Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) By Kimberley Woodhouse
BRIDGE OF GOLD has it all: dual timeline history, mystery, romance, faith, greed, gold, the Golden Gate Bridge, and underwater archaeology. In fact, I’ve never read a book like this and absolutely loved it!
I was caught up in the tale of two couples: newly engaged Margo and Luke in 1933, and Stephen and Kayla in the present. Stephen leads renovation on the bridge, and calls in underwater archaeologist Kayla when a Gold Rush-era ship is found with skeletons inside.
Author Kimberley Woodhouse weaves their stories together beautifully, leaving us with a keen sense of San Francisco then and now. The romances are clean and compelling, and the mystery is gripping as it unravels. I felt totally engaged, swept up in the narrative, caring about both couples, and amazed at how much history I learned. A winner!
5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 01 Jun 2021
#BridgeofGold #NetGalley
Thanks to the author, Barbour Publishing, Inc. and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) 3.5 stars!
Characters: This split-time novel followed two couples, one modern (Steven and Kayla), one historical (Luke and Margo). I ended up being more invested in Steven and Kayla's story. In split-time novels, I tend to find the modern characters more relatable (weird reader). Anyway, Kayla had to be my favorite character. She was the most developed, had the most problems, and experienced the most character growth.
Language: Clean.
Moral: One of the main morals was giving your burdens to God. This was shown through Kayla's struggle.
Plot: First, I'm quite impressed with all the research Kimberley put into this story ... all those diving details! I did find some parts of the plot dragged for me, and I wished both the modern and historical climaxes had been more suspenseful. They seemed to be over with really quickly.
Romance: Clean. Just a few kisses.
Writing: Kimberley's straightforward writing style worked well for both time periods. I would've liked to have seen a little more emotion/reaction from the characters during the intense moments, but that's just personal preference.
Overall: Bridge of Gold was an interesting read, and I'd recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction, split-time novels, contemporary fiction, historical romance, and romantic suspense. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) Bridge Of Gold is a wonderful addition to Barbour's Doors to the Past Series. These stories are connected to well-loved American landmarks. Dual timelines are one of my favorite types of stories, weaving together the legends from the past with the present in a satisfying story. Kimberley Woodhouse writes an original story of the early days of building the Golden Gate Bridge.
Expert research skills and a well-plotted storyline captivated me as I read about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge and the many ships filled with secrets from the past literally buried underneath. I love to learn something new as I read, and was fascinated by the difficulties that were encountered by the divers that laid the foundations. The author expertly connects the stories of the past and present in this unique story of buried ships, treasure and murder. The story of triumph over greed, filled with faith and love left me smiling as I turned the last page. Definitely looking forward to reading more books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) This split time novel really appealed to me as I grew up in California and traveled across the Golden Gate Bridge several times on vacations. Both of the split times focused on the bridge itself. The past time during its construction, and the present during an archaeological excavation of one of the many shipwrecks that occurred in the bay with its terrible currents that led to many shipwrecks.
Woodhouse's research into the bridge and the many shipwrecks that occurred especially during the California Gold Rush is obvious throughout the historical time period. The connection between the historical and present day time periods was the search for one particular ship, The Lucky Martha, with the pursuit of it in the past for its possible cargo treasure, and the excavation of it in the present for the history it would contain. But the past caught up with the present as many raced to gain entrance into the buried ship.
Kayla and Steven were excellent present day MC's as they worked together to unearth the mystery behind the Lucky Martha; and at the same time, keep themselves safe as others also pursued it. Their similar interests in diving and history helped them develop a relationship that neither expected.
Well written and quite interesting, I look forward to the next book in the Doors to the Past series.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) Travel back to 1933 San Francisco where you will meet struggling couple Margo Hunley and Luke Moreau and witness the building of the Golden Gate Bridge complete with the mystery surrounding a sunken ship and highly sought-after treasure. Turn the pages to current times and learn how this “multigenerational and multifaceted” mystery is still affecting lives including those of underwater archeologist Kayla Richardson and underwater construction diver Steven Michaels. Believe me, you will continue turning the pages moving from the past to the present and back to find out how this story plays out! This well executed, easy-to-follow, suspenseful dual timeline saga drew me in with the first line and held me tight to the last one! The intriguing plot moves at a steady pace. Detailed descriptions, especially of the underwater action, put you at the scene and allow you to feel the story. The characters are well developed and engaging. The faith element is strong, and the romance is sweet. This fictional account based on historical fact has all you need for a captivating, adventurous read—intrigue, mystery, and suspense tempered by romance, faith, and courage. This is book 3 in Barbour’s fantastic Doors to the Past series. I totally enjoyed this book and highly recommend it and the series especially for lovers of historical fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past)
Repairs on the Golden Gate Bridge Uncover a Century-Old Murder
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
Underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson is called to the Golden Gate Bridge where repairs to one of the towers uncovers two human remains from the late 1800s and the 1930s. The head of the bridge restoration is Steven Michaels, who dives with Kayla, and a friendship develops between them. But as the investigation heats up and gold is found that dates back to the gold rush, more complications come into play that threaten them both. Could clues leading to a Gold Rush era mystery that was first discovered during the building of the bridge still ignite an obsession worth killing for? Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past)
I went into this story expecting a quickie read with some history added in. Instead I got a deeply layered story with all sorts of detail about the San Francisco Bay, from the beginning of building the Golden Gate Bridge to a contemporary story that features a long-sunk ship near the footings. Generally I feel internally divided by dual-timeline stories, but this one was very well balanced and I loved both of the heroines. I kept being very afraid that at least one of them wouldn’t actually get their happy ending, since both stories got extra-intense as the respective greedy bad guys go after the leads in both time periods.
I also loved the details about diving, historical and modern, and the nod to Pirates of the Caribbean with the whole skeleton-in-the-sunken-ship feature. I liked how well she was able to capture the feel of both modern and historic timelines so it was easy to keep the two heroines’ stories straight.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) Bridge of Gold is the perfect mashup of my two favorite genres—historical fiction and romantic suspense. Kimberley Woodhouse strikes a nice balance between telling and showing readers what’s going on in the story which makes reading the book feel effortless. I liked how she revealed details of the main characters' lives to help me understand why they reacted to challenges and setbacks the way they did. This was especially true with Kayla in the modern-day storyline. Kayla and Steven bear the names of two people the author holds dear (see dedication page), and I could sense that warmth and familiarity coming through in her descriptions of the couple. Beyond the romance, there's a good amount of history about San Francisco, the Depression, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, and SCUBA diving (then and now) which titillated the inquisitive part of my mind. Overall, Bridge of Gold is an engaging Christian time-slip novel sure to appeal to a broad audience.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) What a refreshing, original story! Bridge of Gold captured me from start to finish. Author Kimberley Woodhouse deftly navigates both the historical and contemporary timelines, steering me as a reader through rich details and vibrant settings, intrigue, romance, and danger. In the end, I found myself in the safe harbor of timeless faith, courage, and love. Another winning tale from an author I trust! Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) Bridge of Gold is an interesting dual timeline story that is based on the history of the building of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. As the story starts, it begins with the story of Luke, a Frenchman who moved to America for a new life and got a job as a diver for the bridge construction, and Margo, a nanny, who meet, fall in love, and marry. Set during the Great Depression, times are hard and many people don't have enough to eat. Jobs are scarce and appreciated. Luke makes a discovery that puts his life and the lives of others in danger when he finds a wrecked ship from the Gold Rush era near the area he is working and even a gold nugget along with a skeleton. The bridge work is dangerous and now danger is above the water as someone knows what he found.
Kayla is a present day underwater archeologist that the mayor hires when Stephen's underwater and diving restoration company working on the bridge finds the ship again. Since it is an old ship, it has to be investigated properly. Kayla and Stephen work together as they dive the wreck. They find gold as did the divers from almost a hundred years ago and also skeletons. But once more someone is trying to scare the teams away.
The author does a great job in tying the two stories together in how greed puts the sanctity of life below that of gold. Faith plays a part in the characters of the past and present in how they dealt with the dangers and issues before them. This is a read that pulled me in and kept me invested to the end on the history, dangers, love, relationships, and overcoming obstacles. The ending was perfect with an awesome resolution and answered a lot of questions from the past. A great addition to the Doors to the Past series.
I received a complimentary ARC from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past) 1933 and current day San Francisco
In this third Doors to the Past time slip novel, there is a lot of history about the Golden Gate Bridge and diving. Who knew there were divers in the 1930s? Clearly, the technology was different, but diving was a key part of constructing San Francisco's famous bridge.
The story opens with the engagement of Luke and Margo. They are so optimistic for their future. Luke has landed a good job as a diver. Good jobs are tough to come by during the Depression. Things quickly turn south as he discovers a gold nugget underwater.
In the current day thread, Underwater Archeologist Kayla has been hired by the mayor to research a recently discovered sunken ship that is believed to have gold in it.
Villains abound in both threads. Both story lines were engaging. I especially loved the historical details. The cover is lovely.
My gratitude to publisher Barbour for a complimentary NetGalley copy of the novel. I was not required to post a review and all opinions expressed are my own. Bridge of Gold (Doors to the Past)
