Customer Reviews

Lady of Bolton Hill, The

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

5 Stars. Period.



Debut author Elizabeth Camden BLEW ME AWAY with this fantastic new historical novel set in the gilded age of America. I was blown away at how Camden seemed to merge Regency with American 1879 history and bring them together in a complimentary fashion that was reminiscent of Julie Klassen meets Deeanne Gist. The setting was fantastic - delving into American railroading history was fascinating and I could tell that Elizabeth Camden wanted to be historically accurate while providing a captivating story.

The author did several things I found intriguing - and while I'm not big on a bullet points, I'm thinking it might be the best way to go here:

The hero and heroine were in love at page 1. I wouldn't expect this to work in most novels. But she pulls it off with dramatic tension, insurmountable odds, and family strife that makes you long for Daniel and Clara to come together and finally be FREE to express the emotion and devotion they both feel so strongly.

It pulls the heart strings of anyone who had a high-school sweetheart. Don't most of us have that one person you look back on with nostalgic fondness. The one person who first captured your heart - if only for a brief moment - and left no bad memories in their wake? I loved this sweetness that surrounded Daniel and Clara.

Mystery surrounds one of the characters. In an odd twist, Camden introduces a character who almost seems like their living in another book but the chapters in which they're highlighted are so engaging you don't care that they appeared out of no where. You TRUST the author implicitly becuase you want to see how this random, mysterious, somewhat sinister but victimized character will finally cross paths with Daniel and Clara.

Location. I'm not sure how she did it, but Elizabeth Camden has the readers imagination going from London, to Baltimore, to the Southwest, to a musical emporium to a factory. She doesn't stalemate the reader in one location - which is typically the norm, in all actuality - yet we're smack in the 1870's so it's not like our heroine flies to Arizona and back. Camden was a master at weaving culture into a rich tapestry of characters.

I could go on and on. My first clue this would be a great book was the fact it's a historical published by Bethany House. Seriously. You could pick up any historical with their lablel on it and be swept away for hours. My second clue was was the cover - it's magnificent. Amazing. Beautiful. I was literally entranced by it for about 10 minutes as I studied the dress, the fonts, the colors - but I am a cover-junkie. My third clue was Elizabeth's website - check it out - [...] it's fantastic! And my fourth clue was the first page. It sucked me in with ferocity and didn't let me go.

I won't summarize the plot, as that has already been done. I don't hand out a lot of 5 Stars, but this book had some of the best chemistry I've ever seen between the hero & heroine. I tend to read mainstream romance, but every now and then I need to cleanse the pallet of the vampires and serial killers, and an inspirational romance is good for that.

This book was simply beautiful. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was something about the richness of the characters and the way they interacted that got to me. The plot was same-old, same-old, but what a joy to watch this fascinating cast of characters throughout the story. Both leads were super-smart and had a great sense of humor, but it was clear they really adored each other. I could see the emotional train-wreck heading their way and had no clue about how they would resolve things. I also love the secondary characters. And BANE! I hope we see him in a future book because I loved that character. If I were to compare Elizabeth Camden to other writers, I would say she reminds me of Lisa Kleypas or maybe Sherry Thomas.

Clara Endicott lives a charmed life in Bolton Hill as the daughter of a doting, prestigious minister. Daniel Tremain, on the other hand, lives in poverty, working in the same steel mill as his father. Despite their differences, the two become the best of friends. Then, tragedy strikes. Daniel's father dies in an accident, and Clara's father ships her to England. Overseas, Clara becomes a respected journalist and a champion of the working class. Meanwhile, Daniel has patented new railroad technology that makes him a very wealthy man. When Clara is forced to leave England, she is reunited with her childhood friend. The early romantic feelings they felt for each other are stronger than ever, but there are many problems the two face. Daniel is a bitter man, blaming a rival businessman for his father's death, and he does not share Clara's faith. Suddenly, Daniel's troubles find Clara and put her very life in danger. There are enough twists and turns to keep you reading until the very end, which is a very satisfying conclusion, indeed.

This book kept me entertained from the very beginning. Clara is not a shrinking violet, and she's not a perfect character, either. She does something in the book that I just couldn't believe, and I completely understood Daniel's anger with her. Daniel is irresistably charming at times--a complete flirt--and shockingly harsh and almost cruel at others. They were unpredictable and very realistic.

This is, first and foremost, a romantic story. Daniel is a great love interest and balance for Clara. He is a revered and even feared man, but with Clara he is very gentle and practically worships her. I found myself rooting for his redemption all along. The action scenes are susepenseful and well-paced. The villainous character, Alexander Bane, is a wonderful addition and comes at just the right time to increase the pacing in the latter half of the book.

The only criticism I can offer is that there were a few loose ends. In particular, we never find out what happens to a cruel professor who deals in the lucrative opium trade. With so many other ends tied up so neatly, I wonder how the author managed to forget about the most villainous of characters in the story.

The Lady of Bolton Hill was just...different. I didn't see much `lady' in Clara - except that she came from a wealthy family and wore beautiful gowns. She was quite outspoken - being a journalist, and - of age or not - downright disrespectful to her father. Daniel's hatred and anger screams across the pages and makes it very hard to like him, even knowing the reason behind his bitterness.

And then there's the opium storyline...what?! I couldn't understand why it was included, and yet it was the main focus for the climax. I never understood what the Professor wanted from Daniel (or who the Professor actually was)? I'm glad Bane was able to escape, but, again...I just couldn't connect what the cronies of the drug underworld had to do with Clara or Daniel?

That part was all just...um...icky. I just didn't like it.

Pretty cover, but The Lady of Bolton Hill had too many conflicting, disagreeable characters and subjects that did not meld into a seamless, enjoyable story for me.

*I received a review copy from Bethany House Book Reviewers. No other compensation was given, and all thoughts are 100% mine.*

Elizabeth Camden did a masterful job with this story of love and forgiveness. I was sucked into the story from page one and barely breathed through the rest of the tale. There was so many heartbreaking incidents woven through the lives Daniel, Clara and Alex. Things that made you cringe and wonder if you really could have handled things any differently. But Clara is a true light for God and her selfless love does change lives, even her own. And despite the heartbreak, the book never feels heavy or overwhelming. In fact it's lit with humor and hope and a lot of fantastic suspense. The overall message of love and forgiveness is strong, but it never felt preachy or too heavy handed. Well done.

I have read many great books, but it isn't very often that I come across a truly surprising book. First-time novelist Elizabeth Camden has succeeded in presenting just such a novel with The Lady of Bolton Hill.

Daniel Tremain is a brilliant young man trapped in the poverty-stricken world of a Baltimore steel mill life. Clara Endicott is the daughter of a wealthy and extremely influential minister. Their two worlds collide when Daniel's passion for music leads him to Clara's doorstep. A deep, fast friendship develops over the next few years as they pursue music together, their friendship becoming the sanctuary from the demands of their separate lives. But Clara's father has great plans for his daughter, and he is determined that nothing stand in the way of her success, including young Daniel Tremain. Twelve years later a very different Daniel and Clara are reunited, finding their friendship as strong as ever. But, bitterness threatens to ruin their relationship in a way separation never could.

That is where the similarity to a typical Christian fiction romance ends. The Lady of Bolton Hill is full of intrigue and unexpected turns. Just when it begins to seem to fall into a predictable pattern, a new twist is introduced. Yet through it all, a very foundational and natural faith is present. Admittedly, at times Clara's faith seems rather idealistic, but before the book's end, both her idealism and faith are challenged in a very powerful way.

Because of the complexity of the plot as compared to the length of the book, there were some intricacies and personalities that were not explored as fully as they could have been. Occasionally that led to some confusion as to how different components fit together. But, Camden's skill as a storyteller truly does compensate for those few flaws. The Lady of Bolton Hill is undoubtedly a remarkable debut, and I will definitely be watching for future releases from this new author.

This book was sent to me for review by Bethany House.

the weaker the writing. At least, I have found that to be the rule in much of the Christian fiction writers I've tried out in the last couple of years or so. And unfortunately, The Lady of Bolton Hill was no exception.

I will confess right up front that I did not finish this book -- hence the one-star rating. In fact, I didn't quite make it through 40 pages. I do not at all care for expository writing (telling rather than showing), a style which this author employs. And when, on a ship headed back to America, Clara's brother barely waited until they'd left the English coast before asking her out of the clear blue, "So, have you heard from Daniel Tremain?" I knew the plot was going to be waaaaay too contrived for me.

In case you're wondering why I would even bother to post a review for a book that I read so little of, well I'm doing it as a service to other readers who, like me, may look for more than just a pretty cover. If you like strong writing then save your time and/or your money and skip this one.

If one wants to read a stirring romance set in the industrial period between a factory owner and a lady of society, pick up a copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South. This novel felt like a parody of the orginal literary work. The dialogue did not always fit with the time period. Paper dolls have more depth than the characters deplicted. In addition, the plot seemed cut up with the introduction of a teenage villian who works for a seedy opium operation run by a Bond type villian, "The Professor". The cover of the novel is gorgeous though. To bad you can't judge a book by it's cover.

I downloaded the book because of its rating and for how many readers commented about it. But I have to say, I'm truly disappointed. It was as if there were two stories taking place and two authors writing it. One author wrote about a heroine torn between her upbringing and passion for journalism and the man she loved, the other author wrote about a story that entailed drug smuggling and turning a new leaf toward God. Which is it?

The book would've been just fine with the first initial story I had mentioned; there was enough to that plot to carry the book through a decent story-line and ending. The drug smuggling business had no real impact but served as a distraction. Moreover, the drug smuggling ended as quickly as it entered. The author was better off leaving it out and simply building on the heroine, her troubled love interest and the labor disputes that took place during that time.

I may have missed this in the description of the book and in the readers' comments but the book got extremely religious for my taste. The main character was the daughter of a preacher, so I knew that religion would play a role in the book but the author led me to believe that she was a woman who appreciated religion but didn't let it rule her. It seemed that overnight, the heroine's stance changed and she began preaching about how God will absolve your sins if you just give in and that if God could forgive those that crucified him, that man should be able to forgive his worst offenders also. Look, those are good messages, don't get me wrong but the book never continued with its original ideas of a strong woman who loved a man her father didn't approve of and saving the railroad workers from exploitation.

Elizabeth Camden makes an impressive debut in The Lady of Bolton Hill. Set in the 1880's, the author adeptly moves us from the squalor of a London prison to the machinations of the New York Stock Exchange and the power-brokering that was an unfortunate foundation of railroad-building in America.

It is refreshing in a novel set in this period to read of a woman who follows the dictates of her own conscience and suffers the consequences for it. Clara Endicott, sent to London by her parents, unearths the abuse of children in the coal mining industry. She publishes relevant articles in the Time of London while a journalist there, only to find herself imprisoned. Eager to remove her from their country, Parliament rules she be sent back to America.

Once back in Baltimore, she reunites with her childhood friend, Daniel Tremain. In her absence, he rose from the poor working class to considerable wealth. Unknown to her, he is heading toward robber baron status in the railroad business with only a modicum of moral sense. Daniel will stop at nothing to ruin Forsythe, owner of the ill-kept steel mill where Daniel's father died in an unnecessary accident. The infatuation with the youth who shared cello and piano duets with her rekindles. Daniel now lives in a position of power far beyond what her moral dictates would find acceptable. Their romantic sparks alternate with the fires of enmity Daniel stokes among his business rivals.

The novel reworks the tired boy-meets-girl-and-together-they-solve-the-conflict theme. However, Camden writes realistic, flawed characters. She tactfully broaches the issue of suicide and the opium trade. The enigmatic secondary character, Bane, is masterfully employed. The novel succeeds because the author uses differences in the main characters' moral compasses to further impact their affection for each other and their growth as individuals. What is the stronger force, bitterness and revenge or God's grace? Read The Lady of Bolton Hill to find out.

Reviewed by Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont