Wednesday, October 30, 2019

CHRISTMAS AT WHITEFRIARS by Elizabeth Camden, Reviewed by Nicole and Paula

NICOLE'S REVIEW:
“The rest of her life awaited, and she had no idea what it would look like but had faith that it would be good.”

With captivating characters and a beautifully written story, award winning author Elizabeth Camden delights readers in her newest historical fiction novella, Christmas at Whitefriars. This Christmas novella features the heroine Mary Beckwith, who is the sister to Colin Beckwith from Elizabeth Camden’s Empire State series. Readers will enjoy the cameo appearances of several beloved characters from the Empire State series as they visit Mary at Whitefriars castle in England, but it is not essential to the storyline of Christmas at Whitefriars to have read the Empire Series first. After reading Christmas at Whitefriars, readers who want to discover more about Mary’s in-laws will also enjoy the earlier books in the series.
Christmas at Whitefriars begins in Yorkshire, England in 1912 as Mary Beckwith has been overseeing renovations to the Whitefriars castle, which has been in her family for generations. With the financial contributions of American businessman Everett Wooten, Whitefriars has received funds for needed repairs over the years. However, when Everett finally visits the castle, he is shocked at the condition and insists that changes need to be made immediately, much to Mary’s dismay.

Elizabeth Camden creates realistic characters who deal with issues that many readers can relate to such as panic attacks, anxiety, and struggles with social interactions. From the desire to be brave and overcome her lifelong fears, Mary becomes stronger as she ultimately takes the courageous steps to achieve her dreams. As Mary and Everett experience the delicious taste and flavor of freshly baked gingerbread in Christmas at Whitefriars, readers will be inspired to bake their own gingerbread for the holiday season or even just as a treat to indulge in while reading this novella! Christmas at Whitefriars is highly recommended for fans of historical fiction with light romance and readers who enjoyed Elizabeth Camden’s Empire State series.
*I received a complimentary copy of this novella from the author/publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine. 

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Christmas at Whitefriars by Elizabeth Camden is about a crumbling Castle in Yorkshire, England in 1912.

Elizabeth Camden is a favorite author writing in my favorite genre.

This was an enjoyable trip back into the first part of the 20th Century when Americans wanted to invest in English culture.

Mary Beckwith has stayed in England to oversee the family estate while her brother, Colin from Ms. Camden’s Empire State series, has married a girl from America. Christmas brings the siblings and a few in-laws together for the holidays as well as a meeting with a partner and rich businessman, Everett Wooten. Soon there are clashes over terms of a contract that is keeping Whitefriars afloat.

With her signature details of historic places and apt plotting of an interesting story, Ms. Camden captured me from the first. The renovation of a cavernous and drafty old castle was just my cup of tea. Mary’s emotions and struggles came through as very realistic. This story nicely compliments the Empire State series.
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
Back Cover Blurb:
Mary Beckwith lives in a magnificent English castle during the twilight years of the gilded age. With the help of an American millionaire, she has succeeded in renovating her beloved Whitefriars castle into a splendid estate just in time for Christmas.

From across the ocean, millionaire Everett Wooten has spent a fortune propping up Whitefriars to add modern conveniences and rebuild crumbling old walls. Even though he’s never met Mary, they have enjoyed a lively business correspondence over the nine years they have been working toward a renovation. Now he has finally come to see Mary and the castle in person, but nothing is as he was led to believe.


Mary and Everett try to find a way forward, but red-blooded American entrepreneurship doesn’t always mingle with blue-blooded English tradition. Can a Manhattan business tycoon and an English lady come to an accord, or will their joint venture in Whitefriars result in heartbreak for them both?

 
Available in digital (we will post the link as soon as we have it!)

Author Bio:
Elizabeth Camden (www.elizabethcamden.com) is best known for her historical novels set in Gilded-Age America, featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband, who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.









2 comments:

  1. This sounds like a very good book and the cover is beautiful! I would love to read this book!

    ReplyDelete

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