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.)

Tracie Peterson: In Dreams Forgotten

By Kelly Bridgewater

Judith Gladstone came to San Francisco after her parents died to find her last living relative, an aunt she has never met. Instead she has fallen head over heels in love with Caleb Coulter, her friend's brother. Caleb has promised to help Judith find her aunt, but she can tell he thinks of her only as a friend, and she struggles to hide her feelings.

When Caleb traces Judith's aunt to the wealthy Whitley family, Judith is reunited with her long-lost relatives. The truths she learns about her past and her parents are shocking and overwhelming, however, and the more she gets to know her new family, the more danger she uncovers. Someone does not want Judith in the picture, and they will do whatever it takes to get rid of her.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

In Dreams Forgotten by Tracie Peterson is predictable historical romance with a couple of twists and turns thrown in for good measure. I haven't read a lot of Peterson, but I do enjoy a good historical romance in the early twentieth century, so I have picked up and enjoyed this series.

My favorite part of the novel is the setting. It is nice to return to familiar characters from In Places Hidden and roam around San Francisco around the turn of the century. Peterson doesn't just allow her past characters to make one appearance to catch us up on their lives, she actually allows them to roam the pages of the story, being an important part of the novel. I loved how Peterson draws my attention to the setting with the beautiful Whitley house and grounds.

It was nice getting to know more on the background of Judith and watch her interact with her new family and see her emotions blossom for Caleb. Even Caleb starts to feel emotions for Judith. He worries about her while she is hanging out with her new family. He makes up ideas to visit her and see how she is doing. Judith can't stop thinking of Caleb and how she wants to marry for love, not an arranged marriage like her cousin, Victoria.

The plot moved pretty quickly. There is a twist with Judith's new family, and I pretty much picked out the person as soon as he entered on the page. He just didn't seem right to me. Peterson proved me right. As for the plot, it held my attention and had enough drama to keep me turning the pages.

Overall, In Dreams Forgotten by Tracie Peterson, the setting is my favorite part of the novel. I really enjoy stories which feature reoccurring characters, and the twists of the plot kept me flipping through the novel in a rapid fashion.

From Amazon

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

About the Author:

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

Tracie Peterson: In Places Hidden

By Kelly Bridgewater

On her way to San Francisco to find her brother, Caleb, who went missing three months ago, Camriann Coulter meets Judith and Kenzie, who both have their own mysteries to solve in the booming West Coast city. The women decide to help each other, including rooming together and working at Kenzie's cousin's chocolate factory.

Camri's search for her brother, an attorney, leads her deep into the political corruption of the city--and into the acquaintance of Patrick Murdock, a handsome Irishman who was saved from a false murder charge by Caleb. Patrick challenges all of Camri's privileged beliefs, but he knows more about what happened to her brother than anyone else. Together, they move closer to the truth behind Caleb's disappearance. But as the stakes rise and threats loom, will Patrick be able to protect Camri from the dangers he knows lie in the hidden places of the city?

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson is my second book I have read by Peterson. I do enjoy her ability to write a story rich in history with enjoyable characters. Historical romance is my second genre of choice. I know a good historical romance will be filled with likeable characters and a different time period than today.

Peterson's writing was clear and concise. I can see why she has written so many books. While some of her books don't interest me, I was interested in this San Francisco story because it takes place in the beginning of the twentieth century. Her setting in the house and around the town of San Francisco filled my imagination. I had no problem imagining her setting and watching the characters roam through the story.

The romance between Camrianne Coulter and Patrick appeared to be very fast for my taste. They were moving along in the story, trying to solve where the missing brother is and then about eight-five percent into the story, Peterson throws in the sparks for a budding romance. It just didn't fit with the tone of the story up to that moment. It appeared to come out of nowhere. Then they were on the way to the altar.

The plot has been seen before too. I have read a number of stories that have shady parts of town where they take someone illegally away and forced them into slave labor or worse. It is a popular story in historical or contemporary stories. The return of Caleb is also unrealistic too. I think the part should have handled better. It felt cheap.

While these elements bothered me, I really enjoyed the story, and it was enjoyable. I liked spending time with Patrick and Camrianne. I really can't wait to see Judith and Kenzie's story, which I assume will be the next two books in the series. In Places Hidden was a good attempt at a twentieth century historical cozy mystery.

Fans of Peterson's other novels and fans of historical novels or cozy mysteries might enjoy this book.

Overall, In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson is a captivating twentieth century historical mystery. While the plot may have been done a number of times, I really enjoyed spending time with the characters and the plot.

I received a complimentary copy of In Places Hidden by Tracie Peterson, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars