A story centered around a family with mystery and unique plots. Historical references and a dual time line--honestly those confuse me sometimes. Stories about small towns are fascinating because of the closeness in a small town. If you love genealogy, this is a story for you. I'm not into genealogy myself but it was an interesting read. Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover and desciption pulled me to read this book. I don’t know. This was between 2 and 3 stars for me but ended with 2 because will I recommend it to friends, no. Will I continue this series, no.

So what I liked:
I enjoyed the historical detail about the yellow fever outbreak in 1978 Memphis. If you love history, you will love this. However, there was not really a flowing story, but very factual based retelling of what happened etc.

Why just okay:
The modern day story did not connect with me. I find it quite unbelievable that things will play out in real life like they did. And the people who were trying to help Meri felt just as controlling and meddling as her family. The writing style also didn’t connect with me and I got quite bored about Jillian’s search for her next favourite mug. Also all the detail about her genealogy process was a bit boring (it was need to authenticate her findings, but too much for me.

There is a lot of people who did like this book, it just wasn’t for me and I would probably not continue this series.

History and genealogy! Meri is an interesting leading character who has intentionally flunked out of med school and run to Canyon Mines, Colorado --the last place she remembers being happy. There she meets genealogist Jillian and her mediator father, Nolan, who realize something isn't right about Meri's life. Jillian begins tracing Meri's ancestry. The Inn at Hidden Run is a dual time frame book which tells fascinating history of Memphis, Tennessee, during a yellow fever epidemic in the 1800s. Eliza is a wonderful character in the historical era. The book shows that sometimes families need to step aside and allow someone to be the person God has called them to be. I recommend The Inn at Hidden Run to others! I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport is a good read. When Meri flunks out of med school she decides to go into hiding from her family. She knows it's only a matter of time before they find her and make her return to school. She takes a job at The Inn at Hidden Run where she meets Jillian who is a genealogist and Nolan, her father. They work together as a team to help Meri learn about her families background using Jillian's abilities to discover why everyone in her family works in the medical field. It's interesting how they can dig into the families past and find the information they are looking for. Well written story with a great potential for many new stories to be written.

I received this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

When I read the synopsis of The Inn at Hidden Run, I was sure I would like it. However, when I started reading, I wasn't as confident. I liked the historical portion of the novel right away, but I was not so sure about the contemporary part. I realized the story was not told from the perspective of Meri, who I considered to be the main character, but was told from the perspective of Jillian, a genealogist, and her father, Nolan, a lawyer. Worse yet, Jillian and Nolan are both adorably quirky, something that usually gets on my nerves pretty quickly. However, the story really grew on me, and by the end of the novel, I even liked Jillian and Nolan. Even though I had mixed feelings at the outset of this book, I will be reading their second adventure.

An enjoyable alternating mix of historical fiction and contemporary fiction. The parts that take place in the past are set in Memphis, Tennessee during the yellow fever epidemic of the late 1800s. These were my favorite parts of the book. I had known nothing of this epidemic and really admired the people that worked so hard to help the victims. The present day portions of the book are set in Colorado. The main character is a professional genealogist and I liked how Jillian was able to trace Meri's family history and find meaningful connections for her family. The settings and characters were well done and interesting in both parts, but I thought the present day story was a little overwrought.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport is the first in a series of books in the Tree of Life series. This charmingly heartfelt story focuses on a young woman who has flunked out of med school and escaped from her disapproving family to hide away. She encounters a genealogist and her father who are determined to find out more about Meri and help fix her family problems. But Meri is pretty sure strangers and a family tree can’t fix her problems. As Meri’s story unfolds, readers are also treated to a dual time story--one of my favorite types of stories. This historical drama tells of the enormity—it was a rare household where everyone survived—of the disastrous Memphis Yellow Fever outbreak in the 1870s. The dual timeline flows seamlessly and the stories finally mesh together beautifully at the end bringing a satisfactory conclusion to the story. The author has constructed strong vibrant characters that capture the reader’s heart and a small town feel to the story with the quirkiness that comes from people knowing all about each other. The dual time stories move quickly and are full of emotional tension and drama. I liked the casual flow of prose, with descriptive detail and a tad of humor that makes the reader feel right at home. I am looking forward to reading the next in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

Interesting book on several levels. I enjoyed the relationships of the characters also the genealogy aspect was fascinating. It presented a good mystery as well. Very good writing. I couldn't put it down.

I adore historical fiction and find genealogy fascninating so I was very excited to read The Inn at Hidden Run. The author did a great job of bringing the characters are settings to life. During the historical portion of the book readers were sucked into 1878 Memphis during the yellow fever outbreak and during the modern portion they were plopped in a small mountain town in Colorado. I really enjoyed the historical portion of the book but I just couldn’t really get into the modern day part. I found myself skimming. I couldn’t relate to any of the characters and found their treatment of Meri to be a little far fetched. Overall it was an okay read for me.

I've read many books by this author. This is the start of a new series called Tree of Life. It takes place in a split time frame, modern day Colorado and 1870's Memphis. Fascinating story, some of the historical scenes are based on true happenings.
The historical part of the story takes place in Memphis during the Yellow Fever epidemic of the late nineteenth century. Memphis at this time was a tragic place to be with so many dying of the fever and children becoming orphaned . Most went to the asylum and were taken care of selflessly by the nuns who put their own lives on the line, some becoming sick as well taking care of these children.
You will enjoy the modern story telling just as much as Newport magically brings the two stories together seamlessly at the end.
Very enjoyable plot. I enjoyed reading this book.
Pub Date 01 May 2019
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved learning some about genealogy. I really like the main characters of Jillian and her dad. These two are great. I would have hated being in a family that felt I could only be a doctor. It would be awful not to have a choice. I loved how this story went from present to the past. I did not want to put this book down. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Lovely read with adorable and entertaining characters. I really enjoyed this and will look out for more from this author.

Meri arrives in Canyon Mines, Colorado and immediately offers herself as an employee at the Inn at Hidden Run B&B. Though she is a stranger, the owner is in need of assistance and feels that Meri was as much in need as she was.

Meri seems to be running for something and no one is able to get her to open up about her troubles. Genealogist Jillian Parisi-Duffy and her father, Nolan, work to support Meri through her troubled time without pressuring her to open up about her past.

To help Meri understand were she is coming from Jillian begins to research the Davis family history. Meri doesn’t understand how this will help her, but as her parents and brother close in on her new home she hopes that Jillian’s research makes a difference.

This is my first time reading a book by Olivia Newport. I was drawn to it because I am interested in genealogy. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it. The characters develop slowly but well. I enjoyed the historical flashbacks very much and learned a great deal between the fictional depiction of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of Memphis, 1878 and the research I did on my own. The two stories, past and present, were woven together well to create a complete narrative of the Davis family history. The setting, small town Colorado, was pleasant. The plot moves at a steady pace and it was hard to put down. I will definitely be reading the next book in the Tree of Life series.

Two time frames, twists and turns, genealogy is part of this contemporary/historical. Interesting characters and storyline

Jillian is a genealogist who does work for insurance companies and other entities to help find people for a number of reasons. Her father, Nolan, is an attorney who specializes in mediation. Her friend Nia owns a bed and breakfast called Hidden Run and just lost her help and needs someone to help in the kitchen, cleaning rooms, and doing the laundry. Meri is a girl (really a young woman) who has flunked out of her first semester of medical school and doesn't want to face her family. She doesn't feel that being a doctor is her calling. She comes to Canyon Mines, Colorado, the last place she remembers feeling happy, and ends up working for Nia.

Nolan convinces Jillian to use her genealogy to help Meri find herself, and then to help her family when they arrive on the scene to create chaos.

I chose to read this book because Olivia Newport wrote it. Her name on the front cover is enough to get me to read it. Her characters are "real" in a way that make them friends to the readers. The settings are perfect for the plot set-up and gives the reader pictures to hold in their minds while imagining all the places and things the characters are going through.

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a family tree that tells more than just the genealogy.

I wish to thank Barbour Books and NetGalley.com for providing the galley I read for this review.

“Always happy to share my wisdom that the work will always be there later, but the moment is only here now.”

The first of a new series, skillfully written as always by Olivia Newport, expertly blending the present with past events. In smooth transitions, Mari fled her family and stops at the Inn in Colorado, where Jillian and her father Nolan connect with her. He is a lawyer and expert mediator, Jillian is a skilled genealogist who dives through history, going the extra mile to make a truly complete result for her customers. The back story of Eliza in Memphis in 1878, a wealthy socialite caught up in a yellow fever outbreak, is gently unfolded throughout. The significance of this is gradually revealed. A master of time transitions with an interesting current setting, including a search for the perfect coffee cup. Easy five star rating.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have 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.”

This is the first book I have read by this author and it was an interesting read. Mysterious and intriguing to say the least. I cannot wait to read more.

I am a fan of Olivia Newports work, so that said, this book is a bit different from her previous books. The Inn at Hidden Run is the first book in the Tree of Life series. It is a gem. I love genealogy and history and I love this book. The writing is superb and the characters are well developed. I highly recommend this book! Thank you netgallley for the gift of an arc, the opinions are my own

First in a new series by one of my favorite authors

This book is a new departure for the author, and I like it a lot, too. Mind you, I am very fond of her Amish series. However, this is quite different; two story lines, one contemporary, one historical. It took me a while to get into the historical story line, just a note so a reader with the same issue will indeed persevere.

Other reviewers have summarized the plot, I will just give my impressions. One of the reasons I love to read is that I learn a bit about different historical eras, different points of view, different skills. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the non-egotistical purposes of geneology, the links within a family that color the members outlooks. And, the era of the Yellow Fever episodes in the US was quite new to me, too. Kudos to Ms. Newport, I can't wait for the next book in this series.

reviewed on Amazon.com

The Inn At Hidden Run is book one in Olivia Newport's new Tree of Life Series. I was intrigued by this book for two reasons, the first is that I enjoy Olivia Newport's work and the second is my interest in genealogy. I was hooked from page one and the story just kept getting better.


This story parallels two distinct eras that are interwoven in ways that I never would have guessed. Present day Meri, a young medical school dropout shows up in Canyon Mines and accepts a job she is clearly over qualified for. The mystery surrounding her appearance and secretive manner are too much for father daughter duo Nolan and Jillian to leave alone. They are surely a team to have in your corner and they really made a case for genealogy as the center of many traits that surface time and again through generations.



Step back into Memphis, 1878, where Yellow Fever nearly knocked out the entire population of the city. Miss Eliza remains in the city, working tirelessly among the dead and dying. Her courage is unflinching, especially when it comes to the orphaned children. Her story is remarkable, and though a fictional character, Olivia Newport's research and ability to tell a compelling story take you right alongside Eliza's journey.


If you like mystery, you will enjoy this blend of contemporary and historical fiction. The setting in a small town in Colorado makes it a good choice to sit back with a cup of tea and while away the afternoon.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Barbour Publishing with no obligation for a review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.