Until the Dawn

Elizabeth Camden

Nov 2015 · Baker Books

About this ebook

Top-Notch Dramatic Historical Romance from a Rising Star

A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.

The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.

Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?

Ratings and reviews

This novel is full of twist, mystery, science, faith, family and romance. Sophie has grown up helping around the Vandermark mansion. even though no Vandermark has been to that mansion in decades. She is in love with the castle and all its beauty and mysteries. Sophie is full of faith and tends to find the good in everyone and everything, despite some difficult times in her own life. Quentin Vandermark is a very gruff scientific atheist. He has only one goal for vandermark's castle, to follow his grandfathers wishes. With his troubled son and an entourage of body guards, he takes the Castle by surprise. Camden takes you on an amazing adventure of finding truth, faith and love. Not every path is easy but all are necessary. I was given a copy of this novel from net galley for my honest opinion.

I just finished reading Elizabeth Camden’s Until the Dawn. Sophie van Riijn is twenty-five years old and living in New Holland, New York (in the Hudson River Valley) in 1898. Sophie cooks for the staff at the Vandermark mansion. The Vandermark mansion has not seen the family in sixty years (just two staff members to take care of the place). The house is supposed to be cursed (and therefore the family and anyone who works there). Sophie also sells cookies to the people that come down the river on steamboats and stop to look at the mansion. In addition, Sophie has installed a weather station on top of the mansion (without permission). She is one of the volunteers around the country that records weather information and sends it to the new Weather Bureau in Washington, D.C. Then one day Quentin and his son, Pieter Vandermark show up. His son happened to overhear the story about the mansion and the curse on the Vandermark family. Quentin comes into the mansion full of fury and fires all the staff. Sophie will have to work hard to convince Quentin to let her keep the weather station and hire back the staff. Unfortunately, Quentin has not returned to stay. He has come to blow up the mansion at the request of father. Without the Vandermark mansion, the town will dissolve. Can Sophie change his mind? Sophie is in luck with Pieter when he is taken with Sophie. Sophie seems to be able to reach Pieter (his grandfather has made him afraid and scared with his stories). It also helps that Sophie is a good cook and no one from the town will work in the mansion (thanks to the stories about the curse and bad luck). Sophie will have her work cut out for her though with taciturn Quentin Vandermark. I enjoyed Until the Dawn. It is an engaging novel that captured my interest and held it until the end. Elizabeth Camden is an excellent writer who creates characters that readers will love (or at least like). I loved the descriptions of the mansion. It sounds so lovely. I could spend days just in the library. It was interesting to read about the newly created Weather Bureau and their use of volunteers. I give Until the Dawn 4.5 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of Until the Dawn from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

About the author

Elizabeth Camden is the author of seven books and a RITA and Christy Award winner. With a master's in history and a master's in library science, she is a research librarian by day and scribbles away on her next novel by night. Elizabeth lives with her husband in Florida. Visit her website at www.elizabethcamden.com.