"Carved in Stone" by Elizabeth Camden

 


Elizabeth Camden's new Blackstone Legacy series opens with Carved in Stone, featuring bohemian heiress Gwen Blackstone Kellerman seeking to save the college her father founded years earlier. The college means everything to Gwen, having lost her faithless husband, her parents, and even the brother who was kidnapped before she was born.

Patrick O'Neill's life was saved by his Catholic faith, but after studying to enter the priesthood, he backed out at the last minute and became a lawyer instead. Helping the downtrodden is his salient goal. When his latest case takes him up against the powerful Blackstone family, he's unprepared for what they'll offer him in order to turn him away from his client.

Normally I would say Camden's historical settings are one of the main attractions for her novels, but I never felt fully immersed here. While I was intrigued by the characters, especially Patrick, I didn't feel like I fully understood their range of desires and motivations. I found myself wishing for a third point of view character, one whose life and circumstances took up a great amount of time and attention. Perhaps his story is coming later in the series. 

Though I was disappointed with aspects of the story, I was never bored with it. I still found it interesting and enjoyable. Some readers might take issue with a staunchly Catholic character, but it was clear that Patrick's faith was genuine, if different than many readers of Christian fiction may practice. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

I received my copy of the book from the publisher. All thoughts in this review are my own.