A great story--#4 in the Tree of Life series! The author does an excellent job weaving her characters and their stories together. You really need to read the first 3 books to appreciate the 4th. I appreciated Tisha’s story and the way Jillian continued to persevere in trying to understand her. However—if this is the last book in the series, “I protest!” I want to know about the lost children, if Jillian and Drew get together, if Tisha meets her dad…so many “branches” left hanging!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having read and enjoyed the first three books in the Tree of Life series I was excited for book four. What You Said to Me is so good. Perhaps because at this point I have come to know and like Jillian and Nolan and their friends in Canyon Mines, this book immediately drew me in. The characters are engaging and as a life-long Cub fan I have am amused by the numerous characters named after Cub favorites. Olivia Newport does a wonderful job writing the time hop and weaving the details of stories of the past with the present. I very much hope there will be another book in the series, so many things yet to discover. Thanks to Barbour Publishing and Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

What You Said To Me by Olivia Newport is the latest in the series about genealogist Jillian Parisi-Duffy and her father Nolan Duffy. In this book Nolan has volunteered to Jillian to mentor and give community service hours to a trouble teenager, Tisha Crowder. Tisha is not thrilled about the idea but it will keep her out of the court system for now. Will Tisha and Jillian be able to work together and find common ground to complete assignments? Jillian is working on a major case, that began in a previous book, but will it lead to something happening in the present being uncovered?
I loved this book. It goes back and forth to the early times of the silver mining in Colorado and the fall of the industry. The reason becomes very clear by the end of the book and all the twists and turns of the story are neatly wrapped up. True to Olivia Newport style there are lots of twists and turns throughout this story and at times you may wonder what a particular incident has to do with the story. That is one of the things I love about reading her work; there are always lots of surprises and unexpected conclusions. I give this book 5 of 5 stars and highly recommend it.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have read all of Olivia Newport's Tree of Life series. What You Said to Me is the 4th in line and it felt like I was back home in Canyon Mines. Jilly always has an interesting genealogical job going on and her dad Nolan adds to the fun with his cooking and singing. I really enjoyed the story line from 1893 and how Olivia connects the past with the present.

There are lots of life lessons in this book. Jilly and Tisha learn how to get along (with a little help from Nolan) and Tisha realizes she needs to get past the bitterness that has raged in the generations of women in her family. I really hope there will be a 5th book because I need to know more about the stolen children and their families that Jilly is looking for and I definitely would like to see more of Drew.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

“What You Said to Me” by Olivia Newport, is the fourth book in her Tree of Life series. Jillian Parisi-Duffy is a professional genealogist. She lives in Canyon Mines, CO, with her father, Nolan Duffy, a family law attorney. Nolan brings home a reluctant teenager, Tisha Crowder, to help Jillian with a backlog of work and in return, Jillian will help Tisha with volunteer hours needed to straighten out her life. The problem? Tisha comes from a dysfunctional family, and everyone in town knows it. She is a 15-year-old with a chip on her shoulder and no interest in helping Jillian work through the piles of records on the table. Nolan is persistent and refuses to give up on Tisha. Slowly, she learns to help Jillian and history opens the door to Tisha’s family background. As with the other Tree of Life books, Ms. Newport brings to life a segment of American history. This time, she transports us back to 1893 and the silver collapse in Denver. How will this all connect to Tisha and her family? Will Tisha ever be able to say she was proud of who her family was? This is a heartwarming story about love, friendship, and family that brings us back more than a century; a book worth reading.

What You Said to Me
by Olivia Newport
Barbour Publishing, Inc.
You Like Them
Shiloh Run Press
Christian | General Fiction (Adult)
Pub Date 01 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 01 Jan 2021

I love this series. This is the fourth book in the series and I really enjoyed it. I love the time-slip from the past to the present. Great story! I will recommend it to our patrons.
Thanks to Barbour Publishing/Shiloh Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

5 star

I've been reading the Tree of Life series since the first one was published. I have enjoyed all of them, but they keep getting better and better. Each one features Jillian, a genealogist, who meets a troubled person and unravels their family tree to find out why they react the way they do to things that happen. In the first two books, it felt somewhat forced, but the third and fourth felt a lot more natural. I especially liked this fourth book, What You Said to Me.
Jillian is stunned when Nolan, her father, informs her that she needs a helper—and furthermore, the helper is arriving now. Yes, she knows that the dining table is buried under piles and piles of old folders that need to be organized for the project she's been hired to do—but surely she can handle this without 15-year-old Tisha Crowder's help? And Tisha's attitude doesn't make it any easier. What is behind the girl's attitudes and actions, anyway?
The story flips back and forth between Jillian, Nolan and Tisha, in Canyon Mines, Colorado, in the present, and a family in 1893 Denver. I found myself caught up in both stories, eager to see how the two intersected. I also wanted to see if there was any way that Jillian could help Tisha out of the generations of bitterness, anger, and distrust that plagued her family and caused her problems. Nolan was sure she could—but how?
One thing I really like about this series is that there isn't a lot of romance. There is a little, in the third book and also in this one, but it's a very minor element. A few kisses were alluded to, but not much more. I also enjoy Nolan and his cooking and opera singing! He's a very fun character. There is not a strong Christian message, but the story is very clean and reflects a Christian worldview. As I said to begin, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to the next one. There are loose ends from books three and four that have not been tied up yet!
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and CelebrateLit, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I previously read book 3 in this series and met Jillian Duffy, whose business is to do genealogical research for others, including estate lawyers. Her father Nolan, is an attorney and amateur chef who is quite the celebrity in their little mountain town in Colorado. In this story Nolan is working to help Tisha Crowder, a troubled teen facing community service for a shoplifting charge. Nolan is to keep an eye on the process and he asks Jillian to let Tisha work for her doing filing etc. Jillian is researching a situation where in the early 1900s many babies were stolen from their families and adopted out. Even though most of the parents were now deceased, families were wanting to find their missing family members still and some of those children that were kidnapped are still alive and searching for their family history. Jillian is working with others to try to find as many of these histories as she can. The problem is the girl doesn’t want to be here and doesn’t do a good job of sorting and filing, causing Jillian a lot of checking and redoing at night. Meanwhile, this story goes back and forth with the story of a merchant from their town in the late 1800s whose silver mines were closed because of the price dropping out on silver. The story of this family becomes part of some research Jillian is doing and is very interesting.

The previous book I read started out a little confusing, but this time I fully understood what was happening and was immediately drawn into the characters and the subject. This one was a page turner. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in genealogy, Colorado history, or just a good read.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This is book 4 in the Tree of Life series and is an interesting and entertaining story. It’s the story of helping a troubled teen-aged girl learn about her past and come to grips with her present. It’s the history of a family of Canyon Mines from the days the silver mining went bust. There was also an interesting side story of stolen babies in the early 1900’s, part of Jillian’s research. I love the way the author intertwines the past and present, and very much enjoyed this book!

It's pretty amazing how this series is getting to me. I find that each case Jillian unravels from the past, bringing understanding and healing to the present generations makes me want to figure out exactly what happened to make my family the way we are.

This particular story, with generations of hurting, lonely women who don't trust and end up hurting the next generation to try to protect themselves until one 15 year old catches Nolan's attention, and by default, Jillians- is powerful. Seeing Tisha trying to cope, to stay numb, to dare to try to find out the truth, she stole my heart, and I'll admit I cried, yelled at her (and her mother), told Jilly a thing or two, and generally couldn't put this book down any better than I did the first 3 books in the series!!!!

I received a copy of this book from @NetGalley, and chose to review it here. All thoughts are my own.

Pre-Review Rant: Please tell me that this is not the last book of the series!??! I have so many questions!! What about the time capsule in the last book and the missing children from the St Louis file??!! Olivia Newport, your readers need to know what happens next!!
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The year is 1893, Clifford Brandt has built his fortune from the ground up; however, after the price in silver drops, he is forced to close his mines. With no income, banks closing, and violence rising, Clifford will do all he can to protect his family, but at what cost?

Flash-forward to present-day and Jillian Parisi-Duffy is overwhelmed with the files Tucker Kintzler has sent her from Missouri, though she won't openly admit it. With paperwork piled all over the house, Jillian's father, Nolan, steps in with a solution.

Tisha Crowder is in deep water. Caught shoplifting and facing serious consequences; Nolan, her attorney, works out a deal that could keep her record clean and provide Tisha with a chance to do the right thing. Angry, bitter, and rebellious, Tisha is not easy to work with; but, could this summer job be a key to unlocking the events of the past and answer the questions Tisha's been searching for?

What You Said to Me is the fourth book in the Tree of Life series, and highlights how pain can be passed from generation to generation. While the story was a page-turner and captured my attention, I still couldn't connect to the main characters as I do with the historical ones. What I've noticed with this series is that while there is a conclusion for the characters in the flashbacks, the present-day characters are left with a cliff-hanger or final remark that gives readers with more questions than answers. If this is supposed to be the last book of the series, it could have ended more conclusively.

Overall, I have enjoyed this series and feel inspired to learn more about my family history, though my mom's side is going to be impossible to explore. We all come from somewhere, and what I loved most about the Tree of Life series was that no matter what happened in the past, we, the future generation, have the opportunity to use our ancestors' experiences to create a better future!

I have not read the other books in this series, but that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying What You Said to Me. This was a time-slip that went between modern day and 1893 in Colorado. I loved how the author showed how the past shapes our present, but does not have to define our future.

I didn’t read books one and two in this series. Book three was really good so I was excited to have the opportunity to read book four. It was good to revisit the characters and this story was interesting.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

"Can't seem to get everyone in the same library
much less reading the same book or on the same page." !!!

Back with Jillian a Genealogist Expert and her Father the Family Law Lawyer and mediator.
We travel back to 1893 in Denver Colorado
Children are stolen from parents in early 1930s to late 1950s.

I love this series
This is another great piece to story,
I am looking forward to the next book.

This is book four in the Tree of Life series - and I think it might just be my favorite!

When Geneaologist Jillian's father (attorney Nolan Duffy) brings home a teenage shoplifter in need of some volunteer hours -a sentencing requirement- she is less than pleased. Jillian finally relents, but the teen is not only uninterested; she is downright difficult most of the time.

Teen Tisha Crowder and her family are suffering from what appears to be a sort of generational curse, burden, or deeply held misbeliefs that are still impacting their daily lives. Anger has been passed down again and again; will Jillian and Nolan ultimately be able to break through Tisha's protective wall and find the smart and capable girl that's inside? Does sorting our your heritage truly change your future?

With the usual colorful cast of characters in this endearing small town, combined with a glimpse into an important time in Colorado's history, this book is a fun and thought provoking read. I happily recommend it!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am rather disappointed with Olivia Newport's final book in her Tree of Life Series. There were too many loose branches that were left hanging. I think she needs to write one more book to let us know if Tisha's father ever decided to meet her, whether Drew and Jill get married, and if Tisha finds Morclavia's twin.



The book itself is engaging from the very beginning to the end. The plot moves at a fair clip, and the history of Tisha's family intrigues the reader. Olivia's writing style is appealing to me and her romantic inclusions are not smarmy, but well thought-out and realistic. This really is a good book, but the loose ends made it a bit disappointing for me. Four Solid Stars.

Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having read and enjoyed the first three novels in the series, i have been looking forward to reading WHAT YOU SAID TO ME by OLIVIA NEWPORT, and am definitely not disappointed! This author has split time story telling to a fine art! It is an enjoyable book, with real depth and a subtle Christian message.
In present time we come across Nolan Duffy, the friendly family advocate and mediator, enthusiastic cook and singer of arias, and father of Jillian Parisi-Duffy, a much sought after genealogist.
Once again their professions overlap when Nolan brings a fifteen year old delinquent home to help Jillian bring order to the hundreds of valuable old documents that overflow the dining room table. Jillian has been employed by the Matthew Ryder Foundation to find children that were stolen and sold by the wicked Judd Ryder. Jillian has no idea how to relate to Tisha Crowder with her bad attitude and really bad home life, and beats herself up every time she says anything that feeds Tisha's feeling of unworthiness. It is only when Tisha gets caught up in the sad stories in the old documents that the work becomes interesting to her.
In 1893, due to the crash in the silver price, Clifford Brandt is forced to move his family from their lovely home in Denver to Canyon Mines where they run a store that they have exchanged for their house. Their family dynamics are really shaken by their change in circumstances..
When a journal is found in the old Brandt building, the past and present are brought together. That is all I am going to tell you as far as the story is concerned.
The characters are realistically drawn and we really get to understand them by the way their thoughts and feelings are described.
It is a thought provoking and inspirational read and one I can highly recommend.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A thoroughly enjoyable read! In fact, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish this one—something I haven’t done in a long time. I loved that the story was centered on relationships, and not only the romantic kind. It was a beautiful weaving of past and present, a look at how one person’s bitterness can affect generations, while each generation has the choice to let it continue, or to say “it stops with me”. I will admit that it was slow in places, and I had hoped for a more sewn up ending, but the more I have reflected on it, the more I realize how REAL it all felt having been written the way that it was. I hope that the series continues.

**Will post review to other sites later per the publisher’s request.

What You Said to Me had a great story line and a very interesting perspective of weaving the past with the present. It is well written, engaging, and keeps you guessing as it reveals things slowly and you discover new things all the way up until the end.