time periods were present day, 1915-1916, 1797-1798 and all centered on an ancient manor and castle. I adore castles and any story surrounding a castle is a win-win for me, but with author Cambron’s writing we are given bits and pieces of the stories as we discover who the past inhabitants were and how they lived their lives.

I enjoyed all three story lines- Laine and her little girl travel to France at first for the wedding of her best friend Ellie and Quinn who are about to start their happily ever after. Unfortunately as we find out along with Laine sometimes life throws a wrench into our plans. Laine is already dealing with some heavy issues so when Quinn’s brother, Cormac, shows up at the wedding needing Quinn to help him with a family inheritance, Laine is ready to go with them.

The author vividly paints a beautiful portrait of Ireland, its land, and the people in all three timelines. Both of the historical timelines show the struggle Ireland had in wanting to be free of English rule. I don’t know a lot of Irish history, but what I do know their struggles were very real and I felt them throughout this story.

I think my favorite timeline was the oldest, but it broke my heart.  I really enjoyed the pieces of the puzzle that came together at the end that showed the generational connections with the castle and manor and those who lived there. This was epic storytelling that absolutely enchanted me. I look forward to the third in this series.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.