Publishers Weekly (Booklife)
Foley’s literary historical debut offers an intimate glimpse into the history of Amsterdam as seen through the eyes of Robert, a middle-aged man of the present with a wife and kids, struggling to balance his work, married life, and a girlfriend. Through a chance acquisition, Robert finds himself traveling back in time to three significant historical moments in Amsterdam’s history. Each time, he encounters his girlfriend, Saskia, in a different period, embarking on the entire process of courting her again—and ultimately, getting to know her more intimately. Amid all of this, Rembrandt is a constant refrain: Robert meets the painter himself and discovers that there’s a secret waiting for him in the present, if only he can safely get here.

 

The story gathers welcome momentum towards the second half, propelling readers into Robert and Saskia’s precarious adventures through time. Foley spices it all with little-known social, historical, and architectural tidbits about Amsterdam, a piquant introduction to the city for the uninitiated. Rembrandt is not as central to the narrative as the title suggests, but he plays a significant role in the climax. Lovers of romance, art, and European history will find much to enjoy here.

 

This Amsterdam time-travel novel takes an ambitious dive into love, history, and art.

 

Kirkus Reviews

In this debut novel, a modern Amsterdam man gets repeatedly thrown back in time to earlier eras in the Netherlands and to different incarnations of an enticing woman.

An entertaining yarn about time travel, infidelity, and art, executed with sure brush strokes.

 
Susie Helme for Reedsy

"This works better than some time travel novels. The hero does face some adversity, and he changes due to his experience. Satisfactorily, he also gets his hands on a historic treasure. It’s well written and well edited, and though we never fully understand how the time travel mechanism works, it works."

 

Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

The Bridge to Rembrandt by Nelson K. Foley is a gentle time-travel adventure with a few twists thrown in for good measure. 
Author Nelson K. Foley has produced a debut novel that is full of intriguing synchronicities and conundrums. The two lead characters Robert and Saskia are easy to both like and dislike. It was clear the author had done his research well and had an intimate grasp of the locale, the environment, and people’s attitudes in the periods he visited.

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Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

The Bridge to Rembrandt is a different time travel book from most others in the genre. I will not spoil the story but I believe you will find The Bridge to Rembrandt as entertaining as I did.
Time travel has been done many times and in many ways, but The Bridge to Rembrandt has a unique quality offering a plot, a romance, adventure, historical facts, and more. Nelson K. Foley has a unique style and I am anxiously looking forward to reading more of his work. The Bridge to Rembrandt can be enjoyed by women and men, young and old. I believe that it would make a terrific movie as well as becoming a very successful book. I highly recommend that you put The Bridge to Rembrandt on the top of your reading list: you will not be disappointed.

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Robyn-Lee Samuels for Independent Book Review

The Bridge to Rembrandt is a humorous, engaging, and charming take on the classical
historical romance narrative. Art lovers will be in for a treat with this one as the characters
stroll through museums, meet Rembrandt’s pupils, and discover more about the
Dutch master. You don’t have to be an expert on art history to enjoy it, though. The characters,
romance, and whimsy of reliving the past are enough to keep readers engrossed to
the end.

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K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

This book is a whirlwind tour of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, told through the eyes of a confused guy being dragged through some of the more turbulent periods of its history, from the war all the way to the eel riots of 1886. Nelson K. Foley has created a fascinating character in Robert. The protagonist’s perspective on the events around him is the core of an engaging storyline that kept me glued to the book until I’d finished it. The research both into the facts of Amsterdam’s history and into the social and cultural aspects of each period was evident and used to paint a vivid backdrop for the events of the story to take place. The Bridge to Rembrandt is a wonderful historical novel that conveys a sweeping and romantic tale that will be enjoyed by any fan of the historical fiction genre. I recommend it to all.

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Maria Gulley

I thoroughly enjoyed this well constructed story though different periods in Amsterdam and Holland history. The story line was believable without getting hung up on explaining how it all worked. I like learning about history whilst being familiar enough with Amsterdam that it really made the story come alive for me. Enjoyed the ending which is where I find many books often don't do justice to. I highly recommend this entertaining and thoughtful book.