I didn't realize this was the 2nd book in a series when I requested to read it - I just saw the author was Pepper Basham and had to read it! It wasn't hard to follow, but I will go back and read the first book just because this is an incredible series.

She has a gentle way with words and it fits the Appalachian folks, even the harsh times. This is a sweet story - Cora, an English nurse, flees a loveless marriage arrangement made by her father to the mountains and her brother. She encounters numerous difficulties once she arrives in the the mountains and learns her real strength and place in the world, and finds a great love.

It's a beautiful story - the characters are amazing, the descriptions are so vivid you'll think you are right there.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

"The Heart of the Mountains" is a Christian romance set in 1919 in the Appalachian Mountains. Cora served as a nurse in WWI, and Jeb McAdams served as a soldier. They experienced things that changed them but which also gave them a different perspective that laid a foundation for a friendship. Cora joined her uncle and brother in the mountains to avoid a marriage she didn't desire but also to help the locals with her nursing skills. Some locals weren't happy to have another outsider influencing people, though. Between handling medical crisis and learning to avoid the dangers of the mountains (both animal and certain unfriendly people), Cora's friendship with Jeb grew as they spent time together.

The characters were complex and reacted realistically to events. The historical and setting details immersed me into the story and brought it alive in my imagination. Cora felt that God had used some bad circumstances to prompt her to go to a place where she'd find happiness and contentment helping others. There were no sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical romance.

Review posted via. Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4740646399
Cora Taylor is running from a forced marriage. She flees in search of her brother who teaches at a missions school in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Jeb McAdams is living in solitude in the mountains. He is struggling with trauma from World War 1 and has turned to alcohol for comfort. Both Cora and Jeb have a past they are running from. Can they lean on each other and move on?

I appreciate it when the author does not skate over the problems with alcohol a character is dealing with. Both Cora and Jeb have issues and they learn to trust each other to help. I would recommend this book to family and friends.

This was a very interesting read.
In order to escape a forced marriage in England, Cora flees to America where her uncle and brother live in the Blue Ridge mountains. Having served as a nurse in WWII, Cora has seen many terrible sights and circumstances. But the wilds of Blue Ridge offer a new set of challenges. From wild animals, to gossip, to superstition, and even death treats, the mountains make or break a person.
The author makes the story interesting while bringing out the raw reality of survival, both in mountains and overcoming war memories.

Cora running from an arranged marriage finds herself seeking solace from her brother and his wife living in Maple Springs. Coming from London, the ways of the mountain folk makes her feel like she stepped into another time. How would she fit in? But then she tended the wounded during the war, so it shouldn't be a problem. With her brother and his wife gone temporarily, she ends up at her Uncle's. A neighbor, Jeb with war stories and ghosts of his own comes to her rescue.

I loved the descriptions of the 1900s mountain life and the simple folks who lived there. The story is one of change, compassion, wild circumstances, acceptance, and forgiveness. A few miracles are thrown in and you have the making of a beautiful inspiring and uplifting story.

It reminds you that a person can adapt and find the place and vocation God has chosen, even among impossible odds. The story has non-stop action and intense drama. Wonderful well-developed characters you won't forget.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and willingly choose to review it. All opinions are my own.

Wow! The Heart of the Mountains begins exciting and stays that way until the end! It begins with Cora, who has left England, and finds herself in the mountains of North Carolina in hopes of finding her brother and uncle who have moved there. While riding a donkey, trying to find their homes, she is chased by a mountain lion, and as the animals go over a cliff, she grabs on to a low hanging branch of a tree, and dangles there until she hears the branch about to give way. As it breaks, a strange man catches her before she falls over the cliff. And that is how she meets Jeb. Jeb has lived his whole life there in the hills, but he has recently returned from overseas fighting in World War 1, and he battles with nightmares from it. They find that his sister is the young lady that married her brother, but they become good friends very quickly, and he finds that she is becoming accustomed to life living in the hills in a short amount of time. He thinks she is beautiful, but he can't imagine her wanting to stay and live among their people. He is surprised when she falls in love with the area and the people that live there. Well, most of them, anyway. There are troublemakers that make life hard for them, and the rumor mill also reeks havoc on them. It's a great, clean and very entertaining story I will read again and again!

#TheHeartOfTheMountains #NetGalley

Cora Taylor, is running from an arranged marriage proposal, and comes from England to the Blue Ridge mountains, where her Uncle Edward and her brother Jonathan and his wife live.. Cora's unplanned arrival is a surprise, but not unwelcome, at least not for her family. The people of Blue Ridge, are unsure of this strong willed lady from England, they are not quickly to trust. This book had me from the first page. A book about change, trusting, forgiveness and love. .

Thank you to Net galley and Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked this book because the author didn't just write a romance story. She wrote about the hardships and real dangers of living in the mountains. Cora Taylor, to escape an unwanted marriage proposal, travels from England to the Blue Ridge Mountains. She hopes to fit in and help the people with their medical needs. She meets mountain man Jeb McAdams, and slowly the sparks start to fly. This is a good story about life in the mountains, and how the citizens lean on the Lord! Highly recommend!

Having lived in the area this book is set in for all but a few months of my 46 years, I tend to approach novels set in the Blue Ridge Mountains with trepidation, worried they’ll get it all wrong. But it’s clear Pepper Basham is a native and knows the people and history of these mountains well. While reading it, I couldn’t help but think of my teenage self reading ‘Christy’ for the first time and loving it.

Cora Taylor is running from an arranged marriage in England, and decides to surprise her uncle and brother in the mountains of western North Carolina. A preacher and a doctor/teacher respectively, they’ve settled in to mountain life and view it as a calling. Having learned nursing skills on the battlegrounds of WWI, Cora is fleeing the trap of marriage, but also trying to find her place in life as well. I loved her character — she is feisty, plucky, and has a passion to help people in a medical capacity. From the minute she steps from the train in North Carolina, it becomes blindingly clear that this place, this culture, these people, are like nothing she’s ever experienced. Can she take it?

In a series of unfortunate, and comical, events, she encounters Jeb McAdams on her first day in the high country. His character was immediately likeable as well — a true mountain man, but open-minded and innovative, yet bearing the deep scars of having fought in the war himself. Both sense this kinship in each other early on, the mutual understanding of shared experiences that haunt them still.

The author doesn’t steer clear from the roughness of the Appalachian people, their superstitions and distrust for outsiders. But amongst the clannish, intolerant locals are many others that are not this way, who instead showcase the simple charm of their ways and culture despite the hard lives they lead. These are the people Cora is drawn to, and she is eager to learn from them as well, soaking up all the handed-down knowledge of herbal medicinals and customs. Like all good historical novels, it had me googling a few customs I was unfamiliar with to learn more about them. Happy to be reunited with her brother (and his new wife) and her uncle, after her initial culture shock Cora begins to love life on the ridge and finds a kindred spirit in the last person she would’ve expected: Jeb McAdams. While not without obstacles, their love story unfolds sweetly and in sometimes surprising ways, as does Cora’s role as the ‘Nurse Woman’ of the mountains.

Altogether this was an enjoyable book with vivid, honest characters. I will say, though, that this is Christian fiction. Some that I read feel more like historical fiction with a light touch on religious overtones, but this one is pretty heavy-handed in that way, with religious threads running all through the book. A little too much for me (just a personal preference) so bear that in mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book. .

Another sweet historical romance set in the backwoods of the Blue Ridge Mountains! While there are multiple story threads woven throughout the book, Jeb and Cora's tale is the focus. I love how service and friendship are at the foundation of their relationship!

Content Warning: Due to the setting and time period, there are some difficult situations discussed. Topics would be appropriate for older teens.

Thank you NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5 Stars
Publication: July 1, 2022
Series: My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge Book #2
Number of Pages: 320

Having please sure reading another book by Pepper Basham and thoroughly enjoying it, I thought “The Heart of the Mountains” would be not different. Actually, it was so much more!

Cora Taylor was desperate to escape her life in England, specifically from a forced marriage that her father had arranged. The only family, outside of her mother were her brother, Jonathan who was a doctor and her uncle a circuit preacher who had settled in North Carolina in the States. Fleeing London, she arrives in Maple Springs…a wild and beautiful place where she believes her skills in medicine can be useful after serving on the Front in the World War. What she did foresee was that in all that beauty, there still lies a primitive land of challenges, mountain inhabitants, and folklore.

Jeb McAdams has a kind nature and the sweetest heart. There is nothing he would not do to help the folks in the mountains. Unfortunately, he as seen his share of what the war has done to him…not just him but to any many who had to live in it. He knows this all too well as he witnessed losing his best friend to the war and having to relive the nightmare in his dreams. He somehow believes that he needs to take care of his friend’s wife who is now a widow with a small child. What he did not encounter was coming face to face with Cora.

The Blue Ridge Mountains introduces itself to Cora who manages to inadvertently gets herself into some unpredictable situations. Meeting Jeb while being rescued from a tree limb on her first day in Maple Springs, the two begin an odd friendship out of respect and their association with the War that gradually grows into romance. As this is the second book, some sub-characters are reintroduced in this story, however it can be read as a standalone. The descriptions of the Appalachians form a vivid picture in your mind and the lives of the people that live in the mountains. I loved how the author developed both character’s pain, hurts and strong will to overcome demons and misconceptions. Each character that is introduced was written so realistic, that there is no problem with believability.

This story plain and simple was just beautiful and one that I will remember. A well-written story by Ms. Basham with understandable plots and memorable characters. The pacing or start was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up about halfway into the book. A wonderfully written story and I plan on reading the first in this series. Recommend the read.

Pepper D. Basham is one my favorite authors. She always tells a good story, but this one is exceptional! Cora Taylor travels to the Appalachian mountains to escape an arranged marriage, and hoping to find a place of acceptance. Jeb McAdams has returned home to the mountains after World War I, and is struggling to overcome the emotional damage of the war. This is their story.

Jeb and Cora are an unlikely pair, but their common experiences in the war draw them together. And the rest, as they way, is history. This is a beautifully tender love story, but so much more. It is also the story of redemption and healing.

The Appalachian Mountains come to life, the characters are memorable, and the story is exquisitely written. You will laugh and you will cry, but you won’t forget The Heart of the Mountains.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. The opinions are my own.

In this wonderful and moving sequel to Laurel’s Dream, Pepper Basham takes us back to the world of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this time with Cora (Jonathon’s sister, who we briefly met in the first book) and Jeb (Laurel’s brother who has returned from the war). These two unlikely characters are drawn together through their shared experiences in the war and quickly form a friendship and attraction to one another. Readers will be pleased to revisit previous characters and their stories, and will fall in love with some new ones as well! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Kizzie’s story next! :)

The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham is a historical journey through the wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains with the struggles of living completely independent of the modern conveniences of England of the 1910 world. The setting is beautiful, wild, and adventurous just like the heroine and her love of medicine and this wild adventure that she is traveling to in this new world. Basham is a wonderful writer at diving deep into character’s hurts. This is a huge strength that makes her characters strong and jump off the pages of the story. Cora runs away from England, seeking a life of purpose; whereas, in comparison, Jeb wants a life that frees him from the horrors that he encounters while serving in a previous war. Overall, each individual character’s journey is deep and transformative. While I love Basham’s characters, the plot this time around, really did not capture my attention. I have loved a number of Basham’s stories, so I know she is a fabulous writer, but this story really did not hold my attention. I anxiously await some of her novels that have already been teased to be released next year.
I received a complimentary copy of The Heart of the Mountains by Pepper Basham from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

I left this book wanting more of the story. What a dramatic ending to this incredible journey set in the Blue Ridge mountains. The characters face so many challenges and twists and turns kept me reading long after I should have been asleep.
I am grateful for the chance to read and review and share this book with others. It made me both laugh and cry. Enjoy.

Compelling Drama!

I enjoyed this historical inspirational romance between two young people from very different worlds trying to find their way forward after experiencing the horrors of war. Set in Appalachian North Carolina after the Great War, this story shed light on the numerous challenges of mountain living as well as the many aspects of beauty and goodness that could also be found. The romance between Cora and Jeb, while of short duration, developed sweetly and felt realistic and believable. That the hardships people endured were not sugar-coated but written so realistically made the story all the more poignant and compelling. Themes of forgiveness and redemption were present, along with a beautiful story of one coming to salvation. The main characters from another book I haven’t read yet, Laurel’s Dream, are mentioned, but enough information is presented that I feel this book can be read as a stand alone. Fans of historical Christian romance would enjoy this book, along with readers of Ann Gabhart and Sarah Loudin Thomas.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley and Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed here are completely my own.

Anything by Pepper Basham is worth reading, and this book is just as worthy as any of her other books. Pepper is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, primarily because her writing is tight, compelling, engaging, and enjoyable. Her plots are easy to follow, but not always predictable. Her characters have a realism to them that make the reader engage with them. Okay, enough gush.

Cora needs to escape an unwanted marriage and does so by running away from England to North Carolina where her brother is a doctor and her uncle is a circuit-riding preacher. The area in North Carolina where Cora's brother lives is primitive in a way that hearkens back to a life style in a previous century. It is a bit of an adjustment for Cora to live in her new surroundings. She is hoping to be of assistance to her brother because of her nursing experience during World War I.

Jeb McAdams is a vet struggling with the demons he witnessed during the war, including losing his best friend. His friend left behind a widow and a child, and Jeb thinks he needs to marry her so that he can provide for her. The kink in the relationship is that he is attracted to Cora. After rescuing her from a fall that could have meant her sure demise, he finds her fascinating and her caring nature compels him even further.

Cora encounters the people of the mountains in trial-by-fire situations that call on all of her inner resources to help the people out. She comes across alcoholism, abuse, poverty, and folklore healings, and in each case, rises to the challenge with the help of Jeb, Granny Burcham, and others.

This was such a satisfying novel to read. The romance between Cora and Jeb was quiet and understated, but grew out of a respect and friendship. Other matches in the book were organic and natural as well. Definitely a Five Star, Two Thumbs Up, and acceptance by a people closed off to the outside world.

Barbour Books provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sweet tale of good people trying to find their way after World War I. Cora Taylor flees England and an arranged marriage to find her brother and uncle, who had already moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC. The story centers on what -and whom- she finds there. The dialect is handled well without being distracting, which can be a danger in books set in similar places, and none of the characters is reduced to caricature. Cora and Jeb’s wartime experiences are handled with honesty and grace, as are the storylines around Jeb’s family involving alcoholism. It’s a well written, engaging story that really transports you. I was sad to come to the ending.

First off I can not say enough good things about this book, There was everything you want a strong female character, a love story a little mystery. Every character was so cleverly written and developed it made me feel like I was really getting to know them . It all starts out when Cora left her home to escape an unwanted marriage and lands her self in a super small town. Her first couple hours in town she already is dealing with her first mishap Jeb had just returned from the war and is settling back into small town mountain life when he discovers Cora in an unexplainable situation , The two of them create this beautiful relation ship ! I could go on and on but i will spoil the book ! 10/10 for me !

"Woodwork soothed him some. Prayer too. And these mountains."

An English nurse and Appalachian woodworker find a common bond in the way participation in the Great War changed them, resulting in a sweet love growing between them. Heart of the Mountains is a meandering story that reads like a love letter to the people of the Appalachians. I realized quickly after picking it up that it is the sequel to Laurel's Dream, which I have but haven't read yet. I decided to continue reading this one first so I could see how it did on its own. It did just fine, although it did make me want to read Jonathan and Laurel's story.
This book talks a lot about the challenges and beauty living among mountain people. I imagine every culture has its own challenges and beauty, but you do enjoy reading about it from someone who has obvious respect for the people and place. You get a feel in this book for the variety of mindsets you'd find in Appalachian culture, escaping stereotyping.
The action really picked up at the 94% mark, but the story kept moving enough throughout the book that I wasn't bored. And as usual, I love Pepper for her strong and meaningful messages.

"Everything changed when one rested in the confidence of being loved well and in walking in the calling God had placed upon one’s life."

I am grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.