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The Girl from the Hidden Forest by Hannah Linder Review and Giveaway

May 31, 2024June 6, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Girl from the Hidden Forest

Author: Hannah Linder

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical / Regency Romance

Release date: May, 2024

The nightmares may free her…but destroy the man she loves.

Enjoy another Gothic Style Regency from Hannah Linder.

Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.

That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.

When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?

As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Also, Hannah is an international and multi-award-winning graphic designer who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a self-portrait photographer of historical fashion. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.

More from Hannah

Everyone has been asking me for years: “Can you see yourself in any of your characters?” I guess I’m in everything, interwoven in all of the sentences. Pieces of me are scattered in the settings. Traits and quirks and secret thoughts are dispersed into the minds and souls of my characters.But I always felt the need to say no. I don’t see myself in my characters.

Perhaps because, in the past, so many of my heroines have been so different than me. Ella Pemberton (Beneath His Silence)—outlandish and stubborn and daring, apt to speak her mind, bold in her manner and flawless in her dance. Nan Duncan (When Tomorrow Came)—injured and worrisome, voice like an angel, childishly sweet, yet too eager to please. Isabella Gresham (Garden of the Midnights)—spoiled and excitable, with raven black hair and an art for entering social circles with impeccable grace and exquisiteness.

I love them, sweet characters of mine.

But I don’t understand them. We’re too different. Like sand and sea, we meet, we touch, we sweep back and forth together but we’re of different substance.

But Eliza Ellis—rather, Eliza Gillingham—is the first character I truly resonate with. Not on purpose. In no wise did I pen her with conscious hints back to myself. But as the story progressed, I found my heart reaching out to her, settling into her.

Because she was the same.

The way she thought, the things she imagined, her forest and her pet and her stories. I comprehended what made her hurt. I understood the dream world she lived in, because I live in a dream world too.

So, if anyone asks me, “Do you see yourself in any of your characters?”, I’ll pull The Girl from the Hidden Forest from the bookshelf and hand it to them. I’ll tell them Eliza and I are like kindred spirits, that we’ve bridged a friendship between reality and fiction.

Whether you’re a reader or a writer, I hope you stumble upon a character one day that feels like you. It’s a strange and special feeling indeed.

My Impressions

“Northwood is a bloody name, Miss Gillingham—and you’re the only one who can cleanse it.”

Wow!! Just Wow!! Hannah Linder is really making a name for herself in the world of Christian Gothic Regency Romance! The Girl from the Hidden Forest is one of my newest faves!!

In the year 1812, Eliza Ellis, 19, has been sequestered away in Balfour Forest, Northumberland, with only her father, whom she refers to as “Captain,” and her beagle, Merrylad.

Having enjoyed a wild, carefree life in the woods with only the dog and trees for friends, her father is everything to her, telling her fanciful stories of wondrous worlds that fill her heart. Suddenly, she is kidnapped by young Felton Northwood,

taken to a castle far away, and delivered to an “older” member of the gentry, Lord Gillingham. Told Gillingham is her father, Eliza is thrust into a strange, lonely, and judgmental world. At times she believes Felton is becoming a friend, but other times, it is obvious she is not good enough for him. Talk about relatable characters! So many people can relate to inferiority when compared to others, or seeing a friend who needs help, but being afraid to stand against society for them!

As Eliza is trapped at the estate, she finds her memories from early childhood beginning to match her lifelong nightmares. Will she be able to remember what Felton wants her to, and this clear the taint on the Northwood name, or will the monster of her dreams destroy her first?

Eliza is a great character, who has a tender heart towards others. I love how she befriends Minney, who is physically deformed and possibly has other issues as well. Minney delivers the most frightening message to Eliza. “Ye watch’eeself. Ye watch well. People die. Some people die in this house. And other places. Miss Gillingham?” She clasped her hands to stop the tremble that rushed through her. “Yes?” “I don’t think’ee can trust the ones’ee think’ee can.”

I liked Felton, mostly. His indecision drove me mad. Sometimes he is purely selfish, sometimes he is a true friend and hero, sometimes he can’t seem to make the best choice! But then, he comes from a very dysfunctional family. The Northwood family lives in a world of pretend. His mother pretends war is fanciful thing, that there is no danger. His father pretends his wife is not unhealthy. Both parents pretend that the whispers about Mr. Northwood do not bother them.

One theme that stood out to me is that people aren’t all good or all bad, but rather very complex. Thought that struck me as I was searching with Eliza and Felton for the killer ( yes, I felt that invested!!). We see this ironic juxtaposition in so many different people, but Captain is certainly a prime example. “Captain would have smiled. Or laughed. Or cried when she cried. He would have told her to keep her chin up, and even without telling him of her nightmares, he would have assured her the beast could always be fought.”We all need friends like Captain. To listen well, emote with us, give us sound advice, and make our fears manageable. Yet, Captain is also a very troubled man, for very valid reasons.

For fans of Michelle Griep, Kimberley Woodhouse, and Jaime Jo Wright. Historical, with a Gothic air, this a highly suspenseful mystery with a twist you’ll never see coming! Also with shades of Nancy Mehl and Susan Sleeman danger and psychological insights into the killer.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“He was no enemy, this man, no matter how different their sides and hopes. No, Felton Northwood was her friend. Her first friend.”

“What God has given you less of in one place, He has given you more of in others.”

“You are good and noble and brave, or so I’ve imagined you. Funny thing about me. Once I imagine something for so long, I start to believe it. I guess I’ve believed it of you all along.”

“We seldom deserve what we are or what we are given.”

“They are only fools, Northwood, who continue in their folly.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!

Blog Stops

Devoted To Hope, May 30

Inspired by Fiction, May 30

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 31

Sylvan Musings, May 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 1

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 1

Texas Book-aholic, June 2

Mornings at Character Cafe, June 2

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 3

Blogging With Carol, June 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 4

Betti Mace, June 5

For Him and My Family, June 5

Alena Mentink, June 6

Splashes of Joy, June 6

Stories By Gina, June 7 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, June 7

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, June 8

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, June 8

Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 9

Cover Lover Book Review, June 9

Book Looks by Lisa, June 10

The Lofty Pages, June 10

Holly’s Book Corner, June 11

Pause for Tales, June 11

Lily’s Corner, June 12

To Everything There Is A Season, June 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Hannah is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2bbf6/the-girl-from-the-hidden-forest-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, New-to-Me Author, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

Love’s Winding Road by Susan F. Craft Review and Giveaway

April 7, 2024 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Love’s Winding Road

Author: Susan F. Craft

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 27, 2024

They were forced into this marriage of convenience, but there’s more at stake than their hearts on this wagon train through the mountain wilderness.

When Rose Jackson and her Irish immigrant family join a wagon train headed for a new life in South Carolina, the last thing she expects is to fall for the half-Cherokee wagon scout along the way. But their journey takes a life-changing turn when Rose is kidnapped by Indians. Daniel comes to her rescue, but the effects mean their lives will be forever intertwined.

Daniel prides himself on his self-control—inner and outer—but can’t seem to get a handle on either when Rose is near. Now his life is bound to hers when the consequences of her rescue force them to marry. Now it’s even more critical he maintain that self-control to keep her safe.

When tragedy strikes at the heart of their strained marriage, they leave for Daniel’s home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As they face the perils of the journey, Rose can’t help but wonder why her new husband guards his heart so strongly. Why does he resist his obvious attraction for her? And what life awaits them at the end of love’s winding road?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan F. Craftretired after a 45-year career in writing, editing, and communicating in business settings.

She authored the historical romantic suspense trilogy Women of the American Revolution—The Chamomile, Laurel, and Cassia. The Chamomile and Cassia received national Illumination Silver Awards. The Chamomile was named by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance as an Okra Pick and was nominated for a Christy Award.

She collaborated with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile An Equestrian Writer’s Guide (www.lrgaf.org), including almost everything you’d ever want to know about horses.

An admitted history nerd, she enjoys painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch watching geese eat her daylilies. She most recently took up the ukulele.

More from Susan

Colonial American medicine fascinates me. The shortage of doctors made it critical for women to maintain medicine kits that included remedies brought with them from Europe as well as those shared with them by Native Americans.

In Love’s Winding Road, my character Rose falls into river rapids and suffers serious scrapes and bruises. Daniel, the half-Cherokee scout of her wagon train, rescues her and makes witch hazel flowers into a paste.

With gentle movements, he spread the ointment on her arms, legs, and neck. When he dabbed some on several raw places on her scalp where her hair had been ripped out, Rose clenched her teeth until her face hurt. With her hand trembling, she reached up to touch her hair.

“Don’t worry. It will grow back. Just thank the good Lord, for though it may be distressing and painful to have lost some of your hair, the strands helped me keep track of you.”

Rose’s father suffers from arthritis in his hands, so he chews on the twigs of black willow trees (not weeping willows) and drinks the tea his wife prepares from the bark also used to treat back pain, headaches, and inflammatory conditions.

When a mountain lion attacks Daniel, Rose stitches the laceration. She cleans the area with whiskey and offers it to him as a painkiller.

She threaded her needle with her finest flax fiber, and holding her breath, she began the first tiny stitches. Think of it as cloth. Think of it as cloth. She repeated the words over and over in her head.

Sometimes doing research can be amusing.

The night before I was to see my doctor, I’d read a resource book, Indian Doctor – Nature’s method of curing and preventing disease according to the Indians. I showed my doctor the Indian cure for my problem.

What a hoot! We had such fun looking through the book. Seems as if every cure involved mixing something with wine, ale, beer, or liquor. We came to the conclusion that with enough alcohol, even if you still had the problem, you wouldn’t care anymore.

Two weeks later, I saw my doctor for an earache. Of course, we looked up the Indian cure. It involved lily onions, marsh mallows, oil of violet—all taken with wine. And then, bleeding.

I’ll stick with antibiotics.

I pray that my Great Wagon Road series honors the Lord and the gifts He has given me and that you will love my characters as much as I do. Soli Deo Gloria.

My Impressions

“it’s not your reflection in a mirror that’s important. The only mirror you will ever need is the light in the eyes of the woman you love and who loves you.”

Location, Time period, Cross-cultural. Love’s Winding Road by Susan F. Craft has it all. Plus exciting action, faith, and a marriage of convenience story with a closed-door romance. I am thrilled to discover this new-to-me author as she embarks on a new series, Great Wagon Road!

The year is 1753, the location is The Great Wagon Trail, starting in Pennsylvania and traveling South through Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. We follow the wagon train’s adventures and tragedies as we learn what a great price these settlers paid to get away from England and the church and prejudices there.

Unfortunately, as Rose and her Irish-Scots family discover, America is full of prejudice, too, especially against the Native Americans. No distinction is made between peaceful and warring tribes, but a person is judged on the basis of their skin, speech, and customs. Since wagon train scout Daniel Fordham is 1/2 Cherokee, he often is ill-treated. Daniel learned an important skill from his Cherokee mother…”she taught me a great deal about people, too—how to judge them by their actions, not their words.” How I wish I could say we have made great strides in our country to see each person like that, but sometimes it seems our relationships are worse than ever, as we see skin first, not the heart.

Just as Rose and the other train members were often tense, warily watching for the next danger, you may find yourself biting your nails and enduring a rapid heartbeat with the constant perils. Be warned.

But you will also fall in love with Daniel and Rose, and cheer them on as a relationship develops. But can such a cross-cultural love survive in this tenuous world? What of Rebekah, the native American woman who believes that Daniel is in love with her?

Rose’s grieving sister has traveled with the family. Will the hardships to come deepen her depression, or can she begin to make a way in the wilderness alongside her sister?

While I love Aunt Sarah, the unsung hero of the novel has got to be Tsiyi. I can’t pronounce his name ( because looking at the spelling wipes the given pronunciation from my mind every time)! He is Daniel’s amazing companion. You’ll have to read the novel to discover just how valuable Tsiyi is.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit, plus I bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Would she allow her memories to rob her of hope?”

“My heart is heavy with yours.”

“beauty and evil often made up the two sides of the same coin.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I have already pre-ordered book 2!!

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 3

Simple Harvest Reads, April 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

lakesidelivingsite, April 4

Pause for Tales, April 4

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 5

For Him and My Family, April 5

Lighthouse Academy Blog, April 6 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 7

The Lofty Pages, April 7

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, April 8

Bizwings Book Blog, April 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 9

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 10

Texas Book-aholic, April 11

Connie’s History Classroom , April 11

Cover Lover Book Review, April 12

Batya’s Bits, April 13

Holly’s Book Corner, April 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 14

Books You Can Feel Good About, April 15

Blossoms and Blessings, April 15

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, April 16 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 16

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Susan is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2ac74/love-s-winding-road-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Bethany House, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, NetGalley

Rocky Mountain Rendezvous by Misty M Beller Review and Giveaway

May 3, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Rocky Mountain Rendezvous

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 6, 2023

In 1837, Juniper Collins and her sisters are shocked by their father’s final request in his will for a special set of beads to be returned to a Piegan Blackfoot woman he credits with saving his life during his travels west. Together, the sisters set out for the trapper rendezvous to find the woman, but their mission turns more daunting when they come upon the mass of men and lodges spread out in the Green River Valley.

Riley Turner came west to find peace and quiet and live off the land, but when four unprotected women arrive at the rendezvous, he feels compelled to help them and is more fascinated by Juniper than any other woman he’s known.

As their search brings only empty leads and dead ends, the sisters must decide whether to return east or stay in the mountains to continue looking–and that’s if the mystery woman is even still alive. Is the risk to honor their father’s last request worth the danger they find at every turn?

Discover the majesty–and treachery–of the Rocky Mountains in this unique combination of exhilarating adventure, inspiring faith, and sweet romance from USA Today bestselling author Misty M. Beller.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Belleris a USA Todaybestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

What IS a trapper rendezvous?

Rocky Mountain Rendezvous is the story of four sisters who head west to accomplish their father’s deathbed request—return a special set of beads to a Blackfoot woman who saved his life during his travels west two decades earlier. The sisters head west with the supply wagons bound for the 1837 trapper rendezvous to find the native woman. But the sight that greeted them in the Green River Valley (in modern-day Wyoming) was nothing like they expected!

Men EVERYWHERE!

Supply wagons would come from the east every summer, and mountain men and natives would come from all throughout the Rockies to trade furs for the supplies they’d need in the coming year. This was usually the only opportunity for trading each year, so EVERYONE came and the camp stretched for miles. This was a great time for friends to catch up, and the festivities always included a great deal of drinking and horse racing. The rendezvous was a sight to behold!

In Rocky Mountain Rendezvous, Riley Turner is one of the trappers at the meet-up, and he realizes immediately what kind of danger the ladies are in from unscrupulous men in the crowd. He helps them with their search, and they find so much more than they expected along the way!

Each book in this series will take place during a different year, featuring a different rendezvous. Definitely fodder for fun stories. I pray you love this first book as the Collins sisters embark on the search of a lifetime.

Blessings!

Misty

My Impressions

“It’s been a while since we’ve discussed the rules we set for ourselves before we started on this journey. It might be good we take time to recall them. Especially the one about not allowing an attachment to form with any of the men here.”

It’s time to visit the Rockies again (as they were in the 1800s) with Misty M Beller as she leads us into a new series, Sisters of the Rockies. Rocky Mountain Rendezvous introduces us to the four Collins sisters, but we get to know Juniper best.

The four sisters arrive in 1837 in the Green River Valley, now Wyoming, at an annual trading rendezvous. Having promised their dying father they would find the Piegan woman who used her healing knowledge to save his life, the young women hire a young and handsome trapper, Riley Turner, to lead them to different Blackfoot Piegan tribes.

Riley and Juniper both are very likable. However, Riley’s childhood leaves him with scars hard to overcome. Juniper may be attracted to Riley, and decides to help him in a way he may not be prepared for. But she must guard her heart, as the women made a list of rules for themselves before coming west. Topping the list was no romantic attachments to men on the trip!

Part of the mystery I figured out. There was some unfinished business at the end, which leads one to believe it will be solved in the next story.

I loved learning about the rendezvous, a new historical event for me. I wonder if Dragoon’s character will grow more in another book, or is he just not a strong person? While I had fun imagining the pet coyote pup and the story flowed well, I really yearned for more vivid descriptions of the gorgeous, dangerous scenery and events.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“He wouldn’t be his parents. He would be better.”

Why did she have to say no to one love in order to accept the other?

Loving someone made you far too vulnerable to the pain of loss, whether they left you by choice or through injury or sickness.

“Even when you think you know a person, sometimes they change.”

I try to take the measure of each person individually instead of labeling an entire tribe as dangerous. There’s good and bad in every village.