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.

2022 Top Time Slip Reads

We didn’t see as many time slip novels this year, but of those we did, three really stood out!

Top Pick: The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

Jaime Jo Wright is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I was slow to pick up her books because she writes part of her stories in the past and historical fiction has not been one of my top go to genres. But when you write in the way Jamie Jo Wright does, it doesn’t really matter if it is past, present, or future; the story is so good it takes time out of the equation and puts the reader deep within the story. I am finding with each of her books that I read it is better than the last and The Souls of Lost Lake is no exception. Both the past and the present timelines are so intriguing with characters readers will have no choice but to fall in love with and want to desperately find out how their story turns out.

Read the full review here.

Order your copy today!

Runner Up: The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

This is one of the best books I’ve read all year! Not only was the historical fiction portion of the story super interesting, but the present-day mystery and treasure hunting aspect took the whole book to another level. I couldn’t decide which of the two stories that I wanted to read more and they pretty well blended altogether. Such a great story for anytime of the year.

Read the full review here.

Order your copy today!

Runner Up: The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright

Each new book always proves me wrong in thinking she can’t top the last one; somehow, they get better and better. The feel of this one hit me hard, Molly was such a fantastic character and once she was at the farmhouse, the story enveloped me in such a tight hold there was no way I was getting out of it. I sat down and devoured this book in a weekend, had I not had responsibilities like taking care of my two children, it probably would have been read in a single sitting.

Read the full review here.

Order your copy today!

The Premonition at Withers Farm

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 11, 2022

What’s better than a new Jaime Jo Wright book? How about a new mystery releasing right before Halloween!!!

Perliett Van Hilton is a healer; it’s 1910 in Michigan and her healing practices leave the local doctor frustrated. She has grown up in an unconventional household with her mother working as a spiritualist. Perliett ends up the target of a superstitious killer and to avoid the killer she must seek help from the local doctor who doesn’t care for her and a newcomer to town. Jump to Present day, the life of Molly Wasziak is anything but the life she dreamed it would be. She has had several miscarriages leading her down a spiral of depression when her husband buys an old farmhouse. Here she finds clues to a very old murder and as she digs deeper, mysterious things around the house make it even more ominous as she finds a purpose for her life once again.

Wow, wow, wow! Jaime Jo Wright has outdone herself. Every time I pick up one of her books, I know I am in for a fantastic read and this newest one releasing right before Halloween gives all the chills and thrills. Each new book always proves me wrong in thinking she can’t top the last one; somehow, they get better and better. The feel of this one hit me hard, Molly was such a fantastic character and once she was at the farmhouse, the story enveloped me in such a tight hold there was no way I was getting out of it. I sat down and devoured this book in a weekend, had I not had responsibilities like taking care of my two children, it probably would have been read in a single sitting. There are a lot of authors out there that are just mediocre, the more I read the more I realize this and have gotten to the point of being disappointed more often than not when picking up a book to read lately. This book and this author will not disappoint you! Grab her books, any of them, and escape into the wonderful world of fiction and suspense that is a glorious getaway from the world we live in. I foresee this being one of my top books of the year!

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

The Master Craftsman

Author: Kelli Stuart

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: April 5, 2022

One of the best time-slip novels of the year! This should be on your summer reading list!

Karl Faberge has been charged with creating some of the most memorable sculptors during his time, many that have become known as the Faberge Eggs, which were produced for the Russian Tsar family during the late 1800s and early 1900s. But when Karl began to see the effect of the Tsar’s rule over Russia, he created one egg that hardly anyone knew about. The secret keeper of this egg was none other than Alma Phil, one of the best craftsmen of the House of Faberge.

Fast forward to present day, Ava Laine learns that her estranged father and famed treasure hunter Nick Laine has developed a fatal illness. Encouraged by her mother, Ava visits Nick and learns that there is one last treasure that he wants to find and hopes that she will do it for him. With little to hold her back, Ava, her mother, and her next-door neighbor team together for a wild trip to Russia in hopes of locating the missing egg. But they get more than they bargained for when they find out they are not the only ones after the egg.

I enjoyed getting to watch Ava’s character growth throughout the book. She went from feeling abandoned with a little self-centeredness to becoming a family member and genuine concern for others. I don’t know if Stuart has considered making this into a series, but I would be on board for any future installments. 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.

A Hundred Crickets Singing

Author: Cathy Gohlke

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: April 5, 2022

Characters from Night Bird Calling return for a new adventure set between two wars!

Old houses always hold secrets and Gardens Gate is no exception. After a storm damages the roof, a hidden room is discovered by Celia Percy and her younger brother. With civil war era clothing and documents, they discover that this room was once used to hide slaves making their way along the Underground Railroad to find freedom in the North, which is completely unexpected knowing that the ancestors were slave owners and Klan members. As Celia uncovers more about the civil war, her friends Marshal and Joe are across the Atlantic preparing for the Normandy invasion in 1944. When Marshal makes a choice that shocks not only his family, but the whole community, Celia knows it is up to her to make it so that he can return home.

Eighty years earlier, Minnie Belvidere is stuck between her two brothers, one that is for the Union, but must enlist in the Confederacy and the other who fully believes the Confederate values. Her mother was always a proponent of freedom for all men and women, which made them an unpopular family in North Carolina. After her mother’s death, her father’s health begins to deteriorate, she knows she must step in to continue her mother’s legacy.

I was not expecting a time slip novel from Cathy Gohlke, but I’m pleased to say that I hope she decides to write more. She has been such a master of historical fiction that it seemed only fitting that she took this challenge to bring readers not just one, but two fantastic stories set years apart, but both at war.

I loved seeing previous characters return for a chance to see how their stories are continuing as well as meeting new characters from a previous era. In both timelines, the protagonist is a young female who is set on making wrongs right based on the social norms. With love, suspense, and great characters, readers will love this book just as much as the first. While I would say that you don’t have to read Night Bird Calling before this one, I do think it will give quite a bit of backstory that readers would otherwise miss.

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