I’ve yet to read many split-time novels, but I do enjoy those I’ve read! An author’s ability to skillfully interweave themes in two plot lines set in separate eras can enhance and deepen those themes while adding interest for the reader.

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Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This beautifully written tale follows the lives of a handful of young Austrians living under Nazi occupation. One is a gifted Jewish musician, one is the young man who loves her, and another the childhood friend who loves him.

Interwoven is the story of Callie, aka Story Girl, a lonely bookstore owner in possession of two books connected to Austria and hidden treasure.

There is mystery, romance, and tragedy, but, in sum, it’s a novel about the power of stories – children’s stories and our own stories – internalizing them, living them, and marveling at the way the master storyteller has perfectly interwoven each of them.

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The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’d read so many recommendations for this book, and I’d say, for the most part, it lived up to the hype.

The story moved back and forth between 1906 and present day in a small Wisconsin town, Oakwood. The constant threat of danger is centered on Foster Hill House, a mostly abandoned home and the site of at least one murder.

I enjoyed the historical heroine, Ivy, a complex, grief-stricken character with a fascination for the dead. Her best friend/childhood love turned investigator Joel works with Ivy to protect her while uncovering a murder and missing infant. During which time, of course, they revisit the past.

In the present, Kaine is running from the loss of her husband and a stalker that seems to have trailed her from California. She’ll find a protector/co-investigator in therapist/all-around good guy Grant.

The book moves at a nice clip between time periods, building to near simultaneous climaxes.

Fans of romantic suspense and a little spookiness will enjoy this novel! I listened on audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job varying voices. It was a pleasure to listen to.

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The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charming tale of two couples separated by decades, linked by blood, a small town, and a wedding chapel who recommit themselves to lasting love. Although I was able to predict the ending, it didn’t detract from the journey.

I enjoyed the interwoven stories and the movement between past and present and New York and Heart’s Bend, TN. I’m partial, however, to Jack and Taylor, whose history and obstacles could easily have filled a novel of their own. Their relationship struggles were honest and authentic.

The inspirational aspects only crystallized in the final chapters, leaving them feeling more like an add on than an integral part of the characters’ lives. In some ways, it made the resolution – though lovely and neatly-tied up – seem a little simplistic.

I received a copy of The Wedding Chapel from Net Galley for my honest review.

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