Description
Ellie Sawyer has always felt more comfortable with books than people, which explains why she’s now a PhD history student, neck-deep in research, and trying to complete her doctoral dissertation in time to graduate. But the final books she needs are half a world away, in the tiny European country of Lethersby—and the only time she can access the highly secretive Royal Castle Library is over the Christmas holidays.
Ellie is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery that has eluded Lethersby scholars for over one hundred years by figuring out what happened to their long-lost queen, a young royal who disappeared into the night shortly after the outbreak of WWI. And with the help of Mark, the handsome castle staff member who shares her love of history, she just might be able to unravel the queen’s story. But Mark is keeping his own secret from her, and what they discover together could change everything for Ellie—and the entire kingdom.
Joanne Sher –
A sweet, delightful holiday read about trusting God, conquering fear, and love – all set in a European castle! Add in a mystery, and an unlikely romance (with ROYALTY!) and this story is sure to capture your heart and imagination. A strong spiritual thread, and a great character arc for Ellie kept me pondering and wondering each time I had to stop reading. The ending was satisfying as well. Recommended.
Laura C –
Christmas in the Castle Library was an absolute delight! The story is a perfect start to the Christmas season and a brand new series by Ann Swindell. The characters are realistic and will charm their way into your heart as you journey with them through trials and triumphs in their quest for faith and answers. The kingdom of Lethersby is quite charming as well! I enjoyed every minute I spent there and stayed up too late reading for several nights!
I am definitely looking forward to book two when it releases!
Laura C –
Christmas in the Castle Library was an absolute delight! The story is a perfect start to the Christmas season and a brand new series by Ann Swindell. The characters are realistic and will charm their way into your heart as you journey with them through trials and triumphs in their quest for faith and answers. The kingdom of Lethersby is quite charming as well! I enjoyed every minute I spent there and stayed up too late reading for several nights!
I am definitely looking forward to book two when it releases!
Thank you to White Crown Publishing for a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Margaret Nelson –
I have a new author to add to my list of favorites! This book has it all – wonderful characters, enticing location (a carefully crafted “new” European country complete with history and traditions), mystery to be solved, Christmas, royalty (it’s set in a castle!), and application of Biblical truth to real life.
I stayed up until midnight to finish it in one day (how could I go to sleep without knowing what happened??) and I was so excited to find out there’s a sequel in the works too!! I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy this book from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Katie Slocum –
Whoever said not to judge a book by its cover definitely never read Christmas in the Castle Library. The stunning exterior portrayal of Ellie wearing her Christmas dress in the library is but a hint at the adventure and romance that await inside.
Ellie’s holiday research trip turns into an opportunity for a new life, not only physically but spiritually as well. More than just a charming Cinderella story in a fairytale castle, Ellie’s journey toward true freedom in Christ was very realistic and relatable. Full of mystery, scripture, and Biblical symbolism, this is a royal Christmas better than any Hallmark movie. Ann Swindell has gifted us a wonderful treasure in her extraordinary debut novel, and I will be the first to snatch up anything she offers in the future. Book lovers will not want to miss out on enjoying this beautifully written story any time of year.
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook courtesy of WhiteCrown Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Phillipians 4:8 –
I don’t read a lot of Christmas novels, mainly because a lot of them are similar, Hallmark-like, and unrealistic. Sure, I love a fun read I don’t have to think through every now and then, but I mostly enjoy books with a lot of depth and needs-to-be-dwelt-on passages. And then, I saw Christmas in the Castle Library. The cover drew me first. Yes, I am one of those people who are an hundred times more likely to pick a book up if it has a gorgeous cover! Add to that missing royalty and a book about books?! I had to pick it up. And yes, this book could be likened to a holiday Hallmark movie–it’s sweet, has a picturesque city, castle, nice people, that Hallmark drama, but it’s more. It has depth, it has character growth, it made me cry when a section didn’t go as I wished it to, but appreciated how it made the characters grow. I loved the themes in this book of trust in God and love for God, being the ultimate fulfillment in life.
Christmas in the Castle Library is the kind of book you want to pick up and snuggle in a cozy blanket, hot chocolate in hand, in front of a fire on a cold day. And, please no distractions! This books feels like watching snow fall softly and hearing classical music playing.
My only disappointment with this book was a couple of things written implying that the King James Bible is too difficult to understand, so one of the characters switched to an app on her phone. I find the language of the King James Bible beautiful, lyrical, and more easy to understand due to its precise language, and was saddened to see it portrayed almost as less-than because it uses beautiful language that a scholar who adores studying should find intriguing, wonderful for meditating, and, being well educated, should have no problem understanding, especially since she spends her days with historical research and ancient books.
Overall, however, this book is a beautiful read, and I highly recommend reading it during the holidays.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, and was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Talita –
Wow, just wow! With this beautiful story, Ann Swindell went straight to my auto-buy author’s list. Christmas in the Castle Library is a beautiful story that doesn’t necessarily follow the traditional royal route and doesn’t have your traditional heroine.
Ellie is a bookish scholar, who struggles with her self-worth. She gets a lifetime opportunity to go to Lethersby Castle over Christmas to finish her dissertation and meets the handsome Mark, a fellow historian. More than that I cannot share as I do not want to spoil anything for you.
This book has a beautiful storyline, engaging characters, stunning scenery, and incredible spiritual depth. I struggled to put it down and enjoyed every moment. It has romance, history, mystery, royalty, and truth. You won’t be disappointed if you choose to read this incredible story. I can’t wait for the next one.
Well done Ann on your debut novel, you are a talented writer.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, but the views and opinions are my own.
Lana S –
A delightful Christmas time story that shows how deep God’s love runs, how it can chase fear away, and how easy (and hard) it is to just grab on. Set in a European castle complete with a mysterious Prince, a thrilling library, and the chance to see the path God has laid out, there is nothing missing from this oh-so-satisfying tale. The characters are so wonderfully written, flaws and all, that they feel like new friends you get to go on an adventure with. Ellie and Mark kept me glued to the story, cheering or moaning as the moments passed. The setting draws the reader in, smelling the old paper and ink from the library and feeling the cold of the falling snow.
The story itself is so absorbing, time felt like it had no meaning as I raced through the pages. Ann Swindell managed to pull me completely into the story in the first chapter and had me sighing with wonder after the last page. God and His wonderful love flowed through each page, it was impossible to miss. And it connects so easily with real life and how people struggle through so many similar situations. And the undercurrent of romance was wonderful. They mixed so well and left a wonderful feeling when the story finished. I am so excited that there is another book in this series to look forward to! I’m already anticipating it’s release! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
LeAnn Arave –
This is like a modern day fairytale. Ellie has been fascinated ever since she was a little girl about Alma, the queen of Lethersby, abdicating her throne and then disappearing. She has decided to use the research as her theme for her doctorate dissertation. She is invited to the castle to read through some of Alma‘s journals.
When she arrives, she meets Mark, the castle historian, of sorts. But Mark is a mystery himself.
One other things that really intrigued me about this book is the multiple dimensions of the story. It definitely held my attention and my curiosity. There were a few parts in the beginning that I thought dragged a little bit, but I’m so glad I stayed with it because it was well worth it. It is a Christian, clean romance, mystery/suspense story. There is a blurb at the end that hints to another story in the series. I’m excited for it to release.
Karen Waide –
Wow, I loved Christmas in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell. A scholar, Ellie Sawyer, who is working on her dissertation is offered a residency over the Christmas holiday in the fictional European country of Lethersby. Though not exactly what she was hoping for (she was hoping for the full semester), she decided to take the opportunity to continue researching the 100 year old mystery of the country’s missing queen.
She receives some help from Mark, a man she meets in the castle library. A man who says vaguely that he works in the castle, though he doesn’t really give any more information. However, he also loves digging into history and Ellie welcomes the help, seeing as her time in Lethersby is quite short for the amount of work she has to do..
They work together to see if they can discover anything that scholars through the years have missed. Not only is her dissertation and professional future dependant on the results of this research, but the country and royal family would love to know what really happened.
I loved the mystery of the missing queen, and the relationship that developed between Ellie and Mark. The author really brought the castle and the kingdom to life. Faith was an extremely important part of the story and the author wove it into the live of the characters wonderfully.
I loved this book and can’t wait until I can read book 2.
I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.
Kendall –
Where to begin…if you are looking for a Christmas read that has all the charm of a cozy fire, with a fresh pot of tea, while your favorite holiday songs play then look no further! I’ve read this novel three times now and love it more with each read! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC but loved it so much that I bought my own paperback copy. Truly if they ever release a hardcover of this novel then I will most definitely order one!
Ellie Sawyer is a PhD candidate focused on finishing her dissertation on the disappearance of Queen Alma of Lethersby. Heartbroken at not being chosen for the spring internship, she worries that all her work is for naught when she then has the chance to be the scholar in residence over the Christmas holiday. Enter Mark, a resident of the castle who is charming, well read, and has a few secrets of his own.
I’m often amazed how the right book comes along at the right time. This Christmas season I definitely needed to read this! It inspired hope, forgiveness, and reminded me of the reason for the this season, the birth of our Lord. I cannot speak highly enough about this novel!