Most Anticipated Suspense for Spring 2025

 By Kelly Bridgewater

My very last Most Anticipated Suspense novels that will be released for Spring 2025. These books will be released from January through April 2025.

All images come from Goodreads. 

Serial Burn by Lynette Eason

Every Deadly Suspicion by Janice Cantore

Storm Warning by Elizabeth Goddard

Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright

Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl

Two Second Too Late by Dani Pettrey

I hope this genre keeps growing and growing. I also pray everyday that my historical suspense novel with someday be on someone's most anticipated suspense list. 

Most Anticipated Historical Romance

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Historical Romance books that will be published from January 1st through April 30, 2025 that I can not wait to read. 

All covers come from Goodreads. 

When Stars Light the Sky by Elizabeth Camden

Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

Tempest at Annabell's Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright

The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano

This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke

I love this genre. What other books are you looking for to? 

Jaime Jo Wright: Specters in the Glass House

By Kelly Bridgewater

An ominous butterfly house. A sinister legacy. An untraceable killer.

In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron's empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family's Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian's sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer's ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer's quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold's mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian's great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?

 

My Thoughts:

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright reminded me of a previous novel that I read. Not the entire concept. Just the family members of the heroine thinking she was mental for the things that she was seeing. Readers will love how Wright captures the mystery element and makes the reader question every person that she comes across. The plot was interesting, scary, and delightful all the same time. I read this book within 24 hours and was a little disappointed when the story was over. I wanted more. The heroine in the past, Marian, was indifferent. She was a little naïve and tried to understand her mother that disappeared from her life. She was definitely not a strong character.  On the other hand, the heroine in the present timeline, Remy Shaw, was trying to deal with her past. But of course, her past kept haunting her in her present situation. I did like how the guy who purchased the house in order to write the biography didn’t have internet. Made it a little harder for Remy Shaw to do her research. Anything to make the heroines life’s harder. The setting was nicely detailed, and my imagination blossomed with all the details of the house. Overall, Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright was spooky, historical, and wonderfully told. I look forward to all of Wright’s stories and own all her books. This book is no different.

I received a complimentary copy of Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Specters in the Glass House

Most Anticipated Historical Romance

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Books that I can't wait to read this Fall. 

(All covers come from Goodreads.)

The Clovertone Charade by Sara E. Ladd

A Token of Love by Carrie Turansky

Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright

All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee

Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witmeyer

What about you? Any covers capture your fancy?

Jaime Jo Wright: Night Falls on Predicament Ave

By Kelly Bridgewater

As the walls of the house at Predicament Avenue reveal their hidden truths, two women--generations apart--discover that fear and foreboding are no respecters of time.

In 1910, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer's retribution. Effie must prove what her sister saw, but when a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie's quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in the abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue. Just as Effie discovers what she seeks, she finds that the blood staining the walls will forever link her to a scandal she couldn't imagine, and to a woman whose secrets promise to curse any who would expose them.

A century later, Norah Richman grapples with social anxiety and grief as she runs her late great-aunt's bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue. But Norah has little affection for the house and is committed only to carrying out her murdered sister's dreams until crime historian and podcaster Sebastian Blaine arrives to investigate the ghostly legacy of the house's claim to fame--the murder of Isabelle Addington. When a guest is found dead, the incident is linked to Isabelle's murder, and Norah and Sebastian must work together to uncover the century-old curse that has wrapped 322 Predicament Avenue in its clutches and threatens far more than death.

 

My Thoughts:

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright is another time-slip novel where something happens inside a house. From the first chapter, Wright magically opens the mystery with two girls looking into a spooky house and then one screaming. From there, Wright takes readers through a crazy whirl of hunting for clues in the past and the present. Death has hit Wright hard when she wrote this book, so I can totally relate to the feelings that “Her” is having. I lost my Daddy 8 plus years ago, and it still hurts. Coming to terms with death is not easy. When anyone loses someone close to them, the pain does not go away, we just learn to live every day without that person. I believe this story was Wright’s way of trying to face the grief that death has gifted to her. This is the main reason I believe Wright’s characters are the strongest aspect of her novel. She dug deep into her own hurt and dragged into the characters and made them feel her pain. Similarly, the plot was moving and addictive. I enjoyed the story and couldn’t wait to see who the killer was in both time periods. Overall, Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright explores the pain of losing someone with a murder mystery to guide the plot forward. I really enjoyed the story.

I received a complimentary copy of Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Night Falls on Predicament Avenue 

Most Anticipated Historical Romance Spring 2024

By Kelly Bridgewater

The title says it all.

Here are the Most Anticipated Historical Romances for Spring 2024: (All Images come from Goodreads.)

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden

If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer

Set in Stone by Kimberely Woodhouse (From Amazon)

Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep (From Amazon)

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

What about you? Know of any other books that I should add to this list.

Jaime Jo Wright: The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater

By Kelly Bridgewater

"When Greta Mercy's brothers disappear from the Barlowe Theater in 1915, she will do anything to uncover what threat lurks beneath the stage. Decades later, revealing what happened to the boys falls on Kit Boyd, who must determine whether she's willing to pay the price to end the pattern of evil that has marked their hometown for a century."--

 

My Thoughts:

With ghosts, secrets tunnels, and missing boys, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright captures the attention and does not let go. I love all the spooky elements and the hunt for what really happened.  I love a good ghost story, and Wright delivers. I love searching through the basement and the well-described setting of all the places. The two-time slip time periods are a nice touch. I enjoy seeing the past play out to show what the present-day storyline is trying to solve. The present-day heroine was adopted, so it was nice to see the hurt from being abandoned or chosen to give up as the hurt and lies the character believes. This was a different take on a character that I liked. On the other hand, the past character had both parents dies and struggle to keep her brothers and her together. Overall, The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright was a spooky story with all the thrills mixed with the historical element that I love. If readers enjoy historical mysteries, and you have not tried Wright’s stories, then now is the time to start. I will definitely own the book.

I received a complimentary copy of The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:   5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater 

Most Anticipated Suspense for Fall 2023

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Here is my three times a year where I show beautiful covers of upcoming release books. 

Here are the Most Anticipated Suspense books. (All covers come from Goodreads.)

Facing the Enemy by DiAnn Mills

26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse

Into the Fire by Irene Hannon

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

Like I always say, we need more books in this genre! 

Jaime Jo Wright: The Vanishing at Castle Moreau

By Kelly Bridgewater

A haunting legend. An ominous curse. A search for a secret buried deep within the castle walls.

In 1870, orphaned Daisy François takes a position as housemaid at a Wisconsin castle to escape the horrors of her past life. There she finds a reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress who hides tales more harrowing than the ones in her novels. As women disappear from the area and the eerie circumstances seem to parallel a local legend, Daisy is thrust into a web that could ultimately steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of an American aristocratic family to help his grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman's stash of collectibles, a century-old mystery and the dust of the old castle's curse threaten to rise again . . . this time to leave no one alive to tell the sordid tale.

Award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright seamlessly weaves a dual-time tale of two women who must do all they can to seek the light amid the darkness shrouding Castle Moreau.

My Thoughts:

The Vanishing of Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright is a thrilling, gothic style novel. I love spooky stories. With deeply atmospheric characters who were fully developed, Wright crafts characters that dug deep into a readers physic. From the first chapter, Wright dives right into the challenging setting and allows her readers to get lost in the mystery surrounding the castle. I love old castles. History. Especially when horrible things have happened there. Wright does a wonderful job at inviting readers into the cold, chilly setting of the castle. Her descriptions were wonderfully written. Readers will visualize the dark castle as readers follow Cleo and Daisy through the hollowed and dark hallways. I flipped through the pages of the story at a fast pace and finished the novel in one day. If readers enjoy historical houses with secret passages and abnormal characters, then this is the story for you. I have loved all of Wright's stories, and I hope she keeps writing for a long time. Great for a historical and suspense lover like me.

I received a complimentary copy of The Vanishing of Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Vanishing of Castle Moreau

Favorite Books of 2022

 By Kelly Bridgewater

One of my favorite posts of the year. I love being able to share of the 144 books that I read this year which ones are my favorite. I hope that you have read them and possibly own them. 

Here they are: (All covers come from Goodreads!)

Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

In Love's Time by Kate Breslin

Madness in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin

Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner

RJ and York Trilogy (Out of the Night, I Will Find You, and No Matter the Cost) by Susan May Warren

Milestone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch

The Debutante's Code by Erica Vetsch

What about you? Did any of these hit your favorites this year? Any that I missed?

Most Anticipated Historical Romance

 By Kelly Bridgewater

That time of year. I love showing covers that I can't wait to read and add to my collection. 

Today is the Most Anticipated Historical Romance covers that release from January 1, 2023 through April 30, 3023. (All images come from Goodreads!)

Hearts of Steel by Elizabeth Camden

A Match in the Making by Jen Turano

The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green

Vanishing at Castle Monreau by Jaime Jo Wright

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem

Spotlight and Shadow by Rachel Scott McDaniel

The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham

What about you? Add anyting?