Book Review: Into the Whirlwind

Hey hey, another book review! 🙂 The book I am reviewing for you today is Elizabeth Camden’s Into the Whirlwind. I had the opportunity to read it thanks to Bethany House Publishers‘ awesome book review program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Mollie Knox takes pride in her good business sense and in the beautiful watches she and her loyal employees create. As owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, her future looks bright until the Great Chicago Fire destroys her city. With her world crumbling around her, Mollie will do whatever it takes to rebuild in the aftermath.

While she struggles to save her company, two men battle for her affections. Can Mollie rise from the ashes with both her business and her heart intact?

And here my five point review!

• It’s always a pleasure to read Elizabeth Camden’s books. As a librarian by day, she is understandably SO attentive to detail, facts, and themes. I love reading her work for that reason. Even more, as an author, she crafts a compelling story with characters that you actually care about. What a novel idea. 🙂
• I love the characters in this book, especially Mollie. Main characters in Christian fiction are kind of hit or miss, and what I really enjoyed about Mollie was that she was sweet, stubborn, flawed, and determined–a mix of good and bad, just like a real person.
• It was very interesting reading about the Great Chicago Fire. If you know me well, fires really terrify me because of a few fires I’ve experienced personally, so I appreciate that the plot was written so the readers could see how scary it must have been to of live through this event without the story being written in a fear-driven or suspenseful manner.
• As always, the romantic plot involves two men competing for the main character’s affection. Without giving too much away, I loved the honor displayed by both men, and their growth as they each pursued Mollie. That’s a new thing–usually books emphasize how the woman grows, not the man.
• Lastly, learning about the clock/watch business was so intriguing! It makes me want to be crafty. Thanks to Elizabeth Camden for giving us a glimpse into another world. I’d highly recommend this book–or any of her others. They’re all great!

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!