Tuesday, August 8, 2023

About the Book

Book: Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 15, 2023

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, loyalty…and a hidden fortune.

Jericho Coulter, the eldest of six fiercely devoted brothers, is entrusted with safeguarding his family and the secret that binds them together: the Sapphire mine. To keep tragedy from striking again, he allows no outsiders on their land. When two women stumble upon their ranch, claiming Jericho himself sent for one of them as a mail-order bride, he aims to send them straight back where they came from.

Dinah Wyatt, a talented and determined doctor, wasn’t about to let her twin sister travel to Montana alone and marry a stranger. Dinah’s skills are immediately put to the test when one of the younger Coulter brothers is gravely injured, forcing the family to trust his life to her.As Dinah and her sister become entwined in the Coulter family’s life, sparks fly between the enigmatic Jericho and the captivating doctor. In a world where trust is hard to come by and secrets hold the power to change lives, Jericho and Dinah must learn that sometimes, the most precious secrets are those buried within our own hearts.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a mail-order bride, hidden treasure, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

Sapphires in Montana? Are you sure?

When I was brainstorming ideas for my new series, I knew I wanted the stories to be set on a ranch amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Montana mountains. But I wanted something a little more unusual than that. I know, what could be more special than a ranch in the Rockies?

So I brought the conundrum to some writer friends and asked for help brainstorming. There’s nothing quite so fascinating as a group of writers in full brainstorming mode. Since the series is set during the mining boom in Montana, we discussed the idea of some kind of mine on the ranch, but not gold or silver. Or even copper. The remarkable Sarah Erredge (who writes as S.E. Warren) suggested Sapphires.

That thought immediately grabbed hold of me (especially since the Sapphire is the birthstone for my month of September). But I’d never heard of Sapphires being discovered in Montana. That seemed impossible… Right?

Until some quick research showed there are three well-known pockets of Sapphires in the state! Rock Creek is one of those locations, and is positioned perfectly for where I wanted to set my story—west of Helena and about a half day’s ride from the Mullan Road.

The timing of Sapphire discoveries in the state is perfect for my series as well. Early prospectors searching for gold in the gravel of the Missouri River repeatedly discarded the annoying blue pebbles that continually clogged their sluices without much thought to what they may be. It wasn’t discovered that these “pebbles” were Sapphires until 1895 when a man named Ed Coulter forwarded samples of these stones to Tiffany & Co. When Tiffany purchased the lot for $3,750 (approximately $110,300 as of 2018) and declared that the stones were “sapphires of unusual quality,” a small-scale sapphire rush began.

This rush is exactly what the Coulter brothers in the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series are trying to avoid. That’s why they keep the Sapphire mine on their property secret during this first book in the series, Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart.

I pray you love book 1 in this new series and fall as deeply in love with this ranch in the Rockies as I have, especially with the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch. 

Blessings!

Misty

MY REVIEW

One of the best qualities I love about this author is how she describes the scenery so perfectly in her stories. I opened this book and immediately was transported back to 1868 in Montana. It was easy to visualize the vivid blue sky as the sun gave hints of warmth. I was ready to hop aboard with the characters and experience their journey.

Dinah and Naomi are traveling to meet the man who has sent for Naomi. Being a mail order bride was well known during this time period. Naomi has made traveling difficult for her and Dinah as they are far away from home. Naomi is six months pregnant and the journey is taking a toll on her body. They better hurry and find the ranch quickly before Naomi develops complications from her pregnancy. I can’t imagine traveling by horse for days on the dusty trail. The horse is not very comfortable and you can tell Naomi is feeling the effects of the journey. Good thing Dinah decided to take the trip with her.

Jericho is a presence to be reckoned with. He has his hands full running the ranch, looking out for his niece and nephew and many brothers. His mission is to guard his family and allow no strangers on his ranch. He is shocked to learn that Naomi was here to marry him. Well that is a funny story but readers will have to discover that for themselves. When one of the brothers is severally injured Dinah takes over his care. I think Jericho was surprised to learn that Dinah is a doctor. He has allowed the women to stay at the ranch for a bit but I don’t think they should get very comfortable .

One of the most impactful and emotional scene for me was when Dinah and Jericho went to the Native American campsite to help with the outbreak of smallpox. A disease that we are blessed not to worry about today was deadly for some in the earlier years. I loved how the author described what Dinah was able to do to protect those who had not gotten yet. Medicine in those days were just beginning to see promise and Dinah was well versed in the disease. As she is trying to help a small child she tells Jericho, “A mother is the heart of a family. If she loses hope, so does everyone else.”

As the days pass the women become more like family and you can see a change in Jericho. I loved how the family prayed for his healing when he became ill with smallpox. Dinah stays near him to make sure he recovers. There begins to be a spark of chemistry between the two. There is a part in the story between Dinah and Jericho that was a little bit uncomfortable for me. I will say the author didn’t take it too far but you can sense the underlying attraction growing deeper between them.

The story does have many wonderful moments where forgiveness become important in the story. I was quite curious what was so secretive about the strawberries the brothers tended to. It is very intriguing and gives the characters a lesson in trust. Jericho is faced with a difficult situation that only God can help him with. Will he allow God into his live and fully trust Him?

I loved how the author gives us a look at how important a doctor was in those days. Dinah knows God has called her to help others, but her heart is torn. What will she decide? Does Naomi deliver a healthy baby? Do Jericho and Dinah declare their love for each other or do they part ways? All these answers are waiting for readers to discover. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

“The Lord always takes care of His children, though it doesn’t always happen the way we expect it to. God knows what we need. He’s never late.”

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.