This book was really good yet really annoying, in equal measures. The plot was great and I loved the whole story but so many parts frustrated me; not necessarily in a bad way seeing as how I’ve given it 4 stars! It’s hard to give a detailed review without any spoilers but I will say that I’m glad it ended how it did, as for some reason I was kind of expecting something else. My only negative is that I wish we’d seen a little more of Mallory at the start of the book. This review will make complete sense once you’ve read the book and I recommend that you do.

This one was kinda slow for me. There’s just so much description and pages and pages of internal dialogue that I found myself skimming. I felt like it took me forever to get to the end. There are quite a few really good parts, but I was unfortunately getting bored and it was hard to enjoy it like I wanted to.

What a journey this book was.

Mallory is such a strong woman to have her passion and be willing to put herself out there for that passion. Not many women would take themselves out to the wilderness alone. The passion for her photography her leading force. When forced with disaster she was determined to do what was needed for survival.

Michael has been living this life of solitude and survival for too long. Giving up on humanity after his tragic loss. Holding on to the grief and using it to push him through the days.

When he finds Mallory alive in the woods, he is determined to help her heal and get her home. He never expected her to participate in the day to day or the benefits of company in his quiet solitude. They say time will heal all wounds but is it possible that a certain person or situation can do the healling.

I loved these characters and the transformation that they go through. A wonderful book.

*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***

Book Info
Paperback, 256 pages
Expected publication: April 30th 2019 by Montlake RomanceISBN 1542093546 (ISBN13: 9781542093545)
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC
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BOOK BLURB
From the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Thoughtless series comes a sweet, thoughtful romance set high in the Alaskan wilderness.

Mallory Reynolds is a driven woman fueled by her passion for photographing wild animals in remote locations. Every year she makes a trek deep into Alaska, but this time the unthinkable happens: she crash-lands after her plane stalls out in a storm. Injured, vulnerable, and threatened by the very creatures she loves, Mallory fears the worst—until she’s rescued by Michael Bradley, a mysterious mountain man living in self-imposed exile.

Mallory is grateful for Michael’s help but desperate to return home to let her family know she’s alive. Unfortunately, neither of them can leave Michael’s secluded cabin until spring. Mallory’s stuck with a stranger for months.

As Mallory recovers, a deep bond begins to form between the pair. Mallory is convinced that fate brought them together, but Michael is buried in his past, unable to move forward. Undaunted, Mallory tends to Michael’s heart as tenderly as he cared for her wounds—but will her love be enough to heal him?

My Thoughts
Mallory Reynolds is pursuing her dream and at the same time making a living doing wildlife photography. Part of this task requires a yearly trip into the Alaskan wilderness where she is able to find the animals she admires and loves in their natural habitats.

This time however the much anticipated trip becomes a fight for survival when her plane crashes miles from civilization. Alone, injured and in danger Mallory cannot believe it when a stranger comes to her rescue at the last minute.

Michael Bradley is a man whose demons brought him to Alaska looking for a way that allows him to live in isolation in a place that is about as far from his previous life as possible.

Two people brought together by chance in a once-in-a-lifetime meeting who find solace with each other over the months it takes for winters grip to give way to spring thaw.

As time passes for the once strangers their feelings change and deepen, the biggest question for Mallory however remains whether Michael will be able to embrace the future with her or stay caught within his painful past.

The way this is answered is at once eloquent and also surprisingly sweet, in keeping with how I imagined their ending would work out.

The author is new to me and this book was a surprise in ways that I did not anticipate and at the same time enjoyed very much.

The beginning was an adrenaline rush, the characters were easy to relate to and also easy to like, the scenarios with Mallory and Michael believable and all in all the book was very well thought out and executed from beginning to end for me.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Under the Northern Lights’ cover art is beautiful and such a refreshing change from the unimaginative naked torso cover art that the romance genre is oversaturated with.

The cover art, as well as me being a huge fan of S. C. Stephens’ Thoughtless series, immediately drew me in. But it’s possible my expectations were set unrealistically high, because I’m sorry to say this one wasn’t for me. It was painfully slow at times, particularly the beginning of the book - Whilst I appreciate the amount of research that must’ve been put into what’s involved in flying a small plane alone across the Alaskan wilderness, I felt like the level of technical detail included sorely delayed the story getting underway.

Having said that, the keen attention to detail did make for some vividly depicted scenes, which was at times harrowing, but that just adds credence to the author’s talent for descriptive writing. And although some reviewers seem to have been put off by Mallory’s faith, I felt like it made her more relatable. I can only guess what it would be like to find myself in the circumstances she had to survive and I’m fairly certain I’d be hoping for some sort of divine intervention myself.

The pace of the book continued to be laboured throughout, but because I know this author can bring the angst - Hello, Mr Kellan Kyle - I stuck with it hoping it would become a sweet, slow-burn romance. Unfortunately it didn’t, the plot was very predictable and felt contrived.

Also, given how heavy-going this story was, it could’ve really done with an epilogue. I feel as though a glimpse into Mallory and Michael’s HEA would’ve helped add some much needed levity.

I’ve by no means been put off reading other books by this author and despite Under the Northern Lights not being for me, if you’re in the mood for a leisurely, predictable read, it will be perfect for you. However, if you’re looking for something with a similar style to the Thoughtless series, this one doesn’t fit that bill.

***ARC generously provided by Montlake Romance, via NetGally, in exchange for an honest review***

#UnderTheNorthernLights #NetGalley

This combines a suspenseful winter survival story and a slow burn romance. Mallory never expected her Alaska wildlife photography trip would end in disaster and that she would need rescuing. Though she is tenacious, stubborn, and smart, she was very lucky that help did find her.

Michael Bradley is a man who has left society and isolated himself after a tragedy in his life. He likes living alone and handles the extreme conditions and basic lifestyle very well. He is broody, secretive, and full of unresolved emotions. It was luck that he found Mallory and was able to help her, but now she will be with him for awhile due to the weather and transportation issues.

As time goes on they find a rhythm and fill the void of each other's loneliness. But there is also sexual tension growing between them. Michael is determined he has no heart to give and cannot get involved physically. Mallory can't seem to stop herself from pushing him though. It is a super slow burn friendship to limited intimacy romance. And the closer they get, the harder it is to think about her leaving.

This shows the difference between how people cope. One in a hopeless situation can choose faith and the other can completely lose faith. I usually have an issue when books get too religious or faith based, but in this story it was a fundamental difference between the characters and part of the character and story development, so it did not bother me too much.

I was really into the beginning and the survivalist parts, and liked the end, but somewhere in the middle it did start to drag for me. Their relationship gradually built and more was revealed. Michael's back story is the reason for most of his resistance and I could see why he coped the way he did. There was so much back and forth between them. She was pushing him and he was resisting or pulling back in regards to faith, a relationship, intimacy, and future plans. It got frustrating at times and some parts actually felt awkward as she made him uncomfortable. While other times they seemed in synch.

Can Michael find enough hope to be willing to take a risk on something new? Will they be able to find a way to merge two totally different lives?

It was sweet, suspenseful, angsty, and emotional. I liked the idea of destiny, fate, and saving each other. They definitely had challenges and found each other at the right time to possibly make a difference. But they also live in different worlds and have different outlooks on life making it seem like an impossible situation.

Mallory makes a trip to the Alaska wilderness every year to take pictures of wildlife and sleep
in a tent for a few weeks.
This time though her plane crashes and she’s all alone trying to survive. Several days later a stranger rescues her while she’s being attacked by wolves.

Michael once lived in a big city and now prefers the loneliness over people. He thinks all people are bad because someone killed his wife and nobody helped her.

It’s a long winter where Mal has to stay with Michael in his cabin, get through his walls and to his heart.

This book was a very good entertaining read. I couldn’t put down!

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Love the cover, loved the premise for this story, but I just couldn't connect with the characters and get into the story. It was very well written but just not my cup of tea.

The idea of a photographer crashing her plane in remote Alaska and being found by a mysterious mountain man was what made me interested in this book. Surviving the crash, badly hurt, in freezing weather and then being found by this man, to be taken back to his cabin, Mallory was in for a long winter, without anyone but that man knowing where she was and that she had survived a plane crash. I was interested in knowing about this mountain man, Michael, why he was living out there alone, and what Mallory could learn about living for months in a remote Alaska.

I really was not very fond of Mallory overall though because she was pushing, kept pushing, and would not take no for an answer. This had to do with her deciding she wanted a relationship with Michael pretty quickly and since he didn't want a sexual relationship with her, Mallory eventually got Michael to agree to making out and bathing in front of each other. I just don't get it, these two people are adults, filling a cabin with sexual tension and it just didn't ring true to me. Mallory should have accepted no for an answer but would not back down on that issue and several other issues concerning Michael. All of this is going on with Mallory also spouting her Christian beliefs and expecting Michael to change because "God".

I think I was the wrong audience for the book and the sexual tension and decisions might appeal to readers who like this type of romance so I'm giving the book 3 stars. Mallory made some dumb mistakes like forgetting her weapon and not shutting a door and things like that while she was mentally obsessing over thoughts of Michael's body and that kept this book no higher than 3 stars...the romance just seems a bit juvenile to me.

Thank you to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for this ARC.

It was a great slow burn book and I really enjoyed. It's about love, trusting, friendship, healing - Thank you for this opportunity from the bottom of my heart.
http://magic-book-club.com/2019/04/12/under-the-northern-lights-s-c-stephens/

A strong romance with great and quirky characters, under the northern lights is a pleasure to read and stays with you even after you are done. Some of the scene were beautifully narrated while some felt choppy. The best part of the book was the conversation between the characters and it was beautifully written.
Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for this E-ARC

Even though this book is very readable (I flew threw the pages), I felt the emotions and connection to the characters were missing. While Michael’s story was tragic you never really get to connect to it because it’s told so fleetingly. Mallory irritated me some and parts of her story felt so pointless (like the part with her ex-husband- why was this even in here? He was so clingy and almost creepy in his inability to hear “no.”).

I also was conflicted by the part religion, specifically Mallory’s Christianity, played in this. It seems like purely a plot device to make us see how broken Michael was. She preaches about God and says prayers, etc but then she engages in a lot of things that are against what the Bible says. So I’m genuinely confused what the point was because it was too secular to be a Christian romance so it felt out of place.

I enjoyed S.C. Stephens' Thoughtless series and had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately it fell short for me. If you are looking for a good contemporary romance set in Alaska, I recommend The Simple Wild.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I love S.C Stephens so going in I knew I would enjoy this book.
This story catches your interest from the beginning. It’s a slow burn(very slow for my taste) love story without the angst.
Mallory is rescued from a plane crash in Alaska by Michael a broken recluse. He takes her back to his cabin where he cares for her and helos her heal. She stays with him till spring where there are better conditions for her to leave. During this time they form a friendship and fall in love. Spring arrives and Mallory has to leave but Michael just can’t do it. Will their love for each other be strong enough to heal each other?
I enjoyed this story, it’s well written, entertaining and quick. I would have loved to have had Michael’s POV to better understand him a bit more.
Thank you #netgalley #underthenorthernlights #scstephens

I enjoyed this book more than I expected, a large part of it was based around survival in the wilderness and that is definitely something I'm interested in reading about. The fact it may have included romance too....well that just topped it off!

The action started from the off with Mallory's single piloted plane crashing in the first few chapters. I honestly wasn't sure how she was going to survive from that point but her determination was incredible - that and obviously Michael helps a little (Ok, a lot!).

She is tended to in his log cabin when he ventures out to try and locate the fallen plane as he needs a part for his own broken-down plane. When he comes across survivor Mallory he has to hunt extra to try and get through the winter together and it was fascinating to read his story of survival too. I cannot imagine wanting to leave society and live on the wilderness forever so Michael's story definitely made for interesting reading and I devoured it.

Along the way Mallory realises she is going to struggle to return home once Michael fixes his plane but I loved reading about their chemistry and way they protected each other.

I'm trying so hard not to include a spoiler but there was a slight disappointment for me with the ending as I would have loved to have seen Mallory return to the wildlife she so loves to photograph and indeed to Michael's cabin...ok that might be more than a bit of a spoiler so I'll stop there!

Overall it was a really easy read with some heart-stopping moments that had me totally involved!

My many thanks to Montlake Romance via NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am just "Wowed" by this new story written perfectly by S.C. Stephens. I was literally feeling chilled by the winter skies in Alaska. Under the Northern Lights had me captivated from the first few pages. Mal our heroine is set for a new adventure. She loves to visit the wilderness of Alaska and makes a living from it. The most horrifying situation happens. I am gasping and yelling "Oh No" right from the get go. My family thought I was losing it there for a moment lol. But the description the author brings makes you feel like you are right there. Then I felt helpless. I wished I could jump in the book and help Mal.

We are introduced to our damaged hero of the story, Michael. I was hooked on him from the get go. His honesty and pain had me rubbing my chest. He broke my heart for sure. You will fall for Michael and hope for his happiness.

So what happens when you have two broken souls stranded together for the winter? A lot of pent of chemistry and living with simplicity. S.C. Stephens brings it all back when it comes to survival. I was in awe of all the things these two had to endure. There were a few fall backs that had me wondering if they would make it after all.

Under the Northern Lights will chill you to the bone. It is gritty and dark. Yet you are blinded by the light these two will shine through. I could not stop reading this book. MUST READ!!!

S.C. Stephens is a new-to-me author and Under the Northern Lights is the first one of her titles that I've read. I was impressed and I am interested in reading more from her backlist.

A couple of things though...I think that Under the Northern Lights leans very heavily into the Inspirational Romance category though it's difficult to label it as such because there are some "tame" intimate scenes. The religious elements of this plot are not heavy handed at all and I didn't mind them. But I was surprised by them and I think a typical "romance" reader would be as well. It might help to add an 'inspirational' tag.

Also, while some scenes were absolutely gripping, like the plane crash and aftermath, there were some other 'danger' scenes that seemed superfluous. The scenes between Mallory and Michael talking were some of my favorites.

I definitely enjoyed this book. I look forward to picking up more from this author.

This book was unexpected in a good way. I truly didn’t know what to expect when it came to this story.
Mallory has a love of photography, specifically wild animal photography. That’s the reason she is flying her plane to the remote wilderness of Alaska when her plane crashes. She thinks her life is over, that she will never see her family again, that her family will never know what truly happens to her. Michael ran away from his life and people in general. He has made his home in the remote wilderness of Alaska, living peacefully off the land. Keeping to himself and not having to worry about being hurt by people anymore. So what happens when Michael comes across Mallory’s plane wreckage and saves her?
This was a slow burn romance, sometimes, it was a little too slow for me. I was started to get frustrated for them at some points! I just wanted them to give into the chemistry that continued to brew between them. Of course, when they finally truly gave into their emotions and feelings it was heartbreaking. Despite barely knowing each other I love how protective they were of each other, though I guess you don’t have much of choice when you’re stuck together in a remote cabin in the wild of Alaska.
Mallory was just what Michael needed though. He is a broken man; he built a wall around himself and just shut himself out of civilization to avoid the pain he had experienced. Mallory was able to slowly knock down those walls and show him that they world isn’t a completely terrible place. You have to learn to live again.
This story was adventurous, it was a heartbreaking and it is something completely different from anything I’ve read before.

I was super thrilled to see Under the Northern Lights up as an ARC on NetGalley. Needless to say when I was approved I was utterly delighted.

It started off in such a way that held my interest but sadly it didn't keep it for too long. Here's the thing for me it was way too light on the romance, about in the middle on the survivalist/thriller aspect and much too heavy on the christian/religious points. While I felt the premise for the story was quite ingenious, the whole religion factor was completely overbearing to the point that I could not get invested in the story.

There is slow burn romance and then there's whatever Michael and Mallory had. There really wasn't any burn for it to claim the distinction of a slow burn romance. You'll get more action in a YA book than you will with this one.

The ending was so utterly rushed and so predictable. I already knew what was going to happen right down to a T.

Truthfully if it wasn't written by this author I probably wouldn't have finished it but I was holding out hope that she was going to pull something off that was going to completely blow me away.

This book definitely needs to be marketed under christian/women's fiction. I actually feel kind of tricked with the whole religion aspect not being mentioned at all in the blurb as it is a huge factor in this story.

While it wasn't my cup of tea in regards to books I'm sure there will be a huge following for this book.

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed**

There is more than one way to survive. This was a slowburn love story, where they both took turns rescuing each other in harsh, unforgiving Alaskan winter. Out in the middle of nowhere, with wild animals and a plane crash, and no communication from the outside world, there's so much to do every moment that the romance can't take center stage. Especially for Michael, who has walls upon walls built up. I mean, he's out there for a reason. Mallory and he build an undeniable connection that isn't enough.

I think the second half of this book was super hard to read. She was just empty and heartbroken. Neither of them were really living. This book was unique and interesting, at times had me worried with the stuff they encountered, and has a happy ever after. Plus a cool cover.

3.5 stars for me

This one is a definite slow burn and very different to her other stories. Not that that's a bad thing at all.

Michael the broken recluse rescues Mallory from the Alaskan wilds. They are then forced together until it's safe to leave in the Spring. The book felt a little slow to start and it took me a little to get into it. BUT when I did, when I found my connection with the characters I really enjoyed it. There were moments when I loved these characters and moments when I wanted to slap them. Any book that gets a big reaction is a good read in my books.

I'm not going to say much because I think this one is best if you go in blind and have some patience until they find their voice.

I received an ARC of this book.