Clara Blackwell has always loved her family's bookshop in Asheville, North Carolina. When she inherited at her father's death, she battles franchise stores threatening to take over and jealous family members who want the store for themselves. The deed comes up missing and she must find it if she has any hope of keeping her beloved bookshop. A love letter sets her on an adventure she never expects, taking her from the grand Biltmore Estate across the ocean to a hamlet in Derbyshire.

This was a sweet read. The story is told between two times: Sadie in 1916, and Clara in modern day. Each story line was fun and I couldn't pick one over the other. Both stories unfold in a natural way (though the fast paced romance of Clara was a bit ridiculous).

The details of the Biltmore Estate were wonderful and reminded me of when I visited there many years ago. The strength of the story lies in those details. Many of the scenes, especially those that take place at Biltmore, come alive because of this.

It did feel like the conclusion happened suddenly. Everything was wrapped with a nice neat bow very quickly. Sadie's bittersweet romance was certainly more enjoyable than the whirlwind one of Clara. At times, the Christian themes did sneak up on me in the second half of the book and it became very preachy at times. This did dampen my enjoyment of the story. I am simply not the target audience for this.

Overall, it was a sweet read. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy Christian romances with dual story lines being told in different times.

Another Pepper Basham book has hit the mark of being a fantastic book! Even though this was Pepper Basham’s first split time novel, you would never be able to tell it as she creates both worlds seamlessly.
Both storylines are amazing - with approximately 100 years between the story lines, the transitions are smooth. Like two different types of cookies, the plots coincide. Both have the same basic ingredients - dna, books, and romance while each engages in separate special ingredients to make both unique.
Grab this book if you love books! That quality alone will make you fall in love with the two main characters!

A great second edition to this new series. These are all stand alone books but so far so good with these.

My mind kept trying to figure out who was related to who and how that all tied into the present.

I loved the slow and sweet romance between Sadie and Oliver and as we visit the present with unanswered questions you will keep turning the pages to see how everything worked out between them and also what will happen in Clara’s life. Will she finally start living live? When she set off for England I knew there had to be a great adventure awaiting her. But you’ll have to read it for yourself to see what that adventure is.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.

often that I can't put a book down. This is one of those times. This book indulged my delight in fairy tales, books, bookstores, multiple timelines, genealogy and historical research, and trying to figure out how who was related to another. A very satisfying story about the love between an upper crust Englishman and a maid at the Biltmore manor. I could relate to feeling out of place and not feeling like there was someone meant for me. I enjoyed seeing how the characters chose to live out their faith through self-sacrifice. The ending was perfect – justice for those who had chosen poorly and blessings for those who had chosen wisely. I’m definitely seeking out more of Ms. Basham’s books.

I gratefully received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was an incredible book. It was well written and grabbed your attention throughout the book. I wanted to see what would happen next! The characters were well developed and I felt as if I knew them. Strong characters with purpose, grace, & love are what Pepper Basham included in the book. I enjoyed reading this book and hope to read more books by Ms. Basham. If you enjoy historical fiction, a little mystery, and a sweet love story, put Hope Between the Pages on your to-read list.

Hope Between the Pages by Pepper D. Basham is the perfect story for anyone who loves novels where the past and present meet most unexpectedly.
Clara and her mother are doing everything that they can to keep their family's bookstore open during a time where big chains are moving in and taking all of their business, but Clara believes that they have something more intimate to offer and hopes that because of this they will get past the hurdle and stay in business.
Finding old letters and documents that link them to their past just might be what they need to make this all work out.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in this series.

I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

I can’t even describe how lovely this story is! Hope Between the Pages is a story of love, acceptance, family and history.
Clara is book shop owner who is in desperate need to save her store and keep what is rightfully hers. The search to prove her ownership leads to an eye opening family history of fairy tale proportions. A love that defies titles, poverty and status. A romance that can bond two people even when separated.
With two stories in one, you will be immediately pulled into the characters’ lives. A story that takes the reader from the peaceful Blue Ridge mountains to the halls of the gorgeous Biltmore Estate and across the sea to a charming English village.
A page turner with a sweetness that is hard to find. This book is perfect for the romantics, the history lovers and anyone who needs a encouraging read.
(I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.)

By the time I swiped left the first time, I had this feeling. Hope Between the Pages wouldn’t be a good book. I wouldn’t walk away satisfied. That feeling grew to a certainty by the time I swiped left again.

After searching for an hour (or more) to find my print copy, I’d given up and purchased the Kindle. After all, Pepper Basham wrote it, so I wouldn’t mind having two copies, right?

Of course, right! (Just embracing my inner Yente there).

Page by page my delight grew, and so did my confidence in my opinion that this would not be a good book. I would not walk away satisfied. Oh, no…

Calling Hope Between the Pages “good” would be a travesty. “Like” it? Ha! Adore might fit better.

Seriously… it’s not a feeling I usually get before the end of the very first literal page of a book. I often know I’ll love it right away, but just knowing it will be among my most favorite books ever? Rare… very rare.

Should I be surprised that Pepper Basham did it? Nope. Was I? Not in the least.

This split-time novel follows the stories of two women, great-grandmother and great-granddaughter, and how their parallel lives diverge and reconverge both in the past and in the present. Seriously, this book seriously has all the best elements and settings of a story. It’s as if the author said, “Oh! I like that! Let’s put that in!” And somehow it all works!

Like opulent homes like the Biltmore Estate? Got it. How about books, libraries, and bookstores? Check! Literary quotes seamlessly woven into story? Of course! A spontaneous trip to England? Why not? A brooding, troubled hero? Sure! A strong-willed but kind and generous hero? Absolutely! Vintage clothing… do you get the point? Seriously. Hope Between the Pages book has it all.

And not once does it feel like Pepper Basham just threw everything and the kitchen sink into it and hoped it worked. Nope, every element has its proper and perfect place and reason for occupying that space. The result is a novel you can’t put down and if you tried, your heart would revolt. When my throat went dry, I carried my laptop to the kitchen, still reading as I reached for a glass, nearly broke it, and carried it to the fridge for ice and water. I almost stepped on my dog on the way back to my corner of the couch.

This book is that great.

Let’s talk characters. Oh, all the characters. Clara Blackwell, Sadie Blackwell, Oliver Camden, Max… because Max. Each person is unique–each voice a perfect rendering of that unique person. I felt Sadie’s love for her job, her delight in little Victoria Camden, her respect for her employer, and her devotion to Oliver.

Clara’s personality had just a touch of Basham’s “Jane” in Jane by the Book. I didn’t realize that until this moment. She doesn’t feel like a recycled Jane in the least. Instead, I imagine those two women would either be wonderful friends or very bad for each other–too much enabling. Clara is more whimsical… and when given a good nudge, much more adventuresome. She’s bolder without realizing it inside. Even in her uncertainties, there’s a confidence beneath it, and when you consider her faith, you see where it comes from. You see how she draws the best out of people. A bit like her great-grandmother.

Then there are the men…

Oliver. If his grandmother had been other than she was, Oliver would have felt… well, for lack of a better word, anachronistic. His views of people and situations would have felt out of place in his time and sphere. It would have felt as though he were written through modern sensibilities. But having a grandmother such as he did–the woman who raised both his father and to an extent, himself, it worked. Beautifully.

So when a wealthy Englishman appears at the Biltmore and becomes enchanted with a maid he calls a “book fairy,” it feels real. Right. Destined.

I adored the fully-boy, fully-man that Oliver was. In his jumbled personality, you find that bit of incongruity that exists in all of us. And Sadie brought out the very best in him. As it should be, don’t you think?

But Max… My heart aches for Max. Basham brilliantly sets up a personality that allows for a slow, gradual, and then instant change. It’s as if we see hints that it’s coming, and boom! There it is. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I suspect if I saw any other author attempt the unique growth arc, it would fall flat. It would have to! It frankly doesn’t make sense that it works, but it does. It’s Max.

But best of all (never thought you’d see me say this)… the romance.

Only once before in my life can I recall loving the romance for its own sake. Hope Between the Pages did that for me. It’s real, delightful, beautiful, and immersive. Even the kisses (which aren’t my thing) didn’t have me flipping the pages as fast as possible. In this book, watching two people (four, really) slowly discover that other half of themselves and commit to it… beautiful It’s just beautiful.

Recommended for readers who love to immerse themselves in books and have to be dragged out again. This is one such book. You’ll settle in for “just a few pages” and find yourself emerging hours later, book drunk and full of the hope and love found within those pages. Seriously, it’s Basham’s finest–destined to be a classic in my book.

An American Downton story

We all fell in love with the famed “upstairs/downstairs” British television series. The glamor, the suspense, the clandestine meetings—all these moments kept us tuning in each week for several years. When the series ended, we all felt the pain of loss in some way. Well, hold on to your seats readers because Pepper Basham has brought all of that to the United States and added her own “Pepper-flare”.

All her fans know how much she adores The Vanderbilt family home and she masterfully places readers right in the heart, and secret halls, of the majestic mansion. If my imagination is only half of the beauty and grandeur, this place is truly a work of art. I am ready to travel to Asheville and see it for myself.

Now, we all know Pepper is one of the queens of romance, so expect loads of tender glances, soft touches, and tantalizing kisses. But also expect a riveting story that spans a century and a mystery that has never been solved as Clara makes one discovery after another about her beloved great-grandmother and her time as a servant at Biltmore. (Every book lover will want these two women’s jobs for sure.)

This being the second book in the time-hop series “Doors to the Past”, I am eager for more. The stories are individual and can be read alone, but this historical time-hop is captivating.

***I was given a copy of this book from the publisher through CelebrateLit. Views expressed are entirely my own and positive review was not required but freely given.

Pepper Basham combines history and present day in her first dual-time novel, and what an absolute delight!

From the library at Biltmore Estate in 1915 to a little independent bookshop now and England (in both timelines), a mystery is unraveled in its own fairy tale-esque way, with villains and princes and maidens who find their true loves.

Hope Between the Pages is built around books, but its foundation is set upon kind, generous, and caring characters I couldn’t help but fall in love with. From Sadie and her joy in sharing with others to Oliver who knows his heart and doggedly pursues its deepest desire and Clara with her love for her family to Max with his constancy, these characters are ones who have carved themselves a place among my favorite fictional friends.


Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Clara and Sadie quickly stole my heart and carried me away on a story of mystery and finding love in the most unexpected places. Sadie and Oliver's letters to each other and how they connected over books was one of my favorite parts of the story. Each chapter brought new emotions, and the story built in such a way that I could not stop reading. I had to know how the mystery would end. ave all these dormant stories. Clara slid her fingers along the nearest row. Books without readers were like homes without people." I marked so many great quotes from the book, but this is one of my favorites. Where would be we without the stories we read, the stories we live, and the stories we share with others?

I absolutely love Pepper Basham's writing. Her imagery and the way she takes me through the journey with the characters ensures I'm pulled in from the first line and stay until the last. The split timeline was well orchestrated, taking me between Clara and Sadie at the perfect moment to reveal key pieces to the mystery while showcasing the history these women share. And I loved seeing the Biltmore through Sadie's eyes.

I received a copy of this book from the author through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This wonderful story slowly gripped me and wrapped itself around my heart. It’s on the top of my favorite books read this year. This novel has so many elements I love: books, of course, including a library and a bookstore cared for by book-loving readers; suspense—from events of the past being investigated by present-day people; real places and people incorporated into the story; and a sweet, endearing love story that unfolds naturally and models the love of Christ, and this happens in two different generations! Words can’t express the powerful emotional experience Hope Between the Pages brought, but the title holds multiple meanings that you will love discovering. The characters seem so real, and oh how I cried at a certain part even though I knew it would happen. This makes me want to read more of the author’s work. And if I hadn’t been on the review team, I might have missed this fantastic read, which may be one of the rare books I will read more than once. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own. #HopeBetweenthePages #NetGalley

Dual Timelines - Several authors are writing books in this style. This is one of the better of them, I enjoyed reading it. Basham described her characters well and also the scenery and buildings concerned. You had no trouble visualizing them. She made the interchanges between the past and present feel seamless. Very well done. There is quite a mystery in Hope Between the Pages and I love how the past and the present all ties together. There is the story of love forbidden and then the story of love found very unexpectedly. A beautiful tapestry of a love story hidden through the ages. It was most interesting to unravel the love story of ancestors of years and years ago. A maid {servant} and an aristocrat and then an American and an Englander. Such an interesting book that you will savor until the last page....I was given an e-copy from the publisher and I am happy to leave a review.

This book really wasn’t playing fair! It is about two women, one book maid (a private librarian if you will) in the early 1900’s, and one bookshop owner in the present. Sadie and Clara. These women love books, their lives revolve around books, and they relate to and speak mostly of books.

I love it! I had no option but to love it, it was screaming “love me” and I couldn’t resist!

The first 80% of this book was pure magic to me. I did like the Sadie parts the most, but it is Clara who moves the plot forward, but I would easily read just an entire book about Sadie’s adult life.

The last 20% of this book still worked for me, it is a really great feel-good novel, but like a lot of romance novels it felt like it wrapped up a bit too quickly and with some forced drama. It isn’t bad, it just doesn’t live up to the start of the book, things wrap up a bit too easily and perfectly. But then, that is part of the feel good element.

Still, I loved the back and forth between different times and the story slowly unfolding.

Favorite lines:

“Perhaps we have to look a little harder for the braver one, for the courageous, in our time, but I believe they’re still alive and well if we know how to search for them, how to see them.”

And

“But grief is a tricky thing. Don’t let it steal your life.”

All in all, this was a wonderful feel good with some family mysteries, I am afraid to spoil it if I get more into details, but I genuinely loved the love stories and really felt like time was well spent developing chemistry between pairs, which to me is really important. Family and faith was also a wonderful theme throughout, without being forced in or too much, it felt very authentic.

Perfect beach-, or rainy weekend-, read this summer!

But please Pepper, a book on Sadie’s life in full, I would be here for it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for this edition, can’t wait to check out more in the Doors to the Past series, the concept is lovely.

Being a mystery lover, I loved the hints of how and why things happened. I also love dual timelines and felt like this one was nicely done. Traveling to England was also delightful. This book gives much fodder for imagination.

There was a solid Christian message in both storylines of God making something beautiful out of pain and using people in their pain.

I am not a romantic, and this book had two fast-paced romances. If you like rapid romances, then you will find this book doubly delightful.

I personally had a hard time believing the antagonists. Their actions did add some unpredictable twists to the book, but they seemed more like bad guys without much reason for their badness.

If you like romance with a hint of intrigue and a dose of literary love, this book will be perfect for you.

*I received this book from the publisher and happily provided my honest review*

Wow, wow, wow!! You know when you finish a book and it leaves you in a state of just wow... yeah that's how that book was. And I use that word because I don't know quite how to describe my state of feeling. This book was everything I needed I didn't know I wanted. Let's start with the setting. I don't know if you follow Pepper Basham on her Instagram (you totally should) but she captures the Biltmore Estate quite beautifully in her photographs. Makes it truly magical. I have never been even though I only live 3 hours away but after reading this book it went up on the ranks of my bucket list. She brings that magic to this book. I could picture the library that Sadie works in and the grounds as she walks in them, oh and Blackwell's Bookshop, gosh who wouldn't love a bookshop like that!!

This is a dual time line story, so there are different sets of characters in each time period. Pepper Basham has a gift with characters. She made them so realistic, I felt like I was right there with them experiencing everything with them. Both Sadie and Clara are the perfect bookish friends, kindred spirits to be exact and you will definitely cheer them on and live through their journey and find their own story. They storyline itself is dreamy and definitely SWOON-WORTHY!! Goodness is the book swoony!! But with that there is also a little mystery, love and hope. There are tears you will shed, so keep the tissues handy. But there are moments that you will sigh that dreamy sigh we all get when reading a good book. Oh and that's not all... the author has interweaved faith throughout this book in such a way that its subtle but beautiful. As a Christian you can tell it is there and flows with the story quite well. By that I mean that it wasn't something that was forced or had to be written in. It was very realistic in its placement of it.

I don't want to ruin the book for you by telling you too many details because this is definitely one of those books that cannot be missed. Pepper Basham has outdone herself with this one! Go and grab it now! I promise, you will love it!

I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Historical fiction is my go-to genre, and in the interest of total honesty, romance and contemporaries are probably my least favorite most of the time. What can I say, I have never been normal! Split-time novels, therefore, are on the fence for me, and I have only dipped my toes into this genre, which makes me all the more glad for the opportunity to read Barbour’s “Doors to the Past” series. I was wholly unprepared for this book, though; it blew me out of the water and is by far the best I’ve read so far this year. Prior to this, I read the author’s contribution to the True Colors series, “The Red Ribbon,” and found it to be my favorite installment to date, so I now know without a doubt that I need to look into her other works, as well.

“Stories held power and everyone told one, whether the characters within the story knew it or not.”

There is so much to love about Pepper Basham’s “Hope Between the Pages,” from the complex characters to the swoon-worthy romance to the delightful appreciation for literature. Rarely have I felt so connected to the characters, and never in a dual-timeline story. In fact, some of the more tragic circumstances hit so close to home that I had to set it aside at times. I am glad that Clara Blackwell’s contemporary story is told alongside her ancestor Sadie Blackwell’s from 1915, because it provides a fascinating study of how our past impacts our present in ways that we may not realize. As much as I admire Sadie, I see more of myself in Clara, and it reminds me of Oliver Camden’s advice to his sister, Victoria: “It’s not often that you find kindred spirits, so when you do, you make certain to keep them if you can.” Indeed, this concept plays into the lives of all of the main characters. I love that Clara is a vintage type with a fondness for books and security, and that this does not make her a hopeless case: “Was there a place for mysteries, adventure, and even romance in her life? Could she release her hold on her fear long enough to try and find out? She drew in a deep breath and for the first time in a long time prayed that she’d be hopeful enough to search for everyday magic, and brave enough to step into her own story.”

Part of what makes this novel so enigmatic is the fact that the primary plot threads are relatively predictable, yet “Hope Between the Pages” still reads like suspense, and Basham is truly gifted in writing lyrical prose. The stories of both Sadie and Clara, separated by a century, dovetail perfectly, exploring similar tales of solitude, heartache, tragedy, romance, and even fairy tales because the Christian life is a mixture of all of these, but fulfilled to perfection. “No fairy tale in all the world painted love as beautifully as this. No novel touched my heart with such an odd combination of visceral weightiness and sheer joy. Only in the pages of scripture had I found anything so beautiful, showcasing what it meant to be so loved for exactly who I was,” Sadie marvels, and 100 years later, Clara echoes this sentiment. While this is not the immediate meaning of the title, which is disclosed at the end of the book, this is what it symbolized to me. The hope of being loved and accepted just as one is, whether lowborn or high, in vogue or quirky, and the steadfast promise that the Lord is the One who will always love us unconditionally, a promise and hope found between the pages of the book that never goes out of style, the Holy Bible.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

Booklovers enter the world of the Biltmore Estate and Biltmore Village in this tale of two different time periods and how they intersect. Sadie Blackwell has the privilege of taking care of the books at the Biltmore for the Vanderbilt’s and their guests after her mother passes away. She finds herself intrigued by Oliver Camden as she realizes he is a kindred spirit with a love for books. However, she knows her station as a servant will never allow their paths to cross.

In the present day, Claire is looking for a way to save her family’s bookstore, Blackwell’s. While she sets out on the mission to find the missing deed to the building, she uncovers pieces to the mysterious past of her great-grandmother, Sadie. Will she be able to save her little world of books and stories?

The story is interwoven between two worlds beautifully. Although the story went back and forth, it was artfully written to reveal clues and pieces of the puzzle bits at a time. The characters were dynamically written and each one came alive on the pages. As someone who loves books, the quotes and references to well-loved tales were well placed within the pages of this tale. I can honestly say this is one of the best books I have read so far this year.

Having lived near the Biltmore, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. However, it probably only enhanced the story a bit because Pepper Basham has the undeniable ability to make the words on the page paint the scene around the reader, so they feel as if they are in the very room with the characters. I fell in love with the characters and wanted to anxiously see how the story would end.

The story is wrapped up with the love of books and dreams. My favorite quote from the book was, “It is strange how dreams can shift and change but the heart behind them beats with the same desire as when those dreams were forged.” I have found this to be true in my own life as circumstances have changed, my dreams have only been given more room to bloom and grow with the same desire.

I would really recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own and I was not required to leave a positive review.

I love good historical fiction. They just suck you into the past and you stay there until you’re unexpectedly spat back into the real world. Either by the book ending or someone pulling you back to reality.

Can a long-lost love letter and romance from the past give the girl who found it a chance at an unexpected romance herself? And can they save the shop?

This is a dual timeline between modern-day and 1915. In 1915 our member of the Blackwell family is a servant at the Biltmore Estate. In the modern world, our Blackwell member is the owner of a bookstore.

I don’t feel I can give away too much more without giving away parts of the book and I’d hate to do that! This is one of those books that you just need to read and enjoy on your own. It’s wonderful! I really hope you get a chance to read this book and enjoy it as much as I did.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

If you’re a fan of dual timelines and references to classic novels, then you won’t want to overlook this fun book. And if that’s not enough to sell you on the book, let me ask this: Do you like fairytales? Then let’s add the fact that this fairytale-like love story is almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

The Story
The past story is about Sadie, a maid who quite by accident meets Oliver, a young man who shares her love for books. Of course, that common interest pulls them together. But there is one big problem: he is upper class and she is a maid.

The present day story is about a bookstore that has been in the family for over a hundred years. The woman who opened it, the great grandmother, is very much a mystery to Clara, her granddaughter, who is now running Blackwell Bookshop. But as Clara searches for the deed to the store, she begins to piece together her great grandmother’s life.

This is a story that whisks you away to another time and world. It’s emotional and in certain places hard to put down. The characters will capture your heart and pull you into their journey.

My Concerns
None

Final Thoughts

Author Pepper Basham is able to weave together two stories that will touch your heart. One setting is during WWI at the statuesque Biltmore estate where Sadie Blackwell is employed as a maid. The other is modern time in the quaint bookshop set up by Sadie Blackwell, the great great grandmother of the young lady currently running the shop.

The two stories form a mystery that is sure to captive readers.