First sentence: Sad, but true. She would have to procure a new favorite coffee mug.

Jillian Parisi-Duffy, the star of The Inn at Hidden Run, is a professional genealogist. When a new stranger, Meri Davies, comes to town (Canyon Mines is the Colorado town), Jillian finds herself with a new side project. Could Meri's anxiety be calmed by knowing more about her family history? Meri is skeptic. Perhaps all readers are a little bit skeptic. How could knowing one's great-great-great-anything "cure" your anxiety and stress about what you want to do with your life, and solve the problem of how to handle "disappointing" your family by choosing what you want instead of what they want. But Jillian's family and friends seem to be confident that Jillian is just that good at her job. Will she prove Meri (and potential readers) wrong? Can Meri's family history reassure her of her place in this world?

My thoughts: I love, love, love "doing" genealogy. I love "doing" family history. I love storytelling. (Mom is a great family storyteller.) So I wanted to love, love, love this one. And I do really like it. I loved the blend of the present and the past. Half of the novel is set in contemporary times in a small town in Colorado. Half of the novel is set in the past--1878ish--in Memphis, Tennessee. Of course, readers know the stories will have to come together somehow....and it's lovely when they do.

The Inn at Hidden Run ended up being an enjoyable start to a new series by Olivia Newport. It switches between present day and late 1800's, tying them together with one central figure and a professional genealogist.

What a charming book! I got caught up in the story and can't wait until the rest of the series is printed. Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an ARC of this book~ I've already purchased the books for our library, especially for our readers who love genealogy!

I read the two books in this series in reverse order. I enjoyed both, but feel the the author did a much better job in the second.

In novel focuses on the Yellow Fever epidemic in Memphis in the late 1800's for the historical references and the genealogy.

In present day, a young woman comes to Canyon Mines, CO to escape her family and the life they have chosen for her. Everyone in the family is a physical of some sort. They feel the she should also go to med school. Her passions lie elsewhere.

Norman and Jillian want to help her restore her relationship wit her family and believe that knowing her family's history can be the key to that.

I gave the book 4 stars because the novel ends rather abruptly. We learn the "secret" of the naming system that the family has adopted over several generations. But that still doesn't explain exactly why everyone must become doctors or why the family changes its mind about allowing Meri to pursue a different path when they learn the family history.

I learned so much about Memphis and Yellow Fever. I had to check to see how much was true partway through the book and learned that only the present day characters are fiction. The author must have done a lot of research to come up with the historical part of the book.

Having read the second book in the series first, I already knew many of the local characters. Often, authors in a second book feel the need to catch the reader up on what they missed or forgot from the first. This is not the case and both are stand-alone novels although the first does give you a tiny bit more information about Jillian and her father. You lose nothing in the second by not having read the first and Ms. Newport does not burden the reader of the second with repeating information that is interesting but not vital to the story.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

I really enjoyed the historical background provided in the first book in the Tree of Life series. This historical focus continues to be related to the present day portion of this story.

I fell in love with Jillian and her father, Nolan. They have a wonderful father-daughter relationship, and the way they handle difficulties and interact with the people in their life is entertaining. This book explores the extremes of family dynamics. So while Jillian and Nolan demonstrate a healthy familial relationship, that is no the case for everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Really lovely start to what I think will be a great series. Heavy handed symbolism with the coffee cups aside I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of history and small town charm.

Uplifting and Entertaining:
The Inn at Hidden Run was an entertaining and delightful read. The dual modern and historical story plots captured my attention from the beginning and I kept wanting to read to see how things turned out. The present day characters were quirky and entertaining although I did wonder at their intense need to research Meri's life right from the get-go. However I enjoyed reading about the family dynamics and eventual growth and healing that takes place. It is an uplifting, encouraging and lighthearted book and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport is a genealogical mystery. Meri suddenly shows up at the Inn, running from her family's expectations that she become a doctor. Soon, a father and daughter are racing to figure out her family's history and the mysteries in it. I think this is an interesting premise, but I think the story would have benefited from more backstory up front, something to make the reader more invested and to help explain why the father and daughter want to help so much right away. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I found this to be a is a very interesting story. History and genealogy are two ingredients which are important to me. The ending was unexpected. It was repetitive but I am sure this will be addressed before publication. Thank you for letting me read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is an incredible duel-time novel!

I was caught up in Meri’s story and wanted to find out what the bottom line problem was in her family relationships. She was very well developed and my heart went out to her from very early in the story.

I was absolutely fascinated by the historical portion of this book. It was set in 1878 Memphis, Tennessee, during the Yellow Fever epidemic. The amount of details given about what life was like for those who lived through it is amazing. This was a historical event that I knew nothing about. I was horrified to think about the terror people lived with and the conditions surrounding them.

I love it when an author can teach me history in such an enjoyable way.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Step into the small Colorado Mountain Town of Canyon Mines to walk the streets of history. This story made me long for my days growing up in NorthWest Colorado. Lives intersect paths that sometimes bring deeply kept secrets. Sometimes secrets reveal much more than you imagined. A great read sure to captivate you.

I enjoyed this book. It's a new series and the first time I've read this author. I liked the time slip facet and the characters in both. The present day tale in CO was interesting and the characters were a little overbearing at first but I feel that mellowed some as time went on. The historical tale in Memphis was scary and sad thinking of the outbreak and quarantine. It was very interesting since I knew very little of this story. It was remarkable how Ms. Newport was able to weave these stories together. I will be looking for more from her in the future.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

Being the “genealogist” of the family I was drawn to this book. I loved the twists and turns through the past in this book. It kept me engaged and I needed to keep reading to find out what happens. I really enjoyed it and am ready to pick up book 2!

This book was a fast read, set in both Memphis during a yellow fever epidemic and Colorado in current times. The play between the past and the present along with the difference in the family dynamics made it a book I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. I like a book that also allows me to learn more about a different time or place. I found myself cheering Meri on every time her family tried to back her in a corner. Hopefully there will be more books in this series.

This book was a fun read. If you like genealogy you can understand the twists and turns looking through the past can take. This will be a huge book within the genealogy set and I liked it because of that aspect myself. I liked the characters but some of them came on a little strong in the writing. Most of the characters were normal but I had a hard time with the Lawyer Dad. It just didn't flow as much in his lines. Overall I did like the book.

Every now and then a story takes you by surprise and blows you out of the water and that for me is The Inn at Hidden Run, two stories that take place at two different times that both run parallel and co-mingle in the most endearing way. A tale that reminds you that you can find a lot of who you are at your core from those that came before you. Many do not care about lineage and ancestry but I truly believe that you can find out a lot about a person if you take a glimpse into the past.

While Maris's story piqued my interest, the tale of Eliza Davies and her immense bravery during the yellow fever outbreak in Memphis in 1878 is really what captured my imagination, and sadly not in a pleasant way. The authors writing was impeccable with vivid imagery and such emotion that it ignited a desire in me to not only read more about this devastating plague but also to find out more about my own family's history, which I honestly believe is one of the author's driving forces behind this unique historical fiction series.

I immensely enjoyed The Inn at Hidden Run and have already started the next book in the series, which I can tell is going to be another great read!

Another delightful book by Olivia Newport.! Nia, the owner of the local B&B in the mountain town of Canyon Mines, Colorado, has hired a new staff, Meri Davies. Nia feels Meri is dealing with some big issues and confides that to her friend Jillian and Nolan, Jillian's lawyer father who also serve as a mediator in family matters.. Jillian, the Genealogist, thinks it would be helpful to learn something of Meri's background since it is apparent what she is struggling with pertains to her family. . Newton expertly weaves this delightful story between the 1870s and present time, tying it all together. Although this is a work of fiction, she includes some real-life events that are part of the history of Memphis, Tennessee when there was an epidemic of yellow fever that wiped out many families, as well as children, but also left many children orphans. Jillian and Nolan believes that not only is it important to know who your ancestors are but to also know their story. This is a book that I was totally caught up in and was anxious to learn the conclusion, however, didn't want it to end.

A really enjoyable and different Christian fiction. I look forward to the future adventures of Jillian and Nolan.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I may have read a book by Olivia Newport before, but if I have, it’s been awhile.
This book was well written and held my interest. I particularly enjoy dual timeline books, as this one was, and learn history in an interesting way! The yellow fever epidemic in Memphis in the late 1870s was something I didn’t know about, but it sounds like it decimated a good part of the city before running its course.
The family relationships and the genealogist who was one of the main characters provided more interest.
Will read the sequel, in the Cradle Lies.

Nosey. Invasive. Determined.

The Inn at Hidden Run follows the lives of Nolan and Jullian, father and daughter genealogy partners; Nia and Leo, the owners of Inn at Hidden Run B&B; Meri, a girl who turned up on the inn's doorstep; and Eliza, a woman in the 19th century who is determined to help save the lives of those suffering with Yellow Fever.

Split into two time periods, The Inn at Hidden Run focuses on learning the roots of family and finding out God's calling on your life. In the small town of Canyon Mines, Colorado, nothing new goes unnoticed, so when a young, African-American, girl turns up at the inn inquiring about the job, people begin to question where she came from. Meanwhile, in Memphis, Tennessee, Eliza Davies is fighting the recent outbreak of Yellow Fever. Refusing her mother's pleas to leave the infected city, Eliza will not stop until the disease is gone for good!

A heartfelt story, The Inn at Hidden Run was a well-written and exciting storyline. However, I wish that the modern-day perspective was told in a more natural and less abrasive way. I understand that people would have questions if a girl turned up on your doorstep, acting like a scared puppy, but there was no chance for Nia and Jullian to truly gain Meri's trust. They barged into her personal life, and it seemed that they wanted answers more than Meri did. I also found Nolan a little creepy with the explanations of his contact with his daughter and how he would follow after Meri whenever she ran away.

Nevertheless, overall, I did enjoy the story and loved Eliza's point of view the best. Her story was more natural, and I felt an authentic love emanating from her onto her patients through Olivia Newport's words. I also enjoyed the Christian theme that shadowed the entire book. With talks on God's plans and callings on our lives, I thought these points were well done.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book, In the Cradle Lies. I only pray that the main characters will take time getting to know the next new person before storming into their lives and demanding to know everything about them!