CFBA: The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden

Song Stuck on the Brain: Today has been one song after another, I woke up with Lose My Soul by Toby Mac, then moved to White and Nerdy by Weird Al, which in a scary sense is rather accurate in a lot of ways. By evening it had moved on to Little Town from Beauty and the Beast. Of course, now that I watched three episodes in a row of Wizards of Waverly Place, I'm singing that theme now.

Now you know what an average day inside my brain is like. Actually that's not true, those are just the dominate songs, I have random songs trigger all day long, it's like flipping through a radio station with no genre settings. :)

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


The Rose of Winslow Street

Bethany House (January 1, 2012)



by



Elizabeth Camden

MY TAKE:

Libby Sawyer is a phenomenal artist, intelligent with in depth knowledge of botany, has a heart of gold, loves children and make a mean jam. Who wouldn't fall in love with her? That was my thought, but her private pain overshadows all of that and she doesn't believe anyone can love her. Michael changes that. He's both the invader and her hero, standing up for her all while fighting to take her home away. Talk about conflict of interest!

Elizabeth Camden created a riddler of a romance and I couldn't put it down. Michael and Libby are perfect for each other, if only they weren't supposed to be enemies. Libby's desire to show to show an example of love to the town for the sake of Michael's family, became a living parable for everyone. Love thy neighbor takes on deeper meaning in more ways than one, without ever a preachy tone expressed.

Michael's sisters story plays a large part in that message as well, and although the tragic story that explains her aversion to roses made me feel physically ill, it was actually a beautiful addition to the story. (I don't want to spoil the story, so I'll leave it at that.) Elizabeth touched on several hot topics, abuse, illiteracy, war, and theft just to name a few. Each was handled deftly with love, courage, faith and humor.

I can't wait to see what she writes next.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

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.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Rose of Winslow Street, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A research librarian and associate professor, Elizabeth Camden has a master’s in history from the University of Virginia and a master’s in library science from Indiana University. She has published several articles for academic publications and is the author of four nonfiction history books. Her ongoing fascination with history and love of literature have led her to write inspirational fiction. Elizabeth lives with her husband in central Florida.