Title: The Heart of the Mountains
Author: Pepper Basham
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Release Date: July 1, 2022
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
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?
I truly felt the heart of the mountains. The adoration I felt for these characters came on early in my reading, and they came on strong. Jeb’s humility and integrity, while only adding to his strength of physicality as well as character, is refreshing to behold, especially when these traits are not as held in such high esteem as they used to be. Cora personifies everything I aspire to be, living with strong faith and conviction, even when life has not taken the direction we’ve imagined, and seeing her with Jeb makes these admiring traits all the more vibrant. They both truly bring out the best in one another and it was a joy to read every moment that they shared.
One of my favorite parts is when Jeb’s family is teaching Cora how to dance after a family dinner. Seeing them both converse in the most natural ways, sharing time with their family, and seeing the evolution of their relationship as it goes from friendship into something much more significant, their spark growing so subtly yet so beautifully, that when I think about it as I write it takes my breath away in its beauty and simplicity, the writing sheer perfection.
Pepper Basham has a knack with making the mountains truly come alive, taking her readers to a world and lives that burst with vision and imagination, her writing so rich and compelling. There were quite a few subjects that were more sensitive topics, but they were handled in such a way that it enriched the story all the more, giving such incredible depth to these characters and this wonderful story.
I truly felt like I was home in The Heart of the Mountains, and cannot recommend it enough!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her newest novel is The Mistletoe Countess, a historical romantic romp with a dash of mystery and a bunch of humor too. You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com.
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*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
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