Elizabeth Camden is an outstanding writer. I have enjoyed other books penned by her so when this was for review I had to grab it up. Although this is book 2, not having read the first, for me it could easily be a stand-alone read.
The cover is fantastic! Just beautiful. The historical subject was fascinating. I had no idea about the groundbreaking technology in waterworks. When reading this novel one can easily see the immense research the author dedicated herself to in bringing us this wonderfully written story.
A young, educated, and strong woman is our main character. Rosalind is a great example of a woman who is sure of herself and living a determined life with a hope to make a difference in the world around her. I enjoyed her excitement and fearlessness in going forward with this new project.
She works closely with Nicholas Drake. We follow these characters as they form a close relationship. I'm not so sure I enjoyed his character. This character walks with a temper that erupts within a second. These two characters often collided and Nick was always very quick to apologize. Rosalind is quick to forgive. This was something that caught my attention. Something I have always warned my daughters against. His character was disrespectful and arrogant. It would have been different for me if I was able to see his character grow and mature.
The story easily flowed. The writing is excellent. So, what is missing? Faith. For me that is huge. When I choose to dedicate my time to reading a Christian fiction novel it is expected to have that faith aspect and this novel was missing what I had hoped for the most. If there was faith, redemption, grace, more here to see in these characters the aspects I seen in Nicholas could have been different if there was a hope in change for him.
Historically this was outstanding. Love seeing a strong and intelligent woman as a main character. I was just left wanting more.
This novel was a gift from Bethany House for sharing my review you.
Elizabeth Camden is author of elven historical novels and two historical novellas and has been honored with both the RITA Award and the Christy Award. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. She lives with her husband in Florida. Learn more at www.elizabethcamden.com.
