Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell Review

 

I absolutely adored this second book in Ann Swindell's In the Catle Library series. I was thrilled to once again visit the fictional European kingdom of Lethersby and get reacquainted with beloved characters from Christmas in the Castle Library. 

Love in the Castle Library is Delphine's story. She is the castle stewardess that we met in book one. It is also Jack Worthington's story, the British researcher who was hired to help unravel the mystery of the missing Queen Alma. The mystery that began to be unraveled in the first book. (So, yes, you do want to read this series in order.)

I loved getting to know Delphine better, and was instantly drawn into the relationship between her and Jack. A relationship that was to be professional, but the reader could see the spark between them from the beginning. A spark that neither of them wanted to acknowledge or encourage for various reasons. And yet when controversy comes up in relation to Delphine's job, their professional relationship soon becomes a fake dating relationship, making it even harder to keep their feelings in check. 

One thing I really appreciated in this romance was there was communication between Delphine and Jack. It drives me crazy when a lack of communication drives a couple apart and adds so much drama. But even more imporantly, both characters were learning to lean on God. Learning to trust him more. Faith and prayer and reading God's Word were very important parts of their lives. They were both Christian, but they both also had issues they needed to work through. Because Delphine didn't have a good relationship with her earthly father, it was causing trust issues when it came to her heavenly Father. Additionally, events in Jack's past had caused him to build walls around his heart. Walls that he was in no hurry to tear down. 

I love the way God worked in both of their lives. Not just in their relationship, but also in the way the details of the mystery of Queen Alma's disappearance were revealed plus how the controversy surrounding Delphine's job and live in the castle was resolved. 

I was also thrilled that the main characters from book one, Ellie and Mark, played such an important roles in this story. It was awesome to get caught up with them, along with the King and Queen of Lethersby. Plus we got to meet Jack's father, Kent, who was such a strong Christian, and an awesome source of wisdom and encouragement. 

And while we got some intriguing answers to the Queen Alma mystery, there are still unanswered questions which I can't wait to find out the answers to as the series continues. As the reader, I could see where a couple of things were heading, so I wasn't completely taken by surprise, but I loved the way the author brought everything together.  

Highly recommened!

I received a copy of this book as a member of the review team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.