Return To The Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

 

Muireall is a talented seamstress, living at a fort in Kentucky. She is driven to find her sister, and happens across Jude, who is travelling to where she needs to go in the wilderness. They marry for convenience, each searching for answers, each holding something back about themselves. They face dangers on their journey, and they both fall back on their faith to see them through. Very hard to put down, very easy to become attached to them both. Excellent quick read.  

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.

#ReturnToTheWilderness #AndreaByrd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: Return to the Wilderness

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: October 22, 2024

Two outcasts. One marriage of convenience. A love story forged in the fires of adversity.

Muireall Blair has finally found a comfortable life at Fort Harrod—until she experiences a recurring nightmare that warns of impending doom for her sister. Unable to shake the weight of foreboding, Muireall cannot sit idle anymore and risk the dream becoming a reality. With her near-sightedness a closely guarded secret, she seeks the help of Jude, a man with his own hidden past, to reach her sister.

Jude Browne has been gifted with a life of fighting for survival, not one of finding acceptance. Half-blinded as a youth, the scars across his face and the knowledge of his illegitimate birth serve as a reminder of his worthlessness. However, when his mother falls ill, she finally lays bare all the secrets she has kept all his life. Secrets that point to his one chance of finding who he truly is.

Jude and Muireall soon realize that a marriage of convenience is the key to reaching Pitman Station safely. But when their secrets unravel and danger closes in, will they succumb to the shadows of their pasts, or will they find the strength to forge a new future together?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a Christian wife and mom located in rural Kentucky, who loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors, one with nature. Often described as having been born outside her time, she has a deep affinity for an old-fashioned, natural lifestyle.

With a degree in Equine Health & Rehabilitation gathering dust and a full-time job tethering her to a desk eight hours a day, Andrea decided it was time to show both herself and her children that it is truly possible to make your dreams come true. Now with over 1,000 contemporary Christian romance novellas sold, Andrea is pursuing her passion of writing faith-filled romance woven with a thread of true history. 

More from Andrea

I love to read books that have historical facts, especially little-known ones, woven into their pages. Within my books, I strive to do the same and Return to the Wilderness is no exception.

This book comes in after the unrest of what some call the “Indian Wars,” in Kentucky. During that time, attacks by the native were frequent and brutal. Many of the Station Masters and long hunters in the area lost family members. If you read, Rescue in the Wilderness, you have seen a glimpse of this time and how devastating it could be.

Due to these attacks, stations and settlements were often abandoned. Sometimes the families returned after this time period came to an end and sometimes the buildings were simply left to deteriorate and become shells of a past time. I do not want to give any spoilers, but if you decide to read Return to the Wilderness, you will find out just how this little piece of history impacts the main character, Muireall (the sister from Redemption in the Wilderness).

Blog Stops

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 22
lakesidelivingsite, October 22
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 23
Lighthouse Academy Blog, October 24 (Guest Review from Marilyn)
Texas Book-aholic, October 25
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 26
Books You Can Feel Good About, October 27
Book Looks by Lisa, October 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 29
For Him and My Family, October 30
An Author’s Take, October 31
Cover Lover Book Review, November 1
Holly’s Book Corner, November 2
Pause for Tales, November 3
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 4 (Author Interview)
Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Andrea is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon 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/00adcf5474/

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Rocky Mountain Journey (Sisters of the Rockies: Book 3) by Misty M. Beller

 

1800's frontier. More time with a warm, loving family, woven with strength of faith - the conclusion to the series. Faith is determined to find the Peigan Blackfoot Indian woman who had saved their father years back. Grant was searching for his brother in an area that was still vast wilderness. Through hardships and danger, they find a new relationship with each other, each having strengths to help the other. 

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.

#RockyMountainJourney #MistyMBeller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #BethanyHousePublishers 

 

About the Book

Book: Rocky Mountain Journey (Sisters of the Rockies: Book 3)

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 18, 2024

Masquerading as a man, Faith Collins embarks on a perilous journey through the untamed wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in search of the Peigan Blackfoot woman who once saved her father’s life. She joins a group of trappers who may be able to lead her to the place the woman is hiding, but keeping Faith’s identity a secret proves more difficult than she imagined.

Grant Allen is searching for his younger brother, who was separated from him when their parents died many years ago. After receiving word that his brother went west to the Rockies, he unites with a group of trappers, hoping they can lead him to his brother’s location. Soon Grant realizes there’s a woman hiding among the men, and he’s determined to find out who she is, what she’s hiding, and how he can keep her safe in this country of wild animals and even wilder men.

In this rousing conclusion to her Sisters of the Rockies series, Misty M. Beller embarks on an adventurous journey where loyalty, love, and sacrifice intertwine amid the unforgiving frontier.

 

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

A HEROINE DISGUISED AS A MAN

I love a heroine in disguise! It’s one of my favorite tropes, but I don’t often get to write stories with that plot. It adds so many fun and funny moments to the storyline. J

In Rocky Mountain Journey our heroine goes undercover as a “man” to travel with a group of trappers so she can reach her destination safely. Numbers meant a better chance of survival back in those days. I love that Grant, our hero, was the only man in the trapper group who looked close enough at the young “man” riding with them to realize things weren’t what they seemed at first glance.

One challenge that definitely arises in a story where the heroine is pretending to be a man is the development of the romance between her and the hero. In this case, Faith was pretending to be her (fictitious) brother Frank. Grant had met Faith in an earlier chapter before she took on the disguise, and he immediately noticed the resemblance between “Frank” and the woman whose memory still lingered with him, even days later. Every time he looks at “Frank” while they’re traveling with the trappers, he recalls the memory of Faith by the waterfall…and the attraction to that woman grows a little more every time. What a shocking surprise when he discovered she’s riding just ahead of him on the trail the entire time!

I pray you love Faith’s stint “in disguise” in Rocky Mountain Journey! J

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 18
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, June 18
Life, Love, Writing, June 19
Book Looks by Lisa, June 19
Wishful Endings, June 20
Lighthouse Academy Blog, June 20 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
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Devoted To Hope, June 22
Locks, Hooks and Books, June 23
Happily Managing a Houeshold of Boys, June 23
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Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 24
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Books You Can Feel Good About, June 26
Mornings at Character Cafe, June 26
Life on Chickadee Lane, June 27
Tell Tale Book Reviews, June 27
Cover Lover Book Review, June 28
For Him and My Family, June 29
Jeanette’s Thoughts, June 29
Holly’s Book Corner, June 30
Blossoms and Blessings, June 30
Lily’s Corner, July 1
Pause for Tales, July 1

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/2c068/rocky-mountain-journey-celebration-tour-giveaway

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With Each Tomorrow by Tracie Peterson; Kimberley Woodhouse

 

(The Jewels of Kalispell Book #2): (A Christian Historical Romance Series by Bestselling Authors set in Montana with Mystery and Intrigue)

1904 Montana. Ellie and her father come to town working to start a new National Park there. It happened to be a town where the railroad is moving out, relocating, which is upsetting to all who already live in the town and work for the railroad. As they begin to discover, there are powers and politics involved from all across the country. She and Carter don't hit it off at all. Each has problems and obstacles to work out and grow in their faith. 

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

#WithEachTomorrow #NetGalley #TraciePeterson #KimberleyWoodhouse #BethanyHousePublishers #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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The Element of Love by Mary Connealy

 

1872 California. Part of a really good series, this book is mostly about Laura. There are three sisters, with the story opening as they escape from their evil stepfather before he sells them off in marriages to creeps that are advantageous only to him. As they're leaving, their Mother feigns a fall and goes back to buy them time. Their real father had amassed a large logging operation, training his daughters to take over the company one day and build it even further. They were each highly schooled and each has very special skills. When he died, their mother married the wrong man who had fooled all of them and wanted control of the company. So, they all have deep trust issues. As they're running away, they join a missionary group for safety and anonymity. The parson is a young man with a past, now saved and trying to spread the Good News. Very interesting as it develops. I really liked reading it and was fully engrossed. Each character is very real and 3D. Good lessons of Christian faith. Need to have the next one to binge read it!

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.

#TheElementOfLove #NetGalley #MaryConnealy #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethanyHousePublishers #BethanyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction  

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The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz

 

I so loved this book.

Incredible journey. The British tried to wipe out the very existence of the Acadia people, nearly did. This story of a rare survivor is anguishing, touching, tense, endearing and very hard to put down. So easy to become immersed in the story. Fabulous characters, including big, strong, cunning fighting backwoods men who travel their own hard paths. Such an excellent read (have I said that enough?). Much as I wanted to see what happened, I didn't want it to end. 

I'm filing this under "places I'd like to live" and "characters I'd like to meet".

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

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Rescue in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

Faith filled story of 1779 Virginia. As well as having deformities from an abusive father, Lucinda was born with a chronic illness. William rushes her to safety before her father sells her, removing her to another area, where she decides to travel west. Working as a guide for an overland group to Kentucky, William continues to watch over her. He has his own disfigurement from earlier times. Both are forged by their life difficulties and are strong, but each is also vulnerable and finds it hard to trust and feel worthy of someone's love. Beautifully told. So well written it feels like you're on the journey through the woods and terrain with them. None of us are good enough as we are, only Jesus has made us worthy. 

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.

#RescueInTheWilderness #AndreaByrd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: Rescue in the Wilderness

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: June 27, 2023

William Cole cannot forget the cruel burden he carries, not with the pock marks that serve as an outward reminder. Riddled with guilt, he assumed the solitary life of a long hunter, traveling into the wilds of Kentucky each year. But his quiet existence is changed in an instant when, sitting in a tavern, he overhears a man offering his daughter—and her virtue—to the winner of the next round of cards. William’s integrity and desire for redemption will not allow him to sit idly by while such an injustice occurs.

Lucinda Gillespie has suffered from an inexplicable illness her entire life. Her father, embarrassed by her condition, has subjected her to a lonely existence of abuse and confinement. But faced with the ultimate betrayal on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Lucinda quickly realizes her trust is better placed in his hands of the mysterious man who appears at her door. Especially when he offers her the one thing she never thought would be within her grasp—freedom.

In the blink of an eye, both lives change as they begin the difficult, danger-fraught journey westward on the Wilderness Trail. But can they overcome their own perceptions of themselves to find love and the life God created them for? 

Click here to get your copy! 

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a Christian wife and mom located in rural Kentucky, who loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors, one with nature. Often described as having been born outside her time, she has a deep affinity for an old-fashioned, natural lifestyle.

With a degree in Equine Health & Rehabilitation gathering dust and a full-time job tethering her to a desk eight hours a day, Andrea decided it was time to show both herself and her children that it is truly possible to make your dreams come true. Now with over 1,000 contemporary Christian romance novellas sold, Andrea is pursuing her passion of writing faith-filled romance woven with a thread of true history. 

More form Andrea

There is so much inspiration that fed into the creation of Rescue in the Wilderness.

Not only was the Good Lord’s guiding hand ever-present, but so was the influence of those that came before me. This story was inspired by my own ancestors, as well as the countless others, that made the arduous journey through Cumberland Gap to settle in Kentucky. Those brave souls opened up a whole new world, and for some of us, established the area in which their families would preside for centuries to come.

As a lover of books that integrate history into fiction myself, I also wished to shed light on the “Hard Winter” of 1779-1780. This was a winter that came early, and with great intensity. While it caused hardships for many across the country, it made the journey through the Cumberland Gap all the more perilous.

Beyond these historical facts, I also wished to pay tribute to those who suffer from chronic pain conditions. I will never forget the day a friend of mine, whom the Lord called home all too soon, told me of her childhood rheumatoid arthritis and how there were days she was in too much pain to leave her bed. In this book, I wished to explore what pioneer life might have been for someone who suffered from such a condition.

Blog Stops

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 28
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, June 29 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 29
Connie’s History Classroom, June 30
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 1
Books You Can Feel Good About, July 1
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 2
Texas Book-aholic, July 3
Lighthouse Academy Blog, July 3 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
lakesidelivingsite, July 4
Betti Mace, July 5
Pause for Tales, July 5
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 6
For Him and My Family, July 7
JESUS in the EVERYDAY, July 7
Karen Baney Reviews, July 8
Cover Lover Book Review, July 8
Jeanette’s Thoughts, July 9
Splashes of Joy, July 10
To Everything There Is A Season , July 10
Holly’s Book Corner, July 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Andrea 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/2678e/rescue-in-the-wilderness-celebration-tour-giveaway

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(also on WalMart)

Woman of Courage by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Get lost in the wilderness of North America!
Many lessons of faith and Christianity throughout this story of a young woman who travels from Dansville, N.Y. to Oregon/Idaho (about 3,000 miles, mostly wilderness) to teach the Nez pierce Indians about Jesus. Strength, determination and perseverance, pushing on when most would give up. A journey even the experienced would find difficult, but she has no experience to draw on. When everything is taken from her, she still has her faith and doesn't turn back. I'm sure, like me, that you will find something within that ministers and strengthens you. She believes strongly in her mission to bring people to Jesus, and has a long and difficult travel. But God uses adversity in many ways.  I've done some woods camping so I can appreciate what she went through, but not nearly to the extent. Let alone the threats she encountered. You know you will love a story of Wanda's! A fabulous story to get lost in.

Also included in the Collectors's Edition - Woman Of Hope - about her adopted Indian daughter, Little Fawn, who wants to be a missionary to other Indians at a Rendezvous but her mother won't attend or let her go for reasons of her own. When the girl tries to go by herself she is captured and abused,  but meaning is brought and God shines through. A wonderful story of deep and abiding faith throughout.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Barbour Publishing, Inc and the 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.

#WomanOfCourage #NetGalley

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Description from the Publisher:
A Woman of Courage Makes an Epic Journey
Take a three-thousand mile journey with Amanda Pearson as she leaves the disgrace of a broken engagement and joins the work at a Quaker mission in the western wilds. The trip is fraught with danger, and Amanda is near death before reaching her destination. Among those she meets are an Indian woman who becomes her first convert and a half-Indian trapper who seems to be her biggest critic. But love follows her into the wilderness and will determine the course of her future. You are sure to enjoy this historical romance adventure from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter.

Included is the newly-written sequel, Woman of Hope, with Little Fawn’s story. Raised as an orphan by a loving white couple, Little Fawn always felt something was missing from her life. She longs to take the news of Jesus to the Nez Perce Indians, but despite being a missionary herself, Little Fawn’s mother forbids it. Will White Wolf, her intended, support Little Fawn’s decision when she abruptly follows the tribe’s migration onto the Plains?

The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear

Excellent journey!
Kate makes me think of how I was as an older teenager. I was awkward around others my age, since there were few who lived around us, and I thought I was always saying the wrong thing in the wrong way. Like her, my heart was true though and I felt things deeply. And I so loved being out in the woods. The area they travelled through Tennessee and Kentucky was beautiful with rolling hills. I used to imagine how it was for the Indians, for Kate's travelling group they were a current reality. I loved camping, so it's easy for me to imaging pioneers moving to another place to live. But I never like to think of the cruelty of the Indians to those moving into lands they had lived on for generations. I really enjoyed this story, told so well that you easily picture it all. And I like the way the characters think. Kate finding her way to be around their trail guide Thomas, and Thomas sorting out his feelings for Kate and her family, since he missed his own sisters. Dangerous journey requires bravery and cool thinking, all wound up with romance. Christian Historical Fiction

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author 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.”

#TheCumberlandBride #NetGalley

Description from the Publisher:
Thomas Bledsoe and Kate Gruener are traveling the Wilderness Road when conflicts between natives and settlers reach a peak that will require each of them to tap into a well of courage.

A brand new series for fans of all things related to history, romance, adventure, faith, and family trees.
Love and Adventure Are Discovered on the Wilderness Road
In 1794, when Kate Gruener’s father is ready to move the family farther west into the wilderness to farm untouched land, Kate is eager to learn and live out her own story of adventure like he did during the War for Independence. She sets her sights on learning more about their guide, Thomas Bledsoe. Thomas’s job is to get settlers safely across the Kentucky Wilderness Road to their destination while keeping an ear open for news of Shawnee unrest. But naïve Kate’s inquisitive nature could put them both in the middle of a rising tide of conflict. Is there more to Thomas’s Shawnee connections than he is willing to tell? Is there an untapped courage in Kate that can thwart a coming disaster?
Join the adventure as the Daughters of the Mayflower series continues with The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear.
More in the Daughters of the Mayflower series:
The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1620 Atlantic Ocean (February 2018)
The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo – set 1725 New Orleans (April 2018)
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep – set 1760 during the French and Indian War (June 2018)
The Patriot Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse – set 1774 Philadelphia (August 2018)?
The Cumberland Bride by Shannon McNear – set 1794 on the Wilderness Road (October 2018)
The Liberty Bride by MaryLu Tyndall – set 1814 Baltimore (December 2018)

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Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

 A slow, comfortable read.

Trust can be tricky - and depends a lot on the people you put your faith in. Sometimes we can be too trustful, sometimes not trusting enough. Most of us feel we're a good judge of character, and many of us have been fooled. This is an excellent example of how each can be the case.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series (this is the second). For some reason this one didn't hold my interest as well. The continuation of the gentle character of Beth Thatcher is wonderful as are the biblical life lessons. After going away from home and becoming the teacher for a small town in Canada, Beth returns home to spend time with her family and wait to hear if she will be asked back again to teach. Her relationship with the Mountie Jarrick was just beginning, so as much as she has missed her family, she has mixed feelings about going back. Her family goes on a steamship tour for the summer, leaving lots of time to think and pray. But then an on-board mystery develops involving trust of another kind.

Great quote from the book: "All we can do is to keep turning each other toward the truth - to a God who loves and cares for us..." Loved the cover.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Bethany House Publishers - 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”.

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