This is not my usual sort of road but there was something about the two women who seemed to have a connection, on the front cover, that really drew me in. I loved so many aspects of this book: the historical perspectives, the strong women and the dual timeline which definitely drew me into a mystery and made me want to keep reading. This is an emotional and fascinating read that will surprise and nourish you, with its strong themes of friendship, family and mystery.

I love historical fiction books. And when it includes a dual timeline, I am hooked. The characters are well developed and you will be drawn into the story of Rose and Ivy. This tale will take you on a journey of secrets, love, friendship, betrayal, and through the time of the First World War. And the big twist at the end will have you gasping out loud. The back and forth between the two timelines flowed well and the twists and turns provide a very satisfactory read.

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

Really enjoyed this book was not expecting the ending. Beautifully written. I enjoyed the dual timeline although this isn’t something I usually like within a book but I felt it worked well

England, 1919: Rose and Ivy board a ship bound for Australia.
One is travelling there to marry a man she has never met. One is destined never to arrive.
Australia, 2016: Amongst her late-grandmother's possessions, Molly uncovers a photograph of two girls dressed in First World War nurses' uniforms, labelled 'Rose and Ivy 1917', and a letter from her grandmother, asking her to find out what happened to her own mother, Rose, who disappeared in the 1960s. Compelled to carry out her grandmother's last wish, Molly embarks on a journey to England to unravel the mystery of the two girls whose photograph promised they'd be 'together forever'...


This was a really enjoyable time-slip novel that swept me away to one of my favourite historical periods at the close of WW1. We spend time in 2016 as Molly embarks on her journey to unravel the secrets behind that photograph of her great-grandmother, Rose. What happened to Rose who disappeared a few decades later? Did Ivy reach Australia with her friend? The author weaves a complicated tale of two girls whose lives were intertwined whether they wanted to be or not. Ivy is from a poorer background and wants to better herself. Rose is from a more middle class background but is desperate to throw off the constraints of her class, gender and time. Both are complex, flawed, characters that I could really believe in. Several generations later and Molly is still grappling with some of the same problems - needing to be loved, but also wanting to be a free spirit despite her low confidence holding her back on both fronts. The search she embarks on gives her some of that confidence and strength she’s needed and there is a touch of romance too. The settings were evocative and the two time periods are captured perfectly, suggesting but not showing a breadth of research. This was an enjoyable read that I became quite carried away with.

I was given a copy of The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay by Julie Brooks by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book is a dual time novel. Molly travels in England to carry out her Grandmother's last wish to find out what happened to her mother Rose.
Rose traveled to England with Ivy but only one of them arrived. Rose keeps her secret and the family want to know what happened.
A lovely well written novel, ideal for historical fiction fans.

Another absolute gem of a book. I couldn’t put this one down. I have devoured page after page of this one. Completely unwilling to put this one down.
This has kept my interest and made me want to read more by this author.

The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay was a lovely book about a period of time that doesn't get the attention it should. Pre-WWI England through the Spanish flu pandemic would have been a fascinating time to live. The contrast between Ivy and Rose's lives is frustrating at times (in a good way) and heartbreaking at others. The modern day story was by far my favorite. The burden of losing a loved one can be crippling, and the way Molly deals with her challenges is inspiring.

England, 1919: Rose and Ivy board a ship bound for Australia.

One is travelling there to marry a man she has never met.

One is destined never to arrive.

Australia, 2016: Amongst her late-grandmother's possessions, Molly uncovers a photograph of two girls dressed in First World War nurses' uniforms, labelled 'Rose and Ivy 1917', and a letter from her grandmother, asking her to find out what happened to her own mother, Rose, who disappeared in the 1960s.

Compelled to carry out her grandmother's last wish, Molly embarks on a journey to England to unravel the mystery of the two girls whose photograph promised they'd be 'together forever'...
Lovely book

The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay was a beautifully written book. I could picture exactly what Rose, Ivy, and Molly's lives were like during their different time periods. Rose & Ivy's lives connected in the early 1900's England when Rose was the rich daughter of the manor and Ivy was a local girl who's parents worked the land. They played together in secret as young girls but as they got older Ivy went to work as Rose's servant.

The women travel together in 1919 to Australia where Rose is to marry a man she has been communicating with via letters, but never met. Rose arrives in Australia alone.

In 2016, Rose's great-granddaughter, Molly, is tasked by her recently deceased grandmother to figure out the mystery of Rose's disappearance decades ago. Molly uses her knowledge of history to try to solve the family mystery. She travels back to England where Rose's life began, she finds a relative she didn't know she had and a love interest.

The book is very well written and the lives of all the women are interesting and fulfilling in their searches for meaning in life. I would rate this book higher if it wasn't for the fact that so many historical fiction books are now written in two different time frames, it used to seem new and fresh and now it has become a little stale.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Molly's nan has passed away, while clearing her things she finds a letter asking her to find out the disappearance of her great-grandmother; because Molly is a historian she's the best person to ask.

This search will take her on an adventure; but, whilst delving into her family's past she must let go of her own.

I actually guessed some of the storyline in this novel, however, this does not take away from the narrative and beautifully detailed description that Brooks gives.

I thought it was interesting that the novel jumps in time, seeming to tell two parallel stories that unwind, giving the reader a double story.

Brooks also leaves us with a clever display of depth within her characters, where I found myself to either like or dislike them.

In this novel, family secrets are uncovered and skeletons come out of the closet, but we also have romance and loss; Brooks gives us a range of themes to explore tying them all together across two different countries and different generations which works well together.

For me, this was a nice read which allowed me to get lost in.

This book had many twists and turns and was wonderfully full of suspense. Two women board a ship bound for Australia. After one of them does not make it, the story jumps back and forth to Australia in 2016 where a woman named Molly uncovers a photograph of the two women. She is compelled to fulfill her grandmother's wish and determine the fate of the woman who disappeared and never made it to Australia.

I found the story very intriguing and enjoyed the wonderful character descriptions. The book kept me guessing right up until the end.

Set over dual timelines and dual continents this is an incredibly moving story of two women. When Molly finds a photograph it leads her on an incredible journey to find the one of the women on the photo.

Beautifully written the books draws you in from the start. Its very emotional as the story moves from the different timelines. I really enjoyed this book.

I must admit, this wasn't at all what I was expecting. It starts off with someone walking into the sea, and then skips to the current day, with the great granddaughter of the woman who went into the sea finding something about that woman, and deciding to honour her grandmother's wishes to find out what happened to that woman's mother. It's quite an emotional book, and not something to read when you're having a bad day, but was well written and interesting. I could imagine this book being discussed in book club

The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay by Julie Brooks

A dual time slip story set in England in 1919 , and Australia in 2016.
Molly finds a photo whilst looking through her grandmother's possessions. It has writing on the back ' Rose & Ivy 1917 .
This sets Molly on a journey to England to find out more.
I loved the way the author was able to write so eloquently about both years enabling us , the readers , to feel part of both times , although I did prefer reading about the earlier time.
This story was gripping and a joy to read.

Australian Molly is sorting through her grandmother’s possessions after her death when she comes across a World War I era photograph of two women in nurses uniforms, labeled Ivy and Rose. Rose was Molly’s grandmother’s own mother, and with the photo a letter from her asking for help in finding Rose, who disappeared in the 1960’s. Molly decides to take up her grandmother’s quest and goes on a search for her great grandmother, Rose and her friend Ivy. A touching and beautifully written story of friendship