Healing of the Heart: A Shumard Oak Bend Novel (Discerning God’s Best Book 4) by Heidi Gray McGill

 

Very real characters and settings to feel immersed in, a part of. A young nurse and doctor living away from home, in training for career, advancement and a good living. It must be universal that there are people in your life who think they're better than you and enjoy the domineering feeling of power. Thankfully we also have good, caring people in our lives to help us through life and keep us strong. Very well told story of wonderfully caring people who have been hurt many times and deeply, healing others and finally receiving healing themselves. Friendship and closeness mean everything, and an excellent moral compass. Very touching novel of faith, strength and perseverance.

I received this book free from the author and publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#HealingOfTheHeart #HeidiGrayMcGill #HeidiGrayMcGillBooksLLC #HistoricalChristianRomanceFiction #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ShumardOakBendNovel #DiscerningGodsBestBook

Synopsis

He’s sworn to heal others, but at what cost to himself?

Step into the bustling streets of post-Civil War Philadelphia, where cultural injustice and class disparity run rampant. Amidst this chaos, Thomas, an aspiring doctor from the wilds of Missouri, struggles to find his place in a society to which he is unaccustomed. But when he meets debutante Emmaline Whitaker, she teaches him more than the social graces - she holds the key to his future. Only it is the independent, fun-loving Theodora Morse who holds his attention.

As Thomas navigates the complexities of high society, he must also confront his inner turmoil. When devastating news comes from home, Thomas is forced to use his waning faith to determine the desire of his heart. Will Thomas stand by his convictions and fight against the malaise of those around him, or will he choose the safety and comfort of his new life?

In this powerful Christian historical fiction, award-winning author Heidi Gray McGill weaves a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption in the City of Brotherly Love.

For Misty M. Beller, Lacy Williams, and Linda Ford fans, this standalone novel in the Discerning God’s Best series will capture your heart and leave you breathless. You’ll love this book if you enjoy gripping historical drama and compelling characters. Binge-read the entire series on Kindle Unlimited.

Full-length Christian historical fiction

A standalone novel in the Discerning God’s Best series

Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Timeline: 1871 – 1873

Book One: Desire of My Heart

Book Two: With All My Heart

Book Three: Matters of the Heart

Book Four: Healing of the Heart

Prequel: Deep in My Heart – available for free with newsletter signup on Heidi Gray McGill's website.

About the author

Heidi is an award-winning and best-selling author. Whether historical or contemporary, you will find Heidi’s writing true works of Christian Fiction, full of God’s redeeming love. 

Everything Heidi writes is purposeful. She believes in bringing a reader into the awareness of who God is to them and how He interacts with them on a personal level. She does this by crafting characters so relatable you feel part of who they are. 

Heidi reaches deep into the reader’s heart through masterfully written words and offers ways toward healing by seamlessly applying God’s Word throughout her stories.

Heidi is an optimist who chooses to find the silver lining in life’s clouds of doubt. She lives with her husband of thirty-one years near Charlotte, NC. When she isn’t writing, you will find her outside playing with her two grandsons, walking, scrapbooking, reading, cooking, traveling, or finding an excuse to have an outing with a girlfriend.

My reviews

Amazon

BookBub

Goodreads

LibraryThing

Pinterest

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Love's Faithful Promise by Susan Anne Mason

 

Drop right in to an Irish family. Dierdre is a nurse who is just starting to study to become a doctor in pediatrics. When her mother has a stroke, she goes to visit a doctor to convince him to help her mother. Dr Matthew Clayborne is a young widower who served in the military. While wounded he learned techniques in physical therapy to help injured limbs recover and began a practice when he returned to Toronto. Emotionally shutdown, as much as he helps his patients he is yet withdrawn from them and from his little 4-year-old daughter who had contracted the same disease that killed his wife.  Persuaded because of his daughter’s health, he decides to go with Dierdre to help her mother. He hadn’t counted on how much Irish Meadows estate and the O’Leary family would affect them both. Wonderfully told story where you’ll feel right at home. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#LovesFaithfulPromise #NetGalley #SusanAnneMason #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyPublishing #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical  

From the Publisher: 

A Stirring Story of Love and Faith and America's Great Promise 

 

When her mother suffers a stroke, medical student Deirdre O'Leary makes the difficult choice to put her career on hold to care for her. Dr. Matthew Clayborne is renowned for his amazing results with patients, but when Deirdre approaches him about helping her mother, she finds him challenging and surly. Deirdre has had enough of complicated men in her life. After her fiancé left her, she vowed never to give a man that kind of power again. 

 

Widower Dr. Matthew Clayborne is devoted to two things: his work with wounded soldiers and his four-year-old daughter, Phoebe. He won't abandon either of these priorities to care for one older woman. However, when Phoebe suffers a health scare, they're offered respite at the Irish Meadows farm, where his daughter's weakened lungs can recover--but only if he cares for Mrs. O'Leary. 

 

Matthew intends to hate Irish Meadows, yet he immediately feels at home, and soon both Mrs. O'Leary and Phoebe are showing improvement. But since he has no intention of leaving his life up north forever, and Deirdre has sworn off marriage in favor of her career, how will they deal with the undeniable attraction between them?  

My reviews

Amazon

BarnesAndNoble

Goodreads

Powells

Pinterest

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter/X

NetGalley

Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart by Misty Beller

Dinah is a doctor, leaving with her sister who was to be a mail order bride. They had seen an advertisement and prayed about it. When they finally get to the ranch it isn't what they expected - he hadn't placed the ad. Oh boy. Turning back isn't an option and Dinah is needed because of an accident, so they stay on at the ranch. Even though Jerico didn't place the ad they all slowly realize that they need these ladies. The struggles, which are many, run deep for all of them. And they all have their secrets. Sweet romance with good faith lessons. 

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#HealingTheMountainMansHeart #MistyBeller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance

About the Book

 

Book: Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 15, 2023

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

Jericho Coulter, the eldest of six fiercely devoted brothers, is entrusted with safeguarding his family and the secret that binds them together: the Sapphire mine. To keep tragedy from striking again, he allows no outsiders on their land. When two women stumble upon their ranch, claiming Jericho himself sent for one of them as a mail-order bride, he aims to send them straight back where they came from.
Dinah Wyatt, a talented and determined doctor, wasn’t about to let her twin sister travel to Montana alone and marry a stranger. Dinah’s skills are immediately put to the test when one of the younger Coulter brothers is gravely injured, forcing the family to trust his life to her.As Dinah and her sister become entwined in the Coulter family’s life, sparks fly between the enigmatic Jericho and the captivating doctor. In a world where trust is hard to come by and secrets hold the power to change lives, Jericho and Dinah must learn that sometimes, the most precious secrets are those buried within our own hearts.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a mail-order bride, hidden treasure, and love that heals wounded hearts. 

Click here to get your copy! 

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling 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

Sapphires in Montana? Are you sure? 

When I was brainstorming ideas for my new series, I knew I wanted the stories to be set on a ranch amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Montana mountains. But I wanted something a little more unusual than that. I know, what could be more special than a ranch in the Rockies? 

So I brought the conundrum to some writer friends and asked for help brainstorming. There’s nothing quite so fascinating as a group of writers in full brainstorming mode. Since the series is set during the mining boom in Montana, we discussed the idea of some kind of mine on the ranch, but not gold or silver. Or even copper. The remarkable Sarah Erredge (who writes as S.E. Warren) suggested Sapphires. 

That thought immediately grabbed hold of me (especially since the Sapphire is the birthstone for my month of September). But I’d never heard of Sapphires being discovered in Montana. That seemed impossible… Right? 

Until some quick research showed there are three well-known pockets of Sapphires in the state! Rock Creek is one of those locations and is positioned perfectly for where I wanted to set my story—west of Helena and about a half day’s ride from the Mullan Road. 

The timing of Sapphire discoveries in the state is perfect for my series as well. Early prospectors searching for gold in the gravel of the Missouri River repeatedly discarded the annoying blue pebbles that continually clogged their sluices without much thought to what they may be. It wasn’t discovered that these “pebbles” were Sapphires until 1895 when a man named Ed Coulter forwarded samples of these stones to Tiffany & Co. When Tiffany purchased the lot for $3,750 (approximately $110,300 as of 2018) and declared that the stones were “sapphires of unusual quality,” a small-scale sapphire rush began. 

This rush is exactly what the Coulter brothers in the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series are trying to avoid. That’s why they keep the Sapphire mine on their property secret during this first book in the series, Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart. 

I pray you love book 1 in this new series and fall as deeply in love with this ranch in the Rockies as I have, especially with the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch.  

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

lakesidelivingsite, August 8
Alena Mentink, August 8
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 9
Texas Book-aholic, August 9
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 10
Books You Can Feel Good About, August 10
Lighthouse Academy Blog, August 11 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 12
The Book Club Network, August 13
Blossoms and Blessings, August 13
Betti Mace, August 14
Connie’s History Classroom, August 15
Life on Chickadee Lane, August 15
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 16
Holly’s Book Corner, August 17
Jeanette’s Thoughts, August 17
Splashes of Joy, August 18
Mary Hake, August 18
annette_reads_daily, August 19
Cover Lover Book Review, August 19
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 20 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, August 21
Pause for Tales, August 21

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 nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/272f6/healing-the-mountain-man-s-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews:

Goodreads

Amazon

BarnesAndNoble

BookBub

Powells

Pinterest

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

LibraryThing

WalMart

Rosie's Gamble by Linda Carroll-Bradd

 

1893 this is a story about Rosie and Beck. She was unhappy and unwanted in her stepfather's house. Beck had posted a wish for a bride to go on the Oklahoma land rush and claim a spot for his new store. They communicate by letter and decide that she'll go to him, and they'll try to get a claim. She's a doctor and very independent, used to taking care of herself. Well written clean romance as they get to know each other and struggle with issues, with each other and with others. Good read right to the end.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#NetGalley #RosiesGamble #LindaCarroll-Bradd #BacklitPR #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram

Facebook

NetGalley

The Way of Love by Tracie Peterson

 

Christian Historical Oregon 1879, 1880

A continuation of an interesting series. Faith was born as the result of her mother being raped in a Native American uprising, first adopted out and then she was raised on a Reservation. She looks white. A gifted healer, she goes to Portland to attend college to be certified as a doctor, then return to the reservation. At that time, people of color did not have any rights in Oregon. Blacks were not allowed in the state at all. Native Americans could not marry a white person or attend college. In this story there are powerful men who want to rid the state of Indians and sell their land for profit and they would do almost anything to eliminate people who stood in their way. Mostly in secret of course. Some of these men carry over from the previous books, so Faith's family is still in danger. It plays a very big part in what happens in this story as well. Andrew is a ship's captain who comes into Faith's life and plays a big part in her family as well. Excellent series to get lost in. Living with discrimination, good, caring people wanting to help others. When they step out of their bounds and speak out for fairness, they are deeply punished by the evil ones. Christian faith and perseverance runs strong throughout the story.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Reviews

Goodreads

Amazon

Powells

Barnes and Noble

Pinterest

BookBub

The Midwife's Tale by Delia Parr

I felt there were some similarities to the PBS show Lark Rising and Jane Kirkpatrick's books. If you know either, you know you'll also be in love with Martha and this town setting quickly. Full of wisdom and insight in the life of a woman.  Self examining, lessons learned, wisdom to pass along that will help others to become stronger. Lessons of Christian faith as well. 1830 Western Pennsylvania. Christian Historical. The author says, "I hope The Midwife’s Tale will place midwifery and herbal treatments in historical perspective." A deeply satisfying story that will endear you to the characters, rooting for them along the way and feeling every bump in their road.

Martha is a midwife, trained by her Grandmother whose Mother had been a midwife and hers before her through the generations. She took the responsibility of delivering babies and taking care of children very seriously, continuing a diary that served as a record of births for the area. But a couple of things threw her a curve ball. Her daughter ran away while she was out on a call, and a new doctor came to town while she was away looking for her. She tried to find her daughter without success and returned home to find the new doctor trying to deliver a baby. This is a time when doctors had a way of treating pregnancy as an illness, with policies of bloodletting and purging, contrary to what midwives did using natural ways.

She learns that even though life changes, you can still do your best to be kind and help others, persevering even when others are unkind. A bird in a cage and a young orphan boy come into her life, and she finds new meaning and worth in taking care of them as well as the other people in the small town of Trinity, which for all it's faults will make you love it and want to come back.

"In the end, we must trust God to know what is best before we do, and to know that one day He will shower us with joy equal to the pain we have endured.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#TheMidwifesTale #NetGalley #DeliaParr #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Reviews:
Amazon
Goodreads
Powells
ChristianBook
BookFun
Twitter
Pinterest

The Undertaker's Assistant by Amanda Skenandore

"Her past was all around her, yet still beyond her reach."

Wow, This would make a good movie. Become immersed right away and continue to be so throughout. Interesting, unpredictable story. Effie is 7 years old, running into a Union camp during the Civil war, taken in by a doctor. She assists him through the War and he takes her up North with him after the North wins. Even though freedom from slavery is won, the progress those of her race have made is resented.  Eleven years later she goes back South to New Orleans to try to remember and find some kind of connection with her early life.
The doctor who raised her taught her to be his assistant as an embalmer, and she is good at it. She's very bright, knowing the entire anatomy, German, Latin. Her Northern accent is not appreciated though. As she learns more about her past, she grows with the relationships she forms along the way, and finds her own strength and personal freedom. Overall a clean read, with some mild sexual references, such as what the slave traders did to her even though she was a little girl. Brings to light some of the very cruel treatment of African Americans. The violence and intimidation depicted in the story are based on historical fact.

"Even the chains and shackles would someday rust and crumble. Then who could say it happened at all?"

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#TheUndertakersAssistant #NetGalley #AmandaSkenandore #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My reviews:
Amazon
Goodreads
Powells
Pinterest
Twitter
BookFun
Twitter2

A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

Deeply satisfying. This girl knows how to write a story, and how to end it, with a promise for more, and you can't wait. Based on historical facts. Mercy was from the poorest of the poor, living in the slums of London. But she had been raised with love and caring, mostly by her sister - who was in a Workhouse and near to death. She made Mercy promise to go on a ship to British Columbia for a new start. A ray of hope for the hopeless. Reluctantly, Mercy went, not realizing that it was a Bride Ship. She accepted the role that she had lived as due her station, felt she was the bottom of the bottom of society. She reached out to help all around her in any way that she could, primarily nursing the sick. She became deeply attached to each in her care, showing kindness and love. Joseph is a member of Society, but chose to be a ship's surgeon. He learns a lot about himself and how he and his peers treat the poor. Mercy proves to be a perfect nurse, and they spend time together as they travel. Each learns they have prejudices, and work through the assumptions of those who surround them on the ship. The author must have done a lot of research to know what it was like to live in a ship at that time, because you can easily picture everything. A story where you become attached to the characters - need a two five-star rating to give it justice. Eagerly awaiting the next in the series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#AReluctantBride  #JodyHedlund  #NetGalley  #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

My Reviews:
Amazon
Goodreads
Pinterest
Twitter
Powells
BookFun
ChristianBook

A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot

Secrets, danger and mystery, trust and faith learned. 1881 Texas Christian Historical

Catherine doesn't like doctors since the town doctor accelerated her mother's death. She is a school teacher with close family relationships in a town she grew up in.

Austin is a plastic surgeon hiding from a mafia boss in Philadelphia. He was born a rancher so that's what he decides to do when he and his daughter move to Texas. She’s an introverted six year old to the point that the adults are quite concerned about her - until Catherine brings her out of her shell. She’s good at keeping secrets, but she’s only a child.

A fast paced excellent read that keeps you engaged from the start, with characters you'll come to know and love.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author and Revell/Baker Publishing Group - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My Reviews:
Goodreads
Indigo
Amazon
Twitter
Google Plus
Pinterest
Book Fun
Christian Book

#AborrowedDream #NetGalley

From the Publisher:
Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the town doctor's excessive bleeding treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek's dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life without love or family, a life where dreams rarely come true.
Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He's managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.
With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.