High-Wire Heartbreak (Door to the Past) by Anna Schmidt

Title: High-Wire Heartbreak (Doors to the Past)

Author: Anna Schmidt

Pages: 256

Release Date: January 1, 2022

Genre: Dual-time Novel

Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Format: eBook (also available in paperback)

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     In 1936—A party at the Ringling mansion Ca d’Zan in Sarasota, Florida, leads to a robbery—and possibly death.

     A successful historical mystery writer, Chloe Whitfield come to Ca d’Zan to research her next novel. Chloe’s fascination with the circus is rooted in family stories of her great-grandmother Lucinda Conroy, who reportedly was a trapeze artist of some renown. She’s heard hints of scandal—and perhaps larceny, but no details.

     Chloe’s grandmother—rumored to be Lucinda’s only offspring—was raised in an orphanage and never knew her mother. Intrigued as she is, Chloe has no intent of writing about Lucinda until she sees a poster featuring Lucinda as the star performer for a 70th birthday gala for John Ringling in May of 1936. From there the trail goes cold.

     Who was Lucinda and what happened to her?

My review:

     This is an absolutely incredible dual-time novel!

     I totally love the main characters in both time periods. Chloe and Ian are great. Watching their interactions change as the story goes along was a lot of fun. Then when we got to the 1936 storyline I was quickly captivated by Lucy and Bernardo. They were all surrounded by a full cast of supporting characters in each period.

     I was fascinated by the procedures that were described for doing research in a museum’s archive. I’m amazed thinking about all of the work that takes place to piece together historical stories. I was enthralled by the details that were included in connecting the two stories into one cohesive book.

     I’m giving this wonderful book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) by Kimberley Woodhouse

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Title: Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past)

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Pages: 256

Release Date: June 1, 2021

Genre: Dual-time Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Barbour Books

Format: eBook (also available in paperback)

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     Repairs on the Golden Gate Bridge Uncover a Century-Old Murder.

     Underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson is called to the Golden Gate Bridge where repairs to one of the towers uncovers two human remains from the late 1800s and the 1930s. The head of the bridge restoration is Steven Michaels, who dives with Kayla, and a friendship develops between them. But as the investigations heats up and gold is found that dates back to the gold rush, more complications come into play that threaten them both. Could clues leading to a Gold Rush era mystery that was first discovered during the building of the bridge ignite an obsession worth killing for?

My review:

     This is an absolutely incredible dual-time romantic suspense novel!

     All of the main characters are incredibly well developed. I fell in love with all four of them. Their personalities were presented in a way that I felt as if I could meet them in my own community. 

     Margo and Luke have so much difficulty in everyday life living in 1933. It was wonderful getting a look at how the depression affected each person that was alive. I loved reading about the type of equipment that was used and the problems that were faced by the divers who were working to build the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge.

     Kayla and Steven had things much easier when they were diving around the south tower in present day diving equipment. Though they still had all of the problems with visibility and current to contend with. It just fascinated me.

     The mystery and suspense that arose around the skeleton that was found was fantastic. It completely sucked me in and had me staying up much later than I should have to finish the book and get the answers.

     I am giving this marvelous story a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Hope Between the Pages (Doors to the Past) by Pepper D. Basham

Title: Hope Between the Pages (Doors to the Past)

Author: Pepper D. Basham

Pages: 256

Release Date: April 1, 2021

Genre: Duel-time Novel / Romance

Publisher: Barbour Fiction

Format: eBook (also available in paperback)

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

About the book:

     Uncover the story behind a one-hundred-year-old love letter.

     Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.

     Clara Blackwell helps her mother manage a  struggling one-hundred-year-old family bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina, but the discovery of a forgotten letter opens a mystery of a long-lost romance and undiscovered inheritance which could save its future. Forced to step outside of her predictable world, Clara embarks on an adventure with only the name Oliver as a hint of the man’s identity in her great-great-grandmother’s letter. From the nearby grand estate of the Vanderbilts, to a hamlet in Derbyshire, England, Clara seeks to uncover truth about family and love that may lead to her own unexpected romance.

My review:

     I loved this duel-time novel!

     There is a wonderful cast of characters in this book. I loved all four of the main ones. There were two in the past, Sadie and Oliver, and two in the contemporary period, Clara and Max. I enjoyed seeing the parallels between the two periods in how the couples viewed each other. The way they each matured was amazing.

     I thoroughly enjoyed how the two time periods were connected throughout the story. I was definitely interested in seeing how Sadie’s story unfolded. Her story started at the Biltmore Estate, which was owned by the Vanderbilts. I really liked the glimpses we had of the estate itself, and how it ran.

     I am giving this wonderful book a rating of 5 stars. I highly recommend it. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I have done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*