A lovely well written book with a good message to help people when they are most in need. The characters in this book were very interesting and likable,.

Interesting book, especially the historical and genealogy parts. I found the part about Nolan interfering in Meri's life a bit unrealistic. There was too much about coffee mugs, which had nothing to do with the story in my opinion. All and all it was a good story and I did recommend it to a Genealogist friend of mine.

Genealogists are great at solving old mysteries, and Jillian Parisi-Duffy is a professional. In her popular new book, The Inn at Hidden Run, Olivia Newport has created delightful characters, Jillian and her mediator and family law attorney father, Nolan. Together they solve a family mystery that has a runaway woman and her family at odds. This book was a quick, easy read, and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s told in a series of flashbacks to 1878 and later, but in a way that is easy to follow.

Meri Davies just flunked out of med school — intentionally — then left home for Canyon Mines, Colorado. Her entire family consists of physicians. In the late 1870s, a male ancestor became a physician, and every generation since followed suit. The pressure for her to continue the tradition is immense even though they don’t know when or where the tradition began. There are also two traditional names in their family, and no one knows why. Realizing it’s only a matter of time until her parents track her down, Meri takes a job at a local B & B called The Inn at Hidden Run.

This book examines a lot about families — how we treat our loved ones and our often unreasonable expectations, as well as our rejection of those who don’t “toe the line”. As Meri’s family closes in on her location, Jillian and Nolan protect her and arrange a mediation-style intervention. I especially liked the respectful way the father and daughter worked together. Both respected and supported each other’s profession and abilities. Both understood and respected the idea of people having “a calling”, and of God’s working in our lives.

The Inn at Hidden Run is the first book in the Tree of Life series where, I feel sure, many family trees will be shaken to see what falls out of those branches. If you have any interest in genealogy, you will enjoy this book.

What Makes this Reviewer Grumpy?
The same old things that are in almost every book I’ve read:
• Using “further” in place of “farther” – they are not interchangeable;
• Incomplete sentence;
• Missing commas;
• Split infinitives;
• Beginning sentences with conjunctions;
• Improper word usage: “come” in place of “go”.

While I enjoyed the genealogy part of the story, I had a harder time connecting with the present day storyline. Meri’s relationship with both Jillian and her father Duffy did not seem believable to me. They both meddled in her life as much as the family she was fleeing from.

The Inn story takes a new tactic by having a genealogist dig into the past of a traditional, everyone-in -the-family-goes-to-med-school, career path. Meri has dropped out of med school and run to Colorado to a town where she remembers her last happy, family trip. She takes a job at a bed and breakfast, keeping to herself. This small town, though, allows no strangers and the innkeeper plus the father-daughter team of Nolan and Jillian quickly interject into Meri’s situation.
There is a parallel story of Eliza who is working and surviving during a yellow fever outbreak in Memphis in the late 1800s.
Genealogist Jillian sets to work to find out what, in Meri’s past, makes her inclined to work with the betterment of children, instead of in the medical field.
I liked the modern and historical stories blended. I think the idea of genealogy research was unique and made for a very good read.

It's official - Olivia Newport makes me want to dig into my own family history. Now obviously I don't have an author writing my family's story from the 1800's in a lifelike time slip, but I could picture it in my head I guess. It was so fascinating to me watching Jillian research. Having little pieces of the puzzle come together, not only for Meri's family, but others as well. I don't have the slightest idea in how to research my family history, so this was a learning experience for me. Yes, Christian Fiction can teach!

I think this story is also for all those young adults who are trying to find their own way in life, but have pressures from their own families. I am thankful that I didn't have a parent who chose my path, and I couldn't imagine being in a family where that is absolutely true. Meri's character surprised me throughout the book. At times when I thought for sure she would run and hide, she didn't. The times I thought she would be strong, she wasn't. But isn't that the case with us in life sometimes? We run when we shouldn't, and don't run when we should. Newport does a fantastic job in developing Meri's character, her self esteem, and her relatability. Although you are not really reading from Meri's point of view, you get to know her little by little, and I found her to be intriguing.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the book was the way Newport makes being a genealogist seem really cool. I'm sure it is hard, tedious work. But Newport somehow makes Jillian's character come alive when she's working. She has spunk to her. Never mind the fact that she loves her coffee, no matter what time of day - she's a character I feel I could spend time with and always be smiling or laughing. I cannot wait to see the adventures that she has in future books in this series. The release dates cannot come fast enough!

The Inn at Hidden Run has a little bit of something for everyone. Great history, family turmoil, new friendships, a little bit of faith, and the sense of doing what you're called to do. I highly recommend this gem of a book! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Canyon Mines, Colorado, is a touristy-type town just far enough away from Denver.  Meri shows up there and gets a job at the local bead and breakfast. It is obvious she is trying to hide from something or someone.  Turns out she flunked out of medical school and is trying to hide from her family.  They have been doctors for decades and Meri is expected to continue that run. 

But Meri doesn't know that Jillian is a professional genealogist and her father, Nelson, is an attorney specializing in resolving family conflicts.  

Newport weaves in century-old history and brings the story all the way to an end.  It is difficult at first to see how everything is relevant, but she eventually gets us there.

The Inn at Hidden Run combined two of my favorite hobbies- reading and genealogy. I was excited to read a book that had elements of one of my favorite past times in it. It was a good book, full of mystery and intrigue and I enjoyed watching it unfold. I love books that are set in two different time periods, probably because I am so fascinated by the past and so that is always fun to watch two entirely different stories unfold and then come together in the end to create a fascinating story of multiple generations.

Lovely feel good read. It was well written and flowed well. I enjoyed it very much. The plot was good and interesting. Hard to put down

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport was a hard read for me. I kept trying to get involved with the present day characters and just couldn't. I felt the story was a little out there as far as how knowing your genealogy will help your family understand you better. The best part of the book was when the author went back to a time when yellow fever almost wiped out a southern town. This is the first in a series and I will certainly give book number two a chance but I was disappointed with this book.
I would like to thank the publisher, author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying... I've never read a book by Olivia Newport. This first book in the Family of Life series was really, really interesting. I am a genealogy buff. I love finding connections or interesting information on my own family tree. That's why this book interested me! 
I loved how the past and present were presented. I loved the way reconciliation was walked through. Loved this book! I'm staring the next in the series soon! Enjoy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

“So, but true. She would have to procure a new favorite coffee mug. - Opening lines of The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport

The summary of The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport, and it’s cover, caught my attention but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I kept returning to it until, finally, picking up the 10% sample. From the first line, I was hooked (as anyone with a favourite mug would be), the writing is so comforting and warm, conversational but interesting. Curious, I had to keep going!

Meri’s journey is the centre piece of the story but genealogist, Jillian and family lawyer, Nolan are the narrators and the delightful father-daughter duo who lead us through the story. Amongst the present-day narrative are historical portions set in Memphis in the 1800s, a traumatic period in this city’s history, as it is ravaged by Yellow Fever, I didn’t anticipate this sad, but accurate, element. Lead by a team of nuns, a community of women gather to care for those suffering, relying on God and each other to get them through to this heart-wrenching time. The pain shared in these chapters have a purpose in the present day characters’ journey but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Context has such impact on who we become and what we believe about ourselves. This is highlighted by this book as it traces the history of families and how it has brought them to where they are now. Family can so challenging, Nolan’s family counseling approach to reconciling Meri with her family shows how an outside perspective can diffuse tension and help bring unity.

Whilst I struggled with the parts focused on the Yellow Fever epidemic, I did enjoy the book and look forward to the next in this series. It’s a four out of five on the en-JOY-meant scale.

After reading a number of reviews of this book, both positive and negative, I was intrigued enough to want to read the book myself. I found it quite interesting. It did seem that the story was a little forced. It was a bit hard to understand how Jillian thought that looking at Meri's ancestry would solve her problems today. It worked for the book, and the dual storylines did merge—it just didn't feel quite realistic to me. I did appreciate reading a women's fiction book that did not involve romance in any way!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport follows the tropes of a cozy mystery. There are the main protagonists, Jillian and her father Nolan, both intelligent and well-meaning. There are the wacky side characters to add some color to the story. Finally, the person in distress whose dilemma drives the plot, in this instance a young woman running from her family's expectations. Newport made two clear additions to set her book apart. First, she wrote a novel infused with Christian values, which are on display in the actions of all of the characters. Second, she incorporated chapters of historical fiction into her story line. The inclusion of the history of yellow fever in Memphis adds depth to the novel and changes the perspective of the family relationships.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport is the first book in the Tree of Life series. It is the story of one young woman, Meri Davies, searching for a way off her family’s career path, with a link to the historical event of the 1878 Memphis yellow fever outbreak. Meri Davies shows up at the Inn at Hidden Run in the small town of Canyon Mines. Colorado, searching for a job. The owner, Nia, hires her as she needs the help but sees there is more to her story than she is telling. Nia enlists her friend, Jillian, a genealogist and her father, Nolan, a lawyer, to help gather the story from Meri. As they learn new information about Meri, it becomes clear that she is running from something or someone. Will Meri learn to trust Nia, Jillian and Nolan and accept their help? How does the events on 1878 link to Meri and her problem?
It has become very popular among authors to connect the present with historical events. Some do it very well while others have difficulty with it. It was obvious that Meri’s story and the events of the outbreak were connected, and it had something to do with her family, otherwise why would Jillian’s skills as a genealogist be important? While the story held my attention, to the point that I finished it in a few hours but there was no emotional impact for me. When the connection was revealed, there was no “aha!” moment. It was more, “Oh that makes sense” moment. I enjoyed Jillian and her father. I loved the connection they have. While other characters seemed to be downright mean for no reason and one dimensional. Overall, I enjoyed it and I may look into other books in the series. I recommend The Inn at Hidden Run.

The Inn at Hidden Run
is available in eBook and audiobook

This is a sweet story that is perfect to read while curled up with a hot cup of tea. It features kind characters (the type you would want to have on your side), a slight mystery spanning two separate centuries, and heavy history. As a nurse, you know I have to appreciate the setting of the Yellow Fever epidemic in Memphis, TN. While the story is not exactly gripping, it has decent dialogue and interesting characters. Perfect for a traveling companion or gift to those who love Hallmark movies.

Rated G
—no sex
—no violence
—no cursing
—no gore/graphic elements

I was given a free copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A great story for those who love genealogy and those who don't but like history. Jillian is a genealogist and Nolan. her dad is an attorney. Meri is a young lady running from the life her family wants her to have but also to what she wants to do with her life. Everyone in Meri's family is a doctor. She wants to do something different. Jillian is going to help by following her genealogy back to give the family a chance to see how being a doctor got its start.

A young woman arrives in a small town, clearly running from something. The town rallies together to earn her trust and help her resolve her problems. At the same time, the story of a woman during a yellow fever outbreak in Memphis is told.
A good read.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport is the first book in the Tree of Life series. I was super excited to read it as genealogy is a passion of mine, but unfortunately it did not hold my interest. I enjoyed the historical part of the story about the 1873 Yellow Fever epidemic in Memphis, Tennessee, that was something I had never heard of and it was fascinating. But, the current time period story simply did not seem plausible to me. I found the characters of Nolan, Nia, and Jillian to be the biggest annoying busybodies in trying to dig into Meri's life without her permission, making it so she could not leave town, etc. I do not think there are people that would really do what they did and someone like Meri that would tolerate it. Jillian's mug obsession was also a bit odd.

Received this through Net Galley a powerful story of a time when family really needs to come together to save relationships. Very powerful message sent very well written and so glad I did get around to reading!