I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I first picked it up. The copy on the back cover intrigued me, but it started a little slow for me. However, once I got into it, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Camden is alone, out of work, behind on her bills, and can't imagine things turning around anytime soon. She decides to go to the last place she remembers being truly happy - her grandmother's home, Crescent Hill. Upon arriving, she learns that her grandmother has died but left her the house on the verge of being condemned, tons of necessary repairs, and some long-time family mysteries.
This is an incredible story about faith, friendship, belonging, and trusting in God. Dobson introduces an amazing cast of characters - some you'll fall in love with, others will drive you crazy. By the end I found myself not wanting the book to be over. Any chance there will be a sequel?!
Dobson creates a story that is part mystery, part romance. She also does a great job bringing history into a contemporary fiction novel. I actually think lovers of both contemporary fiction and historical fiction will be quite satisfied with this book.
I loved how Dobson tells the story - from multiple points of view. The bulk of the story is told from Camden's point of view, but we also get to hear from Alex, Stephanie, and Jake. At times, I wasn't sure how all of the stories were going to work together - or if they were! - but in the end, she pulled everything together and left me thinking, "WOW!"
Possible SPOILER: In the beginning there were a few allusions to ghosts, which made me nervous that this would turn out to be a "Christian ghost story." However, fear not (if that sort of story offends you), it is not a ghost story.
Great story, Melanie! You made a fan out of me!
I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Side Note
I received a lovely email from Melanie over the weekend letting me know that she wouldn't be able to stop by during the blog tour this week because she's helping lead a conference for pastors' wives in Haiti. Will you join me in praying for Melanie and the women who will be attending the conference this week?
Want to check it out for free?!
Refuge on Crescent Hill will be available on Amazon Kindle for FREE beginning on October 31. Don't miss out!
About the Book
Moving home after a recent job loss was supposed to reassure Camden Bristow but what she finds is an empty mansion 150 years old. What happened to the house she played in as a child, the bedtime stories that told of secret passageways and runaway slaves, and all those family memories?
When antiques start disappearing and footsteps are heard, Camden wonders what really happened here . . . at Crescent Hill? Who still has access to the house? And for what purpose? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden also uncovers secrets about her family that could change the town--and her life--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.
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