Good Morning Friends :)
I hope today finds you all doing well, and I want to thank you for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.
Over the last few months, I read and loved the Ivy Hill series by Julie Klassen. Those books truly are some of my new favorites, and suprisingly, were actually my first experience with any of the books by this particular author.
With how much I ended up enjoying them, it's probably not surprising that I really wanted to dive into another one of her books.
You can check out my reviews of the Ivy Hill books below, and then keep on reading for today's review:
The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen:
Source: Libby App
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2019
Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect—a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?
On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended...this.
When a second person dies, and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I recently read and loved the Ivy Hill series by Julie Klassen, and ever since, I've been wanting to give more of her books a try. The Bridge to Belle Island caught my eye because of it being a murder mystery set during regency times, and I was really excited to dive right into it.
One thing that always stands out to me about Julie's novels is the vibrant settings, and this one was no exception. Belle Island was whimsical, beautiful, and charming, and definitely added to the overall appeal of this story. I enjoyed hearing about Isabelle's attachment to it, and the many obstacles she's had to overcome to keep it functioning despite all the odds stacked up against her. It made a really interesting backdrop to the developing mystery, and I think this is that rare type of story that could be honestly enjoyable at any time of the year.
I did find the mystery part to be a little bit of a letdown honestly, mainly because I'd pieced together pretty the whole mystery quite early on in the story. I did love the rest of the plot though, and I took an instant liking to both Benjamin and Isabelle, and I loved their developing friendship that they're both hesitant to trust, based on the strange circumstances they find themselves first meeting under.
I also have to applaud this author for tackling the difficult subject of what it must have been like to deal with lesser understood medical conditions back in this day, and my heart literally broke for what Isabelle and Benjamin must have had to go through.
All in all, I thought this one was really enjoyable, and I only had two complaints. The murder was too easily solved in my opinion, and I found the middle part of the story dragged quite a bit.
I still did really enjoy it, and I look forward to reading more books from Julie Klassen in the very near future.
Final Rating: 4/5.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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