Erin Bartels

The Lady with the Dark Hair is an addicting dual-timeline story by Erin Bartels. This is my first book by this author, and I was blown away by the emotional and historical depth of this story! I LOVED it. She will be an author on my “to-read” list from now on!
I love dual timelines because I love being a detective and finding all the ways the stories are intertwined from past to present. The Lady with the Dark Hair is such a unique story that I was drawn immediately to both timelines and fully invested in knowing the truth. I was captivated by the striving of Vivienne and Esther to make their way in the world as women with a passion for art. Over one hundred years stood between them, and yet they had so much in common. It is impossible to read this story without being inspired to reach for that impossible thing in your life.
The Lady with the Dark Hair deals with heavy, emotional topics and yet never extinguishes hope. It’s a beautiful read. An inspiring read. One that will open your eyes to the moments all around you.
I highly recommend putting The Lady with the Dark Hair at the top of your TBR if you’re looking for a more serious, yet inspiring read.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations of a positive review. All opinions are my own.… (altro)

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This book was interesting and honestly not quite what I expected. I really liked how important encouraging friendships were in this book and I loved the MC's backstory. It really added depth of character and drew me in. The main focus of this book is not the plot, but the characters. I would go as far to say that the plot was weak. Nothing seemed to happen but the characters pushed the novel forward in incredible ways. It was very interesting to see the development of Robin throughout the novel as she conquered old fears and insecurities.
The writing was poetic and intricate but still understandable.
Also, for those of you who care, the quality of the physical book is phenomenal with the textured cover.
Rating: 4 Stars
Content: 4 Stars
*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (altro)

The Lady with the Dark Hair by Erin Bartels is a dual timeline Christian fiction story. It is well written, easy to read and imagine. I just love the character of Viviana and enjoyed reading of her struggles, travels and different painting situations. I also enjoyed the interaction between Esther and her mother. I especially enjoyed the parts of her mother as she shows her independence.

This is a great story that follows a family of women artists. I appreciate as it unfolded how the reader gets a look into Viviana's past and the reason for her name changes. I enjoyed the mystery behind the signature on the paintings. I also enjoyed how hard Esther worked to keep the museum going and taking care of her mother. If there was one thing I would change, it would be to have more information at the end as to how the women were all connected.

This is a great story to read that I received a complimentary copy of. This is my honest review.… (altro)

"Art is romance. It's seeing something and having such deep affection for it in that singular moment that you're compelled to capture it so you can revisit it again and again. So you can share it with other people. So you can make them see the worth in what you see." - Erin Bartels

I think those sentences sum up this novel pretty well! Esther has done everything in her power to keep their family name and art history known and alive through their museum but when she runs into an old art professor, he may just upend everything she has ever believed about her ancestry. I just loved the storylines in this novel. The historical was so fun to read about women painters and the current day Esther working to keep things up and running while taking care of her mother. I really enjoyed Esther's character as well as her mother and that dynamic of taking care of a parent. The past and current day stories flowed so well within each eachother. I was rooting for Viviana the whole time. The search to uncover the truth about the painting is also what brings about some truth and lessons about family and that sometimes the truth is hard to accept. Thank you to the Revell Blogger Program and to the author for the complementary novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord… (altro)