Tag: Miners

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Misty M Beller Books, Purchase

Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife by Misty M. Beller Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch Book 6)

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre:Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 19, 2024

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune. 

Determined to find his missing brother and catch the elusive mastermind behind the theft of his family’s precious sapphires, Gil Coulter embarks on a solo mission to the remote town where the criminal is rumored to reside. As Gil scours the surrounding wilderness for the thief’s hidden lair, he crosses paths with a captivating young woman who harbors secrets of her own.

Jess McPharland has spent her life hidden in the mountains, doing her best to stay separate from her family’s business. Yet the secret she’s just discovered will change her life forever. She offers a silent prayer, pleading for a man to help her conceal the truth she’s only just discovered. As if in answer, Gil Coulter rides through the trees, seeking the very criminal Jess calls Father. Now she must find a way to ask this stranger for the ultimate favor—to pose as her husband and shield her from the consequences of a change she won’t be able to hide much longer.

As Gil and Jess navigate the treacherous landscape and the greater danger from her father and his cronies, they find themselves caught in a web of danger, deception, and unexpected attraction. With each passing moment, the stakes grow higher, and the line between pretense and truth blurs. Will the love growing between them be enough to protect Jess’s secret and lead them to the justice Gil seeks, or will the truth shatter everything they’ve risked their lives to build?

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, a pretend marriage, a secret baby, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Belleris a USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books sold. She writes 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

In Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife, the heroine and her father live in a cave which is part of an intricate catacomb hidden inside Montana mountain.

I LOVED researching cave systems, especially those in Montana, and I was amazed at how many extensive tunnels and caverns have been discovered!

One of the most well-known is Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, located between Butte and Bozeman. This spectacular limestone cave system features a series of caverns adorned with incredible rock formations. These days, visitors can take guided tours to marvel at the intricate stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites that have formed over thousands of years. The cave is also home to several species of bats.

Another notable cave system is the Bighorn Caverns, situated in the Pryor Mountains south of Billings. This complex network of caves extends for over 14 miles, making it one of the most significant cave systems in the state. Experienced cavers can explore winding passages, underground streams, and vast chambers with unique mineral formations.

The Bighorn Caverns are very similar to how I imagine the cave system was that Jess lived in. As amazing as the tunnels are to explore, I’m not sure I’d want to live in such darkness. What about you?

I pray you enjoy Gil and Jess’s story in Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife! J

Blessings!

Misty

My Impressions

“She would always be Mick McPharland’s daughter, and he’d never let her escape his control.”

Misty M. Beller has done it again! She has developed another fresh but related Coulter brother story to add another facet to the diamond that is Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series. Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife is #6 in this series, and it tells the narrative of Gil Coulter and Jess McFarland in 1870s Montana Territory. ( Do yourself a huge favor and read this series in order to avoid spoilers!)

Gil happens upon Jess on a mountainside, where she promises to help him find his missing brother, Sampson. Her price is that he help her escape her father’s control. To explain Coulter’s presence to her conniving, mean-spirited father and henchman, Gil and Jess pretend to be married.  As Jess focuses on escaping, Gil insists on exploring and searching for his brother, plus the Coulter family’s jewels that were stolen recently. 

This is a story about love and loyalty that give unselfishly and even when it hurts. It’s about a daughter who understands how wicked her father is, yet because of her need for security and affection, craves her father’s approval, knowing it will never come. Beller shows us how an earthly father without love for his child makes it difficult for that child to understand God as a good father. “It seemed impossible to think of Someone Who loved her, Who planned good things for her—hope and a future—and also think of Him as a Father.” She also shows God’s acceptance, forgiveness,  and love for people who turn from their wrong ways to follow Him. 

All these truths are wrapped up in a beautiful, romantic, and achingly sad story. There is plenty of action and suspense to keep the reader turning those pages to find out what happens next.  

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

Notable Quotables:

“God forgave you the very first time you asked. He doesn’t hold your past against you.”

“God was with them. He would make a way, even when there seemed no options.”

“Father was as different from Gil as the darkness of the cave from noontime sunshine.”

“I was a possession to him, someone he could use for his advantage.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Another thrilling installment of the Coulter brothers’ stories, with the clear promise of more adventures to come!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 22

Melissa’s Bookshelf, November 22

Pause for Tales, November 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 23

Texas Book-aholic, November 24

Blossoms and Blessings, November 24

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 25(Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

lakesdielivingsite, November 26

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 27

For Him and My Family, November 27

Devoted To Hope, November 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 29

Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 30

Book Looks by Lisa, December 1

Holly’s Book Corner, December 1

Betti Mace, December 2

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 3

Cover Lover Book Review, December 3

Books You Can Feel Good About, December 4

Life on Chickadee Lane, December 5

Mary Hake, December 5

Giveaway

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

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

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54105

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Flame of the Rockies by Angela Breidenbach Review and Giveaway

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Flame of the Rockies

Author: Angela Breidenbach

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release date: February 1, 2022

The fiery pain at her new husband’s murder might equal the disaster blazing across the Pacific Northwest. Stranded in the treacherous railroad camp, baking bread for survival to avoid the life of a bordello canary, Juliana Hayes has no desire to marry a railroad ruffian like Lukas Filips, or anyone else. Her scrimping and saving will pay off soon. She’ll be free of the camps, the rails, and the men who destroyed her life. But she can’t earn her living constantly besieged by desperate bachelors where few women cause chaos in the male ranks.

Juliana reluctantly accepts his protection, but when Lukas reveals the secret of his Montenegrin nobility, the old fears flare as hot as the fire storm eating up the forest at their heels. Can she release her prejudice to love again? Or will either one of them survive The Big Blowup to find out?

Flame of the Rockies, Book 6 in the Queen of the Rockies series, is based on true history when three million acres burned out of control on the border of Montana and Idaho darkening the skies all the way to the East Coast during August of 1910. It’s a wonder anyone survived! Read this heart-pounding romance full of adventure, honoring true history and the heroes that made it. Be sure to follow this 6-book historical romance adventure series, Queen of the Rockies, set in the Gilded Age through the turn-of-the-century. Written by bestselling author and professional genealogist, Angela Breidenbach.

Click here to get your copy!

My Impressions

“Why did she have to feed the very men who murdered her husband?”

I really didn’t want to give Flame of the Rockies five stars. But Angela Breidenbach upped her game, if that was even possible, from the others. This was the very best of all six of the Queen of the Rockies series!

Immediately, Breidenbach draws the reader into the story of a widowed bread baker (Juliana) who is constantly fighting off unwanted miners’ attentions. Yet, Lukas, as the latest foreman, is equally compelling and relatable. Breidenbach sets the uneasy, hot 1910 Montana summer scene well. The dangers, manmade or natural, are realistic, well-presented, and suspenseful. The scenery and action are vividly portrayed. What a terrifying event Breidenbach brings to life, one easily ignored. I know I’ll never forget it, as I lived through it vicariously.

Love, love, love the info and the whetting of the appetite Ms. Breidenbach stirs up in the intro! They say a good speaker should lay out his or her main points before the start of a talk, and tell the audience exactly what it is they should learn. Breidenbach does this very effectively. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done so well in a novel before.

Need tourist information for a trip to Montana? Breidenbach could single-handedly handle the tourism industry for Montana, with her knowledge of the state, its history, and her ability to make that history come alive. In this novel, she focuses on the Route of the Hiawatha. Breidenbach even suggests what to take and expect on your tour.

Faith plays an important role in Lukas’s and Juliana’s story. A wonderful part of a great book.

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

————————————————————————-

Notable Quotables:

————————————————————————-

Men forged the roads, built the towns, answered the call of adventure. But women—they tamed hearts, settled men, and created civilization.

“You’ve accepted my apology, but have you forgiven me?”

“A woman settled a man. He glanced at Juliana. He wanted to be settled by her.”

“Always give credit where credit is due. My father taught me that. A man will give his best when it’s appreciated.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! An event I’d never heard about, now I’ll never forget!!

About the Author

Angela Breidenbach is a professional genealogist, the director and president of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies(GenealogicalStudies.com), conference speaker, bestselling author of eighteen books. Angela lives in Montana with her hubby and Muse, a trained fe-lion, who shakes hands, rolls over, and jumps through a hoop. Surprisingly, Angela can also. Catch her show and podcast, Genealogy Publishing Coach!

https://AngelaBreidenbach.com

More from Angela

Research is both a joy and a nemesis for an author and/or genealogist. We’re easily distracted with one more fascinating discovery! The entire series, Queen of the Rockies, came from research rabbit trails when I thought there’d be one book. Now there are six ending with Flame of the Rockies!

Flame of the Rockies happens on the factual Trail of the Hiawatha. At first, this trail was a mining area deep in the mountains on the Idaho-Montana border. So deep that fourteen feet of snow blocking the railroad was common during the winter. Quite the contrast to the hot, dry summers with countless lightning strikes and regular forest fires.

After the Big BlowUp that occurred in August of 1910 burning over 3,000,000 acres, the area gradually became a gorgeous upscale train ride through the mountains. People rode the Hiawatha for leisure, upscale dining, and tourism. Then rails died out. The Trail of the Hiawatha rose from the ashes of forgotten history to become the incredible 16.5 mile bike path it is today. The trail winds down the valley from on top of the Continental Divide with incredible views for miles as you ride and experience the awe of God’s creative grandeur.

Understanding the history and evolution of this special trail isn’t hard. So much work in historical preservation has been done, and continues to be done, for those who come. Be sure to read the travel article in the back of this book so you can be one of those holding your breath as mountain after mountain after mountain roll outward from the trestles. You’ll see mountain tops go on for miles and miles. Those vistas truly feel as if you’re standing on the clouds with the Heavenly Hosts. Then you’ll understand why Montana is called the Big Sky Country!

I hope you enjoy Flame of the Rockies and meeting many of the real people who lived and worked in those extreme conditions. Yes, a few of the characters are fictitious. But remember you’re also going to meet a true hero whose heroism and name still rings through the Hiawatha and the world today!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 18

Texas Book-aholic, June 19

Rebecca Tews, June 19

Inklings and notions, June 20

For Him and My Family, June 21

Blogging With Carol, June 21

deb’s Book Review, June 22

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 24

Bizwings Blog, June 25

Sylvan Musings, June 25

Pause for Tales, June 26

Betti Mace, June 27

Connie’s History Classroom, June 27

Mary Hake, June 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 29

Blossoms and Blessings, June 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 30

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 1

Spoken from the Heart, July 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angela is giving away the prize a free genealogy course to three winners!!

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/1eff7/flame-of-the-rockies-celebration-tour-giveaway

Bethany House, BLOG, NetGalley

A Bride of Convenience, #3 The Bride Ships by Jody Hedlund

Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: A Bride of Convenience

Series: #3 The Bride Ships

Author: Jody Hedlund

Publisher: Bethany House

Released: June 2020

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Unemployed mill worker Zoe Hart jumps at the opportunity to emigrate to British Columbia in 1863 to find a better life and be reunited with her brother, who fled from home after being accused of a crime.

Pastor to miners in the mountains, Abe Merivale discovers an abandoned baby during a routine visit to Victoria and joins efforts with Zoe, one of the newly arrived bride-ship women, to care for the infant. While there, he’s devastated by the news from his fiancee in England that she’s marrying another man.

With mounting pressure to find the baby a home, Zoe accepts a proposal from a miner of questionable character after he promises to help her locate her brother. Intent on protecting Zoe and frustrated by his failed engagement, Abe offers his own hand as groom. After a hasty wedding, they soon realize their marriage of convenience is not so convenient after all. 

My Impressions

Reading A Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund, I wondered how I waited so long to read this book. Hedlund’s The Bride Ships series’ third book was a real pleasure. I enjoyed the history Hedlund accurately wove into the narrative about Canadian mining towns, English brides, and the smallpox epidemic that the Vancouver native Americans endured in the mid-late 1800s. It was sad to see such a great amount of prejudice and mistreatment against the native Americans.

Zoe is a great heroine, rising from a ”nobody” to somebody who stands tall because of her character. And then there’s loveable, rather hapless Abe, struggling to figure out exactly what direction God wants his life to take. I felt like Abe was torn between what people such as the Bishop told him he should do, and what God was leading him to actually do. Will Abe choose comfort or honor? My favorite secondary character is Mrs. Moresby. What a difference she made in the brides’ lives.

A Bride of Convenience is a delicious serving of English bride ships and Vancouver history with a side of social commentary wrapped up in compelling romantic prose that will keep you eagerly reading from the first page to last. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the author and publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving this review. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author

Jody Hedlund is the author of over thirty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards including the Christy, Carol, and Christian Book Award.

Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).

When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.