I have been waiting for Ruth’s story since book one in Kimberley Woodhouse’s Secrets of the Canyon series, and it’s here in A Mark of Grace.

While the author gives readers a mystery to solve and a romance to root for, my favorite part of Ruth’s story is her faith struggle. In the past books, Ruth has been a mentor and counselor for the Harvey Girls who work at the El Tovar, but it doesn’t mean she won’t have a crisis of faith herself.

Step back in time to the opulence of the El Tovar Hotel, the beauty of the Grand Canyon, and friendships, faith, and love that has bloomed to overflowing. Woodhouse ends this series in the best way possible.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.

It was a treat to return to the El Tovar Hotel. I have loved this series from the very beginning and have waited for this book to reconnect with the Harvey Girls, their guests and imagine the beautiful scenery that is described by the author.
This is the story of Ruth Anniston who has suffered a tragic and disfiguring accident, she has worked her way from a Harvey Girl to head waitress but unfortunately, she finds herself working behind the scenes as she tries to recover and accept what has happened to her. She knows she has a lot to be grateful for as she continues to work while her friendship with Frank Henderson, the head chef at the El Tovar is still strong. Which is a good thing because there are nefarious characters who are working to undermine the reputation of the El Tovar. It was maddening to see the lengths someone would go to trying to ruin the reputation of such a wonderful establishment.

I loved how hard Ruth and Frank worked with the manager to find out why such things were happening and more importantly who was responsible. This is a real page turner and one you will not want to put down until the last page. I am sorry to see this series end, but I can say it was one of my all-time favorites.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

A beautifully written book. The story line is unique and the characters are relatable. They have doubts and fears that they ultimately relinquish to God! The rebuilding of trust in God was refreshing and encouraging. There is a love aspect as well as an intriguing mystery.
Ruth has many scars, some visible, some not. She struggles with how people see her and she forgets how God sees her. Through the help of family and friends Ruth realizes that she is loved.
I received an ARC copy from the publisher but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the setting of the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon. Ruth Anniston survives a mauling by a mountain lion it leaves her scarred and she feels unworthy and think people pity her.


Working as a Harvey girl she has risen in the ranks from serving girl to head of the waitresses and kitchen staff. She is now able to work behind the scenes where others don’t see her and pity her as she believes they do.

She is angry, bitter and scared.
I enjoyed how each books takes place at the Grand Canyon and involves the Harvey girls but revolves around a different story. I can just imagine the El Tovar Hotel in its heyday. It sounds like it was amazing and the Harvey girls so friendly and charming. It would have been such a joy to dine there. The author does an amazing job of combining fact and fiction with all of her well researched books.


The trials and tribulations the characters go through, some quite a bit more than others kept me reading trying to guess who was responsible and why it was happening.
A slow burn romance, suspense, love, hope, realization, seeing self-worth, faith realized and more kept me flipping through the pages.

Though I am sorry to see this series end, I really enjoyed my time with the Harvey Girls, I am eagerly looking forward to the next book by this author.

Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About The Author

A Mark of Grace finishes the Secret of the Canyon series, and what a finish it is! In typical Kimberley Woodhouse style lush details fill out a story that whisks the reader back to the beginning of the 20th century where the Grand Canyon is the backdrop to a story of mystery, danger, romance, and the truth of God's grace. Kimberley Woodhouse is a master historical writer who brings history into vivid detail. The characters leap off the pages and bring a depth to the story that keeps the reader entranced in the story. With the end of the book, it felt like saying goodbye to new friends. This third installment continues the stories of the Harvey girls working at the crown jewel of the Harvey organization, El Tovar, at the Grand Canyon. After years of training and supporting Harvey girls, Ruth is now the one in need. As she continues healing, everything she worked so hard to obtain feels like it is slipping away. A new job keeps her at the El Tovar but the fun loving and open Ruth puts up walls to protect herself. Now she spends more time in her office than anywhere else, including her beloved Canyon. But trouble is stirring and Ruth is called on to help find what is going on. The numbers aren't adding up and the reason is eluding everyone. As Ruth and the head chef, Frank, pour over the ledgers more problems continue to rise and muddy the situation. Now people are in danger and they are no closer to an answer than when they first started the search. Through all the trials Ruth struggles to see how God is working through her life and how His grace can be enough.
Kimberley Woodhouse has another great story to her credit. She has become a favorite historical author and I always look forward to her next book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a wonderful read. I loved reading the entire series and this book is my favorite. It's a beautifully written story full of love, hope and a mystery to solve. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to stop. I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who is a fan of Historical Christian fiction.
I received a complimentary copy from Kimberley Woodhouse and Bethany House via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this series and this was by far my favorite. Ruth endeared me from book one and I was so excited to hear she was getting her own book! Her faith struggle in this book is so good!

I could not wait to get back to the El Tovar and see what was going on with Ruth in A Mark of Grace. She was mauled by a mountain lion in the last book while saving her friend which we know left her with injuries and later scars and mobility issues but we don't get to finish delving into her story until this book.

Ruth has been a fixture in this whole series. She's solid in her faith and she's always got sound advice for the girls under her charge. Until she doesn't, because she's questioning God and feeling herself drawing away from him with the scars. She can't seem to see past them or the way she can't move as she once did. Ruth sees these as flaws and problems and wants to hide from everyone including her friends.

Because of her injuries she's no longer head waitress but rather in charge of the dining room and kitchen which allows her to stay out of the public eye. She walks with a horrible limp and wears makeup to cover the scar on her face.

And that's just the beginning of the problems that come for Ruth. She's walking her own path as Job as her good friend Frank reminds her to study that book of the Bible.

Things seem to just keep going from bad to worse when the books don't balance and Ruth in is charge of the areas that are the problem. Can she and Frank and the hotel manager figure out what is wrong? Is someone out to sabotage their hotel and them?

I think this book in the series has the most suspense and the most mystery to be solved! We also get to have glimpses into the lives of characters from the first two books and see what their lives are like. I loved it! I was particularly rooting for Frank who has loved Ruth from book one but just didn't know how to go about showing it. You're going to love this book! But please do yourself a favor and read the series in order as you're going to want all the back story that comes from them.

Oh and as always look over your shoulder and double check your addition and maybe don't let an auditor take your deposit to the bank! Anyone intrigued and ready to read yet?!

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.

Although I felt that in some places there were places that kept repeating themselves but other than that it was the best story!
A wonderful finish to this series! So happy that Ruth finally got her own story and what a story!
Fast paced from beginning until the end I loved every minute of it including the mystery part of it.
Reading about the Harvy house girls is my most favorite thing!
I got to visit the El Tovar in 2005 and such a beautiful place! It felt like I was transported back in time
The Grand Canyon is a beautiful place!
I was blessed to get to see it so it felt like I was at home.
5 stars for an excellent writing and well rounded out characters.
I highly recommend this book
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I thought this was the perfect storyline to finish out the series! I really enjoyed learning about Ruth, her story and her help in saving the Harvey empire. These are all such great reads and I learned a lot as well. Ruth is still healing from her injury when all havoc breaks loose at the El Tovar Hotel. She has taken on a lot and now she is asked to try and help get to the bottom of what is happening. Money has begun to disappear, food count and receipts are not lining up, patrons are getting sick, and there are some shady auditors hanging around the hotel. Everyone is on edge and Ruth feels she must work day and night to get to the bottom of what is happening before things get even worse. Someone is leaking all of this information to the newspapers and they are losing business fast as well. Something or someone is behind this all and she puts her head down, and does all she can to work with Frank and Mr. Owen's. Ruth, being pulled in every direction knows that God doesn't give us more than we can handle and often there is a lesson to be learned in all this, so with the help of Frank's wisdom and their sleuthing the two work to try and save El Tovar and find out what the real reason is behind all of this. Thank you to the author for the free novel and allowing me to be on the launch team. I have loved all three books in this series!

Genre: Christian Historical Romance, Inspirational Romance
Location: El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon, Arizona
Time Period: 1909
Romance: Very clean. Light kissing.
Faith: The major and minor characters walked through applying their faith and scripture to their own growth.

Kimberley Woodhouse writes a sad tale about a woman who suffered a personal trauma that left her leg deformed. The author did a good job of portraying the internal struggle, both emotional and spiritual, that a person faces in such circumstances.

Mostly, I liked the romance between Ruth and Frank, although there were times I wanted to knock some sense into Frank and encourage him to take a risk on love. The drama and tension of the antagonist came across well.

The middle part of the story felt repetitive and a little slow to me. Despite that, I was glad I kept reading as the story picked up.

This was the third book in the series and there were a few times I felt lost having not read the previous books. I’m sure if I’d read them in order, the scenes from Julia and Emma’s points of view would have been more meaningful to me. I would strongly encourage readers to start at the beginning of this series to enjoy the story more.

As someone who has lived in Arizona for over twenty years, I enjoyed reading about the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon, a place I’ve visited many times. Woodhouse clearly researched the Harvey House, the setting, and the time, which allowed the reader to experience the rich history of the El Tovar.

I would recommend this book to fans of Christian historical fiction with a touch of romance.


Disclaimer: I requested and received an advanced copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

"A Mark of Grace" is a Christian romance set in 1909 at the Grand Canyon. This is the third book in the series. You can understand this book without reading the previous stories, but these characters exist in the previous novels so you'll better understand them if you read the series in order.

Historical details about what the Grand Canyon and the Harvey Girls were like at that time were woven into the story and brought the story to life. The main characters were complex, likable, and reacted realistically to events. Someone's trying to ruin the El Tovar's reputation, which would cause Ruth and Frank to lose their dream jobs. They're the only ones that their boss trusts enough to help solve who's involved.

Ruth didn't think she cared that she was beautiful until scars marred her face and limited her ability to walk smoothly. Now she won't believe Frank that her facial scars have healed to barely visible and that she's beautiful inside and out to him. She allowed bitterness to fester inside and pride to isolate her, so she's an easy mark when a fancy conman offered her expensive remedies to fix the scarring. Frank did what he could to encourage and help her. He wanted her to understand that she can chose to view her scars as marks of God's grace in that she lived.

Ruth and Frank were both believers who read the Bible. Frank pointed out how Jesus has scars from the cross and isn't ashamed of them. Ruth got her scars when saving another's life. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I recommend this enjoyable historical romance.

A Mark of Grace is the third book in Kimberley Woodhouse's series, Secrets of the Canyon. Ruth is the heroine. She struggles with scars that she received saving her friend (in book 2!). She withdraws and hides herself away.

Frank has loved Ruth for years. He tries to encourage her through their friendship. Mysterious issues and problems begin to plague the Harvey House where they work. Frank and Ruth work together to try to solve the mystery before anyone gets hurt.

I have loved this series! Kimberley Woodhouse weaves a beautiful tale of love, mystery, and hope. It was hard to put down. I was able to finish it, even while preparing for Christmas with 5 kids!

A Mark of Grace by Kimberley Woodhouse is Ruth Anniston’s story. If readers are familiar with the other stories in this series, Ruth is the head waitress at El Tovar. After an unfortunate accident, Ruth has a little depression to handle and deal with. Woodhouse’s writing style is nicely done. She writes with such fluidness and accuracy that I forget that I am reading a story that took place over a hundred years ago. The plot is a little mysterious with a touch of realism. Readers will enjoy the hunt for what is actually happening to El Tovar. Who is doing all the damage to their building and their reputation? A nice twist to a historical romance story. Speaking of romance, the romance between Ruth and Frank Henderson comes to a head in this volume. Nothing too over the top. Just enough to see the sparks fly. But of course, what would any type of romance if something did not get in the way and made this romance veer off course. Overall, A Mark of Grace by Kimberley Woodhouse was not a book that I typically pick up to read, but since I downloaded A Deep Divide in December when the ebook copy was on sale and enjoyed it, I choose to read this novel too. A nicely handled and well told story. A delight to spend time with.

I received a complimentary copy ofA Mark of GracebyKimberley Woodhousefrom Bethany HousePublishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

I enjoyed this series and how everything fit together. I’ve always enjoyed reading about the Harvey girls and especially enjoyed that aspect of this series.

There have been few books that have been as disappointing for me as this one. From the very beginning, the reader knows who the romantic couple is, who the bad guys are, and very quickly, how the bad guys were going to get caught. There wasn't a lot of guess work for the reader. It was less than satisfying to read this book.

Ruth Anniston had been attacked by a mountain lion in an effort to save one of her Harvey Girl waitresses. She bears scars on her face and her leg. Frank Henderson is the head chef at the El Tovar Harvey House and he is in love with Ruth.

When discrepancies start showing up in the books for the El Tovar, Mr. Owens asks Ruth and Frank to find where the money is going. They spend all their spare time together to try to piece out the mystery. Oliver Benton has a vendetta against Fred Harvey, who has passed on by this time, but Oliver wants to bring down the Harvey House empire. He enlists Howard, a chef, to infiltrate El Tovar and shortchange the supplies, cook the books, and embezzle from the restaurant.

All of this is revealed in the first quarter of the book. The rest of it meanders toward the ultimate ending of bringing down the bad guys, Ruth and Frank getting together, and the Harvey House is saved.

I've read a couple of Kimberley Woodhouse's other books and found them to be much more interesting than this one. This is the final book of the series and to me it feels like she was just trying to get through the series to move on to bigger and better things. Someone else may love this book and find it more engaging. This is just how the book struck me. It just missed the mark for me.

Two Stars

Bethany House Publishing provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A MARK OF GRACE is the final novel in the Serrets of the Canyon series by KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE, but it can easily stand alone. The story takes place at the El Tovar Harvey Hotel at the Grand Canyon where Ruth Anniston, the head waitress, who had been mauled by a mountain lion, is given work to do behind the scenes because everything at the hotel, including the waitresses, has to look perfect.
When rhe manager, Mr Owens, asked Ruth to work overtime with the head chef Frank Henderson to try and find out who is stealing money from the hotel, there is suspicion and intrigue. Nothing is as it seems….
I like the way the author describes Ruth’s feelings of inadequacy, seeing herself as an ugly cripple, and wondering what other people think of her. It is when she is reminded that God’s grace is sufficient, and “grace plus nothing” is all that is necessary, that her faith in God and sense of self worth return.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

“Don’t put limits on God, Ruth. His timing is always perfect.”

What a wonderful book! It’s a shame I hadn’t read books 1 and 2 in the series, but despite my oversight, I didn’t struggle to enjoy this book. Once I discovered my mistake, I Googled the setting so that I could appreciate the book better. I always know that if I can visualize it, the book can run like a movie in my head while I’m reading. The El Tovar Grand Canyon Hotel must have been an amazing place to be in the early 1900s. Woodhouse’s book does it justice.

Despite coming in late to the series, I instantly fell in love with the characters. They were relatable people in the process of overcoming what would seem to be insurmountable circumstances and were open enough to discover things about themselves that they might not have had the chance to if circumstances were different. Woodhouse wrote to showcase God’s divine plan through the experiences of her characters. It brought me to tears how much I identified with Ruth Anniston. I felt her angst at questioning God, her hopelessness at feeling ‘stuck’ in life, her guilt at feeling impatient with God and her disappointment that her pride had stepped in between her and God. I felt her struggle in every chapter. It really hit home when I read about her struggles with being ‘normal’ and how it takes on a different meaning depending on what circumstance we find ourselves in. What I appreciated the most was that when things got difficult for Ruth, it caused her to delve deeper into God’s love. We could all learn a lesson from this. If we could only have the foresight and understanding that we can leave it in His hands and allow Him to take away all the hurt and our struggles and turn it into something beautiful!

Woodhouse’s exploration of the history and culture of the area and times was fantastic and led me to Google to find out more about the Harvey House empire.

I loved the title and how it ties together Ruth’s accident and God’s love.

This wonderful story captivated, entertained, inspired, and convicted me and I can’t wait to tell others about it.

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

A Mark of Grace is Kimberley Woodhouse's latest book. She is a new author to me and this is book three of the Secrets of the Canyon series. It is written in such a way that it worked well as a.stand alone. The book opens with Ruth Anniston having a discussion with her adoptive parents. She is twenty and doesn't want to settle down and marry especially without love. She wants to go to the El Tovar Hotel near the Grand Canyon to work as a Harvey girl. Her parents reluctantly give in and she gets her wish. She works her way up from a waitress to the head waitress in charge of the dining room and the other girls. She is quite content until a serious accident befalls her and she is attacked by a mountain lion. Her face is scarred, her leg badly injured and her confidence destoyed. There is a ruggedly handsome head chef who has been in love with her for quite some time but she has become so withdrawn that he is afraid to declare himself because she'll think he pities her. I really don't like to give away too much plot, but let's just say that mysterious things start happening at the hotel. Ruth and the head chef Frank are assigned to try to solve the problems. There are many dangerous situations to be reckoned with. This is a real page turner and what I took away from it was 'grace plus nothing.' There's nothing we can do to be good enough. Some flaws are physical, some emotional. The book will be released January 3, 2023 but can be pre-ordered on Amazon or Baker House Publishing. I definitely plan to read more books by her. I received this ARC through the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A Mark of Grace
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Pub Date: Jan.3, 2022
Bethany House Publishers
Thanks to the author, publishers, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Woodhouse is an excellent writer and I have enjoyed all of the books I have read by her. This is the conclusion to the series and it is soo good!
Summary: When everything crumbles, her chance for a new beginning hangs in the balance.

Ruth Anniston survived an injury that left her physically scarred, broken, and angry at God. Now, she finds herself working behind the scenes as a kitchen and dining room supervisor at the El Tovar Hotel, hidden away from curious eyes and with little hope of finding love. When money begins to disappear from the hotel, Ruth's entire livelihood is put at risk when she lands on the list of suspects.

Frank Henderson has at last succeeded in obtaining his dream job as head chef at the El Tovar. But competition in the kitchen is fierce, and one mistake could cost him his future. As the thefts at the hotel continue, and his affection for Ruth grows, Frank's career--and his heart--are in jeopardy. I highly recommend reading the entire series. 5 stars