Across the Ages

Author: Gabrielle Meyer

Series: Timeless #4

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: November 5, 2024

A journey through time with a sweet romance and endearing characters.

It’s not easy living in both 1727 and 1927 but Caroline has been dealing with falling asleep in one time and waking up in another for a while. Not sure if there is anyone else like her until she finds a letter from her mother that gives small details of her own experiences with time travel. She travels to the last location she knows her mother might have been at to see if she can find some answers in 1727. While in 1927 she deals with different struggles as the daughter of a preacher and Prohibition hitting the country.

Across the Ages is a great back and forth, time-slip novel that is full of mystery, suspense, romance and great characters. I loved the back-and-forth timelines and how Caroline was affected with each of her time travels. Caroline loved her family and wanted to be all she needed to be for each and every one but with all she had to deal with traveling from time to time it was hard. Also being alone in dealing with travel through time made it harder to connect with others. I enjoyed the tension it created at times and helped me want to keep with the story. This is a great, clean read that fans of Meyer’s writing will not want to miss.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Specters in the Glass House

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 1, 2024

Jaime Jo Wright is back with her best yet! She continues to fascinate me with her ability to craft the most amazing and touching stories.

After both of her parents pass away, Marian Arnold returns to her childhood home and her mother’s butterfly house. In 1921, prohibition shut down her family’s brewing empire and left Marian with very little. Shortly after she returns home, Marian starts having nightmares and wonders if she is going crazy as dead butterflies appear along with a dead body in the butterfly house. Marian finds solace in her childhood friend Felix who is also dealing with ghosts from his past. Together they must work past the ghosts and butterflies to find a future.

In the present-day timeline, Remy Shaw is a researcher coming to help an elderly biographer looking into the murders and mystery behind Marian Arnold and all that happened at the manor. One of Marian’s decedents shows up at the manor wanting to make sure the story is told correctly. But mystery and danger haven’t strayed far from the manor and yet another generation might be in for more than can take.

Jaime Jo Wright gets better with each novel and this newest one is no exception. I have loved all of her books but this one was by far the best. When you think of butterflies, the next step is not serial killers and ghosts. The dual timeline is something Wright has just about perfected after so many books and she does it better than almost anyone else. It doesn’t matter if it is the past or present timeline, I found myself connected with the characters and the storyline. Usually, a story with a historical timeline is not my “cup of tea” but when Wright is creating the story I know I’m going to connect with the story and characters. If I can connect with characters, then I am hooked into the story till the end. This is the kind of story that is perfect timing coming out right around Halloween. I would recommend this story to readers that love a little spooky with their romantic suspense but also just a fantastic story with great characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A Token of Love

Author: Carrie Turansky

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 3, 2024

A dual timeline story that is full of mystery, adventure and a perfect amount of romance.

Lillian Freemont wants nothing more than to reunite with her niece, Alice, whom she hasn’t seen in 8 years. 1885 in London makes that more difficult. Lillian gets the help of investigative reporter Matthew McGivern and together they try to track down Alice and can’t hide the growing attraction to one another. In Present day London, Janelle Spencer runs a museum and during a search of the archives with Jonas Conrad she discovers articles from the past that if brought to life will change everything. Janelle wants to protect the reputation of the museum, but it might be harder than she imagined.

I love a good dual timeline story, and this one had the perfect mix of mystery, adventure and intrigue to keep me glued to the page. I enjoyed the present day timeline more than the one set in the past; just the dynamic of it all was more my pace. Janelle and the way she dealt with the mystery and how it would affect the museum had such tight tension, an amazing way to move a story along at a fast pace. This is probably the best Turansky novel I have read and am happy to recommend this one to readers that have enjoyed her work and want to keep reading clean, crisp historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Meet Me at the Starlight

Author: Rachel Hauck

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: July 2, 2024

Set across multiple different generations and with characters that are intriguing, readers will not want to miss this one.

Set in both the 1930’s and 1980’s with multiple points of view done in a unique way that I haven’t read before, including a viewpoint of the town. Hauck has a way of writing romance that is very different from many in the Christian fiction industry and that is what makes her great. The back and forth timelines and point of views make the story fly by and was able to really keep me invested in the characters and what they went through. I enjoyed the way that she brought about the growth we see in the characters and was able to bring out the beauty in the darkness they went through.

Rachel Hauck is a great historical romance writer and the way she took the story from different timelines and points of view is great compared to so many. A few moments throughout the story didn’t fit in as well with the rest of the story as I would have hoped for. These moments made the story fall a little slower and harder to turn the pages in what was an otherwise great story. For fans of historical romance this will be a good one to add to their bookshelves. If it isn’t your favorite genre, I would skip this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Lady with the Dark Hair

Author: Erin Bartels

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Another great story from the pen of Erin Bartels!

Viviana must continually change her name and appearance to keep one step ahead of the authorities. After pretending to be a man, she is able to join a war effort with her twin brother, but during one of the battles, an accident occurs, and her brother is killed, and she is blamed for the murder after she is exposed as a woman. Working across Europe by yourself in 1879 is hard enough but finding work and a place to hide makes it worse. While in France working as a maid at the Renaud household, she accidentally becomes acquainted with the famed painter and is salesman friend, Vella. Through this chance encounter, she discovers that she is an artist, but can never come out into the spotlight.

In present day Michigan, Esther and her family hold claim to the last known painting by Impressionist era artist, Vella. But when the portraits is claimed to have not been painted by Vella after all, Esther must cross the Atlantic on a trip to Gibraltar to discover the truth behind both the painting and her family’s history. Will Esther discover more to her life along the way?

Erin Bartels does a great job weaving together the timelines of two women spanning over a century. Both women felt stifled in their current situations but were able to make something of a name for themselves as they moved throughout time. It’s too hard to choose what timeline I preferred, but I found myself more drawn to Esther as she had to take care of her mother and wouldn’t venture outside of comfort zone due to fear. Bartels’ stories are always uplifting for women and this is no exception. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Legacy of Longdale Manor

Author: Carrie Turansky

Publisher: Bethany House Publishing

Release Date: September 26, 2023

A historical romance that will take readers on a magical adventure.

Gwen Morris is an art historian traveling to England to help appraise paintings for an old friend. She goes to Longdale Manor and meets David Bradford, grandson of the Manor’s owner, who wants to turn it into a hotel. Over a century earlier, Charlotte Harper finds secrets that she records in a journal later found by Gwen and ties these characters together through time.

This is a typical Turansky book, full of faith, interesting characters and an intriguing plot. Fans of historical fiction will find this one a fun and easy read. The story is charming with the way Turansky weaves together the lives of Gwen and Charlotte and all they go through that leads them to romance and a stronger faith. There was nothing that stood out in this one for me as fantastic, but it is also one I will recommend to others as a good, clean read.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 10, 2023

This might just be Jaime Jo Wright’s best book yet. I tend to say this about the last several of her books, but she does get better with each novel!

In 1915, Barlowe Theater was under construction and takes the life of Greta Mercy’s oldest brother. Greta has been left in charge of her siblings after the death of her parents. Now her youngest brother has gone missing after he and friends break into Barlowe theater and Greta must work with the local police to find the secrets of the theater.

Decades later Kit Boyd is now dealing with her own problems with Barlowe Theater when her best friend disappears while they are filming an episode of a ghost-hunters show. Evan Fisher is the skeptic that tries to disprove the ghost-hunter and he joins in with Kit to help solve the secrets of Barlowe Theater and they quickly become close as they try to solve the mysteries that have plagued her hometown.

Man, just when I think Jaime Jo Wright can’t get any better, she comes out with another hit that is hard to put down and gives me chills long into the night. The back-and-forth mystery and the way it all came together at the end gave me goosebumps. Wright has become a favorite of mine with her time-slip novels and the spooky stories that are free of gore or any foul language. It is so rare to find a book that is clean and not filled with anything questionable, especially when dealing with ghosts and things of that nature. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a spooky mystery that is clean and without any material that is unsavory. One of the few books I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

In This Moment

Author: Gabrielle Meyer

Series: Timeless #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: May 2, 2023

A very different historical romance that was entertaining and captivating.

Maggie Hollingsworth is not your typical girl, she is able to live three separate lives at once, 1861 in Washington D.C., 1941 in Pearl Harbor and 2001 in D.C. Every night she goes to sleep she wakes up at a different time period, which continues until she turns twenty-one when she will have to pick two of the lives to give up along with everyone she knows in those timelines. Each timeline has a different set of people in her life and dreams to try to fulfill. She doesn’t want romance until she knows where she will end up, even with a man in each century trying to win her heart. Based with the hardest decision of her life Maggie, isn’t sure what the right time is for her and her future.

This was such a different historical romance that I found myself in love with. The way Maggie had to go back and forth between the timelines and keep it all straight was such a great story. Gabrielle Meyer is an author that continues to surprise me with her creativity. These time-slip novels are a different breed and one that I am getting more and more in love with. This story kept me glued to the pages from the very beginning until the final page. This is the second book in the series, and I am not sure if more is to come but if it is I will be first in line to read it. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a different kind of story that will be thoroughly entertaining.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: April 4, 2023

Another fantastic suspense book from one of the best in Christian fiction. Jaime Jo Wright has out done herself with The Vanishing at Castle Moreau!

Set in two timelines, The Vanishing at Castle Moreau starts in 1870 with Daisy Francois, an orphan who goes to Castle Moreau as a housemaid running from her past. The castle is owned by a very peculiar woman who writes gothic novels and keeps many secrets in her estate, and local legend has girls form the area disappearing in the vicinity of Castle Moreau. In present day timeline, Cleo Clemmons is also running from her past and answers an ad for help at Castle Moreau. She is hired by the grandson of an illustrious billionaire to help his grandmother deal with her hoarding and bring the Castle back to what it once was. Within hours of arriving, she is sucked into the mysteries surrounding Castle Moreau that is not only in the past but still shrouding them today.

Nothing and no one are what they seem when it comes to The Vanishing at Castle Moreau. Jaime Jo Wright has crafted a story with characters so far beyond and better than I could have hoped for. I have loved all I have read by her, and this tops the list. The mystery and story in each timeline will suck readers in and keep them glued to the pages until the very end. Both Cleo and Daisy have great character development and the interactions they have with those at the Castle are mysterious, intriguing, and luring. This book has everything I wanted in a mystery book all while being clean and delivering a good message throughout. Jaime Jo Wright gets better and better with each novel she writes giving readers a story we can’t help but fall in love with and characters we want to see succeed. I’ve found a lot of the books I’ve read lately to just have the same feel and end up being bored with them; luckily, I can say that was not the case here. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story with mystery and a great lesson of redemption and not judging someone by what others say.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The House on Foster Hill

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: November 21, 2017

A creepy fantastic mystery that is classic Jaime Jo Wright!

Kaine Prescott has been working to get over her husband’s death; she has almost given up on getting the police to believe it wasn’t just an accident while moving across the country. She buys an old, abandoned house without visiting it in her grandparent’s hometown. Wanting a fresh start, she sets about trying to make the house into a home when eerie things start happening and the house’s past comes back to haunt her. With help from a few new friends, Kaine quickly finds there isn’t much she can do to avoid the past and is forced to face it head on. Almost a century earlier, Ivy Thorpe helped to find the identity a woman found dead on the property and try to solve a crime before anyone else gets hurt.

This is the debut novel by Jaime Jo Wright, and I didn’t realize I hadn’t read it until recently. I picked it up and loved every minute of the story. Jaime Jo Wright is a master of time-slip, mystery novels, she has a way of sucking readers in and not letting them catch a breath until the very end. I love picking up her books and knowing I am going to be fully immersed into a world of fiction that is entertaining, mysterious, and totally enjoyable. The way the two timelines tie together by the end is so well done, especially for a debut novel. The characters are engaging and relatable, even the romance aspect was played out perfectly scene-by-scene. This is the type of book that I recommend to readers that enjoy suspense, mystery, and a little bit of romance.