Pure pleasure read on this story. Not high literature or even honestly that realistic--but Tracie managed to sell me on the story being believable for these characters in particular, even though I'd have liked another 100 pages or so to bring more depth to the characters. 4 POVs in not-quite 300 pages is a stretch for getting to know them all super well.

I absolutely loved the premise. Finding out someone's alive because of a photo? And then realizing they could have vanished anywhere, in pre-internet days? Wow! That would indeed be a stressful thing to deal with.

I'd have preferred less rushing of the ending, and skipping <spoiler>the whole "forbid the marriage" thing with her parents felt more like extra drama/distraction than anything and bugged me </spoiler>. Anyway, I think it would have hit five stars if there had been at least 50 more pages!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I received a complimentary copy and this review is entirely my own.
I found this one harder to get interested in, I love Tracie Peterson and her writings, but this was slow moving.

I really liked and enjoyed the characters in this book. I thought the romance was quick, but it did flow well with the storyline. I loved the setting! The historical information woven throughout the story was informative and interesting! The writing, as always with a Tracie Peterson book, was excellent and easy to read. If you like historical Christian fiction, this book and series are a must read!

Very similar to the first book yet entirely different. You don't think of the evil people who attend events like the Expo in Seattle 1909. This continuation is a wonderful story of Eleanor who is there to work with a camera at the Expo until the event is over, but loves botany. She meets a botanist also working there, who had been living in Alaska and had recently been on a ship that sank getting to Seattle. There the plot thickens and it's hard to put it down. Characters you'd like to know. Strong lessons of faith. Excellent story.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#FindingUs #NetGalley #TraciePeterson #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethenyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

This books sounded so interesting, but I found it harder to read than most of Peterson's other works. It took me a while to get into the book, but once I did it was a good story. It took me some time to feel the story and finish it.

This is book 2 in the Pictures of the heart series, I feel it is a stand alone book, however you do miss some history of the town and some of the sub characters, but you will have no issue keeping up. We met Eleanor Bennet in book one, Remember Me, however this book we focus on her. William & Wallace Reed have suffered a lot, yet when Eleanor discovers some hidden secrets and a love that is when the story really develops. I look forward to reading more about the characters we met in this book as the series continues. I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

A Story That Will Tug At Your Heartstrings!

From the moment I began reading I was swept into this story. I had a hard time getting anything done. I went through so many emotions and my husband more than once asked if I was talking to him because I must have been muttering to the characters! Haha!

I can’t wait for the next book in the series KNOWING YOU on November 7, 2023!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

As much as I wanted to love this, it fell just a bit short. I thought the characters were kind of flat, and I just can’t get into a story where I’m not connecting.

This is the second book in the Pictures of the Heart series - it was easily a stand alone book. I haven't read the first book, but after reading this one I plan to go back and read it! It's a very intriguing mystery with great characters.

This series revolves around the Brownie camera girls during the Seattle Exposition. Eleanor goes to the Expo daily to drum up sales of the new Brownie camera buy taking family photographs. She takes a photo of a hauntingly beautiful widow and her young son - and they stick in her mind long after the photo. Meanwhile, she meets Bill, an Alaskan botanist that is there at the Expo teaching about the Alaskan flora and land. A chance meeting starts up a romance. Bill had written a book that was to be published, but lost it when the ferry he, his brother and sister-in-law were taking sank. He also lost his sister-in-law that day....or so it was believed. His brother was a preacher that is down on God and inconsolable in his grief. Bill is trying to do anything to help Wallace, when he mentions it to Eleanor and she recalls the mysterious widow.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Alright guys, you know I love me some Tracie Peterson books. I devour all her work, and lots of it gets rereads because it's just so good. Finding Us was a good book. I did thoroughly enjoy the characters. The setting was nice. (I realllllllly wanted to be able to go to Alaska with them though. I love her Alaska books the best.) The concept was cool, considering I had never heard of the event that the book is centered around, and old time photography is always fun to read about. I will say that the pacing on this book was hard for me. I felt like everything was moving so fast, and at times it felt forced. I mean, the main characters are basically ready for marriage by chapter three. Also, the situation with the sister-in-law was extremely reminiscent of an incident that occurred with Miranda during the Yukon Quest series. It was a quick read, and an enjoyable one. Maybe not one I would put on my consistent reread list, but there were parts that I would really like to read back over and savor. Overall, yes I recommend it, but I would recommend others of her work more.

I enjoy reading historical fiction. Most of you know who are readers of Tracy Peterson’s books that she truly writes stories that touches your heart. Finding Us is certainly one of them. We revisit some former characters but this is definitely a standalone book. In the book we read about mental illness, revenge some violence, betrayal and of course always in Peterson’s books, God’s love and faithfulness to those who are faithful to Him. I can definitely recommend this book to lovers of Christian Historical fiction…Thanks to the publisher, Bethany House (a division of Baker Books) for providing a complimentary review copy and I am happy to leave my review.

This is an amazing love story filled with hope, faith, and a few twists and turns. I loved the way Tracie Peterson allowed the reader to explore Alaska and Seattle with the descriptions of the setting and the scenery in the story. I felt like this was two love stories in one as both bothers, Walley and Bill, dealt with their own relationships through out the story. I also enjoyed the way Peterson kept us enthralled by allowing the story to change directions just when you thought things were going to play out in a certain way. I highly recommend this story to anyone that enjoys a reading about couple that allow their faith and love in God to direct their lives.
Thanks to Net Galley and Bethany House for the readers galley in return for and honest review of this book.

Finding Us is a sweet romance with a little hidden grit. The sweetness of the story left me unprepared for the darkness of the antagonist! There are multiple story lines and a sub-plot with evidence of God’s love and provision even when we are angry and turn away from Him. This is a great read for most ages!

Finding Us

Excellent! It was a complicated story that came together. Well written Christian book.

this was a sweet book and i enjoyed the overall message of it, but it was really hard to get into and stay invested. i wish there had been more build up in the romance between Eleanor and Bill and more character development. i also thought Bill was harsh at times towards his brother and didn’t allow him to grieve his wife. the best part of this book was the suspense aspect which kept me going.

thank you to bethany house for the gifted book. my thoughts are my own.

Finding Us
by Tracie Peterson
Pub Date 25 Jul 2023
Bethany House,Bethany House Publishers
Christian| Historical Fiction| Romance


Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Finding Us for review:



At an exposition in Seattle in 1909, Camera Girl Eleanor Bennett snaps a photograph of a woman in widow's clothes holding a young infant with deep sorrow etched in her expression.



Eleanor longs to study botany at the University of Washington, but she cannot stop thinking about the widow in the photograph. Bill recognizes the woman as his sister-in-law, whom he believed lost in a shipwreck.


Eleanor and Bill must stand together to deal with the danger that follows and learn to trust God to guide their paths as they hunt for Amelia Reed to reunite her with her grieving husband.   



I give Finding Us five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Another wonderful book from one of my favorite authors. This is the second book in the Pictures of the Heart series and I can’t wait to read the final book to see how the series ends.

This book touches on revenge, mental illness, and loss. But, things are not always as they seem because what is lost can sometimes be found again.

Even though Eleanore and Bill’s relationship progressed quickly, they were definitely meant for each other. I would have loved more of an epilogue to find out what happened once Eleanore and Bill’s family made it back to Alaska. Hopefully that will be touched on in the next book.

This is a series I would definitely recommend. I was provided a copy of the book from the author/publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

Bill Reed and his brother Wallace, have recently lost Wallace’s wife and unborn baby to the sea after a storm on their trip over from Alaska. Wallace is completely overcome with grief that he loses faith in God. Bill is trying his best to comfort him. While in Seattle, he meets Eleanor, who is a camera girl. She shares his love of botany and they hit it off. She helps him type a manuscript and as they work together and spend time together they grow close. Eleanor is doing her job as a camera girl when she sees a woman who looks very sad with a young baby. She offers to take her picture and later Bill sees it and recognizes her as his sister-in-law. How can that be?

This is the second book in the series. I loved this book! I loved the faith elements in this story! They were so strong and at the forefront. I got great encouragement through Wallace’s struggles with trusting God, the things the characters said to comfort him and show God and scripture to him was very powerful! I also really liked both of the main characters! And also the secondary ones! The bad guy is really bad. (See content below) overall this is a terrific story and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content: beating and killing of a woman (talk of blood)

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book! The plot was very engaging, and it was so much fun watching all the pieces come together for a happy ending for everyone. I also really enjoyed getting to visit the characters from the first book in this series, Remember Me. I loved how they continued to invest in the lives of the characters from this book. Looking forward to more stories about the Seattle World's Fair and these lovely Brownie Girls!

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

This was a spectacular second entry in the Pictures of the Heart series. The mystery was especially good for how the widow came into play. I was so intrigued from the prologue but kept hooked by each new chapter because of the twists and turns I didn’t always see coming. The Brownie Camera and Camera Girl angle was just as fun in this book as its predecessor. I also really enjoyed the botanist/writer aspect. The exposition was well written and realistic. There was such a sweet romance and a manipulative baddie who was somewhat psycho, but it was especially fun that there was a cute baby. I loved that this was an emotional story and enjoyed the fast but lasting love that bloomed from early on.

The only disappointment was that a profane word was used twice.

Content: two profanities, alcohol and drunkenness