About Me I am a retired librarian and I now support books and authors through my reviews.

I have always loved to read and I was able to share that love through my work as a public librarian for 22 1/2 years. I now promote literacy by reading, and then writing reviews. I love to support authors by sharing my reviews with others!

Thursday, July 14, 2022

The Heart of the Mountains (My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge #2) by Pepper D. Basham

The Heart of the Mountains (My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge #2)
ABOUT THE BOOK

Can their hearts overcome the darkness of the mountains?
 
To escape a forced marriage, Cora Taylor travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains in search of her brother, who is working as a teacher in a mission school. She hopes to find a place where her nursing skills and independent ideas will be accepted and appreciated, but nothing prepares her for the wild mixture of isolation, community, brokenness, and hope within these mountains…or in the person of Jeb McAdams.
 
Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrived. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her modern ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her.
 
Bound by their shared war history, the pair develop an unlikely friendship, which unexpectedly hints to something more. But when Cora’s desire to help the women of the mountains crosses an unspoken line, will Jeb be able to protect this feisty flatlander from the wrath of the mountain men or will he end up losing much more than his heart


MY THOUGHTS.....

It's hard to convey the many emotions that I felt while reading this book. I've read several of her stories before so I know the power of Pepper Basham's words but this story trumps them all. It's obvious that Basham loves the Blue Ridge Mountains: the people, the culture, and the inherent goodness that can be found there, and she also loves God. The Heart of the Mountains is a testament to all of these loves and we readers are gifted with a tale that we won't soon forget!

I absolutely loved the characters! Cora Taylor, who is fleeing from an arranged marriage in England ends up in a mountain community in North Carolina. There she discovers a life she's never known, and she slowly adjusts, with the help of Preacher (her uncle Edward), Teacher Doctor (her brother Jonathan), and the war veteran who's trying to escape his tragic memories of World War I. Jeb McAdams helps Cora despite his initial reservations and proves to be one of the best fictional heroes ever.

The Heart of the Mountains is filled with romance, faith, and the power of forgiveness, and I was deeply moved by the conversion story involving Jeb's father, Sam. This is historical Christian fiction at its best and I can't praise it enough!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can connect with Pepper by visiting her websiteFacebookInstagramPinterest, or Twitter.

1 comment: