The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden

Female journalists are rare in 1879, but American-born Clara Endicott has finally made a name for herself with her provocative articles championing London's poor. When the backlash from her work forces a return home to Baltimore, Clara finds herself face-to-face with a childhood sweetheart who is no longer the impoverished factory worker she once knew. In her absence, Daniel Tremain has become a powerful industry giant and Clara finds him as enigmatic as ever. However, Daniel's success is fueled by resentment from past wounds and Clara's deeply-held beliefs about God's grace force Daniel to confront his own motives. When Clara's very life is endangered by one of Daniel's adversaries, they must face a reckoning neither of them ever could have foreseen.

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden is an interesting and spell binding novel that I could not put down. The plot is filled with mystery, suspense, romance, and danger. The story is told from the perspective of Clara for the most part, but it also includes chapters that are told from Daniel's perspective and Bane's point of view. I found the plot every interesting and exciting, and I enjoyed the character development, unexpected plot twists, and the different story lines in the plot that ended up intertwining.

The characters in The Lady of Bolton Hill were realistic and developed well. I loved seeing Clara Endicott's determination to change the world through her writing and to bring others to Christ instead of living lives of bitterness and evil. She trusted God even when she was in danger for her life and had the opportunity to take the easy way out. I loved her spirit, her love for God, and her persistence in her love for Daniel, and her determination to help others. Daniel Tremain was an intriguing character. He suffered much heart ache and pain in his life and instead of driving him to God, he allowed it to push him away from God into bitterness, anger, and a thirst for vengeance. His choices cost him even more in this novel, and it was only through God's grace that he experienced growth and renewal and not death. Alexander Banebridge is an interesting character. Driven by his unfortunate circumstances, he leads a life of danger and crime that threatens the lives of many. However, Clara's influence in his life is phenomenal, and I loved seeing him work through his thoughts and have a greater understanding of God's forgiveness. If you want to see more of Bane, then check out the next novel, Against the Tide, which is also an excellent read.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Lady of Bolton Hill. The plot was exciting, the themes of forgiveness, love, and a new life in Christ were excellent, and the characters were realistic and easy to connect with. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone seeking an inspiring and interesting read.