Review ~ Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham

 

Barbour Books ~ Oct 1, 2024 ~ 320 Pages ~ Paperback

Book 2 of 2: My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge

About the Book

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose?  

Purchase: Barbour Books

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My Review 4.5 STARS

Basham once again shows the strength, determination, and resilience that mountain folk are made of. Kizzie is a young woman dreaming of love and romance, and her journey to discovering just who the greatest Love of her life will be is one fraught with poor choices. Anyone who has been redeemed from such a life will surely feel a deep kinship with Kizzie, and her heartaches and triumphs will resonate deeply. Based on her own family history going back generations, Basham captures the sheer will Kizzie needed to continue on, and how when we surrender to God, he brings beauty from the ashes. 

Hope Like Wildflowers is such a rewarding read, filled with characters who draw out every emotion. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, or just good writing! 

I appreciate Barbour Publishing providing me a copy for review purposes. This opinion is my own. No compensation received. 

~Happy Reading~

High-level suspense that's addicting! ~ Not This Time by Vicki Hinze ~Review

About the Book

Small town scandal. International terrorist attack. Who among them is the traitor?
Sara and Beth have built a multi-million dollar business together, but their once solid friendship is now strained. Beth is leery of Sara’s husband, and when he is kidnapped, authorities consider Beth their prime suspect.

Then, their small town of Seagrove Village is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn’t know who to trust. Someone she knows is linked to the attack, but who? Is there a connection to Crossroads Crisis Center? In the midst of the confusion and fear, Beth finds herself attracted to a man from her past. She knows she shouldn’t fall in love with him, but she can’t resist or even explain their bond. As her world unravels around her, she wonders, is it possible to be beyond redemption?

Click here to download the first chapter of Not This Time.

My Review

Do you really know your friends and neighbors?

Not This Time is the third book in the Crossroad Crisis Center series and if you love a suspenseful story that will keep you up late then this is the one for you! The pacing was rapid with barely a moment to breathe that made it hard to put down. It totally drew me in and had me flipping the pages as fast I could read them. Spellbinding suspense kept me thinking of possible scenarios each time I had to lay it aside.

My favorite character is Joe. He’s a Shadow Watcher, part of an elite group that is hunting NINA, a terrorist organization, and their operatives. He’s introduced in book two, Deadly Ties, and I was so happy to see him spotlighted in his own story. Of course, he’s not an attention hog, so we get lots of face time with Beth, Sara, and Jeff who are trying to figure out who is behind the latest attack, and a murder or two, in Seagrove Village. But Joe has a special something. Maybe it’s his Cajun drawl that surfaces, and the pitch of his voice, when he’s talking to Beth. He unconsciously slips into his “real” self around her, trusting her with his secrets.

And boy howdy, there are some big secrets in Seagrove Village! I was shocked to find out the identities of some of the terrorists, and I’m usually pretty good at ferreting out the bad guys. Some of the scenes are so sad but there’s a theme of redemption that is unquestionably one of the best I have ever read. Not This Time, along with Forget Me Not and Deadly Ties, has a place of honor on my bookshelf because I will be reading and re-reading them for years to come!

WaterBrook Multnomah provided a copy of the book for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, just my opinion of the book, which I have done. No compensation has been received.

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Other Formats for Not This Time

Unabridged Audiobook Download

Written by Vicki Hinze
Read by Dorothy Dillingham Blue

Release Date: Feb 21, 2012

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