Pepper Basham brings a piece of Appalachia history to life with the charm, romance, and faith I expected from her novels—with an enticing addition of suspense and action. I had not known of this small-town tragedy from 1912, yet The Red Ribbon brings it to life with fascinating characters, shocking turns of events, and plenty of hope.

If you enjoy historical fiction based on true crime (and especially if you have enjoyed other True Colors stories), definitely pick up Basham’s The Red Ribbon. It proves to be a quick, but intriguing read that I wholly enjoyed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, so well written. I particularly liked the empathy displayed to the characters in this book, it was so touching. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Pepper Basham may be known for her swoony romances, but she can write a mystery just as well! She brings the story to life with her vivid descriptions, and writes such well balanced characters. I'm so glad she joined this already amazing series! It shows her depth as an author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was immediately intrigued by the first line of the description of this book. "An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912". Living in Appalachia, I'm always drawn to books set here.

This story is fiction, but loosely written based on the Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912. I love when an author weaves fiction and reality together and leaving the reader to do a little research on a topic. I had never heard of this massacre before and now I've started looking into the history.

I enjoyed the message of faith incorporated into this book. I also liked the large cast of characters. It can be confusing when there are so many characters, but I think Basham really did them justice with their unique personalities.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Ava Burcham is a talented young woman with a big heart and a curious mind that isn't a stranger to trouble. She is determined to find out who killed her father, but she may be getting into more than she can handle poking around the bootlegging businesses of Appalachian Mountain folk.

An engaging read that brings to life a fictionalized account of the Carroll County Courthouse Massacre, which was an event that I was not terribly familiar with before reading this book. The author did a great job of bringing to life the lives of the mountain folk and staying true to the history.

Ava is a kind-hearted heroine, with a quick mind and a shadow hanging over her heritage. I liked her heart for helping others, and how she likes to brighten the lives of others. Jeremiah is a patient and protective hero, who loves Ava no matter what. Granny Burcham was probably my favorite character, with her heart and wise words of wisdom.

Overall, an entertaining read with likable characters, an engaging story, and solid message of trusting in God. Great for fans of Appalachian fiction and romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Once settled into my hotel the other night before the concert, I had some time to kill - so was scrolling on my kindle to find something to read and clicked on The Red Ribbon and started reading one of the books in the True Colours series. The Red Ribbon is based on the historical event of the Courthouse Massacre/ Courthouse Tragedy held in Hillsville in 1912. The Courthouse Massacre is the shootout that happened when Floyd Allen attended court to try and overturn his convictions when the plan backfired, the Allen clan decided on revenge and a shootout occurred. The incident that The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham can be found at https://theroanoker.com/interests/history/hillsville-massacre. If you love true crime fiction and historical fiction then this series is for you. The other thing I loved is that all authors in this series are also Christian based. I am now looking forward to reading the other books in this True Colours Series.

I always enjoy reading novels with settings that are identifiable for the author. It helps expand a story in a more intimate way since you know the author is speaking from first-hand experience and/or knowledge. Such is the case with The Red Ribbon written by Pepper Basham.

I've tried reading one of Ms. Basham's newer books prior to reading The Red Ribbon, yet I could not finish it. Her personal connection to Appalachia is the prominent difference between that book and this one. The Red Ribbon oozes with the local dialect and the poverty that so many lived through, yet set against one of our nation's unsolved crimes. I appreciated this backdrop for Ava and Jeremiah's story.

Ava felt herself unworthy of love and a future as Jeremiah's wife. Jeremiah's patience was a soothing balm to her insecurities, and once they share a kiss at the local corn shucking, all bets were off. She slowly became unable to resist his charms and oh-so-sweet talking.

I've seen in other reviews that there is a list of characters at the beginning of the book. Since I listened to the audio version, I missed out on that bit of helpful information, and it surely would have made some sections easier to follow. The historical note at the end helped add the context that I needed for the courthouse shooting.

Readers that enjoy stories in this Appalachian setting should also consider Chris Fabry and Sarah Loudin Thomas.

My rating for The Red Ribbon is 3.5 stars.

This book is officially my favorite in the True Colors series. I loved learning a little bit about the Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912, especially since I knew nothing about it before reading the book. I also loved the characters, and yes, even the romance between Ava and Jeremiah.

Ava is a troublemaker. Well, actually it seems like trouble just follows her wherever she goes. All she wants to do is report on the goings-on in town. And she does…but in doing so, unintentionally causes chaos to ensue.

Poor Jeremiah. He’s in love with Ava and wants to keep her safe. He takes it upon himself to try and keep her out of trouble. But Ava is like a wild horse. There is no taming her, no matter how hard anybody tries.

Pepper Basham writes the romance very well, and I really did appreciate that, especially as someone who doesn’t like the genre of romance all that much. But I actually really did enjoy this one.

I had received a copy of this book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.

If you’re looking for good clean mystery/romance look no further. The true colors series are each stand alone stories of little known true crimes throughout history.

This one is not my favorite of the series. it felt kind of choppy to me. I enjoy the crime part but this one seemed overly heavy handed on the romance. I knew going in that these are also written by Christian authors this one will feel a lot more preachy for some than some of the other books in the series.

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

1911 Apalachin mountains of Virginia. I just love mountain wisdom. Seems to cut right through to the most simple, basic truth. This book starts each chapter with a piece of that wisdom.
Ava is a young girl who lost all of her family except her Grandmother. Jeremiah has been her friend and loved her all her life. This blossoming love story is set in the midst of a true happening, a great massacre in a courthouse. One that drew national attention. Excellent read.

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.
#TheRedRibbon #NetGalley.

I'll read anything Pepper Basham writes and while I didn't love this one, think I prefer her historical romances and Contemporaries this one was my favorite of the true colors series. A series that for the most part have been misses for me and I love true crime as a reader who has BS in Criminal Justice it's kind of expected. But while I'll loved reading about the crime the heroine more often than not got on my nerves but not enough to stop reading. But then Pepper's never written a bad book.

I am not much for crime stories, but I really enjoyed this book by Pepper Basham. I loved the Appalachian setting, and though I figured out the culprits before the end of the book, it was still engaging and kept me turning the pages.

I love Pepper Basham’s books and was thrilled she wrote a book for Barbour Publishing series True Colors. All if these books are based on true stories. The Red Ribbon was written in the Carroll County, Fancy Gap area. I guess it is just what happened there, but when I am in the area, I still feel like it’s sort of a rough county to live in. And as always, it is so much fun reading a book set in places I know well.

Ms. Basham does an outstanding job creating the cast of characters that tell their story so well. I like Ava, and felt bad for her because I understand what was driving her, but if she would have listen to Jeremiah, well things would have been different. And maybe the Courthouse Massacre of 1912 would never have happened? But no one will ever know. I did enjoy reading this, and the historical events that the author so vividly describes here are the way I have always heard the story told. I vaguely remember my grandparents talking about this, but not much. I guess it was so horrific, no one wanted to be reminded. And Jeremiah, he was a sweetheart. I wanted to scream at Ava to pay attention to this sweet man!! Couldn’t she see how he felt about her??

If you read this and you are from this area in Virginia, I highly recommend you read it. And if you are a historical fiction buff, you will love one too. Thanks to author Pepper Basham for writing such an amazing book!

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The True Colors series is a great Christian Historical Fiction Series. The stories are based on actual historical events, but with a fictionalized story. The thing I enjoy is many of the events are not well known, so I end up heading out and doing a bit of research on my own each time. In The Red Ribbon, I found out about The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912. As the story opens we meet Ava Burcham, an atypical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. Ava is not your stay at home female, but makes a living with her sewing and is often out at night, trying to find out who killed her father. Her grandmother is her only living relative, but she lives up in the mountains, so she stays in town with the lady she works for. Her sneaking around has caused some trouble between the families of politicians and outlaws. Her boyfriend/fiance, Jeremiah Sutphin gets caught in the middle. Will they both survive? Will they be able to get married?

I really enjoyed this story of friends-to-more romance. Ava and Jeremiah had been lifelong friends, but he wanted more. When he finally convinces Ava to move forward in their relationship, the troubles have started. I liked their characters, they were smart, kind, good, loyal and wanted justice for Ava's family. I absolutely loved Granny Burcham. She was the steadying influence in Ava's life and kept her following her faith. While the dangers lurked in this mountain town, I was worried about Ava and the chances she took. There was some tense moments, but they were tempered with hope and love. I liked how Pepper Basham incorporates a faith message that is meaningful, yet not preachy. The action is non-stop and although there is a large cast of characters, their unique personalities allowed me to keep everyone straight. I enjoyed reading the author's note at the end of the book to see which parts are fact and which are fiction. I enjoyed this Christian, historical, romance and look forward to more in the True Colors series.

This is the 8th book in the True Colors series. Each book is a stand alone fictional story built around a true event, criminal or otherwise. Each has a different author. So far, I have yet to find one that I do not consider an excellent read....which is a difficult achievement when you have so many contributing authors. Each book has a color in the title.....just in case you decide to go look for the first seven titles. THE RED RIBBON is set in Carroll County, Virginia in the period leading up to the Courthouse Massacre in 1912.

Written from the perspective of two local young adults, Pepper Basham's story utilizes the local speech patterns, customs and mores. The town and it's citizens are definitely background characters in the story as the young lovers find themselves on opposite sides of a feud, a common occurence when a stolen kiss can lead to a gunfight. I was drawn into the middle of the story very quickly and each chapter brought more gasps of disbelief as I tried to figure out how the story would end......and no, I'm not telling. This is a good book for fans of many differing genres. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

True crime novel. Suspenseful. Intriguing. Action packed. Historical. A page turner. Read this on your back deck...you will not be disappointed. Five stars.

Along with the loveliest friends to sweethearts story I've read in some time, Pepper Basham brings to life the people, the place, and the events surrounding a 1912 shootout known as, among other names, the Courthouse Tragedy.

Everyone knows that Jeremiah Sutphin has been sparking Ava Burcham for years, but it takes a fateful corn shucking for Ava to see. And while a red ear of corn leads to their first delightful kiss, another sparks mischief and ignites a simmering clan rivalry with far reaching consequences in The Red Ribbon.

Blockade whiskey, long simmering tensions, and family legacies permeate this story set in an Appalachian mountain community. Author Pepper Basham has created a seamless melding of fiction and history, creating characters and a storyline that are at once endearing and compelling. Highly recommended for fans of fiction involving true crime from American history and Romantic Suspense.

This review refers to a temporary digital galley that I voluntarily read via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

The Red Ribbon by Pepper Basham is volume 8 in the True Colors series. I’ve read and enjoyed many of the books in this series and I have to say that this book is one of my favorites. The history behind this courthouse massacre is fascinating and beautifully imagined in this fictional retelling. The author has certainly brought the setting and time period to life and has made an entertaining and important book. I highly recommend this book to readers of historical fiction. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I received an ARC from Barbour Publishing, via NetGalley. This review is my personal opinion.

This is a story that starts with a mystery and many situations that through the book they will make sense. We meet Ava and Jeremiah, they both have been friends for many years, I must say that this book will keep you guessing almost right to the end and, Pepper Basham took a sad history and expand it to make it more human and also with a profound message. hard to see the difference between real-life elements and fiction. Although not my favorite book of Pepper Basham, I did like you have many unexpected and good moments in the book, in my opinion, one of the best is when Ava decide to let go of fear. If you like real-life crime stories and good historical fiction, this book is a good choice.

I love reading books that are set in places I’ve been. Knowing a bit about the setting makes a difference to me, because there’s already a bit of connection. True crime is one of my favorite genres, too. This book had me on the edge of my reading chair. There was suspense, a little humor, but most importantly, a glimmer of hope.