"The Lost Castle" by Kristy Cambron - three moving storylines interwoven around a French chateau

When Ellie's grandma, dying of Alzheimer's, reveals hints of a life Ellie never knew existed, she takes an impulsive trip to France to find out the rest of her story. Viola spent part of WWII hidden near a crumbling French chateau, a castle that had been burned once during the French Revolution, and then again not long before WWII. This is the story how the lives of three women--in the present, WWII, and the French Revolution--were profoundly affected by the fairy tale-like castle, Chateau de Doux Reves.

My problem with there being three storylines is that I wish they could each be a novel in their own right. But doubling or tripling the length of the book would work too. (For the record, this is my biggest complaint with the book--it simply wasn't long enough. I wanted more.) The three storylines are nicely interwoven, tied together by the crumbling, neglected castle.

Ellie's storyline--the present--was perhaps the hardest for me. She's dealing with her dying grandma, and it is only two years since I lost my own grandma, who was named Violet (very similar to Ellie's grandma Viola) and also also took part in WWII (though safe in a Nebraskan airplane factory, not with the French Resistance). So that aspect of it hit a little close to home. But I could also sympathize with Ellie's journey, as I also, on my first trip overseas, visited France, and it was definitely an experience.

Vi's storyline--WWII--is the most suspenseful and danger-filled. Her adventures in France, what brought her to France--all are exciting. I had a pretty good inkling where this story was going from early on, so I spent the story steeled for what I was pretty sure was bound to happen. And I was basically right.

Avaline's story--the French Revolution--was my favorite, in part because of my long love of The Scarlet Pimpernel and partly because it felt the most fairy-tale-ish, but mainly because I really liked her character. She's smart and makes a point to understand the politics of the day, but she's also incredibly generous--both unusual for a young woman of her station. She's also very honorable; even after her injuries and being separated from her fiance, she remains true to him.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the free e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Lost Castle
1. The Lost Castle
2. Castle on the Rise
3. The Painted Castle