Book Review: Rose of Winslow Street

Rose of Winslow Street
By Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House, 2012
English, 342 pgs


Description:
The last thing Libby Sawyer and her father expected upon their return from their summer home was to find strangers inhabiting a house that had been in their family for decades. Widower Michael Dobrescu brought his family from Romania to the town of Colden, Massachusetts with a singular purpose: to claim the house willed to him long ago. Since neither party has any intention of giving up their claim, a fierce legal battle ensues between the two families.

When important documents go missing from the house, Libby suspects Michael is the culprit. Determined to discover the truth behind the stolen papers, Libby investigates, only to find more layers of mystery surrounding Michael and his family. Despite their rivalry, Libby finds herself developing feelings for this man with the mysterious past.

As a decision about the house looms in the courts, Libby must weigh the risks of choosing to remain loyal to her family or give her heart to a man whose intentions and affections are less than certain.

Review:
This book hereby ends my reviews of Christian historical fiction. I have decided there is nothing new I will read in them. True, the specific circumstances change from book to book, but I'm getting fired of the "formula" of they meet...they don't like each other...they're both hiding something...they surprise each other...they fall in love...it's getting old. Just once, I'd like to see a couple NOT end up together. Let him fall for her best friend or maid or something.

For this reason, I'm torn about a rating.

The plot isn't bad. It's actually quite engaging and exciting. I admit that I didn't fully guess what was going to happen, but I had pretty close guesses (based on the formula). The characters are well developed and have a lot of "like-a-bility" to them.

I had read Camden's other book The Lady of Bolton Hill and did like it so I was willing to give this a chance. It wasn't by any means a bad read. It handles well the topics of how we treat others,  how we can define ourselves by our circumstances, the longing for home and loyalty.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.