Beyond All Dreams

I have had this book for a few years and finally got round to reading it recently. What I found refreshingly different in this book is that the heroine has a more reserved, shy manner. This is different from so many novels, whether historical or contemporary, where the heroine is often described as """"spirited"""" or similar. \\nI have read a number of Elizabeth Camden's books so I am used to her style of writing. It does mean you to need to """"keep your mind about you"""" when reading so as to follow the plot. \\nI find her books are well set out; that is, the print style and general page layout. This encourages your reading.

This book had a lot of history in it, with the story of the characters being woven in amongst people and situations which really happened. Unfortunately, while that would make the story come alive for many people, it made me not enjoy it quite so much. I found it difficult to follow and connect with the characters because of the amount of history to read through - history I didn't previously know about. That said, if you like that era of American history and a whole heap of family drama, you'll probably love this book. Just not so much if, like me, you're looking for an easygoing romance!\\r\\n

It's 1897 and quiet, studious Miss Anne O'Brien has her dream job: she's the map room librarian in the Library of Congress. In the course of her research, she finds evidence that a Navy report is wrong, and enlists the assistance of a handsome young congressman to right the error. Luke Callahan is the opposite of Anne: confident and outgoing, but finds himself intrigued by the librarian. \\r\\n\\r\\nElizabeth Camden is one of my favourite authors, because I love her characters and plots, and I especially like the way she weaves real-life events into her stories. Beyond All Dreams is set in Washington DC in the late 1890's, and if you know your American history, that means you'll know the political backdrop to this novel (I didn't know, which meant it came as a surprise, and I don't want to spoil it). \\r\\n\\r\\nI also liked her characters. As a keen reader (!) I could related to Anne (although I'd like to think I'm a little more outgoing. . . ), and Luke was a wonderful hero, prepared to do almost anything for those he loved-Anne, his nephew, and his brother and sister. As always, Elizabeth Camden has managed to integrate interesting characters with real historic events into a gripping plot with a solid underlying Christian message. Recommended for fans of historical romance. \\r\\n\\r\\nThanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.