Anna O'Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across a baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. She is thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, but her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help.
Luke Callahan was one of the nation's most powerful congressmen until his promising career became shadowed in scandal. Eager to share in a new cause and intrigued by the winsome librarian, he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship.
Opposites in every way, Anna and Luke are unexpectedly drawn to each other despite the strict rules forbidding Anna from any romantic entanglement with a member of Congress.
From the gilded halls of the Capitol, where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation's finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for themselves?
My thoughts...
I get practically giddy when an Elizabeth Camden book is coming out. Her last book, "With Every Breath," was one of my favorite books of 2014. "Beyond All Dreams" definitely had some of my favorite elements: an interesting setting (I've never read a book in which the heroine worked at the Library of Congress), fascinating historical detail, plot twists, a bold, dashing hero, and a vulnerable heroine. These aspects are why I gave the novel 4 stars. There were, however, a few elements that didn't make the novel shine as much as some of my previous favorites of Camden's.
I want to begin with the things I loved about the book. The setting of this novel immediately drew me in. Camden is especially skilled in choosing a location and point in time that isn't typically written about, so in most of her books I am immediately curious. This novel is set in Washington, DC, not long after the Civil War but before the Spanish American war. I know next to nothing about the conflict that started the Spanish American war and this novel basically gives a mini history lesson wrapped up in the fictional lives of the main characters. This is very similar to Camden's novel, "Into the Whirlwind," which takes place during the Chicago Fire. As a history nerd, I loved this : ). I also loved that the hero was not a "too good to be true" kind of guy. He was loud, he lost his temper, and he made mistakes. But underneath he was a man who wanted to grow and soften. Anna was a very vulnerable character, but very smart and capable. She supported herself through her job and was able to offer forgiveness to those who had wronged her. I really wanted her to feel loved and cared for as a character. The plot definitely had its mysteries, which led to some interesting twists and turns. Some of it was predictable, but a few elements were not. Again, I like the way that Camden weaves her fictional characters into true events, which happened in this novel as we discover the events leading up to the Spanish American war.
For me personally, however, there was at times a little too much going on in the plot and not all of it seemed to be dealt with appropriately. Luke and Anna both were abused as children...both physically and emotionally. I was a little overwhelmed by that and the fact that even though they were still affected as adults, it didn't seem like this was as huge in the novel as it was in my mind. Anna and Luke also had romantic feelings, but it was also not front and center in this novel. They would be on and off again, with the historical aspect of the novel playing the main role. While I liked the historical aspect, I really wanted to see more connection with Anna and Luke. The main mystery in the novel, I felt, could've been played out a little more. I don't want to give anything away, but the mystery fell a little flat for me.
Overall, I would recommend this book. If you like a good historical Christian fiction, Elizabeth Camden is a fantastic writer in this genre. Happy reading!
*I was given a free copy of this novel from the publisher, Bethany House, in order to give an unbiased review.*
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