I enjoyed Anna's story and how she worked as an artist in archaeology. The relationship between her and her dad was beautifully written. As she's working along side her dad, he former beau Joshua comes home. The story follows their relationship and the will they or won't they get back together. But the story is also riddled with certain dangers, which frankly, I wasn't expecting and that threw me off a little. Anna made some decisions I found difficult to believe since she is an intelligent woman. I will say, Woodhouse did her homework on archaeology and has added in lots of good info on how Anna worked in a man's field and how scientists gathered information. This is book one in a series. I received a free copy with no expectations. Opinions are my own.

The Secrets Beneath
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Publisher: Bethany House Publishing
Series: Treasures of the Earth, Book 1
Rated: 4
Obtain: Borrow
Back of the Book: “Some secrets can only stay buried for so long. . . .
Anna Lakeman has spent her life working alongside her paleontologist father, drawing intricate sketches at every dig. When they find dinosaur bones near their home in Wyoming Territory, they're given the opportunity of a lifetime and are swiftly caught up in the competitive era of the Bone Wars. But after her father becomes sick and Joshua Ziegler, an old beau, returns for the summer, Anna's world is upended, and the practical, orderly life she has made for herself shatters.
Medical student Joshua Ziegler left his hometown to forget Anna, the one woman he truly loved and deeply hurt. But when he returns, time hasn't erased the feelings they've always had for each other. After Joshua's nephew goes missing--just like his sister did years ago--and Anna's job is threatened, tensions mount and dangerous secrets are unearthed.”

Impressions: This was a fast-paced historical romance with a mystery brewing along the way. I found the characters to be interesting however a bit immature at times. The plot was easy to follow and the ending was unexpected in a good way. Although the book summary puts emphasis on the Bone Wars I found there to be only hints of this intertwined into the story.

Quotes: “I don’t know why the good Lord is allowing us to go through another trial like this, but I’m going to rest in Him.”

“It’s the first day. You have to start before you can finish.”

“Like I said, I needed to be educated. Ignorance almost always leads to fear.”

“If he left Anna and their relationship in God’s hands, all would be fine. God had brought them together. He would sustain them.”

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

Wow! I was sucked in from the very first line of the book. I stayed up past my bedtime and finished the book in a day. I even read in the drive away. My husband said, "Did you just pull out your kindle in the drive away?". I just had to keep reading!

@kimberleywoodhouse did an amazing job interweaving love, family, science, women empowerment and the darkness some humans carry inside. I learned so much in this book about paleontology that I just did not know. I now have more books to add to my TBR so I can learn about the Bone Wars.

Five stars all the way

Historical fiction about a young woman helping her archeologist father uncover dinosaur bones, while she faces the return of her former boyfriend and tries to befriend a troubled neighbor.

DNF at 71%

I'm starting to wonder if this genre isn't for me or if the selection is severely lacking. Honestly, this is about 2 1/2 stars for me.

The sentence that made me say no more...

“...that kiss . . . well, that brought the fire of passion inside me to a roar.”

Imaging eating a lemon like an apple. That's what my face looked like for most of this book. Honestly, I'd rather eat the lemon.

The character Julian had the most depth and The research into paleontology in the 1900s was well done.

The writing style and dialogue is what really killed this for me. Oh and Joshua is an ass. The writing felt juvenile and corny. Don't even get me started on the annoying romance and how the plot could have so much happening and yet still make me fall asleep. The only redeeming sections were the paleontology and Julian.

The Treasures of the Earth series is off to a roaring start with The Secrets Beneath! With an intriguing paleontology backdrop, this expertly crafted story captured my attention from the beginning and kept me immersed for its entirety. Set in the late 1800s in the Wyoming Territory, the multi-layered plot flows smoothly as it twists and turns to a satisfying ending. Wonderfully created, memorable characters compellingly captured my heart and imagination. I love the way the second chance romance between Anna and Joshua unfolds as they face adverse circumstances. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley with no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Secrets Beneath is the first book in Kimberley Woodhouse’s latest historical fiction series Treasure of the Earth. Anna Lakeman and her father discover dinosaur bones after a flash flood in Wyoming territory in the late 1800’s. Anna is trying to get the respect she deserves in the field of paleontology which has always been a male dominated field. Kimberley’s novel has been well researched and represents the time, place, and history during The Great Dinosaur Rush (Bone Wars). Her characters are real and dimensional. The plot has it all—mystery, adventure, and romance. I am looking forward to reading the other two books in this series. Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book for my honest review.

I am already a major Kimberley Woodhouse fan--I even follow and chat with her periodically on Facebook. But when I found out she was writing a book series that takes place during the Dinosaur Wars? I was all in! Female paleotonigist? Yes please!

The Secrets Beneath is the first book in the new series. This book takes place in Wyoming in fictional Walker Creek. The book centers around three people: Anna, Joshua, and Julian. Anna is the lead female--she is a talented artist who travels all over with the her scientist father who is a recognized paleotoligist. He loves to hunt for the bones and has shared his passion with Anna. She too loves the hunt and enjoys capturing the find on her paper. She would love to get more recognition for her efforts--but women in science in general are struggling for any recognition. But her father gives her as much credit as he can.

After they return home from their travels, a big 100 year flash flood occurs and in doing so, it rips open the gully of the river and low and behold---BONES! Dinosaur bones to be exact. Right here in her own hometown. But, its on the property of their neighbor--Julian Walker. Julian is an odd man who has lived a life of abuse at the hand of his nasty father. But, Anna has hope that Julian will allow them the access they need.

Meanwhile, Joshua--Anna's former almost fiance--returns home for the summer to visit his family before he completes his final time at medical school. He hopes to reconnect with Anna and apologize for their falling out years ago and maybe just maybe rekindle their relationship since he's just as in love with her now as he always was.

And Julian. Julian is a tormented young man. Robbed of his mother when just a boy, he's been left to live with his highly volatile abusive father with no one to protect him except his brother Damian. If only he could find a way to keep the darkness from taking his mind away. He knows that the darkness will lead him on a path of his father, and he owes it to his mother to prevent that. He is a pivotal character in this story...

The title The Secrets Beneath begins to make even more sense once you get midway through the book for it's more than just dinosaur bones that are being revealed.

I enjoyed this story and the big BAM moment at the end caught me off guard even though I had a tinkling of a feeling earlier in the book.

A solid read. 4 Stars. Can't wait for book #2!

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGAlley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all my opinions are 100% my own.

The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse has taken me on a dino-dig filled with adventure, heartache and surprises. The author kept me glued to this book from the first page to the last.

I loved the dinosaur element in this book. Not only do we learn about paleontology, but we get to experience it from a woman's point of view. My daughter is an animator who loves dinosaurs, so I was constantly picturing her as Anna while this story unfolded.

Anna Lakeman had the perfect amount of frustration over men who think women can't do what they do. In this case, it was drawing detailed pictures of the bones Anna found at the dig site. While it may seem absurd that men thought they could draw better than women, this arrogance continued even when Walt Disney set up his studios.

The relationship between Anna and Joshua seems to rely on Anna being able to hold her tongue and mind her temper. The theme of forgiveness plays heavily into this book, with Anna needing to ask for forgiveness from Joshua more than once. Joshua seems like the perfect man who is more than a little intimidated by Anna. His fear of telling her how he really feels and her assumptions as to what he feels often made it seem like this couple didn't stand a chance. Proving that communication is the key to any relationship.

The theme of loving others as God loves us was also present. Anna tried her best to befriend Julian (a neighbour everyone thought of as "odd") in memory of her best friend, who also befriended Julian when no one else would. The surprising turn of events where Julian is concerned will keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning.

This is a book that I found hard to put down. I hope we get to follow Anna to more "dino-digs" in future books. I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House through NetGalley. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

Oh my! Is there any novel that Kimberley Woodhouse can NOT write? The Secrets Beneath deals with paleontology, a science that isn't without controversy. Dealing with the science from a Christian perspective takes a lot of finesse, but Woodhouse did it brilliantly.

Not only was her research outstanding, but her character development was so realistic. The main character Anna finding her way in a field relegated to men only, Julian dealing with issues from his childhood and an abusive father, Anna's forgiveness of Joshua having been gone for three years to medical school without contacting her, Anna's father's medical emergency, disappearing family members hundred-year floods. Dangers around every corner.

Such a great work and page-turner. Releases Sept. 26th.

A copy was provided for my review, but all opinions are my own.

I was so excited to read The Secrets Beneath and I was not disappointed!! It had dinosaurs, romance, mystery and a touch of creepy! I loved it!

The Secrets Beneath
Women years ago had to prove they were as capable as men in fields where men only had been the norm. Fascinating to think of the daughter of a paleontologist struggling to prove she was capable when her father becomes ill. This novel takes place in the area near the Wyoming Territory, during the era of the “Bone wars” while men were attempting trying to find more dinosaur bones than other paleontologists in the late 1800’s. This is a story of mystery, adventure, secrets, misunderstandings, and romance. There are actual excerpts from a journal of a leading paleontologist of the time. I enjoyed this glimpse into the history of the discovery of dinosaur bones, and how men fought over the rights to dig and uncover these bones. Thanks to #NetGalley, #Kimberley Woodhouse and #Bethany House for an opportunity to review this exciting story. This book will be available September 26th.

The Secrets Beneath
By Kimberly Woodhouse
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
Christian fiction, historical fiction
Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Excellent book about a woman of faith and science. Anna Lakeman makes her mark in paleontology. The author’s research was thorough. Readers of Woodhouse will enjoy this book.
5 stars

THE SECRETS BENEATH is the first novel in the Treasures of the Earth series by KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE. The story takes place in Walker Creek, Wyoming, in 1879, at the time of the Great Dinosaur Rush and the Bone Wars. Peter Lakeman, an avid paleontologist, and his artistic daughter Anna, find dinosaur fossils on Julian Walker’s property, after a flash flood reveals a huge fossilized skeleton in the rock face.
Joshua Ziegler comes home after three years away at medical school in Chicago to see his family and also hopefully to make up with Anna, with whom he has been in love since he was very young.They parted on bad terms with a disagreement which left them both hurt. Will the letters Joshua brings with him, that he never posted, turn Anna’s heart towards him again?……
There is another flash flood that reveals more secrets and leads to nail biting suspense……
I am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil things for you.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This was a different & intriguing book. There were mysteries, suspense, paleontology, romance, & Christian themes.

Anna is a sweet girl who helps her paleontologist father by sketching their finds. When a storm reveals something special, they set to work after getting permission from Julian Walker, a troubled man.

Joshua Ziegler comes home for a visit from med school. He longs to recapture the relationship he had with Anna, but she’s wary. He helps her on the dig so he can be closer to her.

I don’t want to spoil it but be prepared for twists & turns. I could hardly wait to see what happened next. I’m definitely hooked on this series; I’m looking forward to the next book.

This is my honest review in exchange for an ARC from LibraryThing. Thank you!

This novel really has it all - action, intrigue, suspense, and romance. I love the paleontology aspect and the intersection of science and faith. I didn't know much (anything, really) about the bone wars -- what a fascinating time in history! Anna and Joshua are well-crafted characters on exciting journeys. Because not everything was resolved in this novel, I'm assuming there will be a second book in the series and I look forward to reading it.

My Thoughts:
The Secrets Beneath by Kimberly Woodhouse is a unique story. With Paleontology as the main story thread, I have never seen this is a story. At least, not in the Christian fiction market. The story was well-written with plenty of intrigue, romance, and action to keep the story alive. The one character that I really felt bad for was Julian. I kept wanting to see what would happen to him. Since I read a lot of suspense novels, I had a pretty good idea where his part of the story would end up. I would have liked to have seen what the end result of the archaeological dig that Joshua and Anna worked on through the whole story would have shown. Unless Woodhouse plans to keep working on this same dig site in the second novel, it would have been nice to see the final discovery or the article with Anna’s pictures and names on them in a magazine. Overall, The Secrets Beneath by Kimberly Woodhouse was different, thrilling, and had hints of romance to round out a nicely handled story.

I received a complimentary copy of The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.