If you love movies such as Night at the Museum, National Treasure or Charlie’s Angels you’ll love The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry! A wonderful contemporary mystery around a rumoured copy of Lewis Carroll's handwritten and illustrated manuscript Alice's Adventures Under Ground, has three women out on a mission to find this book for their mysterious employer.

As the second book in the Treasures of Halstead Manor series, The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry can be read as a stand-alone, but I did feel there were gaps in understanding the dynamics between Natalie and her two treasure seeking friends. As well as in the time travelling backstory that centres around Luciana Perez in Spain. While it was obvious this storyline was necessary to glean the puzzle pieces regarding the treasure the team is chasing, it wasn’t always clear having not read the first book.

Natalie and Mason are polar opposites who fell in love in high school but as empty nesters, have lost their way due to the busyness of life and complacency. As they uncover the cracks that have driven them apart and correct the long-standing misconceptions fed by insecurity, their love and appreciation is rekindled, acting as beautiful reminder of God's desire and design for relationships.

Specifically about The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry: I enjoyed the rekindled romance between a married couple. It was even angsty!

About the Treasures of Halstead Manor series in general: This series is so fun and so unique! I love the cast of characters, the mysteries are amazing, and I'm living vicariously through the world travel! They're contemporary stories with a mystery surrounding a family heirloom/historical item. There's family, friendship and romance! Highly recommended!

I was excited to spend time with these characters again. I especially wanted to find out what would happen to Natalie’s book loving heart and her marriage. The whole adventure lent itself to restoration. I enjoyed the travels and all the details included with each city they visited to hunt down the treasured book. Of course, all the book references made for extra fun. I appreciated the author’s insight and thought provoking questions regarding relationships and life in general. So many things that I want to remember. All I can say is that Tuttle’s story more than satisfied. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Page turner is the keyword for this adventurous story. The book has intriguing mysteries and adventures for the characters. You will find an empty nest couple wondering if they still have anything in common. Should they go their separate ways, or is there still a spark left to start a fire? I enjoyed the hunt and pursuit of a valuable treasure. Grab a copy and read for yourself the adventures of Natalie Daughtry.

I received a copy of this book and have given my honest opinion of the story I read.

"We're regular Indiana Joneses."

This book was such a fun mystery! As a new-to-me author, Susan L. Tuttle’s writing completely pulled me in. I loved unraveling the clues alongside Natalie and her friends—it had a bit of a Charlie’s Angels vibe, which made the adventure even more exciting!

The second-chance romance between a married couple was so refreshing to read. There are discussions of intimacy and a few fade-to-black scenes (without explicit details), but at its heart, this story explores what it means to fight for a marriage and ‘keep the weeds out’ to keep a marriage strong and remove unnecessary distractions.

I loved the bookish facts and details for well loved classic tales that came throughout like little easter eggs. I loved the locations and the adventure of being taken to destinations like France and Boston, MA.

Overall, if you love adventure, bookish fun and a second chance romance-I think you'd love this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Content/Trigger: relationship healing, multiple references to intimacy between a married couple as well as fade to black scenes, murder, mild peril, violence and suspense.

I am in love with this book. Mystery, romance, faith, literature references, this book was perfection.

The references to classic children’s literature were such fun moments throughout the novel that caused me to reminisce of my own journey as a reader.

The mystery was just the right touch of puzzles and problems without being scary or creepy.

But by far, my favorite parts of this book involved Natalie and Mason’s marriage… especially when their shared faith took center stage. So often romances in books are in the early stages of romance. As a married woman, I appreciated the romance being focused on a marriage that had already lasted 20 plus years and found so much of the story encouraged me in my marriage.

This is a book I will be mulling over for weeks to come in the back of my mind… not just the mystery and story telling, but the real to life relationships portrayed, the faith elements shared, and the authenticity of the characters.

You should definitely grab a copy when it releases March 18th! And if you haven’t read book one in the series, The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton, you’ll want to start there while you wait for book two to release. This is a continuation of what was started in the first book.

My only complaint is that I have to wait for book three!

📖 Marriage
📖 Faith-Based
📖 Second Chances
📖 Literature Themes
📖 Puzzling Mystery
📖 Swoon Worthy Kisses

Thank you to NetGalley and Susan L. Tuttle for providing me with an ebook copy. Also, thank you so much to Susan and Kregel Publications for providing me with a physical copy of this extraordinary book! If you’re looking for a high stakes, mysterious, romance-filled story that centers around classic literature, this novel is exceptional. You can preorder now or buy a copy on March 18th. If you loved the 39 Clues as a young reader, this one feels like the adult version of that!

In this exciting mystery, Susan L. Tuttle incorporates faith themes shown through the breaking marriage of Mason and Natalie. She shows how God can transform and heal inner wounds and fears. Also, she highlights God’s beautiful design and heart for marriage.

I LOVED the bookish mystery. I mean what kind of bookworm would I be if I didn’t LOL?! I thoroughly enjoyed the bookish places, artifacts, and overall classical literature theme of the story. Ahhh, I couldn’t get enough.

Next, I adored the found family shown in this story. From Gertie to Brooke to Natalie (and all the others), Susan masterfully handles a variety of characters and makes them unique. I can’t wait to read more about this in the other books. It warmed my heart. If you like mystery shows where a group, which doubles as a family, solves crimes, you’ll enjoy this story!

I liked how Susan gave a voice to those who struggle with family drama/tension. Through this book, she shows that not all families are perfect. She also creates GREAT intrigue through this portion of Natalie’s story. I was most certainly hooked.

Finally, Mason and Natalie’s romance was so beautiful. From their vulnerable moments to their VERY swoony moments, Susan shows the priceless nature of a marital bond. I was touched and blushing at the same time 😉 Susan also creates a fun, jovial friendship between the married couple, which was so hilarious and sweet.

This story touched me, intrigued me, and hooked me. Absolutely recommend!

Happy reading,
Bethany the Bookworm Girl

Author Susan L. Tuttle has written an absolutely delightful story in her novel, The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry. Filled with mystery and adventure as a man and a woman with a struggling marriage travel the world together to find a missing treasure. Readers will also enjoy the slight integration of a dual timeline. Although a second in a series, this book can be read as a standalone. Another excellent story that readers will not want to put down.

I love this series!! Mystery and a bit of romance, just fun all around!

This second book was just as fun as the first one, and I loved getting to spend more time with these characters. As a book lover myself, the hunt for this treasured, one-of-a-kind manuscript was so fun to read about.

I also liked getting to know Natalie better, seeing the relationship between her and her husband..... well. I guess I'll leave that there for now, I sure don't want to give spoilers! I will say this - I find it refreshing to read about marriages that have stood the test of time. And also find it realistic to read about the struggles that one faces in a long-time marriage.

This book is suspense filled, has a treasure hunt, and great characters! What more could you want?!

I highly recommend and look forward to more of this series!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A Book About Books? Yes! Please! Susan L. Tuttle Has Done It Again! I Loved Every Aspect Of This Second Book In The Trilogy. From The Marriage On The Rocks, The Adventures, The Surprises, The Unique Places They Ended Up In Their Quest To Find The Priceless Manuscript, The Mystery & Some Suspense & The Quirky People They Encountered Along The Way! It Left Me Salivating For The Next Novel! Come On Susan! I Love Your Writing Skills & The Artistry You Weave Throughout Your Novels! Chef’s “Kiss”!

My Review Is Totally My Own Opinion & No One Twisted My Arm To Give It! Thankful For The Opportunity To Encourage Others To Read A Well Written Work Of Art!

I couldn't put it down! I loved "The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton", and "The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry" is another fantastic, contemporary, page-turning story of friendship, history, mystery, romance, and faith that you do not want to miss!! The reader will enjoy the search for a rare book, the travels, the working on a relationship that got off track, and all the clues along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed Natalie's story, and I am so looking forward to Brooke's story.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry, and highly recommend this book and this series!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

If you haven't read the first book in this series you need to so you can go ahead and grab this one! I love that the story continues from the first book in the aspect that now we are getting to know Natalie better but these ladies are still together a la Charlie's Angels style and trying to solve a mystery while also learning about themselves in the process.

Natalie is a wife who is struggling with having an empty nest and not knowing who she really is anymore. She married her college sweetheart and has built a life in which she has put others first and she feels like somewhere along the line the love she shared with her husband has dwindled and yearns for a reconnection once again.
Mason is clueless on how or where things have gone wrong. He questions himself on how they go to this point and he also doesn't want to lose what is the most important person to him. Despite his desire to go after his dream he doesn't want to do that if she is not by his side.

Let's pause here really quick because I absolutely loved that Susan Tuttle has written characters that are essentially around my age and although I still have younger kiddos at home and I am not an empty nester quite yet I loved that there was a stable married couple and not a younger couple that has just married or something like that. Now don't get me wrong I do love reading stories about people falling in love for the first time and being young and carefree but once in a while its nice to have characters that are more relatable to your stage of life.

Okay back to the review, I said all that too because the marriage component of this story is a big part of the plot of the story and where the storyline heads. I love how they both discover how they go to this point and how to work on returning to what they once had and making it even better. The mystery of this book was great. I kept turning the pages wanting to know where and when they were going to locate the lost book. The journey in finding it was not smooth by any means but it definitely made the storyline one that was enjoyable to read. Oh and the locations were perfection. I wanted to visit every one of these magical book locations such as Beauty and the Beast town and Peter Pan's garden in Scotland. Book me a ticket please!

I am really enjoying this series and I can't wait to read the next book and find out about Brooke! If you enjoy adventure, beautiful settings, mystery and characters that are relatable plus a faith thread that emphasizes that our hope truly lies in Jesus then you definitely need to add this book and her first one to your list!

I received a copy of this book for review. All views expressed are my own.

Finally empty nesters, Natalie and Mason's marriage is on the rocks. Natalie is glad she has her work to provide a distraction from the sad fact that he cares more about his career than about her - and when her job involves finding a lost rumoured copy of Alice's Adventures Under Ground, she's all in. Mason has long since stopped attending work functions with Natalie, fearing he embarrasses her, but when his plans fall through, he decides to join her in France for the hunt. It's so long since they truly communicated - will they be able to start again? Will this time together spent hunting for a book bring them together or divide them once and for all?

I hadn't realised that this was the second book in a series, but it gradually became plain from the scattered hints of previous events. Nevertheless, while I'd like to go back and read book 1, it wasn't actually necessary to my enjoyment of this book. I did find it sad (though realistic) that separation/divorce was something being considered by two Christians merely because they've drifted apart, but I loved watching them gradually working to come together again. And how worthwhile it was! They go from two near-strangers who happen to share a house to a true couple, looking out for each other and cheering each other on. Add in a mysterious treasure hunt and it makes for a great book. I was glad to have the note at the end as to what is true and what made up - it's fascinating stuff. All in all, a great read and I'm looking forward to Brooke's story...

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

I’m not sure where to begin with what I loved about this book. The setting for this entire series is right up my alley - mystery - looking for lost historical items - travel - did I mention mystery? Then you add the three central characters who each are intriguing in their own right and drop in romance…this is just a recipe for all my favorite things. And Tuttle does not disappoint. I loved the first book in this series, and Natalie’s story just continues that love. There are twists and turns throughout and I can’t wait for the third book in the series. I read this book in one sitting - so just make sure you plan ahead - this isn’t a book you’ll be able to put down! Highly recommend!

Oh my goodness, I LOVED this story! A mystery surrounding a rare book that only a few people for sure knows it even exists?? This mystery has me written all over it! I could not put this one down, it’s going to be a top 2025 reads for me no question. I loved the character of Natalie. She and I share so many similarities and the issues with her husband as the secondary plot were completely relatable for me as well. It’s rare to find a book that I connect with on all levels, but this is one those. The element that takes them to Boston on their mystery was completely awesome and definitely one of my favorite parts of the story. I also loved the mentions of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast & the character of Belle as those are favorites of mine too. There is so much to love about this story and it was an absolutely perfect read for me.

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

I could not put this book down. If books were treasures, this one would be a priceless gem—seamlessly blending mystery, adventure, and heart, all wrapped up in the beauty of marriage and God's redemptive grace.

The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry took me on an unforgettable journey of mystery, adventure, and soul-deep reflection. Susan L. Tuttle captured my heart with her writing, combining heartfelt emotion, rich faith, and a storyline that took me through all the emotions. The way she explores the complexities of marriage felt so real and significant -- peering into the heart of a relationship that has weathered time, misunderstandings, and unspoken fears.

The mystery itself was thrilling, woven with a sense of suspense and adventure that transported me through the pages. The marriage element brought beautiful depth to the story and stole my heart. Watching Natalie and Mason work through their struggles, rediscovering their love for each other while navigating the stormy seas of life, was a beautiful reminder of God's sovereignty in our relationships. It’s not easy—some promises are difficult to keep—but the journey toward redemption is worth every single step.

Christian faith is woven seamlessly, gently reminding us of God's ever-present grace, love, and mercy in our lives, even when things feel broken. "Don't let fear rob you of something beautiful just because now things look ugly" is a truth I hold close, as it’s so easy to lose sight of what’s worth fighting for.

The writing is impeccable—perfectly paced with just the right balance of adventure and introspection. I found myself savoring every page, every interaction between characters, every quiet yet powerful moment. The faith-filled themes are captivating, deeply impactful, reminding me of the importance of staying rooted in Christ even when life feels like it’s falling apart.

This book is a treasure—layered, impactful, and the perfect mix of fun, suspense, and heart. If you’re looking for a story that will tug at your heartstrings while reminding you of God’s ability to heal and restore, The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry is a must-read!

I received a digital ARC of this book from the author and NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on the writing and the story’s content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

This was a sweet and fun read but overall not entirely my cup of tea. I still enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone who loves this style, but I've learned that this style of suspense is not my favorite.

For one thing, the characters were older than I thought they were going to be. Again, personal opinion here, but I prefer younger protagonists. However, I really enjoyed the characters and thought they were a lot of fun!! They were super sweet and made me laugh several times.

Another thing, I thought the story was a little slow. I found myself skimming a lot of the time. That could again just be a personal preference. The author certainly did a good job of creating chapter endings that would make you want to keep reading though!

Overall, an enjoyable read but not one I would probably pick up again. If these things are what you look for in a suspense then, by all means, dive in!!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Slightly tattered love is the most beautiful of loves, especially for those who've weathered the tearing together."

The series keeps getting better with each consecutive book. I really enjoyed reconnecting with Everleigh and Niles and loved getting to know Natalie and Mason. Natalie and Mason are polar opposites who fell in love in high school and have lost their way due to busyness of life and complacency. Their romance is one that is rekindled after twenty-two years of marriage. They uncover the cracks that have driven them apart and correct the long-standing misconceptions that were based on insecurity. I totally empathized with Natalie and Mason; the lessons they learned about faith, trust, and communication really hit home.
I absolutely adored traveling back in time to Luciana Perez in Spain to glean the puzzle pieces regarding the treasure the team is chasing. The adventure that spans France, Boston, Scotland, and London is fascinating, thrilling, and packed with twists and turns. I love these intrigue and suspense elements to the books in this series. The book ends on a cliff-hanger with a jaw-dropping revelation; I can't wait for the third book and how Brooke and Storm's adventure will add to the series.

If you enjoy dual-time fiction, you will adore this book and series. It has unforgettable characters, swoony romance, thrilling plot, and applicable Biblical wisdom. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Kregel Publications via JustRead Tours through NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry is the much anticipated and wonderful second novel in a fun and suspenseful series. I had the wonderful pleasure of reviewing book one in the series and couldn’t wait to get this one in my hands. Unfortunately for me, I did have to wait. But if you haven’t read the first book grab it to read and then read this one.

You can read my review of book one HERE.

Now for this one. We’ve got the gang back!
And in this one, they’re after an elusive rare handwritten and illustrated copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. As a lover of literature that’s a great find right?! Well, Natalies thinks so. But she’s thrilled to work something away from her husband. Because they’re having some issues in their marriage and she just really wants to focus on her and something she loves for once. Well, scratch that because Mason comes along on the search.

Casper may be the name of a ghost. But it’s also the name of the person who sends Natalie and her two compatriots on their missions. They’re three women and they couldn’t be more different. However, they have learned to work together. Finally.

Book one told the story of Everleigh. Book two tells the story of Natalie. Which means book three will follow Brooke. I am in love with this team of women and watching them overcome and open up. They all have struggles and issues that they have to work through and it’s interesting seeing the different ages and perspectives.

I love how the author has the modern time period but also inserts bits and pieces of a behind-the-scenes story that relates to our storyline. It adds to the mystery and helps build up the story.

Huge fan. Highly rated. 10/10 would read it again.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. 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.

The wonderful Treasures of Halstead Manor series continues with The Novel Adventures of Natalie Daughtry, a novel that has you jet-setting back and forth all over the world! I was thoroughly enjoying the experience, as the imagery was so vivid that I felt like I was embarking on my own adventures alongside the sleuthing group. The cherry on top were the mentions of real places and bookstores that are on my bucket list of dream places to visit. Oh, that those dreams can one day become a reality!

It’s crazy that I find myself in the same season of life as Natalie. Both of my boys are adults and living their own lives, and my husband and I are trying to figure out life as empty nesters. I agree that no one really talks to you about how different things are going to be once your children are grown, but it’s a crazy transition that throws you for a loop, and I appreciate the representation so much.

While there were moments that my heart broke with the realism that surrounded the marital issues that surrounded Natalie and Mason, it was nice to see them work on themselves and their marriage while also trying to solve a mystery. The marriage of fantasy and realism paired nicely together, though I did feel like some of the relationship scenes did tend to bog down the narrative a bit. Other than that, the novel is fast-paced and utterly fascinating.

There’s a resolution that concludes this story, but it also provides a tantalizing glimpse of an upcoming adventure. This adventure promises to resolve any remaining loose ends and hopefully provide answers to lingering questions. I loved the ending and cannot wait to see what happens in the final book! This series has been so wonderful that I am sad to see it end, but I am loving each and every adventure.