Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron

About the Book
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
I have a confession to make. I did not read this book from start to finish as it was intended. I love Kristy Cambron’s writing but while book one in this series was definitely amazing the three timelines lost me a bit and made my head hurt. So with this book I opted to read each story separately in its entirety, like a novella collection. And I loved it! It allowed me to fully enjoy each of the three stories without any of the struggle to place when and where we were.
Each of the three stories were beautifully crafted, transporting me to the gorgeous Emerald Isle at various times in its storied history. I never really learned much about what was happening in Ireland during these years, so the history nerd in me was fascinated!
I will admit that the modern day story of Laine and Cormac was my favorite of the three. I really loved them as a couple and I loved watching them fall in love. But the other two couples’s stories were amazing as well!

In short this book was beautifully crafted from start to finish and I loved it!

Meet 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, received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations, and has been featured at CBN, Lifeway Women, Jesus Calling, Country Woman Magazine, MICI Magazine, Faithwire, (in)Courage, and Bible Gateway.

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 in partnership 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 peppermint mocha latte and a good read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.