The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron. A Review

**A lost painting of Queen Victoria.**
**A library bricked off from the world.**
**And three women, separated by time, whose lives are irrevocably changed.**
When art historian Keira Foley is hired to authenticate a painting at a centuries-old East Suffolk manor, she hopes this is just the thing to get her career and life back on track. But from the time she arrives at Parham Hill Estate and begins working alongside rumored art thief Emory Scott, she’s left with far more questions than answers. Could this lost painting of Queen Victoria be a duplicate of the original Winterhalter masterpiece, and if so, who is the artist?
As Keira begins to unravel the mystery behind the portrait, two women emerge from the estate’s forgotten past. In Victorian England, talented sketch artist Elizabeth Meade is engaged to Viscount Huxley, then owner of Parham Hill. However, Elizabeth’s real motive for being at Parham Hill has nothing to do with art or marriage. She’s determined to avenge her father’s brutal murder—even if it means a betrothal to the very man she believes committed the crime.
A century later, Amelia Woods—a World War II widow who has turned Parham Hill and its beloved library into a boarding school for refugee children—receives military orders to house a troop of American pilots. She is determined the children in her care will remain untouched by the war, but the task is proving difficult with officers taking up every square inch of their world . . . and one in particular vying for a space in Amelia’s long-shut up heart.
Set in three time periods—the rapid change of Victorian England, the peak of England’s home-front tensions at the end of WWII, and modern day—*The Painted Castle* unfolds a story of heartache and hope and unlocks secrets lost for generations just waiting to be found.

My thoughts

This is my first book by this author and my first book in the Lost Castle series. The book can definitely be read as a stand-alone without any fear of not understanding the story. The authors love for art and architecture shines through and her tribute to fighters in the war is not one to be missed. Each timeline had it’s appeal each heroine different in her own rights. All connected to each other by one painting. This story pulled in me from the start with its rich and vivid descriptions and wonderful characters that hold you captive wanting to know their story. I loved every bit of it.
I love how she seamlessly weaves together each timeline and each tale that you don’t miss out on anything. A wonderful blend of mystery, romance and suspense. Their individual search for truth, their struggles especially with loving again and their desire for the best for the people around them resonated throughout this story. Will definitely be picking up the other two in this series but this was an absolute delight.

Disclaimer
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

Other books in the series.