Description
The past year of Melanie Tallebois’s life has unraveled, both professionally and personally. Usually unflappable, she can’t understand why life isn’t going to plan. So when she’s offered a professorship at the University of Lethersby, she seizes it as her chance to find the happiness that has eluded her for as long as she can remember. The fact that her best friend is the nation’s princess and has invited her to live in the castle for the summer doesn’t hurt, either.
The only thing eluding Eddie Canon are answers. As director of the National Museum of Lethersby, he’s spent years chasing the truth behind Queen Alma’s disappearance over a century ago. Now, tasked by the royals to tie up the loose ends of the national mystery, he’s studying in the castle library and still coming up empty-handed.
The last person Eddie wants to work with is Melanie, who inserts herself into his research—and his life. She’s brash, annoying, forthright…and altogether brilliant. Eddie thinks it wise to push her away, but as the research continues to stall, he can’t ignore that their friendship has begun to blossom.
When the long-lost queen’s mysteries finally come to light, Melanie is plunged into darkness—and Eddie questions everything he thought he understood about faith and love. Together, they must uncover the secrets in the castle library and decide whether they’re willing to trust God with a story far greater than their own.
kmbslocum –
I have adored this series, and this final book was the perfect ending. While I hate to say goodbye to the castle library, it will always be one of my favorite places that I visited through books.
I connected with this final story, and Eddie in particular, in a unique way. His spiritual journey was similar to mine in many ways, and the author was spot on in her Biblical views and his path through establishing with his relationship with Jesus and his Christian walk. Surrounded by family and friends who care, he comes out the other side better for his struggles. Familiar characters return to solve the rest of the puzzle of the former queen, with Mel taking the spotlight and receiving a redemption story of her own.
What a wonderful time I have had going through these books and getting to know characters that have become friends. I will absolutely read anything this talented author writes in the future.
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from the publisher through Band of Booksters. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
katie.r.fitzgerald –
What a beautiful conclusion to this trilogy! Not only do we fill in the final clues surrounding the mysterious disappearance of Lethersby’s beloved queen Alma and spend more cozy hours working in the amazing castle library, but we also get a wonderfully suspenseful conversion story and a heartfelt romance to boot. Every page of this book boldly proclaims the Gospel and wrestles with the doubts and skepticism that sometimes creep into the minds of believers and those who want to believe. It’s a cozy, sweet story, but with lots of depth and much to ponder. I also loved checking in on my favorite characters from the previous books. Melanie and Eddie’s story brings everything full circle to a satisfying, consummate ending.
Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary review copy.
mgtnelson –
This is the third and last book in Swindell’s Castle Library series. If you have not yet read the first two books, Christmas in the Castle Library and Love in the Castle Library, I highly recommend you do. That will introduce you to the wonderful little imagined country of Lethersby, its past and current royal family, and the mysteries that have already been solved.
Book 3 starts up right after the end of Book 2. The two main characters were supporting characters in books 1 and 2, so I enjoyed getting to know Melanie and Eddie better. Swindell does a great job with plot twists (I hit a big one right when I should have gone to bed, and ended up reading until If inished the book!)
There are good insights in finding one’s identity, what it means to truly surrender to Christ, and how grow in one’s relationship with Jesus. I really enjoyed the book and wish there were more (second generation stories??!!).
I received a complimentary copy this book from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
candideweekes –
Review for Secrets in the Castle Library
Secrets in the Castle Library was an amazing read !
I had read the first two books in this series before reading this one, and the story keeps getting better and better !
It was so fun to see what happens to the characters from the first books and also to discover new characters.
The plot was really well thought through and I wasn’t expecting the ending so that’s always a bonus 🙂
I loved going back to Lethersby and the castle. With each book, Ann creates a deeper plot and I loved that.
— I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. —
melmo2610 (verified owner) –
This is truly one of my favorite series of all time. No notes. The characters, the mystery of Queen Alma’s disappearance, the setting, the faith threads, all come together to form a chef’s kiss for me. These stories are beautifully written. Melanie’s story in this third book of the series, was perfection. Her desire to solve the last bits of the mystery of Alama’s disappearance as well as Melanie’s faith journey made this a story I absolutely devoured. All the feels, some tears and a perfect ending. This series is going to be a yearly reread for me. I love it that much!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, and also pre-ordered my own paperback and audiobook copies. I was not required to post a positive review and all thoughts are mine.
ageelettie –
Ann Swindell has done it again. The third book in the In The Castle Library series was incredible. Like its two predecessors, I think this one will be in my top ten for the year. Honestly, the beginning was a bit slow for me; I had trouble getting invested (But I also started a new job at the time of starting this book so that definitely may have been a factor). The end though! The end of this book had me through and through. There’s something about a book that leads you to a spiritual epiphany of your own, and this one did that for me. There were several moments that I had to pause reading to pray and have a conversation with God and I love when that happens with a book. All and all it was a definite five stars.
I received a free copy of this book as part of the launch team. All opinions are my own.
hcushing725 –
“Secrets in the Castle Library” is such a satisfying conclusion to the “In the Castle Library” series by Ann Swindell. I can’t remember the last contemporary series I’ve read that was so faith-filled and encouraging to my soul as this one is.
First and foremost, this is an in your face (in a good way) Christian fiction series. I love the strong faith content and highlighted so many passages that I’ve gone back and re-read. It’s also a series that I’ve gone back and re-read books 1 & 2 for before reading this one which is a huge compliment to the writing and book content since I rarely re-read books.
This is also a series that must be read in order. If a reader starts with this one, so many elements to Queen Alma’s mystery will be blank spots as well as the character development of some of the characters in the book. If you are reading this review and looking to start with this one, I highly recommend you pick up “Christmas in the Castle Library” first and then read in order.
This book comes from the point of view of a character Melanie, who isn’t a Christian, but is surrounded by those who are Christians, even some recent to their faith. She’s skeptical and doesn’t understand how it can shape lives, though she sees how content those with faith are and how much steadier her friend has become. She even wonders if it’s something people have because they are royal and have a closer connection to God through that status. Melanie couldn’t be farther from the truth.
There are still secrets that Melanie thinks can be revealed, despite historian Eddie’s disagreement on the subject. Him and his team have been over the recently found journals and didn’t find anything but Melanie thinks there’s more. So despite Eddie’s skepticism, the two team up and work to figure out Alma’s last secrets.
The book has romance, faith and so many twists and turns to go down to get to the final, satisfying conclusion. I wasn’t super surprised at the ending but with royal romance books, I find enjoyment in the predictability of some elements like the romance part. I loved the mystery twists and turns – some of those were a surprise for sure.
I loved this series and hope the author Ann has more faith-filled fiction stories up her sleeve for the future. I’d love to read more fiction books written by her!
Thank you to White Crown publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Laura Cisson –
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This third and final book in the In the Castle Library series was a thrilling finish. Not only did the missing queen’s story conclude, but there were some unexpected twists that caught me off guard and added to the journey of discovery, both for Melanie and the queen.
Melanie’s friends are faithful and true, much like the Savior she encounters throughout the book. And, oh, the library!! The setting is a character of its own. There’s also another celebratory event that takes place that is so lovely and magical. Don’t we all wish we could live in Lethersby?
Thank you to WhiteCrown Publishing for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Kathryn Bochman –
Ann Swindell is simply an outstanding author. All of her books in the Castle Library Series have been excellent. This final book, Secrets in the Castle Library, was a resounding way to end the series. Within this book, Swindell has created a mesmerizing plot, perfectly relatable characters, and a poignant message of faith that resonated deeply. This message of faith, in my opinion, is the hallmark of Swindell’s writing. Never pushy, it simply flows through every page and invites you to encounter a God who deeply loves you and desires a relationship with you.
I cannot wait to see what Swindell writes next. She has made an enduring fan out of me!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Talita Adendorff –
Secrets in the Castle Library is an excellent story and the perfect ending to the In the Castle Library series. Not that I will complain if a Christmas novella shows up a few years down the royal line.
What I love about this book, and this series, is that each female character has a unique personality. Each has their own flaws, struggles, and talents, and through it all you get the royal thread of the mystery of Queen Alma.
I love Eddie and Melanie, and how their relationship grows. I love the culture and heritage of Lethersby, and the best part is that the story continues across the three books, with characters from Christmas in the Castle Library and Love in the Castle Library still featuring prominently. And of course we finally get Queen Alma’s full story.
My favourite part of this entire series is the deep spiritual truths woven through each story. Ann Swindell doesn’t hold back, and the Holy Spirit has spoken to me through her beautiful stories.
This entire series is a must-read for any Christian fiction reader who enjoys romance, mystery, royalty, and God’s love shining through the pages.
And of course…the cover is gorgeous.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, but the views and opinions are my own.
kewkew34 –
Secrets in the Castle Library is an awesome conclusion to Ann Swindell’s In the Castle Library series. I only wish it wasn’t the last book. I have loved visiting the fictional European country of Lethersby. What a wonderful set of modern princess stories. Throughout this series more and more discoveries have been made regarding the life of Queen Alma, the queen who disappeared a hundred years earlier during the Great War. It was thought that they had discovered all they could, but there was still more that needed to come to light.
Melanie is the friend of Ellie, the woman who was the FMC of the first book. She is in Lethersby to accept a job at the university in teaching American History, one of her passions. However, she also desires to delve into the Queen Alma mystery, being sure that there is still more to learn from the diaries that had been found, determined to find another hidden code or clue to lead them to further truths. However, our MMC, Eddie, who is the curator of the museum and part of the team studying the journals, is not happy to have this outsider try to tell him that he and his team in essence have missed something. So, their relationship was off to a rocky start.
I loved seeing their relationship evolve while working together. Loved seeing their perspectives change and both of them grow as characters. Melanie was searching for a sense of self, a sense of identity and belonging. But through her life she had always been looking in the wrong places. Eddie had been striving for accolades and self-importance. He was a new Christian while she had put up walls and didn’t see a need for religion. Christianity was a central theme in this book, with the plan of salvation brought up multiple times, Scripture was read, characters prayed, the Lord’s will was sought, and truth was shared. Through Alma’s journals we also saw how faith was important in her life.
I loved watching Melanie and Eddie scouring the journals for clues, and I loved when inspiration struck. I loved the new twists in this story, but also I loved getting to see all the main characters from the previous books. I loved that all these characters were important in this story, and we got to see them interacting.
Definitely an emotional read, but oh, so, so good. I’ve loved each book in this series and can’t pick a favorite. They each contained sweet romance, intriguing mysteries, and truths brought to light. Highly recommended.
I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. There are my own honest thoughts.
malory0505 –
This is a great book! You definitely get sucked into the story from the beginning, and you will not want to put it down! I really love the way the author weaves Jesus throughout the pages and how encouraging it was too from a Christian standpoint. I also really love the history woven throughout it as well. It’s a great book and you definitely do not want to miss out!
I was given an advanced copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinion are my own.
Now go buy this book!!!