My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah is a well-written story about the plight of the Greek immigrants who came to America for a better life. I immediately fell in love with Alex. He is intelligent, strong yet sensitive, and loyal to a fault. In fact, his loyalty to his family gets him into more than one tough spot. Leanne is a progressive young woman for her time, yet she is not given 21st century behaviors as some authors tend to do. I eagerly followed Alex’s and Leanne’s journey to find each other, and the many twists and turns in the story brought tension as to how their relationship would be finalized. Would they remain merely friends or would they culminate their feelings in marriage? You’ll have to read the book to find out! I love historical novels that educate me, and this one did not disappoint. I learned a tremendous amount about the mining industry, life in the early 1900s, Greek culture, and the immigrants’ struggle to fit in to their new country. My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah was an easy, fast-paced book, and thanks to a dreary Sunday I was able to read it in one sitting. The only sad part was coming to the end of it. Hopefully, Ms. Dicken will give us more stories about these intriguing characters.

When the Unexpected Delights You with Its Uniqueness
My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate Utah: Leanna’s Choice gives the very deceptive appearance of yet just another “prairie bonnet” story. I mean, it has all the makings of it. Miners, Mormons, and schoolteachers. How cliche can you get?

But Angie Dicken didn’t “go there.” She took all those elements we’re so accustomed to seeing and gave us more from them. A rich story that kind of takes all the best of a Romeo and Juliet story (and I admit, there’s not much that you can call good in that) and fixes it. Bravo for that. It has the personal self-sacrifice—without the tantrum death scenes. It has the disapproving families, and it has Perfect love conquering all.

Funny thing about this book?
I can’t tell you if it’s well-written. There certainly wasn’t enough in it that jumped out and disappointed me. Why? I was too engrossed in a little-shared story of American immigrants—the Greeks who came to make a better life for themselves after the Greco-Turkish war.

I have a Greek friend now. If you’ve ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you know exactly what it is like to talk and laugh with her. She’s that rich, loving, vibrant.

And you see it in these people in this book. I wanted to lambaste my forefathers for being such narrow-minded jerks. And actually, that’s the only thing that ticked me off about the book. Ms. Dicken (for reasons, I don’t know but am sure she has) continually referred to the Anglo folks as “Americans” but the American Greeks were only Greek. It perpetuated that divide—kind of like we see today with [insert ethnic group here-]Americans vs. [insert ethnic group here].

Forgive the political rant, but [clickToTweet tweet=”for the love of the God who made us all one people can we just be people! ” quote=”for the love of the God who made us all one people can we just be people! “] Can we love and embrace our heritage and our rich cultures without them being a means of looking down on or dividing others? We’re different! So what! That’s beautiful in my not-so-humble (obviously) opinion.

Okay, political rant over.
This book is recommended for anyone who just loves a good story. If you want to see a side of the American west we don’t often see, this is the one for you. If you want to see Utah without the stereotypical Mormon wives and the polygamy that gets a little old and cliched (twice, I could have sworn Ms. Dicken was going there—was going to try to force Leanna into some kind of arrangement only to be saved at the last minute. Thankfully, she didn’t), anyway. If you’re ready for that kind of change, this book is for you.

I will say, though. Characters follow a bit of a stock market graph for their growth arc instead of a lovely, smooth rainbow. It’s more realistic, but sometimes you want to scream, “Can’t you make up your mind?”

But that’s how life is, isn’t it?
Thinking we have it all figured out and then life throwing something at us we couldn’t have anticipated? Yeah. It’s actually rather well done, but it isn’t classic. So if that bothers you, be warned.

One last issue… There is an agenda in this book. Leanna is… progressive in her ideologies. And while I don’t disagree with many of the things she stood for, I do get just a little weary of every historical book showing only the new and improved woman instead of women embracing where they were and working within that. It is, after all, what the majority of women did. So if that bothers you (and usually it does me), then you should know it’s in here. Honestly, though, it more fit this character’s personality than felt like the author’s agenda. I give Ms. Dicken excellent kudos for that.

Again, I can’t tell you if it’s a “good book” or not. I can just tell you that I loved it and I can’t wait to give my copy to my friend, Vicky from Greece. Seeing so many of the things she’s talked about mentioned in here—that was beautiful. Well done, Ms. Dicken!

I was unable to download this book, so could not do a review. Problem was reported to the publisher.

I knew nothing about Greek immigrants prior to reading this book. Love learning about history while captivated by a good story. Looking forward to her next book.

My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna’s Choice, by Angie Dicken is truly an inspiring piece of historical fiction with a setting, characters, and themes that resonate with purpose and meaning. The detailed descriptions of the novel’s integral setting draw attention to the wondrous, natural beauty that is frequently found in Utah, a beauty that often stands in harsh contrast with the difficult realities faced by the settlers and immigrants who made the area their home more than a century ago. It is these settlers and immigrants who powerfully shine as the characters in this novel. They possess the strength and determination to survive and thrive despite the many physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges they face. Against a backdrop of unmet expectations and broken dreams, the characters persevere to attain forgiveness, acceptance, hope, and love. Though they are hated for their ethnicity and rejected for their unpopular choices, the characters still endeavor to reflect the reconciliatory light of Jesus on the injustices that flow disturbingly from ignorance, prejudice, arrogance, and pride.
It is refreshingly poignant when a work of fiction draws attention to Biblical truth. Throughout this novel, the harm and destruction that is wrought as a result of ignorance and prejudice touches on the ongoing battle with hate that still rages throughout our world today. As demonstrated in this novel it is a message worthy of repeatedly sharing that only through faith in the extraordinary grace of the Gospel can we truly be one in Christ Jesus. Just like the characters in this novel, we must all find the courage through our faith in Jesus Christ to stand against ignorance and prejudice so that our choices, our decisions, and our actions overflow with the grace, the mercy, and the unconditional love that Jesus commands us to share with all people.
More than a simple historical narrative, this novel is rich with relevant themes and thought-provoking ideas. It is tender, emotionally stirring, and ultimately uplifting. It is a novel that I will long remember for the lasting impact that it has had on my thoughts and upon my heart. This novel was engaging, meaningful, and moving, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
I was given an early copy of this novel by the author through NetGalley. The honest review I have written, whether positive or negative, contains opinions that are entirely my own.

I always enjoy a good historical fiction book and it is especially gratifying when I am not only entertained for a few hours but actually learn something new. “My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah |Leanna’s Choice” fully met both requirements.

The story itself was interesting and the romance was sweet yet did not progress smoothly at all. Both protagonists had lost a loved one and both blamed themselves. Their response to God’s role in their lives was practically opposite in every way and was only one source of the dilemma that kept both parties hesitant to commit to the other. I enjoyed getting to know each character and found scenes with the children to be especially fun.

Racial prejudice is a subject that has been covered in so many books. Every American knows very well the history between blacks and whites in our nation. I was also aware of prejudice over the years toward Irish, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese immigrants as well as others in recent years. Somehow I had missed knowing about the prejudice against the Greek immigrants but in view of history, it makes sense that many would feel threatened by someone with an unknown background, especially if they were in competition for hard-to-find jobs. It was enlightening to meet the Pappas family and learn their customs and witness their struggle to become true Americans.

This book has a strong theme of doing the right thing and not returning evil for evil. It is also a strong story of forgiveness and trusting the Lord.

What appealed to me about the description of this one was that the lead male character is from a family of Greek immigrants. As someone who has a (non-Western) European immigrant background, and has been up against all the prejudices that come with it, this theme really appealed to me.

Full feature on my blog in September.

I love the timeframe of this book and strong female characters. That being said I was so looking forward to this book and was not disappointed. The story of Alex and Leanna twisted and turned its way through the book. Does he like me to oh no his father ordered a bride for him from Greece.
Leanna was a very sympathetic teacher who loved teaching the local miners children after the death of her husband on the local mine. Plagued with guilt for how she treated her husband, she is trying to find another job in San Francisco for a new start in life.
But she finds a new interest from her husbands coWorker Alex. Then starts a prejudice from some of the locals about a white woman taking up with a Greek!
Jump into the book to find the details of Leanna’s hate/love relationship with the locals and life in Castle Gate Utah
You will be glad you did

I struggled so to relate to this novel and I can’t put my finger on why. It’s well written, filled with Christian generosity, mercy and triumph but I just didn’t click with it. Upon reflection, I think I prefer novels with a little more pace, the characters spent a lot of time analysing their predicament. There were also so many set backs and complications, I grew weary and the racial prejudice, whilst I’m sure is accurate, was also heartbreaking. I finally concluded this one isn’t for me but give it a try, perhaps it’s for you!

My impression of this book was that it was a page-turner from the beginning. I thought the storyline was really exciting to read. There is great anticipation that builds, crumbles, builds, crumbles, and builds again. I loved how the author painted the feel of America at that time. This was very frustrating and just the way it was back in the day... I'm so thankful there is no partiality with God. Check this one out for an excellent read!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna's Choice" by Angie Dicken is the latest in the "My Heart Belongs" series written by different authors. I found the setting to be unique being set in a coal mining town and with the hero being a Greek and the heroine being an American. I'm not sure if the Greek tradition of only marrying another Greek is as strong now, but the prejudice against marrying someone of a different nationality is not. Angie Dicken did a good job of showing the struggles and obstacles that Leanna and Alex had to face on their journey to love. I particularly loved Alex and his family. The spiritual element was woven through the story and the characters grew during the course of the book.

I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received.

This was my first novel by Angie Dicken...hopefully, not my last. I loved this story...her writing style...and it's originality. I'm sure you will too.

A wonderful addition to a group of books called "My Heart Belong" series. Thank you to Barbour and NetGalley for letting me read and review such wonderful books.

Angie Dicken writes with conviction about life in a western mining town in the mountains of Utah in the early 20th century. She makes you feel the emotions and longing and heartache of the characters she's writing about, She also made me shed heart breaking tears because of the sacrifices of Alex Pappas and Leanna McKee. You feel the tragedy of a lost spouse and finding what is thought a forbidden love. Your heart will be glad at the conclusion to the first book in the My Heart Belongs in series and I look forward to reading the others as well, Much worth the time and read especially if your into Christian Historical Romances. Leanna is a former high society woman who feels her pull to God strongly and wants to help people who have need of learning. While teaching at a school in the bad part of Boston she meets her husband Jack McKee. Going against her parents she marries him and finds out he has a gambling addiction, which brings them to Castle Gate mines. Jack dies in a mining accident leaving Leanna alone and desperate. Alex Pappas is the man who tried to save Jack's life. He's also part of the Greek miners who live in town and he tries to help Leanna by giving her a job of watching his niece and nephew before and after school and to help protect them from harm. Leanna and Alex get to know each other and befriend each other and he knows how she feels because he's a widower. They help each other to work through their grief and guilt about their spouses. Both the Greeks and Americans in the community don't like the fact that Leanna and Alex are spending time together, Together they think that they can turn people around and everyone can be accepted. Leanna and Alex fall in love with each other and plan to elope but when an arsonist starts a fire at the Pappas restaurant push them apart. Leanna has a couple of decisions to make between going home to Boston or taking a tutoring position in Salt Lake City. After months go by and Leanna and Alex try to forget a future together and move on with their lives it isn't working. Leanna gets a chance at the job she wanted teaching in San Francisco and has to decide whether to fight for love or take the job. An accident at the mine in Castle Gate brings Leanna back to town and praying hard to Alex to survive since he's missing along with the her neighbor who's been causing all the trouble. God shows them all the way to the happiness and love that they want.

From very different backgrounds can they find love?

What a sweet historical romance! It's really hard to believe that this is one of Angie Dicken's first novels! My Heart Belongs In Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna's Choice is a wonderful addition to this fun series! Entertaining but taking on some difficult issues including prejudice and crippling regret.

Prejudice is the enemy for Leanna and Alex, both of them even deal with it a little bit in their own hearts. I very much appreciated how the author, intentionally or not, portrayed that prejudice comes in many forms and from all directions. Readers will find themselves delighted as love and hope begin to win out over the darkness.

My Heart Belongs In Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna's Choice is a lovely story, slim in size and in many ways a quick read, but definitely an enjoyable one. This book, and the entire series, is a must read for historical romance fans. And I think Angie Dicken will be a new author to watch...

(I received a copy of this book from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.)

The setting of this book in Castle Gate, Utah intrigued me, as did the subject and story line. Angie Dicken has written an interesting, thoughtful, and poignant story of the trials of Greek immigrants in America, and specifically as workers in the mining community of Castle Gate, Utah. She did a wonderful job of depicting the struggles and hardships they endured as they tried to adjust to life in a new land. Racial, religious, and other strife and prejudice is heart-wrenching, and it occurs far too often today, as well as in the early 1900s. This story shows that getting to know others and their hearts can help overcome prejudices. The characters in the story are well-developed and interesting, and it was easy to relate to them. Threads of hope, forgiveness, and love are woven into the story and add dimension to it.

The author obviously did much research into this subject and has stated that she had Greek ancestors that lived out these struggles in the Castle Gate area. I will definitely be looking for more books from her.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was a hard one to get through. Leanna never really made sense as a character, but it's actually the life philosophy of the characters that sunk this boat for me.

Their favorite quote is "The only darkness is ignorance." If that were true, God wouldn't have sent a Savior as a sacrifice...He would have sent a man who was the most knowledgeable person ever found, and we could be free from darkness by dint of knowledge. No. Life doesn't work that way.

Examples. Only one marriage in the book is good, and we don't get to see it as a marriage...the two characters (Yanni and Penelope) aren't even shown having a conversation together. Jack and Dr. Scott are told to be the reasons their wives because Christians, but Jack had a fatal gambling problem and Dr. Scott has a dalliance. Nothing to admire there.

Going to church. Alex didn't even know basic Scripture and didn't own a Bible. Rather than having him become saved, he supposedly came back to God for a renewal of relationship. But instead of going to where he could learn more about God's word, he continues to go for walks alone in the woods on Sunday as his "self-church."

Leanna's personal choices. The girl doesn't know her own mind, and she's all concerned about prejudice and spending time with a guy who isn't a believer and thinking prejudice is her biggest problem. No. She should be worried about marrying someone who isn't a believer. This is the number one obstacle for the first major chunk of the book.

Details: seemed really vague. We're told Leanna is an excellent teacher and never actually get to see her teaching. I felt like I was told all sorts of things without being shown them. For example, the reactions Alex assumes his parents will have to anything under the sun. His parents are cuddle bugs in the story and don't show themselves to be the ferocious deniers of happiness that Alex and Leanna believe they are.

Word choice: She's afraid of being a spinster. Actually, Leanna, you already took care of that worry, because you married and got widowed...a spinster is a lady who has never been married. :)

Favorite thing: the Greek heritage!! I absolutely loved the bits about Greek families and the Pappas family in particular. I would love to see more good portrayals of lesser-known people groups. The Greek parts to the story were all so vibrant and colorful that I could see more of the author's talent in writing. Extra star added for these sections.

Language: "blasted"
Other content: threats, lust, seeing a dalliance, childbirth

Thanks to NetGalley for a free review copy. Favorable review not required.

My hopes were high for this story. A few years ago I read Carla Kelly's 'My Loving Vigil Keeping', also set in mid Utah, in mining country. It was a beautifully written tribute to the miners and their families of that time, and also the Scofield Mine Disaster. With that book in mind, I was eager to revisit that time period and location, albeit only 15 years later.

The opening is hard. You find yourself thrown into Leanna's desperate attempt to escape Castle Gate. Something about the loss of a husband, mixed in with gambling and simultaneously she's taken on the job of watching two Greek children. It was a difficult book to get into. The relationship that developed with Alex, the children's Uncle, was also lacking in credibility. Theres a little bit too much angst for me. Too much sudden change despite their thought process. There's conflict and tension amongst the citizens of the area. Prejudice towards the Greeks. This isn't a new concept, I've read books in which there is prejudice in Wyoming towards the Irish. Even in Kelly's book there is a large group of Welsh people (not surprising since mining is big industry in Wales). The conflict is addressed well, but it is still difficult to understand. I still struggle with this issue of anger by 'Americans' towards 'immigrants'. Pretty much everyone can trace their roots back to 'immigrants', so I don't understand this irritation towards others who are literally no different from their own families. It's there, and it's challenged as a subject. It serves to allow Leanna the opportunity to resolve inner conflicts she has herself. There's plenty of Christian input in the plot as she seeks (& Alex also) their spiritual centre. That resolve and healing is always appreciated by me in a story.

An interesting look at mining during that time. It was not an easy life. Dangerous and grueling, you'll get an insight into what it entailed. If you really want to read a great book about this era and location, go pick up Kelly's as referenced at the beginning. Tragic but a stunning read.

Overall, it was OK. I didn't feel overly excited about this book. If you've enjoyed others in this 'My Heart Belongs' series, you will probably like this more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley & Barbour Publishing for the eARC. This is my honest review.

My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna’s Choice, by Angie Dicken, is the 6th book in the My Heart Belongs series, and takes place during the early 1900s. It’s a charming story that with themes of family, acceptance, love, and celebrating differences.

Leanna McKee and Alex Pappas are living different lives, coming from dissimilar circumstances and cultures, but they are both searching for something more. They are likeable characters, but I was mostly invested in Alex. He’s a wonderfully fleshed-out lead.

1910 Castle Gate, Utah is a unique setting, as is the aspect of having Greek characters (a first for me.) I learned much about this culture, and enjoyed spending time with Alex and his community.

The pacing of this story is much better than many of the other books I’ve read in the series, and although I’m not able to pinpoint my favorite, it’s up at the top with two or three others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley.

My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah
Leanna's Choice
by Angie Dicken
Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Barbour Books
Christian , Romance
Pub Date 01 Nov 2017

I am reviewing a copy of My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah through Barbour Publishing and Netgalley:

Leanna McKee a teacher in Castle Gate, Utah, plans on leaving the mining town of Castle Gate, and the mines that took her husbands life forever.


The widow meets the widower and she soon finds herself falling for the widowed miner Alex Pappa's, stirring up trouble.


Alex's parents who are Greek have arranged a marriage for him, a more traditional match. When her relationship with Alex proves to be dangerous for him, sending others after him, Leanna knows she must leave, even if it means leaving her heart behind.


I give My Heart Belongs in Castle, Gate, Utah five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!