Tracie Peterson: In Times Gone By

By Kelly Bridgewater

After getting left at the altar, Kenzie Gifford flees to San Francisco to start her life over, determined never to love again. She's made new friends and has a good job in the office of her cousin's chocolate factory. The only thorn in her side is Dr. Micah Fisher, who insists on pursuing her despite her constant rejection.

Then the Great 1906 Earthquake strikes the city, and everything changes. The devastation all around her makes Kenzie reevaluate her outlook on life--and possibly even her feelings for Micah. But then her world is rocked again when her ex-fiancé appears, full of apologies and determined to win her back. But Arthur already broke her heart once. Does she dare trust him again? The sudden arrival of a hidden danger will expose the motivations of all involved, but it could cost Kenzie her life--as well as her heart.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Tracie Peterson has written over a hundred novels, so of course, she knows the mechanics of a good novel and keeps pumping them out. With her Golden Gate Secrets series, I came to know her writing and her characters a lot better. I have enjoyed this series from the amazing characters to the plot. Peterson captured my attention and didn't let go.

The Golden Gate Secrets series involves three women who meet on a train and follow their adventures as they arrive in a new city and ends right after the fire and earthquake of 1906. Peterson does a wonderful job at using her words to bring this world and the characters to life on the page. 

They jumped off the page and directly into my imagination. I enjoyed this series.

The romance isn't over the top, but it is definitely there. Peterson didn't make me cringe with too much romance; it occurred naturally over the course of the story. It was predictable, and I knew exactly how the story and series would end.

I was glad to finally learn more about Kenzie and see her story and background from her perspective. Kenzie was a strong heroine even though she appears to be a major introvert in the first two installments in this series. I liked Micah, the hero, too. He loved Kenzie and was willing to do anything for her, just like most heroes in a novel do.

The plot kept my attention. I enjoyed the mystery elements with Arthur Morgan and Victoria. They helped move the plot along. I didn't have a hard time focusing on the plot. I wanted more.

Overall, In Times Gone By by Tracie Peterson is a wonderfully crafted story that fit in nicely with the first two books. The plot worked well for the time period, and the predictable romance filtered in and out. I loved the returning characters who supported Kenzie and helped cement my interest in the story. Fans of Karen Barnett and Susan Anne Mason might enjoy this novel.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

From Amazon

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred books. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Visit Tracie's web site at: http://www.traciepeterson.com  (Taken from Amazon.)