Mackinac Island...The Grand Hotel...what fantastic settings for a novel, and who better to write them than Carrie Fancett Pagels, a true connoisseur and aficionado of both.

Carrie Fancett Pagels' Behind Love's Wall is a dual timeline novel set on Mackinac Island and at The Grand Hotel. Pagels' knowledge and affection for the island and hotel resound and reverberate throughout, which gives the work a truer, more engaging and intriguing authenticity.

Two main characters, Lilly in 1895 and Willa in 2020, are surrounded by mystery and intrigue. Furthermore, COVID's limitations also have a role. Only a journal provides insight into one life, bringing hope to the other, despite the fact that they are separated by 125 years. Neither of them dreamed how their stories would end.

I really enjoyed the inclusion of some characters from Pagels’ prior books, too. Their roles are well done, keep the flow of the book going and provide an update to their lives. However, reading the prior novels is not required to follow and comprehend Behind Love's Wall. In addition, I admire and appreciate her approach to matters of faith.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I am voluntarily leaving this review. ( )

This is the first book by Carrie Fancett Pagels that I have read. I was given a copy through Barbour Books and Netgalley to read and review. This review is totally my own opinion.
I enjoyed the book for the most part, but I was confused about all the different characters involved. It is also a dual timeline book which made it even more confusing. It took me a little while to get involved in the book, and once I did I did enjoy it but never did figure out all the persons/characters and how they connected.
The characters were mostly well developed, the main characters the best. The story flowed quite well even with the jumping back and forth in time.
This is a Christian novel and it shows without being preachy. It is shown in small ways.
Right from the beginning, I realized the author was from Michigan, calling root beer "pop" is a dead giveaway. Being from Michigan I this being set here.
I do not give 5 stars often as it lessens the value. With that said, I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.
If you enjoy historical fiction, clean and not preachy, you will enjoy this book. ( )

I have enjoyed the Doors to the Past series so far. Each book is dual timeline and features a unique historical monument. In Behind Love’s Wall, readers will visit the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. It is a beautiful setting, and I suggest looking up this historic building before you begin reading, as it is quite impressive. The highlight for me in this story was the mystery. Readers will enjoy piecing this puzzle together as they gather clues from both the present day and historical plot lines. I thought this was very well thought out and made the book for me. I also appreciate how the author addressed mental health in this book. I confess I had some trouble connecting with the characters, but this was a strong point for other readers so maybe it was just me. Overall, this is a good edition to this series of novels and will be enjoyed by romance and dual time novel fans.

I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are entirely my own. ( )

Title: Behind Love’s Wall (Doors to the Past)
Author: Carrie Fancett Pagels
Pages: 256
Year: 2021
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
The Doors to the Past Series brings talented writers, history, and romance together with unique characters along with the flavor of mystery! In reading all the books that have been published to date, this is one of my favorites. I found the parallel timelines in the story intriguing and kept wondering how something happening in 1895 would or could impact 2020.
In 1895, the main character is Lily who is a singer of immense talent and whose past continues to haunt her. In 2020, there is Willa Christy who is a successful home designer whose past is in some way tied to the 1895 events. The whole story is set on Mackinac Island where Lily’s talent has brought her and her cousin to a hotel to bring entertainment to the high-end class of society. However, Lily’s greatest fear is that somehow her mother’s malady will affect her life, making her dream of getting married someday seem unattainable.
Willa Christy has success, but her past is shrouded with mystery also as she doesn’t know who her birth father was, and her grandfather isn’t revealing anything. When Willa and her assistant Sue get a gig on the Island to renovate a room in the Grand, Willa may find information not only about herself but of others too.
The way the author writes her story is breath-taking as she slowly reveals the heart, soul, and thoughts of her characters in the book. I am thankful that her fictional world dealt with maladies not usually found in a novel. Faith isn’t the strongest aspect of the story but sharing how to face life’s challenges with hope and the help of others seems to me to be the foremost theme. I hope other authors start looking at other afflictions people everywhere must live with daily with tenacity, faith, and perseverance.
Audiences can find out more about the many novels by visiting http://www.doorstothepastseries.com
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Behind Love’s Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels is the latest installment in the Doors of the Past dual time series. Each books stands alone as they are written by different authors and set around different US landmarks.

While this book tackles the subject of depression (and does a good job of it), and I truly believe the pandemic has exacerbated the struggle for many people, I had a hard time really connecting to any of the characters. First, there were a lot of characters with similar names (even between the two time periods). Now, readers who have read other books by the author may enjoy this, but I was just confused and pretty much gave up on trying to discern who was who.

There were several times during the book when I felt we were being told of something (usually in a conversation with two characters after the fact) that would have made the book so much more enjoyable if we’d made the discoveries with the character instead.

I did enjoy visiting The Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island in both its glory days and its time of restoration (present day). Overall, this was a read that fell somewhere in the middle for me.

Content warning: This book contains many mentions of COVID and life in 2020 and 2021. If you are not ready to read more of real life in your fiction, this may not be the book for you.

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. ( )