Skip to main content

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen Review

 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 Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

The Bride of Ivy Green

An Ivy Hill Christmas


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.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

First Line Friday: Carolina Breeze

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all having a great week! Mine has actually been pretty good. We've had some really nice days, and my husband and I were finally able to put our garden in, and various flowers and the like. We've also had a couple of lovely, rainy days as well, and I love how green everything is looking in our yard right now. For today's post, I'm excited to once again be linking up with the lovely Hoarding Books  for another edition of First Line Friday. This fun weekly meme simply consists of sharing the first line of the book you're currently reading. For this week's first line, I'm going to be sharing from Denise Hunter's recently released title that I ended up absolutely loving. Carolina Breeze by Denise Hunter: About The Book: A jilted bride. A struggling innkeeper. And a romantic mountain getaway that changes everything. Rising Hollywood star Mia Emerson is looking for a safe place to land in the wake of a public breakup a

First Line Friday: Just As I Am

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all having a great week, and looking forward to the weekend. Since it is Friday, it's time once again for First Line Friday, which is hosted over at Hoarding Books. For today's first line, I'm going to be featuring a recent debut novel that I had the opportunity to read and review. About The Book: Adeline Rhodes has spent years locked away in a New Orleans apartment controlled by her criminal boyfriend. After a daring escape, she realizes just how far she has grown from the things in which she once believed. Declan King has lived a life of solitude and duty for the U.S. Army. When the deaths of his grandparents bring him home to his family farm, he is forced into contact with people who know too much about his past to simply leave him alone. When Adeline’s past catches up to her, the two strangers find themselves thrust into a fake relationship to protect Adeline from her vengeful ex. As their chance meeting begin

First Line Friday: Courting Mr. Emerson

Happy Friday Everyone :) Since it is Friday, I'll once again be participating in First Line Friday which is hosted by Hoarding Books .  For this week, I'm going to be sharing the first line from Melody Carlson's newest book, Courting Mr. Emerson. About The Book: When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process. A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them. But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The quest