This book has an interesting time line as it pivots from past to present day event in every chapter. At first, it was a little bit co fusing trying to follow past characters versus present characters without any names but eventually it made more sense.

I liked this book and would recommend it to anyone, including teenagers as it is clean and appropriate but it was a little slow in the beginning. I kept picking it up and then getting distract and putting back down, eventually finished it though!

The pull of gold, the excitement of underwater danger and a slight romance will keep you interested enough to finish it.

I love dual-timeline books and this one was no exception. I really enjoyed the humor and sweet romance between present time divers, Kayla and Steven. I found myself smiling as they grew to know each other and joked around. I especially liked the fact that Steven didn't have any hair...must have something to do with my bald hubby who I adore!

Margo and Luke's story from 1933 when the bridge was at it's beginning was sweet as well. It's mind-boggling to learn all the difficulties that went into building the Golden Gate Bridge. I love history so understanding more about this time was a definite plus for me. Kimberley does an excellent job of tying the two timelines together.

This is a very clean historical Christian fiction book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

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.

Author Kimberely Woodhouse did a great job with this split-time story. Her attention to detail, historic information, and strong characters make this a riveting story. Along the way I learned a lot about sunken ships and diving.

With mystery and intrigue throughout, Bridge of Gold definitely keeps the reader's attention. The tie between past and present is so well written that you don’t feel bounced back and forth, but you feel the tension and the puzzle. Add a clean romance and there’s something for everyone. I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

I have read several of Kimberly Woodhouse's books and enjoyed them all. Great characters and settings, lots of historical.details that bring the stories to life. This one was suspenseful, with a dual timeline showing the effects.of gold's lure on people. Fascinating!

Bridge of Gold by Kimberly Woodhouse is an intriguing story about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. I was immediately fascinated with the history surrounding the bridge and the treasures that lay beneath it. 

In 1933 we will meet Margo Hunley and Luke Moreau, a struggling couple in the depths of the depression era. Luke is a diver, working on clearing the underwater for the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. When he discovers a lost ship and gold, he becomes enraptured with finding more. Which only leads to trouble.

Current day, underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson is commissioned to retrieve artifacts from the Lucky Martha.  She along with Steven Michaels start to piece together what happened in the 30's, especially when they discover bones from different centuries. 

A most fascinating read, with lots of mystery, intrigue and a bit of romance. Clean Christian book that really keeps you engaged. 

I received a complimentary ebook copy from Barbour Publishing, through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved the author's notes at the beginning of this read, and the story about how San Francisco is built upon the ships left over from the 1849 Gold Rush, something I don't remember ever hearing, and yes, I have been on the bridge and in the city.
This story spans decades, beginning at the time of the Gold Rush and ending in present time. Different times, and different people, and you guessed it, some good and kind and caring for others, and then the others with no regard for human life, and of course, greed.
Danger lurks at the South Tower on the bridge, and we are going down with the divers, and whether we are doing salvage or putting up this awesome wonder, but will good be able to overcome evil?
I thoroughly enjoyed how the author wrapped this book up, great job.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

Have you ever had books that you were super excited to read when you first heard about them, but then when it got around to reading them you weren’t that interested anymore? Well, that is what happened to me with this book. I thought it sounded really interesting when I first heard of the book, but as it got closer to the release date (the deadline I gave myself to read and review the book) the less I wanted to read it. So eventually I started reading the book and I was hooked, right from the start.

The idea of underwater archaeology is not something I had ever heard of before. It was extremely interesting to learn about this different element of historical discovery. I also enjoyed the timeslip element of the story. Having the six different perspectives (three from each time period) gave a lot more insight to the book and really rounded out the story.

I also discovered that this book is part of a multi-author series, Doors to the Past, which also includes Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham, which I reviewed a couple months ago and The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman which I will now have to check out. I had never read any of Kimberley Woodhouse’s books before, but since I have enjoyed this one, I will have to check out more.

What a compelling read! In Bridge of Gold, author Kimberley Woodhouse imagines a suspenseful narrative based on little-known historical facts about the 1849 Gold Rush and the subsequent building of the Golden Gate Bridge. The reader gradually pieces together bits of this story of long-buried treasure, as told through alternating perspectives from different eras. As the story unfolds, the lure of riches is exposed as a potential entrapment, even for the most sincere and faithful Christ-follower.

This book piqued my curiosity about the area surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge. Do ships really lay buried underneath the streets of the city? I couldn’t wait to find out! Websites and backmatter added to my enjoyment of this book. This is the second book I’ve read in Barbour’s “Doors to the Past” series. (The first was Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham.) Well-developed characters, rich historical detail, and suspense make these two books my favorites so far this year!

I was drawn to reading Bridge of Gold for three main reasons. First, I have long adored dual timeline stories, and I'm always on the lookout for new ones to try. Second, I was intrigued by the synopsis of this one, and how it's all tied in both the past and the present timeline to the historical landmark of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco. Lastly, I thought the cover was absolutely gorgeous, and I had a feeling it was going to be indicative of a truly beautiful story within its pages.

After finishing this original story, I can honestly say it's one of the best books I've read all year, and I already can't wait to reread it in the very near future, and check out more of the titles in the Doors to the Past series.

While I adored pretty much everything about this one, including the dual timeline, all four main characters, the mystery that kept me guessing right until the end, the strong faith component and the fact that it made me both smile and tear up; I have to be honest and state that perhaps my very favorite part of all was the fact I walked away from it learning so many new things about history, especially pertaining to the Golden Gate Bridge, and to the troubled state of affairs that so many Americans found themselves in during the Great Depression.

I truly think that Bridge of Gold is unlike anything I've ever read before, and I can't possibly recommend it enough. This is one of those rare stories that pretty much includes an element that would appeal to anyone, and I can't wait to read more from Kimberley Woodhouse in the future.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Barbour Publishing for allowing me to advance read and review this!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. I was not required to give a positive review.

I have read some Kimberly Woodhouse before and have enjoyed her books. I was very interested in the description of new newest book, Bridge of Gold. When I first started reading, I wasn't excited. I felt that it moved slowly. I read a few other books and then came back to this one. I'm so glad I did! The story line picks up quickly and was a really good read. I liked the dual time periods and how they fit together. The characters are likable and relatable.
My only criticism is toward the end of the book, what should have been the climax fell a bit flat. The big finale is set, the main character has a gun trained on her by the bad guy, and then its over too quickly.
But beyond that, it was a great book. Anyone who enjoys Christian fiction will like it.

"Bridge of Gold" is a Christian romantic suspense set in San Francisco in both 1933 and modern day. The main story happened in modern day when Steven, doing underwater renovation work on the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, finds a Gold Rush-era ship (with a gold nugget inside). Kayla is brought in as an underwater archaeologist, and she works with Steven's crew to bring up historical artifacts and look for more gold. But someone is trying to sabotage their efforts and get to the gold first. Two skeletons are found on the ship, and Kayla and Stephen search old records to discover who they are. In 1933, Luke is a diver doing the original construction work on the south tower. He accidentally finds the ship and the gold. He and a friend return to the ship several times in search of gold, but someone else feels that the gold is rightfully his and sabotages their efforts.

The suspense came from the dangers of diving in the turbulent waters near the ship, especially in the 1933 gear and with someone sabotaging equipment. The author did a good job of creating uncertainty about who those skeletons were and if Luke and his friends managed to survive. The historical details about the building of the bridge and underwater archaeological work were woven into the story and were very interesting. The main characters were engaging, complex, and reacted realistically to events. Kayla and Stephen shared similar interests and built each other up. Except for a brief time when someone tried to ruin Stephen's reputation and Kayla didn't know what to think. I liked how Steven trusted Kayla to drive him down a very twisty street shortly after they met and never doubted her.

Kayla struggled with not wanting close friendships after losing her parents and with letting go of her need to know who killed her mother in a car accident. (Both happened before the story began.) Her faith helped her to accept that she would probably never know all the answers. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I had recommend this interesting and enjoyable mystery. (Really, seriously wondering why the cover doesn't show people diving around a sunken ship as the current cover is pretty but isn't even of a major character.)

What a wonderful time span series. Doors to the past is the series and Bridge of Gold is the 3rd book. It spans 1800’s to 1930’s to present time. The author has researched the history of the Golden Gate Bridge and the profession of diving and restoration very well. The history of the buried ships and the divers risking their lives to build the bridge was so interesting. She has added a exciting story to keep your attention throughout the book. The characters are interesting and endearing. The twists and turns keep you wondering what will happen next. I really enjoyed the time lapse. Some time lapse stories can get confusing to which time your in, but the author made it easy to transport from one time to the next. It is a beautiful Christian, historical, mystery, romance. I would have given it 5 stars, but I would have liked a little more detailed ending. No spoilers, but I just felt like I had a few unanswered details.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Bridge of Gold by Kimberly Woodhouse was a huge surprise to me. It was a surprise because it was not at all what I expected. And it was also a surprise because I ended up really enjoying the book. I'll preface my review by saying I do not like anything dealing with being underwater. The only water I like is contained with concrete and chlorine. I'm not sure how I skipped the description of the book when I agreed to review it. The gist of the story is mystery surrounding the building of the Golden gate bridge. Now I truly love anything historical and I love bringing the past into the present. Kimberly Woodhouse does both with this book. The story jumps between 1933 and present day with a little bit of 1897 thrown in. The mystery involves searching for gold in a sunken ship. But it also involves a lot of deep sea diving not only current day but during the 1930s. The descriptions of the suits that the divers wore was enough to keep me awake at night. I have no idea how people did what they did during that time. But getting past all of that, it really is an excellent story. The relationships and the problems in the past and the present day are similar. The characters realized that no matter what the problem was they simply needed to rely on God. And I say that without any sarcasm. The book is not overly Christian at all. I was even a little surprised to run across a Bible verse at one point! I had forgotten that it was a Christian book. So if you don't mind feeling like you're underwater most of the time and you really enjoy a good love story then I highly recommend bridge of gold.

Here's a well-written, good, clean split-time mystery involving different eras in the San Francisco history of the Golden Gate Bridge construction and repair. Kimberley Woodhouse brings explosive action and suspense and a riveting read for fans old and new. Readers will be invested in the storyline, characters and outcome. My intent is to look for more from this author.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

I'll be super honest- I wasn't sure I would like this book when I read what it was about. Underwater archaeology sounded like something that would be a bit over my head. However, Kimberely Woodhouse created a masterpiece with this book! I loved the two storylines centering around the Golden Gate Bridge. The characters were strong and had wonderfully developed faith arcs. I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it!

What would you risk for some gold?

I really like this series, it is a great concept to interweave two love stories, from different times, along with elements of mystery or, in this case, murder!

This story went between the present and 1933 and the Great Depression and the building of the Golden Gate Bridge, it follows divers and, as is evident in other reviews I’ve written, I am not a water person so thee were parts of diving + accidents that was like a horror movie to me, and parts where I was just, meh, because yeah, so not a water person. That said, the author seemed to know what she was talking about, and the idea of watery graves and treasure hunting did keep me on my toes, and not only because I was scared a certain character was going to die, .

This didn’t really hook me as much as the previous installment in the series, I liked it but I have figured out that love stories that are introduced early on don’t really work for me. I need to e.g. care about Kayla first, then I can get invested in a love story, or I can invest in an already existing pair (Margo and Luke), but I don’t get hooked when you’re briefly introduced to two characters and then they’re instantly attracted to each other and it is all smooth sailing, perfect match, from there. I did like their eating habits though. I also thought that the Kayla side plot was a bit pointless.

Overall, this is a good installment in this serie, but story and execution just wasn’t my cup of tea this time. If you like underwater adventures though, this is probably a romance for you! I’ll give it 2.5.

Thank you so much for the ARC from Barbour publishing and NetGalley, I look forward to more books in this series!

Bridge of Gold is a dual timeline book which tells the story of one of the workers who was building the Golden Gate Bridge - that's the 1933 timeline - and also a present day timeline of workers who are just working on the bridge. There is a mystery of skeletons found in the present day timeline. No spoilers, but I did enjoy the novel.

"Certain moments in life define a person.
Moments that invoke physical
feelings that can’t be described.
That flood the heart and soul
with more emotions
than could possibly be fathomed.

This was one of those moments...."

Ms. Woodhouse has written a faith-based thriller interweaving four era’s in the history of San Francisco CA. Beginning with California’s Gold Rush in the 1850s and ending with a present day archaeological visit to the very bottom of the Golden Gate Bridge, the reader makes a literary trip through time.

The Lucky Martha had gone down in the bay north of San Francisco in 1849. It was rediscovered in 1893, 1933, and, again, in modern times. The first three occurrences triggered death. It almost happened again. Mechanical engineer Steven Michaels and underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson would assume the task of understanding the ship’s history and the deaths that seemed to follow it through time.

Bridge of Gold is part of a series of books commissioned by the publisher asking each author to develop a fictional mystery around events that occupy events in real history. The story of Bridge of Gold surrounds the development and restoration of the Golden Gate Bridge. This is the second book in the series I have been privileged to review with one more scheduled for next month. It was an exciting read, with enough history and citations for the reader to explore more details on his or her own. The author makes clear what is history and what is fiction. The result is a readable story about life above and below the surface of San Francisco Bay. I give the book five stars.
______________
This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Bridge of Gold is an excellent book by Kimberley Woodhouse written as a dual timeline. It is Book #3 of the Doors to the Past series. The author made history come alive even though it was fictionalized.
Margo and Luke are the characters from 1933. She is a nanny and becomes engaged on the first few pages to Luke Moreau. He is a diver helping to build the Gold Gate Bridge and currently working on one tower. They are looking forward to a future together until he makes a discovery on one of his dives – gold. There are a few other characters in this timeline that help strengthen the story as well as create problems. There is another time mentioned of 1894 that lends itself to the mystery as well as the Lucky Martha, a ship that went down laden with gold from the 1849 Gold Rush.
The present-day timeline features Kayla Richardson, a renowned underwater archaeologist, who must sign a confidentiality agreement before she even learns of her task from the Mayor. She is told of a ship that the bridge restoration diving team found. On this ship, the Lucky Martha, was unrefined gold. The mayor needs to keep the project under wraps so that treasure hunters would not try to destroy or abscond it. She and her team are to work with the restoration team headed by Steven Michaels. Vandalism strikes the first day and together Steven and Kayla work to solve that mystery as well as study and preserve the contents of the underwater ship that has been there for more than 150 years for the City of San Francisco, including a murder victim.
The author weaves both timelines together to tell the tale of mystery surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. #BridgeOfGold #DoorsToThePast #KimberleyWoodhouse