Bethlem by author Karen Kelly is due to be released July 2019, great timing as this book is what I would call a good beach read. Light weight, easy, and predictable. Other than keeping the names straight in this two family story, there isn't much to challenge the reader.

It is nicely laid out in alternating time periods, all characters are "nice". Unfortunately, I almost felt as if I knew where the story was going before the writer.

Bethlehem will be loved by many, I just don't fall into this group.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book. I was drawn to it immediately because of the title. I did some student teaching in Bethlehem back in 70s and looked forward a revisit.
This novel follows the lives of two Bethlehem families whose lives have been intertwined for years. Alternating between the 1920s and the 1960s, the author weaves tales of friendships, heartache, and mystery.
I knew from the beginning that there were secrets to uncover, but I must say that things were a little slow going for awhile. As the author began to wrap things up however, I was not disappointed. Touching, surprising and ultimately very satisfying, this book is a winner. I did not expect to be moved by the ending, but I will say that it was spot on.
This is a quick read, perfect for a rainy winter day. I will happily recommend it to my friends.
Thank you Karen Kelly!

The story is told in multiple timelines, but is easy to read. We learn of two women who share a household and their secrets. This novel is a reminder we never know someone until we actually can walk in their shoes, judgement is often to fast and understanding to slow.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of Bethlehem. This is my honest review.

I though the book started off slow, but I kept with it and I am sure glad I did. After the initial getting to know the characters and set up, the story took off and I couldn't put it down. I loved how author Karen Kelly wove the stories of the three ladies of Brynmoor together. The characters were well developed and the writing was very good. I look forward to more novels by Karen Kelly.

Bethlehem is a historical fiction novel that truly packs an emotional punch. Karen Kelly did a great job with the pacing of this novel—my attention was 100% the entire way through! I am usually great a figuring out the twists and turns, but I was definitely caught by surprise by several in this book! The storyline was well thought-out and the time hopping between the 1920’s and the 1960’s worked well to unfold the plot. Karen Kelly as does a fantastic job with educating the reader about Bethlehem, PA as well as it’s surrounding areas—loved that! Bethlehem is a 4.5 star read that will touch your heart. I cannot wait to see what Karen Kelly comes out with next!

Calling all historical fiction fans! You're going to love this one! Unfortunately, unless you have an advance copy, you're going to have to wait until July.

This is also a "time slip" novel, going back and forth between generations and their trials and tribulations.

Joanna marries into the prestigious Parrish family and has problems adapting to her new opulent surroundings after having a more humble upbringing. She spends most of her time with her two children, her mother in law, Susannah and husband's grandmother, Helen. Joanna's husband, Frank, spends endless hours working at Bethlehem Steel.

The story switches from Joanna's new life, to Susannah's history and her life with her brother, Kit, sister India and family friends Wyatt and Chap. Wyatt and Chap are from the Collier family. Their father, Charles, Sr., works closely with Susannah's father, Hollins and the two families are forever connected both in love and in tragedy.

While Joanna has issues living in grandeur, and at first believes she will never connect with her mother in law or her husband's grandmother, but sometimes the people who we relate to are the ones we least expect. And, Susannah also finds that forging a relationship with Joanna might be her saving grace.

I loved this story. For one reason, I like historical books, especially when there are things in there that interest me enough to do a little more research. For example, there is a reference to an old time band in the book and I found out they were, in fact, a real band back in the times of Susannah's youth.

Also, (and bear with this personal tidbit) last year, I went to a concert at the Sands Resort in Bethlehem, PA. It is situated directly next to the now defunct Bethlehem Steel Plant, mentioned numerous times in this book. While there, I found looking at the plant fascinating, but also kind of sad. It's sad seeing such a once powerful factory closed.

When I read, I automatically imagine what I am reading. This book made it really easy to do. Also, sometimes, when I am reading something I don't enjoy so much, I look at the remainder left and I am sometimes discouraged when I see so much left when I don't think there's all that much left to say.

However, with this one, I was shocked when I would look down at the remainder of this one and was upset when I saw I was almost finished (lol)! I wanted this story to go on longer!

This was one of my favorites in awhile! Thank you so much to the publisher for this opportunity. I really enjoyed it and think it will do very well!

I want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for an opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review. I confess I did not finish it. It falls in the category of family saga/light romance women’s literature which is not the sort of book I usually read. Nevertheless, I thought I could give an impartial review.
The title refers to the city of Bethlehem in the USA when the name was connected with its booming steel industry which made some people wealthy and provided many workers with steady employment. I felt the family saga could have been set almost anywhere.
I do believe that many readers will enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I got partway into the book when I found myself going back to the first page and making a chart of all the characters’ names, nicknames and family relationships and decided I didn’t care enough about any of them to continue to read to the end.
Potential readers should not be dissuaded by my opinion as I am sure many people will like this book very much.

Wow I really enjoyed this book. Lots of secrets in the mansion. It takes place in the 60's but goes back to the 20's
It's a light read but so good. Look forward to reading more from this author.

This is a good beach read. It has lots of southern charm and a touch of mystery imbedded in a family saga. As demonstrated by the high ratings. reading fans of light romance and family sagas will enjoy this book. I mostly enjoyed the author’s writing but felt the story dragged at times. I also found it a bit too light (there was very little about the steel industry or the development of the town around the industry) and a bit too generic to give it more than 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for an honest review.

A gripping book ,a story that travels between the 1920s and the 1960s.A young woman who 1960s enters the lives of this wealthy family through a difficult marriage,unused to this opulent lifestyle she finds comfort with the elderly Gardner.So well written so involving highly recommend.#netgalley #Bethlehem #st.martins.

Hauntingly beautiful, Bethlehem will stick with me for quite some time. I loved the way the story is told alternately in two time periods, the 1960s and the 1920s. The transitions back and forth between the two times/story lines were seamless, and I enjoyed both eras equally. I particularly liked the ending where the secret was not as secret as believed. Well done, Ms. Kelly!

It’s the early 1960’s when Joanna moves into her husband’s ancestral home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Feeling out of place with his well to do mother and grandmother, Joanna befriends Doe, the cemetery caretaker and grandson Daniel. Traveling between the 1960’s and 1920’s, this is a novel about people, not extraordinary events. Readers looking for a story about family life will find much to like here

This is a dual time frame novel set in the 1960's and 1920's. Sifting through the different generations we are privy to relationships that are, at times, difficult...families, friends...bonds that tie us to one another. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the U.S. steel capital offers itself as the backdrop of a wealthy family. In 1962 we meet Joanna and her wealthy in-laws, her husband, Frank, her two children, Charlie and Daisy, when they move to Bethlehem to live with Franks mother, Susannah, and his grandmother, Helen. Resenting the fact that she is now living with her husband's family, she feels inadequate, feeling she is being looked down upon. With a friendship made during an afternoon walk, she befriends Doe, the caretaker of the town's cemetery. and Doe's grandson, Daniel As we read, we find there are many questions asked, but no answers given. To be sure, this woman is well aware of the secrets kept by Bethlehem's citizens. While the story unfolds, we learn about the family's dynamics, what has made them who they are today, what has trapped their personalities from years' past. When you live with deceit long enough does it becomes real, does it ever leave you? And while the hidden mysteries of the past reveal themselves, how is Joanna affected? How will these revelations impact her life?

This is a quiet story in that it is told calmly, but do not think because of its quietness it doesn't pack a punch...you would be wrong. Artfully told, it was a pleasure to read, skillfully written it is one I would definitely recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel that is too predictable to really challenge the reader. It is the story of Joanna who is swept into life in a grand mansion with many secrets. Bethlehem has no biblical connotation, it is the name of the city that was the center of the American steel industry.

Joanna moves to Bethlehem because her husband is too busy handling his job in the growing steel industry. She moves into the Gilded Age mansion that has been in his family and lives with his mother and grandmother. For some reason, the novel is set in 1962. Using this year as a base makes sense for the interweaving of stories from the 1920s, but the reader is given no context for the time period. We know it is 1962 because of the chapter heading. The characters are moved from the early 1900s up to 1962 and the lives of 2 families intersect from that point on. There are many secrets, that the reader is easily able to figure out within the first few chapters of the book.

Characters are thrown in with no development and are often stereotypes. Very little is original.

I was disappointed in the lack of challenge to the reader and the reliance on these trite themes. The author does so much foreshadowing that the reader can unpack the book without continuing to read.

I think the author has enormous promise, but this book is a bit too predictable for my reading taste.