About the Book –– This homecoming wasn’t what she expected . . .
Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.
When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion’s only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie’s bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion’s walls that could change her life—and the entire town—forever.
About the Author –– Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good. A former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family, Melanie has worked in the fields of journalism and publicity for more than eighteen years. She and her family live in Oregon. You can learn more about Melanie and her other writings at her web site: http://melaniedobson.com
My Review –– This was a thriller!
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading this at first. When I receive "romance" novels to review, I usually run to my wife, Ann, for her help. Yet she read this book and told me I would have to read it also. I will confess, it took a bit to get into the book; I had some difficulty keeping characters straight, kept getting the plot confused. Then I realized it was because I was tired and had too many irons in the fire to read this well. So, I set it down and waited. When I picked this book up again, I was hooked, just a few dozen pages in and didn't put it down until I was finished later that evening.
Dobson's characters felt very real: from Camden's confusion at all life seemed to have thrown at her in a few short days, to Alex's attempts to run & hide from tragic events that changed everything for him, to the bumbling "villain" Jake and his greedy, power-hungry grandfather, Edward. I thoroughly enjoyed each description of each person.
The plot will grip you and not let you go, all of it revolving around the mansion on Crescent Hill and it's secrets and treasure and the history that simply begged to be told. While I don't regularly enjoy romance novels, that portion of the book almost seemed to take second place, in my opinion. I did, however, greatly enjoy the way Dobson painted some of the main character's faith in God. For Camden and Alex, the two prime characters, God continues to make in-roads into their lives, weaving people and circumstances to draw them ever closer to Himself.
Well done, Melanie Dobson; well done.
Refuge On Crescent Hill may be purchased here:
Kregel (if you prefer eBooks, check here)
Amazon.com (if you prefer eBooks, check here)
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes only.