Review – A Castle in the Air (A Stitch in Time, Book 4) by Kelley Armstrong (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Time Travel Romance
Length: 389 pages
Publisher: K.L.A. Fricke Inc
Release Date: October 31, 2023
ASIN: B0C3JVPRDV
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in A Stitch in Time series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Portia Hastings has spent her life rescuing her younger sister from one scrape or another. Now, she has to step through time to do it, following Miranda from the nineteenth century to the eighteenth. Almost immediately, Portia is beset by highwaymen, which might be the most exciting thing to happen to her in a long time, even if she’d never admit it.
When one of the highwaymen is injured, Portia makes the inexcusable mistake of helping him—she is trained as a doctor after all. Her travel companions abandon her, and she’s left at the mercy of a highwayman who demands she continue tending to his compatriot’s wounds.
Portia soon finds herself at a crumbling castle inhabited by the destitute Earl of Ravensford. Benedict Sterling is in desperate need of money, and his solution is a ball, where a wealthy bride will win the title of countess, even if it does come with one thunderously ill-tempered earl.
Portia agrees to a scheme to help Benedict look like a slightly more appealing bridegroom, while she continues to search for Miranda. Then there’s the small matter of the castle, complete with a ghost intent on driving her out. But once Portia sets her mind on something, she’s not going anywhere.”
Series Info/Source: This is the fourth book in the A Stitch in Time series. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were very engaging and the story was a lot of fun. I struggled to put this book down and wanted to keep reading it way too late into the night!
This book follows Portia, the only sister who hasn’t had a story so far. She journeys through the time stitch after her sister, Miranda, fails to return on time. Unfortunately, Portia is set upon by highwaymen on her way to Miranda. When one of the highwaymen is injured she uses her medical training to help him and soon finds herself at a crumbling castle with the penniless Earl of Ravensford. To complicate matters, there is a ghost in the castle that seems to want to drive Portia out.
I have been waiting for Portia’s story; she is the most reserved of the sisters and also the most well-educated. It was fun to watch her have some fun and really assert herself. The relationship that her and Benedict develop is beautifully done and I really enjoyed it. In addition to the romance there is a very well done mystery around a ghost haunting the castle.
This was incredibly engaging and easy to read. I personally enjoy this series a lot more than Armstrong’s “A Rip Through Time” series; I think the characters are a lot more fun and I enjoy that the ghostly aspects are blended with mystery, adventure, and some romance.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. I think this was the best book in this series so far. Armstrong has mentioned that for now the 4th book is the last book planned for this series; I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing some more books if she decides to expand on it! If you are a fan of historical fantasy with ghosts, mystery, and romance I would definitely recommend this series. I enjoy it a lot more than Armstrong’s “A Rip Through Time” series which I think is a bit slow compared to this one.
