Under The Northern Lights
By: S.C. Stephens

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

So Intense page after page!!!

Well let me start by saying I am huge fan of this author. I discovered how I loved reading again ironically when my family was living in Fairbanks Alaska in 2011. I was reading S.C. Stephens Bloodlines first 3 books. She writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

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?

I really enjoyed this book and it kept me engrossed throughout. I really loved the characters and the way they interacted with each other. This is a fun, hot, romantic must read book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV my personal favorite this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

Slow burn romance with a very thought out ending. This was very different for SC Stephens but great nonetheless. I loved the setting and how our characters met. It was so different from the sea of sameness that we tend to see in this genre. I would definitely recommend this book to friends.

This story is an emotional slow burning romance and it take place in cold, desolate Alaska. Two people are brought together through a chance of fate and it changes their lives forever. They weren’t looking for love but find it in the most unusual way when they are thrown together. This is a sweet and tender love story filled with emotion. The characters are flawed and unforgettable and the story is intricately weaved.

Mallory, a pilot and a photographer takes her annual trip to Alaska. She pilots her small plane to do what she loves, photograph animals in the wild. After the plane Mallory is piloting crashes in the wilderness, she is stuck in a cabin with Michael, a reclusive man with secrets. Even though he is aloof, an attraction slowly grows between them.

Michael, a big brooding mountain man with a lot of baggage rescues Mallory. Michael, hurt and grief stricken, left his life behind and now is living in isolation in Alaska. Michael lives in Alaska by himself because he is running away from demons he refuses to share with with anyone, including Mallory. Michael and Mallory slowly get to know each other when they are stuck together for months with no way to get to the nearest city. Life in Alaska is not easy and totally different from anything Mallory has ever known. Mallory is good for Michael. She has a big heart, but is it big enough to get Michael to open up and live again. This is an intriguing story by S. C. Stephens.

Too much religion. Really, too much.... Mallory got really annoying.
Too much drama (I mean, cutting himself from civilisation because the way his wife died...)
It was almost Christian Romance, not my cup of tee, sorry.
I expected SO MUCH MORE from this author... (the lack of steamy scenes surprised me, like i said, it's more about Christian Romance...
The ending, it felt too rushed.
I'll refrain to share my review since it's an ARC

I am a huge huge fan of SC Stephens and devour every word she writes. This is completely different from her previous books but definitely worth a read all the same. The blurb had my interest piqued and I couldn’t wait to dive in. It was a little slow to start with but once it got going I couldn’t put it down. I have to say that I really admired Mallory’s strength and courage, she’s my kind of heroine. My heart hurt for Michael and I was desperate to find out what had hurt him so badly. This is most definitely a slow burn romance that at times brought tears to my eyes and had me shouting with frustration. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!!

I know I am probably one of the rare readers in this community that hasn't read the Thoughtless series. Oh, I am well aware of who Kellan Kyle is and the enormous love readers have for him, but the trope in his storyline is one I don't like reading about, so I've always had this awkward, uncomfortable feeling, because I want in on the S.C. Stephens lovefest, but how do I do that when I haven't read any of her books yet? When this book was announced, I was so excited because the premise of a wilderness photographer crash landing her plane and trying to survive a winter in Alaska while injured was so fascinating to me. I couldn't wait to get started reading this!

Mallory was a huge inspiration to me. She was someone who was living her dream of one day becoming a huge success at being a wildlife photographer. She knew what she wanted and went after it, even when everyone around her was trying to hold her back. Not because they didn't want her to succeed, but because they always feared for her safety when she would take off in her little plane. And I guess this time around, they were right to worry!

Having Michael find her in the woods was purely a Godsend. And while I'm on that train of thought, I will address all the reviews I read where people complained and had less than nice things to say about the fact that Mallory's religious beliefs were a huge part of her life. Yes, she prayed a lot and had a steadfast belief in God, but that is just how her character was. It wasn't overbearing and the story didn't get overrun with preaching or proselytizing, it was merely a vehicle to show who she was, and in effect, how different she was from Michael in that respect. So if religion is not your thing, that is no reason to cut down the author or give the book a one star rating. That would be like me getting angry at an author who created a character who smoked, for example. It is not something I like, but that is what the character does, so who am I to bitch and gripe about it?

Michael was a character who really cemented a place in my heart. He suffered through a horrific tragedy that in effect drove him far away from God and put him at odds with Mallory when it came to having faith or believing in a higher power. It truly drove him away from everyone and everything, living out his life in a secluded cabin for the past five years. Having Mallory crash land practically in his back yard was the last thing he could have ever expected to happen. And then over time, for him to develop feelings for her? That was truly not something he though would ever happen again, or anything he felt he was capable of doing.

This was a slow burn romance that at times, proceeded at a pace that was a little too slow for me, but then again I am impatient when it comes to the Hero and heroine figuring out their feelings for one another. S.C. does an amazing job of detailing what life is like out in the middle of nowhere, with no modern conveniences to get you through each day, just what nature provides you with. I would love to try living like that, but probably for just a few weeks. I don't think I would make a very good mountain woman.

My heart was in my throat as the time that Mallory and Michael were spending together was coming to an end. Now that Mallory is heading home after a long winter stuck in the wilderness, will these two succumb to the feelings that have been building between them? How do they overcome the insurmountable obstacles that stand in their way of being together?

I am so happy that I read this story! Wilderness survival stories always fascinate me, and S.C. really knocked this one out of the park! I'm excited for everyone to experience Mallory and Michael's story!

<I> I received an advance review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. </I>

I absolutely loved this book. What a gem to read. I love Ms. Stephens writing. Everything she comes up with just checks all my boxes. I would highly recommend this book.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story of Malory who flew to Alaska to take pictures of wildlife. Her plan crashed and she survived it but didn't know how long she could or would. Several days later MIchael found her and with much difficulty got her to his cabin in the woods. He cleaned and stitched her wounds and got her on the road to recovery. She was going to have to stay there until Spring until his part to fix his plane could be dropped. During that time they found out a lot about each other. She fell in love with him. when it was time to leave they were in love but he wouldn't leave with her. She flew home and really tried to forget him but couldn't. She found his father's number and called him and they both wrote letters with no response. I am not going to spoil the ending so you definitely need to read it.

I really, really wanted to enjoy this book! I loved the first half of the book, it really drew me in with the initial plane scene and subsequent fight for survival. When Michael and Mallory meet, I immediately feel a connection between them. I was on board with the relationship right away. The trouble began in a number of ways...

(1) Please, please, please market this book as Inspirational or Christian - religion is mentioned way too often in this book for it not to be labeled as such. I have seen many reviews saying the same thing about this book, so I know I'm not alone in my surprise at how often God and religion is mentioned. I love Inspirational Romance, read it all the time, but I need to know upfront what genre I'm reading. When it takes a left turn into another genre, I am thrown for a loop and it can be difficult to recover.

(2) About halfway through the book, the hero literally says he wants to have a romantic relationship with Mallory, but he can't have sex with her because he still loves his wife....um, okay. When she says she just wants his heart and doesn't need his body (girl, please), he says she can't have that either. And STILL, she's like, I'll take whatever I can get....*blink, blink* GIRL, if you can't have his heart and you can't have his body....what else is left to have other than friendship? She just came off as so desperate and I couldn't keep reading. It was really not fun to read about a heroine who literally throws herself at the hero, and is willing to take whatever crumbs he throws her way. Not attractive.

I will say that I loved this author's writing style, and I am hoping to read their previous books or future books. But this one missed the mark for me in a big way. Not my ideal type of romance.

I received this book from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me entranced from the moment I opened it. I loved the adventurous main character and believed in her strength. In the beginning when the story appeared it could be ending soon, I just looked at the page number and was pleased that I would not be sourly disappointed by the foreshadowed ending. I recommend this story - Enjoy! I am excited to read more of S.C. Stephens book

I really loved this book, different from all the others. It was a continued fight bitween feelings. There were moments in which I was so nervous and scared for Mallory. The author has the ability to describe everything with so much intensity, that I could actually see the scene play in front of me. Mallory is such a strong woman. After the situation of instability in which she finds herself, she reaches a moment of security thanks to Michael. With the time and the company of each other, in the middle of a naked nature, feelings will grow, fears will be fought and realty will change.
It' a 4 out of 5 for me! Loved deeply the final part of the book!
Thank you Netgalley for kindly giving me an ARC. Thanks to the author for making me cry my eyes out!

Great book. Impossible to stop when you begin. Love can cure a lonely heart. Made me cry. Michael and Mallory are great together. You should write a sequel for those two.

Here’s the thing, I would honestly read just about anything this author writes.
I might not love them all but I will read them. why? Because Kellan Kyle? That man will forever be one of my favourite book boyfriend. *Be still my beating heart
And it is because of him that I always have high hopes when it comes to a S.C. Stephens’s book. And it is also because of that man that I will be a tad partial towards the author.

Having said that, Under The Northern Lights is not something I will be reaching for again.
Here’s another thing, I love a slow-burn romance..I mean who doesn’t right? All that angst? But this one was so disappointing!
I think by the end I was like “that was what I was waiting for?! Tsk Tsk!”.

Under The Northern Lights was interesting. I like the whole ‘adventurous’ wilderness aspect of the storyline. I really enjoyed the thrill of the whole ‘scary and dangerousness of being out in the wild unknown’.

So there you have it: Under The Northern Lights was not my favourite book by S.C. Stephens.
There was just something about it that didn’t satisfy me.
NO, it was not the ‘religiousness’ of it. To each their own.

I just feel like Mallory and Michael’s story was not worth the wait. I was kind of hoping for the unbelievable sizzling chemistry…which wasn’t there.So yes, I’m kind of bummed out about it because I was really hoping to fall absolutely in love with these two.

<b>4 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog

This book starts off with such a bang I was glued from there on out!!!! <b>Under the Northern Lights</b> by S. C. Stephens is a wonderful story about keeping your faith, your will to survive, forgiveness, coming home and so much more. Oh, don't forget a bit of drama!! Ms. Stephens takes us in a different direction from your normal writing and hits it out of the ballpark with this one.

The depth of writing shows such powerful emotions that you feel what they are going through and want to believe in them. Some might say the religious aspects hurt the book, but I feel that it is part of the book and you need it to understand the story as a whole. Everyone believes in different things or forces and that's ok. Don't let that stop you from reading this wonderful story.

Mallory escapes to Alaska on yearly trips to photograph the untouched wilderness. When a storm takes her and her plain down, things do not look good until Micheal finds her. From then on out, it is a slow recovery and living in the winter in Alaska with nothing around for miles and miles. What could go wrong? Could they go right?

We are taken on a journey with these two souls, one lost and one found to the spring thaw. What a remarkable journey they take.

Overall a powerful story. Well written. Can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

<i>***ARC received in exchange for an honest review***</i>

Run, don't delay to get your copy of S.C. Stephens' new book Under The Northern Lights. Mallory Reynolds survives a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness but faces certain death in the winter bound forest. Recluse Michael Bradley finds the badly injured photographer and nurses her back to health at his homestead. Snowbound through the winter, the pair heal each other and fall in love.

This slow-burn love story is told exclusively in Mallory's first person point of view as she adjusts to spending the winter in the wilderness and I normally don't go for that insular storytelling technique.  Stephens' haunting prose doesn't miss a step, however, and you feel for Michael's  pain and disappointment that drove him to the wilderness 5 years before. Mallory is a person of strong, quiet faith and she heals Michael's heart and wounded soul as they fall in love. Her faith was a part of who she was and did not overpower the survival story or detract from the beautifully unfolding romance. 

A 5-star rating needs to knock my socks off and Under The Northern Lights does just that. Don't miss this!

Arc provided by Net Galley.  Thank you!

I recieved this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read this author previous works and was excited to start this one. The first chapter is very slow. Then the next chapter hits you with a bang. This book is close to YA so it's not like her other works.

Mallory is wildlife photographer who flies to Alaska on a yearly basis. She has plane trouble and is saved by Michael. My heart broke for them you can tell he cared for her. He just didn't know how to move on. Yes the middle of this story dragged for longer than it should have. Mallory love for Michael was very relatable. I see alot of women like her who fall in love with a man they can't have. I loved how she had faith for the both of them. This book for some by might be a 3.5 star rating.

This is my first SC Stephens ARC. I requested to read it on Net Galley and was lucky enough to be granted the chance. I was practically happy dancing. The Thoughtless Series was one of my fave series, and I have every paperback. Kellan Kyle was one of my fave book boyfriends!

Oh man... Where do I even begin? I love the story.... I admit, it was a slow burn for me but its part of what makes this story great. I've never been on a plane crash and I have never been lost in the cold wilderness of Alaska— I can only imagine almost every part that was described.... but I have been in a relationship and I have experienced tremendous loss... and while people deal with grief differently, I understand their love-story has to be written this way.

I can relate about Michael's resentment towards God but at the same time I can also relate to Mallory's gratefulness towards God. I'm Catholic and while I'm far from being called religious, I do try to make time to pray and go to church. I think it's awesome to point out about the little things we tend to take for granted... like waking up alive, or thankful for our eyesight... or limbs. Or knowing our family is still around...

I felt every emotion—the frustration, the anger... the helplessness... and I also felt the grief... the wariness and the love... This story will surely pull on your heartstrings. I never thought this one will be an emotional read, but it is—well at least to me.

Michael's stubbornness and resistance was exasperating and Mallory was almost pathetic waiting for a scrap of affection, but it made for a great build-up... for the thrill... like you're climbing up and waiting whether to jump over the precipice or not... and when they finally did, it was such a relief but still painful at the same time.

While I was reading, I kept on thinking... this would make an awesome movie. There's action, there's drama and romance...

I think this is the best book the author has ever written... my only complain is that the ending seemed hanging. I wish there was an epilogue of them starting a family. The romantic sap in me needs it, lol But who knows, maybe they will have a novella.

Like I said I love this book. It's not a quick and easy read but I finished it overnight. It was too captivating to put down. This story will teach you to have faith in God and to have faith in the goodness of others... it also teaches you to be brave and to take risks...

If you love Devney Perry, A.L Jackson and Kennedy Ryan, or if you're simply looking for something heartwarming to read, then this is the book to pick up next!

Another beautiful book by S. C. Stephens. This story started off with a bang and kept the intensity going through the whole book. The slow build is everything. I is a great read.

So I went in blind to this book and although it took me a few chapters to grab my attention needless to say as I kept on reading I thought this was so incredibly different to anything I have read before!
I wasn’t sure if I would like the story however as I read on the connection between the characters really got interesting! The whole survival aspect out in a place where you have to live to survive and with no modern conveniences at all was rather astounding! I admired both Michael and Mallory for how they endured everything!
My heart was in my stomach at certain parts and I wondered if we would get a happy ending at all! I was pleasantly surprised and loved how it ended!
Certainly a story not for the faint of heart and something a little intriguing as well!
Definitely a story of survival!

This was the first book by this author that I have read. And Oh My God. I adored it.

I literally could not put this book down. I devoured it.

Mallory was such a strong, independent and likeable character. And Michael was such a sweet, quiet yet caring alpha. They were perfect and it really had me invested in their story from start to finish. I didn’t want it to end, because I had grew to actually care for these characters. I want to know more.

When I read the blurb, I was mildly interested and thought I’d give it a go. And I was definitely right to do so.

I absolutely enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending. I will be gifting a copy to my sister, also.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher via Net Galley but this has in no way influenced my review or opinions.