Title: The Lady and the Mountain Man

 

Genre: Christian historical romance

 

Author: Misty Beller

 

Series: The Mountain Series, Book 1

 

 

When a murder plot forces a Southern belle onto a ranch in the wild Montana mountains, love is the last thing she expects to find.

Leah Townsend, a recently orphaned heiress, flees Richmond after discovering her fiancé’s plot to kill her after their wedding. She needs a safe place to hide, and finds herself accepting a newspaper marriage proposal from a God-fearing young rancher in the Montana Territory. But when Leah arrives at the mountain ranch, she learns her intended husband was killed by a grizzly, leaving behind a bitter older brother and a spunky younger sister.

 

When Gideon Bryant finds an eastern lady standing in his log cabin, his first thought is to send her back where she came from. He’s lost too many people to the wild elements of these mountains––his parents, his wife, and now his brother. His love for this untamed land lives on, but he’s determined not to open his heart to another person.

 

But when an accident forces Leah to stay at the ranch for seven more months, can Gideon protect his heart from a love he doesn’t want? Has Leah really escaped the men who seek her life?

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQB7F4U

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lady-and-the-mountain-man-misty-m-beller/1120376441?ean=9780998208718

 

 

 

 

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.

 

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

 

God has placed a desire in Misty's heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God's abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters. 

 

 

 

http://www.twitter.com/MistyMBeller

 

https://www.facebook.com/MistyMBellerAuthor

 

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/misty-m-beller

 

https://www.goodreads.com/MistyMBeller

 

http://www.pinterest.com/MistyMBeller

 

https://amazon.com/author/mistymbeller

 

 

 

 

 

As someone who grew up reading pioneer stories, I have a familiarity with the Oregon Trail and prairie life, but it wasn’t until I started reading Misty Beller’s work that I came to appreciate life in the Montana territory. I had never realized the harshness of the conditions there due to the isolation and especially the weather, with winter setting in during September and having snow around until June. Such an environment would be difficult today, and it’s hard to fathom how challenging it would be to simply survive there back in 1874. It certainly makes excellent fodder for novels!

“The Lady and the Mountain Man” seems different to me than the other novels I’ve read by Beller, although I have loved all of them. This one seems more character-driven, perhaps because much of the action occurs in one location, after Leah Townsend makes her way to Montana and the Bryant ranch. Her journey and the shocking revelation that triggers it pull the reader in immediately, though! I found this story to be relaxing enough to be refreshing but still with enough action to keep things interesting Likewise, I think that there are enough tragedies and obstacles to keep readers engaged and sympathetic while also containing snippets of humor.

Choosing faith over fear and trusting that God is in control of every circumstance encompass the main message of the book. In a time when people could easily die from such a multiplicity of threats, faith and family were true lifelines. Hence why Leah’s story is so intriguing, because while she trades her upper-class life for that of a backwoods settler, she maintains a quiet reserve of strength. When we surrender ourselves and our plans to God, He will use them to bring us to the safety of His sweet shelter: right where we belonged all along.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

 

 

About the Book

 

Book:  Hope in the Mountain River

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 31, 2020

This epic journey is not at all what she expected.

Joel Vargas can’t believe he’s lost his older brother in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains after surviving their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. And he can’t shake the feeling that Adam—his only living relative—is in dire trouble. No matter what the cost, he and his band of friends won’t stop until Adam is found. He doesn’t have time to contend with the two Indian women who seem to be shadowing his every move.

After the devastating loss of her daughter and husband to a sickness that swept through their Nez Perce camp, Elan is desperate to find an escape from her grief. As she and her friend journey through the mountains toward the great river, a band of white men is the last thing she expects to find, especially as winter blows in full force.

When the dangers increase, accomplishing Joel’s mission becomes the only hope for all their survival. If the elements don’t consume them, Elan has a feeling life will never be the same for any of them.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and intense adventure.



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.

She was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. Growing up, her family was close, and they continue to keep that priority today. Her husband and children now add another dimension to her life, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

God has placed a desire in Misty’s heart to combine her love for Christian fiction and the simpler ranch life, writing historical novels that display God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

 

More from Misty

 

I’ve always been a horse lover, and was blessed to grow up on a farm. My brother and I each had ponies of our own and rode hours each day. When we were old enough to graduate to full-size horses, we met neighbors who also had horses and loved to ride together. The two mares they rode had a mottled black and white spotted look, which I knew to be part of the Appaloosa breed. Through years of riding together, I developed a deep appreciation for those two Appaloosa horses, as well as respect for the entire breed! Those two mares proved they could outrun and outlast any of the other horses in our riding group.

I’ve long wanted to include Appaloosas in one of my stories, especially since the breed was said to have begun in the Nez Perce tribe who lived just west of the Rocky Mountains. I’m so excited for you to meet Elan, the heroine in Hope in the Mountain River!

Elan and her friend are traveling through the Rockies on their Appaloosa horses, animals who can ride faster and longer than all the other horses in their group—even through the treacherous terrain of the Rocky Mountains!

I pray you love this story as much as I loved writing it. Enjoy a glimpse of the famous Appaloosa horse!

 

 

My Review

 

“From the time she first heard the stories, something had resonated in her heart. A God who created His people, then didn’t leave them to fend for themselves but walked beside them, guiding and helping them. Every time she thought of it, an intense longing stirred deep inside her.”

Although I am a relative newcomer to this author’s work, she has quickly become a favorite. Misty Beller, perhaps more than any other author I’ve known, has a gift for writing variations on a theme without any of her work becoming entrenched in repetition. The nineteenth century has always been my favorite time period, so I was looking forward to this read, and it did not disappoint. Opening in the Bitterroot Mountains in December 1830, “Hope in the Mountain River” brings together a cast of characters who include Joel Vargas, a recent immigrant who is searching for his brother Adam, and Elan, a Nez Perce woman who is desperate to escape the grief of losing her husband and child. Both have heard of the God who loves and walks with His people, but neither have personally encountered Him. As the two groups band together to aid in locating Adam, they soon face trials that will challenge them physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Beller implements a shifting third-person narrative viewpoint in this novel, which serves to provide readers with insight into the thoughts and motives of several characters, especially Joel and Elan. Because they come from such different ethnic backgrounds, this technique is very helpful in understanding them both to a greater extent. Also, their mutual attraction is not straightforward and comes burdened with societal perceptions and their own backstories. Add to this the beautiful yet treacherous landscape and weather, and there is no shortage of conflict to keep readers engaged and anticipating the next step of the adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

 

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About the Book

 

Book:  Waltz in the Wilderness

Author: Kathleen Denly

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 4, 2020

She’s desperate to find her missing father. His conscience demands he risk all to help.

Eliza Brooks is haunted by her role in her mother’s death, so she’ll do anything to find her missing pa—even if it means sneaking aboard a southbound ship. When those meant to protect her abandon and betray her instead, a family friend’s unexpected assistance is a blessing she can’t refuse.

Daniel Clarke came to California to make his fortune, and a stable job as a San Francisco carpenter has earned him more than most have scraped from the local goldfields. But it’s been four years since he left Massachusetts and his fiancé is impatient for his return. Bound for home at last, Daniel Clarke finds his heart and plans challenged by a tenacious young woman with haunted eyes. Though every word he utters seems to offend her, he is determined to see her safely returned to her father. Even if that means risking his fragile engagement.

When disaster befalls them in the remote wilderness of the Southern California mountains, true feelings are revealed, and both must face heart-rending decisions. But how to decide when every choice before them leads to someone getting hurt?


Click HERE for your copy! 

About the Author

 

Kathleen Denly lives in sunny Southern California with her loving husband, four young children, and two cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

 

 

More from Kathleen

 

As Valentine’s Day nears, stories of how couples met seem to be everywhere. Many of those stories share a common element: “The second I saw him/her, I just knew I would marry him/her.”

 

Every time I read or hear these stories, I chuckle. Not because I don’t believe them but because it reminds me of my own meet-cute.

 

“Not my type.”

 

These were the first words to enter my mind when I met the man who would later become my husband. In hindsight, they are hilarious because I know that God worked things out for our good. After more than eighteen years of marriage, I can honestly say that I am more in love with my husband than ever.

 

However, just a few months prior to meeting my husband, I’d suffered a terrible breakup with another man whom I thought had been considering proposing to me. I had no idea the breakup was coming and that left me devastated and confused. The truths we learn in hindsight don’t help much when we’re in the midst of such circumstances. When we think we know the future before us and something happens to upend those plans it can feel as though our world has turned upside down.

 

This is what happens to Eliza Brooks in the first chapter of my novel, Waltz in the Wilderness. Though not romantic in nature, a major shift occurs in her world that leaves her feeling betrayed and disoriented. She’s still struggling to right her world when Daniel Clarke enters her life in the worst way possible. Misunderstanding leads to a humiliating confrontation that sets these two at odds with one another before they have a chance to truly get to know each other. Fortunately for Eliza and Daniel, God works their foolishness for good just as He did in my own true love story.

 

This Valentine’s Day, whatever your romantic relationship status, remember that you are not alone. You are loved. And the God of all the universe loves you and has a plan for you—plans to prosper you and bring you hope. “

 

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

 

My Review

 

A promising beginning to the Chaparral Hearts series by Kathleen Denly, “Waltz in the Wilderness” combines the best of westerns, adventure and survival stories, and of course romance. This is a story that I think is best enjoyed without reading the synopsis first, which is a practice I always employ to avoid knowing how the story might play out. As I read, I was so glad that I went in blind because the characters and the plot were surprising in ways that they would not have been otherwise.

Historically a fan of solely pioneer fiction, for the past several years or so I have branched out and have been exploring other genres, historical in particular, including Westerns. As soon as I saw the cover for “Waltz in the Wilderness”, coupled with the whimsical yet mysterious title, I knew that I had to request a copy to review. Like others that I have read in recent months, this book manages to inject the story with interesting detail and subplots; there is no lull in the action, but I also did not feel overwhelmed. This is such an important distinction to make, and it can make or break the book. With “Waltz in the Wilderness”, what drew me in the most were the characters.

Far from the fainting heroine waiting for her knight in shining armor, Eliza Brooks has grown accustomed to carrying her own and her pa’s burdens. When he goes missing, however, Eliza must rustle up every bit of her courage as she embarks upon her quest to find him. Although at times I shook my head at her naiveté, for the most part she demonstrates  extraordinary strength of character, tempered occasionally by gaffes that make her human.

Daniel Clarke, whose introduction to Eliza gets off on the wrong foot, is preparing to leave California to return to his family and fiancée in Boston. However, crossing paths with Eliza steers him off his course as the two decide to navigate the treacherous Southern California mountains. “She was, without a doubt, the most exasperating woman God had ever created.” It is their tenacity and resilient spirits that urge them on, deepening their faith and their own friendship, but will it be enough?

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

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