Favorite Stories of 2023

 By Kelly Bridgewater

One of my favorite posts of the year. I read over 120 books this year, and I love to sit back and share my favorite books of the year with my followers. 

Without further ado, here are my favorite books this year (Covers come from Goodreads unless noted.)

The Looking Glass Illusion by Sara Ella

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson

The Glass Slipper by Michele Israel Harper

Man of Shadow and Mist by Michelle Griep

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

Lost in Wonderland by Tabitha Bouldin

What about you? Have you read any of these books? What were your favorite reads this year?

Melanie Dobson: The Wings of Poppy Pendleton

By Kelly Bridgewater

In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.

 

My Thoughts:

The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson took my breathe away. I love how she creates a pathway that readers might think be the solution to the missing Poppy, but then Dobson threw another twist into the story. I love how "Poppy" has a redemption plotline. The modern, Chloe, character took in a little girl with no question asked. Dobson does a wonderful job at bringing readers into the setting. I would have loved to visit this castle and roam the expansive setting. The hidden passages filled with jewels was never really explored. I would have loved to have seen Chloe stubble across a pathway with many of the jewels left by Amelia. The two timelines mixed and mingled nicely. I kept flipping through the pages of the story. I could not wait to see what happened to Poppy and what this has to do with Chloe. The historical mystery and the contemporary mystery wrapped nicely at the end of the story. I LOVED this story, and I can't wait to have a physical copy on my bookshelf.

I received a complimentary copy of The Wings of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Wings of Poppy Pendleton

Most Anticipated Historical Romance for Fall 2023

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Here are my Most Anticipated Historical Romance books that will be released from now until December 31, 2023. (All covers come from Goodreads.)

The Wings of  Poppy Pendelton by Melanie Dobson

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot

Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt

To Spark a Match by Jen Turano

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham

A Winter by  the Sea by Julie Klassen

What about you? Any other suggestions of novels that I should read?

Melanie Dobson: The Winter Rose

 By Kelly Bridgewater

In this gripping WWII time-slip novel from the author whose books have been called “propulsive” and a “must-read” (Publishers Weekly), Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker who works tirelessly in Vichy France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrénées, Grace returns home to Oregon with a brother and sister whose parents were lost during the war. Though Grace and her husband love Élias and Marguerite as their own, echoes of Grace’s past and trauma from the Holocaust tear the Tonquin family apart.

More than fifty years after they disappear, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake, hoping to find the Tonquin family. For Addie, the mystery is a matter of life and death for her beloved mentor Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlie refuses to discuss his ties to the elusive Tonquins, finding them is the only way to save his life and mend the wounds from his broken past.

 

My Thoughts:

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson is a redemptive story as the present Addie tries to help save her father figure from death. The plot does begin in World War II Europe, but then ends up in Oregan with the United States. There is a lot of mystery around what actually occurred in Oregan once Grace returned home with a couple of children that she rescued from war torn Europe. The entire story is trying to uncover the truth and allow a number of the characters to move past the hurt, the terror, and the pain that occurred during the war. With God’s help, grace is given, and the truth is laid on the table for all the characters to realize. The characters are brave. My favorite character was Charlie once I completed his story. He had many demons from his past that he had to overcome. He needed the truth; in order, to completely free himself from the hurts and sorrow from the past. I loved watching him transform throughout the story. On the other hand, Addie, who is the present day hero, romance seemed a little of place by the end of the story. I knew it was coming, but it still seemed like it did not fit the storyline. Overall, The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson is a redemptive story with God’s grace shining on all of the characters. I enjoy reading stories where you can see God’s hand in every movement in the story. The Winter Rose definitely does show that.

I received a complimentary copy of The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Winter Rose

Favorite Books of 2021

 By Kelly Bridgewater

I review A LOT. I read tons of books. Some good. Some okay. Some not so good. 

But some are some wonderful that I can not wait to toot their horn. 

Below are my favorite books of 2021:

(All images come from Goodreads.)

Secrets in the Mist by Morgan L. Busee

Dead Fall by Nancy Mehl

Silence the Siren by Michele Israel Harper

Curator's Daughter by Melanie Dobson

Chasing Shadows by Lynn Austin

No Journey Too Far by Carrie Turansky

The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham

To Write a Wrong by Jen Turano

Carved in Stone by Elizabeth Camden

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep

What about you? Have you read these books? If so, did you like them too? If you have not read them, please add them to your To Be Read Pile, you won't regret it. 

Most Anticipated: Spring Historical Romance 2022

 By Kelly Bridgewater

These books I can't wait to get my hands on and read. 

Today will reach the Historical Romance books that I can't wait to devour.

All images come from Goodreads.com

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson

Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green

To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano

The Letter from Briarton Park by Sarah E. Ladd

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson

High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt

How about You? Anymore that you would add?

Melanie Dobson: The Curator's Daughter

 By Kelly Bridgewater

A young girl, kidnapped on the eve of World War II, changes the lives of a German archaeologist forced into the Nazi Party and--decades later--a researcher trying to overcome her own trauma.
1940. Hanna Tillich cherishes her work as an archaeologist for the Third Reich, searching for the Holy Grail and other artifacts to bolster evidence of a master Aryan race. But when she is reassigned to work as a museum curator in Nuremberg, then forced to marry an SS officer and adopt a young girl, Hanna begins to see behind the Nazi facade. A prayer labyrinth becomes a storehouse for Hanna's secrets, but as she comes to love Lilly as her own daughter, she fears that what she's hiding--and what she begins to uncover--could put them both in mortal danger.

Eighty years later, Ember Ellis is a Holocaust researcher intent on confronting hatred toward the Jewish people and other minorities. She reconnects with a former teacher on Martha's Vineyard after she learns that Mrs. Kiehl's mother once worked with the Nazi Ahnenerbe. And yet, Mrs. Kiehl describes her mother as "a friend to the Jewish people." Wondering how both could be true, Ember helps Mrs. Kiehl regain her fractured childhood memories of World War II while at the same time confronting the heartache of her own secret past--and the person who wants to silence Ember forever.

 

My Thoughts:

The Curator's Daughter by Melanie Dobson captured my attention from the first chapter. I'm always surprised when I read another World War II novel and learn something new. I do read a lot in this genre, so there is always something new to learn. The writing was wonderful. The characters were honorable and a delight to spend time with. I love the plot twists and the duel time slips. They work well together to tell a complete story. I can't wait to own a paperback copy to add to her growing bookshelf. I highly recommend this novel to any fans of Cathy Gohlke or Sarah Sundin. This is a fabulous book. Even after putting it down, I thought about the struggles the characters had to endure and even shared the book with a friend. She said that it sounded interesting too.

I received a complimentary copy of The Curator's Daughter by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4. 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Curator's Daughter

Favorite Books of 2019

By Kelly Bridgewater

Another year is in the books and another year is before us.

I really enjoy doing this post every year to give a nod to some of my favorite books that has captured my attention for the previous year. (All Images come from Goodreads.)

So for 2019, here are my favorite reads:

Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright



Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright




Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin



Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn



The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke



Storm Rising by Ronie Kendig



The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey



Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano



Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson



How about you? Did any of these books capture your attention? Are there different books you want to add to your favorite books of 2019 that I didn't include?

Melanie Dobson: Memories of Glass

By Kelly Bridgewater

1942. As war rips through the heart of Holland, childhood friends Josie van Rees and Eliese Linden partner with a few daring citizens to rescue Eliese’s son and hundreds of other Jewish children who await deportation in a converted theater in Amsterdam. But amid their resistance work, Josie and Eliese’s dangerous secrets could derail their friendship and their entire mission. When the enemy finds these women, only one will escape.

Seventy-five years later, Ava Drake begins to suspect that her great-grandfather William Kingston was not the World War II hero he claimed to be. Her work as director of the prestigious Kingston Family Foundation leads her to Landon West’s Ugandan coffee plantation, and Ava and Landon soon discover a connection between their families. As Landon’s great-grandmother shares the broken pieces of her story, Ava must confront the greatest loss in her own life―and powerful members of the Kingston family who will do anything to keep the truth buried.

Illuminating the story and strength of these women, award-winning author Melanie Dobson transports readers through time and place, from World War II Holland to contemporary Uganda, in this rich and inspiring novel.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I adore learning more and more about different areas of Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. I get excited when I discover a new novel will be written during this time frame. From Sarah Sundin to Melanie Dobson to Cathy Gohlke, I have discovered a range of different characters in different parts of the world and what occurred to the Jews, Dutch, and Americans. With Memories of Glass, Dobson takes me on a journey to Holland and the Dutch theater, Hollandsche Schouwburg. I really enjoyed how the present day story had a lot of forgiveness that occurs by the end of the novel, and learning about the untangling of the family's history. As a reader, we discover the main knots and tangles in this family line right alongside Ava and Landon. The past story shows readers the true story of what occurred for Eliese and Josie, so we don't have to listen to them explain later. The ending is heart-wrenching and had me reaching up to wipe some tears away.   I invested myself in the characters' lives and was sad to see their story end. Dobson does a fabulous job at crafting together a story to show another side to the horror caused by the Nazi's. Again, I'm looking forward to what she creates next.

I received a complimentary copy of Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Memories of Glass

About the Author:

From Amazon

Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson's excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and journals. The award-winning author of twenty novels, Melanie enjoys stitching together both time-slip and historical stories including Hidden Among the Stars, Catching the Wind, Enchanted Isle, and the Legacy of Love novels. Chateau of Secrets and Catching the Wind both received a Carol Award for historical fiction, Catching the Wind's audiobook won the 2018 Audie for Inspirational Novel, and The Black Cloister was ForeWord's Book of the Year for Religious Fiction. Her next time-slip novel, Memories of Glass, comes out in 2019.

Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with Jon's work, the Dobson family has finally settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to travel and hike in both the mountains and the cliffs above the Pacific. When Melanie isn't writing, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, dancing, and reading stories with her girls.

More information about Melanie and her books is available at her website (www.melaniedobson.com), or at either of the following social media platforms:

Facebook.com/MelanieDobsonFiction
Twitter.com/MelBDobson

(Taken from Amazon)

Most Anticipated for Rest of 2019

By Kelly Bridgewater

Now that fall is within reach, there is a number of books coming out from now to the end of the year that I can't wait to get my hands on.

Here they are in particular order: (All images come from Goodreads, unless noted.)

The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden 

 

Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano

 

 

 Memories of Glass by Melanie Dobson

The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron

 

Synapse by Steven James

 

 

 Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters

 Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

 Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright

The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson

 

 The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen

What about you? Do you have any books to add to this collection? Are you looking forward to any of these books too?