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The Keys to Gramercy Park

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What An Interesting Story!

First off I felt this whole series could be standalone. This dual timeline story will definitely captivate you.

I will be seeking out more books by this author as well as the other books in the Doors of the Past.

*Audiobook: Narrated by Leonor Woodworth
Leonor brought another level to the book through her voice. She made this enjoyable to listen to it.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

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A truly immersive clean romance that stole my heart and left me searching for more! New to me author and I will be reading more of her works.

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The author's writing style is original for Christian fiction. It is realistic, gritty and raw. It is not the same story we see recycled over and over with just different names for the characters. Life is not all happiness and light, even for Christians and this story reflects that.
This is a dual timeline, and I could not make the connection at first. There's always that ah moment when the connection between the two storylines is made evident and I like that.
There is a mystery to solve in the modern story. Now truth be told I did not really make a connection with the modern times in this story or particularly like the characters.
The historical aspect is what grabbed my attention and kept me reading. There are two villains in the story, one is out of the picture quite early on. I think the thing that fascinates us while reading about villains is we wonder how people can actually be so evil and uncaring. Some can be reformed; some it is too late for. I do believe this is a perfect example of dark and light and the author shares the modern storyline, so we do have light in the story as well.
Taking place is Manhattan, I enjoyed the setting and learning about Gramercy Park, a locked park needing a key for entrance, which I had never heard of until my reading of this book.
My favorite character is Cora, the connection between the two time periods. So well written, I was up past midnight finishing this one.

Published May 1, 2023.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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The Keys to Gramercy Park is well-written, engaging, and heart-tugging! There are so many stories from the past just waiting to be discovered. All of the characters in this novel are faced with difficult decisions and I couldn’t help but find myself rooting them on or offering them advice as I read along.

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

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I enjoy reading historical fiction books and if there is a dual timeline, I am a big fan. I have loved the other books I have read from the Doors to the Past series. However, this book did not appeal to me as much as I had hoped it would. I was sadly disappointed. The flow between the time periods was handled well.

I enjoyed reading about the Gramercy Park keys and learning about the Secret Service. Several facts were presented that helped redeem the book in my opinion. There were, however, some emotional triggers that I think should have been presented to warn readers in case they would be an issue, i.e., miscarriage.

Thank you to NetGalley and Barbour Fiction for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

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I loved the atmospheric setting of historical New York, and the dual timeline stories. It is a tough, realistic story and one that I enjoyed thoroughly.
Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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The Keys to Gramercy Park by author Candice Sue Patterson is the final book in the Doors to the Past series. The series is written by multiple authors with a variety of subjects. This is a Christian dual time novel with historical and contemporary stories.

This is the historical story of Franklin Davidson, a Civil War veteran. He is a man that has lost almost everything and gets involved in the unlawful activity of counterfeit money. The contemporary storyline features Andrea Andrews. She is an investigative historical journalist and waitress, while waiting to get her big break. Coincidentally, she discovers counterfeit post-Civil War currency. It was hidden in the wall of her apartment in the historic district of lower Manhattan.

I enjoyed the author’s style of writing. It was engaging, exciting, and held my attention. The author did a nice job meshing both the past and present stories. Both stories were easy to follow. There were twists and turns to keep me on my toes. Characters were well crafted with adorable good guys and treacherous bad ones.

I recommend this well written, captivating novel. It gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from me. A copy was provided by NetGalley, but these are my honest thoughts.

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In this book of the Doors to the Past series, we find Andrea Andrews looking for her big break as a historical journalist. In her apartment, she finds a small bag of money hidden behind the wall. Once the bills are examined, they are determined to be counterfeit and from post Civil War. This seems to be a great opportunity for Andrea.
The parallel story follows twin brothers Franklin and Edward Davidson. Franklin is the respected son whereas Edward seems to be always in trouble. During the Civil War, Franklin serves and Edward takes off, out west, to avoid his responsibilities.
Back in the modern day story, Andrea waitresses to made ends meet. She encounters an interesting diner client, Beau. The two start to meet and explore their new friendship, maybe romance. Beau, though, comes with his own high-power background which might conflict with Andrea’s aspirations.

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The Keys to Gramercy Park by Candice Sue Patterson is the last book in the Doors to the Past series written by a variety of authors. I enjoy dual-time stories and this mystery with counterfeiters and family secrets did not disappoint. The contemporary setting finds a young woman aspiring to be recognized in her journalistic endeavors who stumbles across counterfeit bills. The bills connect to the post-Civil War era where readers meet a family that encounters tragedy and deceit that bring sorrow. The author did a great job intertwining the past with the present. The characters were crafted well, the reader will love the good guys and despise the evil one! Readers who enjoy split-time historical fiction will not want to miss this book. I read a complimentary copy of the book and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

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I pretty sure this is the only one in the Doors to the past series that I truly hated. I don't didn't like the modern storyline at all. And the faith element that that is a staple to this book series was missing.

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Dual timelines ~ New York ~ Gilded Age ~ Twins ~ Secrets ~ Secret Service ~ Family ~ Counterfeit Money ~ Asylums ~ Governors ~ Duplicity ~ Snobby Society ~ Murder ~ Good vs Evil ~ History

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

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The Keys to Gramercy Park
by Candice Sue Patterson
Pub Date 01 May 2023
Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance


A copy of The Keys to Gramercy Park has been provided to me by Barbour Publishing and Netgalley for review.



Secrets Sealed Within a Wall Come to Light in Lower Manhattan



Explore the past through a series of historical stories filled with romance and adventure.



Andrea Andrews, an investigative historical journalist, has become tired of waiting tables to make ends meet. In the event that she were able to produce the next breakout story, she would be able to gain a promotion with Smithsonian Magazine as their writer-at-large. But nothing out of the ordinary happens until she discovers counterfeit post-Civil War currency hidden in the wall of the apartment she occupies in the historic district of lower Manhattan.



Although his family owns a successful real estate business, Beau Davidson-Quincy's passion has always been politics. As he prepares to build his campaign for governor of New York, his clean image and single status make him a target in the media. There is nothing he has to hide until a cute waitress unravels a mystery that threatens to destroy the reputation of his family.


A wounded Civil War veteran lost everything two centuries earlier, including his house, his wife, and his social standing. In his darkest hour, he is offered a position with the newly formed Secret Service to combat the spread of counterfeit U.S. currency. He is the envy of his peers with his new home in Gramercy Park, but all is not as it seems. Keeping secrets is a responsibility that Franklin will carry with him to the grave.


I give The Keys to Gramercy Park five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

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This book was not what I was expecting. I was certainly not expecting a sad story to unfold in this novel. I don’t really like sad stories. I do when there is a happy ending. But in this case, the past did not have a happy ending. The present did, but the past took up all my thoughts. I kept wanting the past to turn happy, but it never did. Well up to a degree it was happy. So if you hate sad books, I wouldn’t recommend this one. Don’t get me wrong, this was a good book, just not for me. Why? Because I like happy endings all the way around. However, if you are like my sister and don’t mind sad endings, then I recommend this book for you.

Andrea was a girl with a broken relationship. Beau is a man who has so many expectations. Beau and Andrea’s meeting was love at first sight. Even though it wasn’t smooth sailing at first, they hit it off pretty well. I liked that they completed each other. They helped each other with their brokenness/problems.

Franklin was by far my favorite. And obviously Edward, who starts off the novel, is not my favorite.

I loved Margaret's character in the beginning. But I didn’t like her after her depression. I didn’t like that she was into the intimacies of her relationship. It made me uncomfortable and really, really upset. Like what?! She liked the intimacy after her depression…like what?! I wanted to yell! Once you are at that point, you’ll see and hope you understand my point.

Trigger Warnings:

A fade-to-black scene. It’s more close-door. But there is a build up with kissing and the man touching the woman. Nowhere inappropriate, but still, it’s touching. This scene is in the confines of “marriage.” (You will understand “marriage,” when you are reading it.)

A man lusts for a woman. It’s not explicit, just disturbing in a way. (Again, you will understand when you read it.)

A woman is going through depression and tried to take her life.

A man attacks a woman. It’s detailed, but not too much.

Also, there is death, r*pe, a miscarriage, and abuse. No details, we are just told.

***With all this said, I recommend this book for an older audience.
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Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from through NetGalley from the Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review.

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The Keys to Gramercy Park is a dual storyline-one of my favorite genres. This novel is also #12 in the The Doors to the Past Series that is a wonderful series by Barbour of dual stories. These two stories did not disappoint!
The historical storyline is different from most of its genres in that its main character is male. Franklin Davidson is a Civil War vet who is shady and his greed leads to him to unlawful activity in counterfeit money. Modern storyline was my favorite (as it usually is)about Andi who finds the counterfeit money in her walls and she investigates the origin of it. A romance is involved when governor hopeful Beau gets involved in helping her solve it. The setting of Manhattan makes the storyline even better.
I received a complimentary copy of The Keys to Gramercy Park thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

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The premise of this historical novel intrigued me. I like stories about writers (and about books, bookstores, and libraries) because I connect with these from my own experiences. I also like imaginative tales that take me places I would never venture in real life, and I also enjoy learning new things, such as about Gramercy Park, which I had never heard of. This dual-time drama fulfilled all this—with an investigative reporter/writer in present-day New York who meets a handsome man in her moonlighting job as a waitress (and doesn’t realize he’s rich and running for governor) and an unfolding saga about twin brothers from post-Civil War time that has a strong connection to the modern story. With one evil brother and one heroic one, I figured out what would likely happen early on, but the story still engaged me as the realistic characters dealt with the issues in their lives. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #TheKeystoGramercyPark #NetGalley

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I enjoy stories like this one that have a historical time line and a current one. I enjoyed getting to know Andrea as she sniffed out the secrets of Gramercy Park and sought to write a compelling story.

I have to say, the historical side of the story was not my favorite, for multiple reasons that I don’t want to go into and spoil the story over. It was hard for me to like him after some of his actions.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.

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Wonderful addition to the Doors to the Past series! I adore dual-time novels, because the past is always with us, where decisions made affect the generations to follow.

I found Ms. Patterson's writing style to be original. Unlike most stories, one of the main characters was the villain which gave the story a unique twist. There is definitely a different style between the story of the past and present. With expert attention to historical detail, the author pens a captivating story of the newly informed Secret Service and a puzzle that has remained unsolved. Set amidst the charming setting of Gramercy Park, a young journalist hopes to write a story that will launch her career. But the secrets she uncovers may affect lives in the present.

With an enthralling peek into the past, readers will be captivated by the intriguing mystery and romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher through Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Will the past make them or break them?

I have been following the Doors To The Past series since the very first book, now, 12 books later the series has come to a startling conclusion of betrayal, intrigue, murder, and counterfeiting in a century and a half year old mystery...

The Keys To Gramercy Park really was quite a story. It had all of the the things that I've come to anticipate in this series of independent dual timeline stories, but Candice Sue Patterson threw in enough surprises that I was kept off kilter quite often. I was never sure quite what to expect but I also knew that I couldn't put the book down until I had the answers to the mystery that touched lives in three different centuries from the 19th to the 21st. And I did get answers to The Keys To Gramercy Park, even if they weren't always the ones that I wanted. If I were to pick a single word for this novel from Candice Sue Patterson it would be 'bittersweet'. But, that was also what made the final Doors To The Past book more interesting. I also found the locations in this story, from The Players (Club) to the 2 acre private Gramercy Park to the streets of Washington DC, to be quite fascinating.

If you haven't read the Doors To The Past series of standalone dual timeline books where past and present have surprising threads connecting them, well, you are missing out. Whether you read them in order or only as you get your hands on them, they are all worth the time spent reading. So, start with Candice Sue Patterson's sometimes chilling The Keys To Gramercy Park or a different one as you can't go wrong with any of them...

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

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“The more answers we have to the past, the better future we can create.”

What a fabulous combination of history, mystery, and drama! Each primary character in this dual timeline novel faces decisions that could change lives and reflect their integrity or lack thereof. Some decisions are made in haste and destroy lives. Others are wrestled through, and demonstrate people living according to their faith in God. Characters are described well through thoughts, conversations, and actions. Settings are described with vibrant word pictures, whether historic buildings, gardens, the wealthiest or very poorest parts of the city. Rich historical details bring to life Manhattan, the architecture, counterfeit money, and the original Secret Service.

Andrea was an investigative journalist for the Smithsonian Magazine and was ready for the next step of her career. The current writer-at-large is retiring, opening the promotion of her dreams. She needed a subject for an article worthy of that promotion, hoping to get ideas from patrons at the upscale restaurant where she worked part time. She loved meeting and talking with the eclectic mix of diners, but it was time to reach for her dream.

She met Beau there, who wanted to know her better. She didn’t go out with patrons or strangers, and turned him down. Later, she saw him enter Gramercy Park, where the only people with keys to enter it lived in the surrounding multimillion dollar estates. She had already been down the wrong road with a man of power and money, and would not do that again.

Andrea lived in the historic Winderfield, once an upscale hotel in Greenwich Village. It is the perfect place for history geeks, with 19th century charm and character in every detail. She found an old, fabric sack of money behind a baseboard that contained a scrap of paper with a notation, old bills, and a few coins.

Beau would do almost anything to convince Andrea to go out with him. He helped her learn more about the money she found as they learned more about each other. She was stunned to learn that he was a gubernatorial candidate from TV news.

The paper money, which was counterfeit, gave Andrea a story worthy of the coveted promotion. Woven in and through Andrea’s research were twin brothers from the mid-1800s. One was hated by his father due to a congenital disorder. The other served and was seriously injured in the Civil War, had hard times with his bride and baby girl, and ultimately was hired by the Secret Service when it was formed in response to the proliferation of counterfeit money. Their connection to the present-day story, and Beau, shows opposing sides of integrity versus counterfeit and what one might be willing to do for their dream.

I enjoyed the characters, history, and attention to detail. The spiritual and historical aspects were of most interest to me. To me, the romances were secondary, but without those, the conflicts would not have the same impact. I liked Andrea, her continual study of history and reasons, and was very pleased with her choices. The end was ultimately very satisfying except for the final choice of one of the 1800’s characters. How I wish we were privy to opening the time capsule! I highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate Christian dual timeline novels and seeing the results of past decisions on the present and future.

From a thankful heart: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

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Andrea is working as a historical writer and is looking for a way to make a big break. Unexpectedly, she meets a man at her second job as a waitress. She knows better than to accept a date from a customer. However, when she finds counterfeit money behind a baseboard, she needs the help of this man to discover the facts around the mystery.

As a dual timeline book, an author has to go back and forth with the details to complement one another for the reader. The details in one story has to come at just the right time within the timeline of the other. It is a skill that Patterson was able to pull off very well in The Keys to Gramercy Park. The stories were interwoven to give just the right amount of information before going back to the other storyline. I had a hard time putting the book down because I was eager to know how the story would end.

I must agree that I liked one story line above the other, but one storyline was much more cheerful than the other. There definitely were dark parts of the story. I liked how the story was handled and loved the ending.

I would 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.

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