A Deep Divide is a wonderful start to the Secrets of the Canyon series. I really enjoyed the whole setting and story. It has a sweet romance between Emma Grace and Ray and a bit of a mystery as well. If you like a good Christian Historical Fiction give this one a try, I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

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

Publication date: 5 October 2021.

This Book Will Draw You In…

From the moment I began reading this book I was hooked. It just kept tugging at my heart then I’d get mad at the situations and back and forth. Many heartfelt insights that could even help personally. I always love authors who incorporate a message that can speak to you personally out of a character’s struggle! I can’t wait to read the next book!

I cannot even imagine getting kidnapped as a child. Or, as a parent, having your child kidnapped so that you could get ahead in business. Or selling contracts to people to marry your daughter.

Emma Grace has had a hard life and when her father is going to force her to marry someone she doesn't love, doesn't know, and who is just after her for her money and business connections, well she's out of there! She takes off and doesn't look back. Well, she might have looked back to make sure she wasn't being followed.

Emma Grace never imagined that her father would be killed the same night she ran away. Or that she'd be a person of interest. She saw one of the men he'd sold contracts to enter the room when she ran away so he was alive when she left.

She's got a good life now as a waitress at a Harvey House. She moves from one spot to another changing her hair and her looks hoping to not attract attention or have someone discover her.

Just as she starts to feel comfortable and think she's left her past behind, someone is asking questions about her and on her trail. Can she figure out a way out of her troubles? Is there a way to keep her inheritance without marrying one of the men her father chose? And what about if she falls in love?

This was such a wonderful book. It read quickly and I enjoyed every second of it. Just enough suspense to keep me reading and just enough romance to not be overpowering. I couldn't wait to get to the next book in the series!!

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

A Deep Divide
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Pub Date 05 Oct 2021
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Christian | Historical Fiction | Romance


I am reviewing a copy of A Deep Divide through Bethany House and Netgalley:



Emma Grace McMurray has seen firsthand the devastation that greed causes in the world, and she wants nothing to do with it, After being kidnapped as a child her world was turned upside down, after she discovers it was her Father. has offered her up as a bargaining chip to expand his empire, she disappears into the night. Determined to stay hidden, even if it means always looking over her shoulder, she finds herself working as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel.


After Ray Watkins arrives at the hotel on business, he is immediately captivated by the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Though his fame-seeking father aims to lure new investors to the Arizona Territory, Ray dreams of one day taking over the family business and doing good with the profits.



Ray immediately admires Emma Grace despite an immediate mutual attraction, she she can't let go of the deep-rooted fear that he's just like every other wealthy man she's known. When suspicious activity follows Emma Grace and Ray to the El Tovar, they are pulled into a mystery that stirs up their worst fears. And as shocking revelations come to light, they are left to question all they thought to be true.


I give A Deep Divide five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

An interesting read with a gripping plot and realistic characters. I had never read this author before, but I’ll be on the look out now for other books by her.

Heiress Emma Grace McMurray hides out as a Harvey Girl after a kidnapping and then witnessing the murder of her father. To get as far away as possible, she changes her last name and eventually accepts an assignment to El Tovar at the Grand Canyon. On the run for over five years, Emma Grace trusts no one and she is exhausted of all the secrets. Her supervisor, Ruth, may offer hope to Emma Grace.
Photographer and rising businessman Ray Watkins works in his father’s business and is sent to the Grand Canyon on assignment. His coworkers, though, seem to be on the trip for nefarious reasons. Ray begins to doubt his father’s true business affairs.
A friendship develops between Emma Grace and Ray, though Emma Grace is wary. Her years in hiding have developed her awareness of danger and exposure. She is threatened when she learns old suitors are hunting for her – in want of her inheritance.

My first book by Kimberly Woodhouse, after reading this I want to go to the Grand Canyon to see the El Tovar Hotel. The story was wonderful about an heiress, Emma Grace, who runs away from home because her father is forcing her into a marriage to strengthen his business. She ends up as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel. Ray Watkins comes to the hotel on business sent by his father a wealthy businessman hoping to expand to his operations to the west. In the course of the story, Emma Grace and Ray fall in love but someone is after her and it seems that Ray's father may not be who Ray thought he was. I loved the history and the description of the landscape and architecture in this story.

I thought A Deep Divide to be a great start to Kimberley Woodhouse's new series, Secrets of the Canyon. I look forward to book two. Four stars.

"Emma Grace had been in hiding for five years, having lived in fear for most of her life...

Author Kimberley Woodhouse tells a tale filled with history, romance, and faith with a touch of mystery and suspense. Emma Grace's feelings of being all alone in the world made my heart ache. Her mistrust of others was well earned!

Then there was Ray, who had turned his life around after a horrible accident. The faith he embraced now marked his life, though his major disappointment was that he was never able to please his father.

I enjoyed this story for several reasons. The characters were well developed and I hoped for the best for them. The setting was amazing, and the author described it well. The historical details about what being a Harvey Girl entailed were quite interesting.

Emma Grace's journey to faith came gradually, as she learned to give her fears to God and that He is trustworthy. Ray's faith was a natural part of who he was which endeared him to me.

Though there was a sense of suspense and mystery, they were secondary elements to the history, faith, and romantic aspects. The story seemed neither written to be suspenseful or as a mystery to solve. That was left up to the characters to do.

If you enjoy historical romance with a strong element of faith, be sure to read A Deep Divide.


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

My thoughts: Kimberly woodhouse it's one of my favorite historical romance writers with good reason. She is an element of suspense included in her stories with plenty of twists and turns that I never saw coming,.. the plot is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill plot either. You read stories about Harvey's girls before? You probably haven't read Kimberly Wood houses. The heroin was not your ordinary waitress. She was on the run. But from whom? Can she trust anyone? There are plenty of twists and turns in the story and some surprises that I never saw coming. Who done it? You'll have to read the book to find out because you'll never guess. I love this book and highly recommended. This will make a great gift for somebody on your Christmas left this year. I was given a copy for you and I'll turn you into my own.

“Her whole identity was a façade. How could she be real with anyone?”

I really loved A Deep Divide by Kimberley Woodhouse. I think it may be her best work yet. A historical set mostly at the Grand Canyon, we see plenty of great descriptions of this beautiful landmark. The writing style is solid, with a touch of wistfulness that will draw you in with its suspense, romance, and faith. Plus, the great historical detail Woodhouse includes shows her meticulous research.

Emma Grace McMurray learns in childhood that those most responsible for caring for her cannot be trusted. Now she is in hiding, trusting no man, always looking over her shoulder.

I like Emma Grace’s character. She is humble and not too proud to work when many in her position would be. She befriends those around her in need. She does have an issue with those of the upper class and quickly categorizes most as snobby and self-absorbed.

Ray Watkins has his work cut out for him. Interested in the calm, collected, and beautiful waitress, he has a hard time getting her to pay him any attention. Ray is someone I felt very sorry for. His father is very domineering, with some health issues, that make working for his approval nearly impossible. Ray tries hard to live up to his new faith, but his father and his associates make that difficult.

I loved Ruth, who ended up being such a loyal friend. Always ready to listen, ready to comfort, ready to think the best of her new friend.

I loved learning about the Harvey Girls and the Harvey House, El Tovar, at the Grand Canyon.
We saw a display about the Harvey House Girls while we visited the canyon, but we were in a hurry at the display, and I didn't catch the significance. Thank you, Ms. Woodhouse, for this great, fun education on the Harvey House Girls and the Grand hotel there!

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own, and no positive review was required.

Notable Quotables:

“A man was a man, no matter his status.”

“She’d love to have a real friend, but she had too many secrets.”

“…you are valuable to us for who you are.”

“You’re so busy trying to be brave and take care of yourself that you’ve shoved God back because you don’t think He can be trusted.”

A Deep Divide is the first book in this series, and the main part of the book takes place in a hotel staffed by Harvey Girls and it was interesting to learn more about the way it was run according to the dictates of Fred Harvey. Our heroine is a missing heiress who has found shelter in various Harvey Hotels. It has been five years since she ran away from her domineering father as she goes from hotel to hotel. The next day after she fled she learned her father had been murdered. Would the murderer come after her too? Emma Grace Edwards is now working at the grand hotel of El Tovar in the Grand Canyon. Loved how Woodhouse described the scenery of the canyon and also the El Tovar historical Hotel. This book has it all…romance, danger, excitement, unanswered questions, insight into dementia and fearful emotions. You will get lost in the excitement this first book brings to the reader. Thanks to the publisher for an early copy and I am glad to leave my review.

This was a fun, wholesome romance with lots of adventure to boot. I enjoyed learning about the Harvey hotels that serviced the railroads out west and the young women they employed. The two main characters had good chemistry, and I enjoyed watching their love story blossom. I
am looking forward to reading more books in this series. I would recommend this book to readers of chaste historical romance.

I received a free copy of this book for this purpose of review.

I enjoy reading books in a setting that I can visualize. I cannot imagine what it would be like to work at a national park and interact with new people each day. Emma Grace gets a chance to do that when she goes to work as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Grand Canyon Hotel. She tries to be careful in her friendships, but soon meets Ray. They team up to find out who had been stealing from the hotel and soon find out more than they bargained for.

I really enjoyed following the adventures of Emma Grace and Ray and look forward to the next installment.

I liked this historical novel. While the plot is good, I liked most the information contained in it. This is a good book for readers planning to visit the south rim of the Grand Canyon. When I visited several years ago, I stayed at the El Tovar. I wish I had read this book before my stay. It contains history and insights into the hotel and its origin as well as the surrounding buildings. Reading it would have made my visit much more interesting.

I like how the characters were portrayed. While Emma Grace's father had been rich, she escaped his planning a lucrative contracted marriage. Now she found a rewarding life as a waitress and Harvey Girl. And Ray's father was wealthy but he would rather be taking photos. Both characters had to face their heritage and how it related to their futures.

I really liked the setting and felt there were pretty good descriptions of such an amazing place. The plot was good, including romance in a story about revealing past secrets that could be dangerous. There was some suspense at the end but it seemed to be resolved without our knowing how. And Woodhouse twice does a pet peeve of mine, starting a chapter with a suspenseful scene that turns out to be a dream.

There were several issues explored in this novel, all revolving around money. El Tovar was such a new hotel and in quite a remote location that only the wealthy could visit there. We see from Emma Grace's and Ray's fathers how wealth could taint a person. At one point Emma Grace laments, “Why does money do such awful things to people?” (277)

This is a good novel to read before a visit to the south rim. You'll get some good historical information, a romance, and a very clear presentation of the gospel.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

A Deep Divide by Kimberly Woodhouse

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Story Notes

Kimberly offers readers a wonderful story based mostly at the Grand Canyon Harvey House with some engaging characters who find love in the most unexpected place.

I love all stories that have to do with the Harvey Houses. Everything about that company is fascinating and entertaining to read. Fred Harvey employed women in a time when respectable jobs for them were hard to come by. So when I saw this story available to read for review, I signed up right away. I was certainly not disappointed and love the originality that Kimberly put into the story. Emma and Ray came from the same backgrounds but had not let it change them into greedy or arrogant people. And their journey to love was wonderful to see given all they had to contend against. I really enjoyed the elements of suspense Kimberly placed in the story to keep readers engaged and curious about the outcome. I certainly was determined to read to the last page to see how everything turned out. The inclusion of Faith that was woven through the pages was also a delightful addition. It was real and natural and never preachy. I will certainly be recommending this story to others in the hope they will enjoy it as much as I did.
I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am pleased to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Kimberly Woodhouse transports readers back to the early days of the Grand Canyon tourism with her novel A Deep Divide. This book is the first in the Secrets of the Canyon series. Those who fall in love with its beauty will be only mildly disappointed to finish the book, because there is a promise of more tales from this scenic wonderland.

The story of Emma Grace will have readers feeling deeply sorry for her and her experiences will bring out some rageful feelings. As the story progresses, it is hard to wait for things to go the way one hopes they will. There are so many unknowns and one has to read quickly to finally figure out who is responsible for what in the end.

As readers relive a past moment in history, they will find many actual people who have been added to the story. These characters lend authenticity and interest to the story. It is intriguing to read about their lives and have the fictional characters interacting with them as well.

Review of a Digital Advance Reader Copy provided by the Publisher

Do you pick a book based on its setting alone? I often do and a great example is A Deep Divide the first book in Kimberley Woodhouse’s new series Secrets of the Canyon. The setting also brought the story to life.

Emma Grace McMurray is a Harvey Girl stationed at El Tovar on the Grand Canyon’s rim. She’s on the run for her life, hiding as a waitress, when she she meets the son of a wealthy businessman who makes her consider her stance on men, wealth, and God. I especially loved the danger and conflict, and wished for that part to be drawn out a bit more. And I’m really hoping that Emma’s friend gets her own story because I loved her character and want a happily ever after for her, too.

Unfortunately, while the setting and the characters were great, my reading tastes didn’t match this book as well as I hoped. It had all the elements that make for a perfect story in my mind—suspense, setting, history—but I’m not an overly large fan of too many long prayers, Bible passages, or preaching in my fiction and this story had more than I generally prefer. However, for readers who love this in their fiction, then definitely give A Deep Divide a read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

This book contains the perfect combination of humor, romance and history. Then, to make it even better, the author added a dash of danger and suspense! The author crafted a story that was so well written and had so many details, that I felt like I had visited the Grand Canyon. One of my favorite parts of the book, were the interactions between Grace and Ray, because some of them were funny, some were a bit awkward and the rest were sweet and romantic. I've read a few books that feature the Harvey Girls, so I was excited to see another glimpse into their lives and I wasn't disappointed. Every time I read about them, I am impressed by their discipline and patience; however, this book also showed me that they considered themselves a family and they took care of their own. Another thing I loved reading about, was how Emma grew in her faith. She had her doubts and honestly felt abandoned by God; however, the events of her past and the people that God put in her life, all helped to show her just how much he loved her .Overall, I loved reading this book and can't think of anything I would change. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes Historical Fiction. Special thanks to Kimberley Woodhouse, Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for letting me read and review this book – all opinions are my own

After being kidnapped as a child, heiress Emma Grace McMurray has seen firsthand the devastation that greed causes in the world, and she wants nothing to do with it. When she discovers her father has offered her up as a bargaining chip to expand his empire, she disappears into the night. Determined to stay hidden, even if it means always looking over her shoulder, she finds herself working as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel.

When Ray Watkins arrives at the hotel on business, he is immediately captivated by the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Though his fame-seeking father aims to lure new investors to the Arizona Territory, Ray dreams of one day taking over the family business and doing good with the profits.

Ray immediately admires Emma Grace, and though an attraction begins to form, she can't let go of the deep-rooted fear that he's just like every other wealthy man she's known. When suspicious activity follows Emma Grace and Ray to the El Tovar, they are pulled into a mystery that stirs up their worst fears. And as shocking revelations come to light, they are left to question all they thought to be true.

My review: I like the premise of the book. Parts of it was just too slow for me. I also didn't understand why Emma Grace didn't go by another first name if she was trying to disappear. Changing your last name doesn't do much good if you still go by your first two names. I did like reading about the Harvey Girls and what was required of them. I also enjoy more of a mystery to the books I read. If you enjoy a light read this is the book for you.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishers via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.