Adult Review - Earning the Mountain Man's Trust - historical fiction

About the Book

Book: Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

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

Naomi Wyatt has finally given up on the man who once promised to love her for the rest of his life—then disappeared with no way to contact him. She’s now a single mother with a beautiful baby girl to provide for, a daughter whose red hair reminds her daily of the man she gave her heart to. She has to move on though, so when Jonah Coulter asks for her hand in marriage, she knows she would be hard-pressed to find a better husband for herself and father for her sweet daughter. He’s a Coulter, after all, and he’s proven to be a good friend during her darkest hours.

But when her first love rides onto the ranch property saying he’d been searching for her for months, her heart is shredded once again. Before she has time to catch her breath though, a new threat appears on the horizon. This time she has far more at stake than her heart, and only a Divine hand can turn this disaster for their good.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a second chance romance, love triangles, hidden treasure, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

My Adult Review

Beller, Misty M. Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust. 2024.

Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series – book 4

I have enjoyed any book I have read written by Misty M. Beller. Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust is the fourth book in the Brothers of Sapphire Ranch series and picks up right where book 3, Protecting the Mountain Man’s Treasure leaves off. I am thankful that Beller is a prolific author as I never have to wait long for her next book in series to come out (although it looks like it will be about 6 months until the next one in this series).

While this is part of a series, and you would probably be missing some info, I do think you could read this title without reading the others in the series first.

So far each of the books in this series have focused on one of the Coulter brothers (or “adopted” brother). As Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust opens you think the book is going to be about Jonah Coulter. It is in a way but it is more about Naomi Wyatt, sister-in-law to the family, and an outsider. I don’t want to share any spoilers but the book does include a shift that I’m not sure many saw coming at the close of book 3. There is a happily-ever-after ending, just not the one I originally expected.

The story is not without trauma and drama – including a visit from a man who raped Naomi. I do really like how Naomi spends time in prayer and relying on God for wisdom in knowing the direction her life should go. I also appreciated the direct answer to prayer she received.

While Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust is an adult novel, I do think it is appropriate for high schoolers. It could be placed in the secondary section of a K-12 Christian school library and marked for high schoolers only.

I received a complimentary copy of Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust. This is my honest review.

About the Author – Misty M. Beller

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 Beller

Storytelling vs. Historical Authenticity?

I’ve been a fan of historical fiction for as long as I can remember, all the way back to the Mandie books by Lois Gladys Leppard and the Sadie Rose books by Hilda Stahl. Does anyone remember those series? (host note – I remember them and loved them.)

When I started thinking about my first novel, there was no doubt it would be a Christian Historical Romance set in the west. By my second book in, I had narrowed my focus to frontier life in the Rockies. My happy place!

It can be challenging to write about a time I haven’t experienced and cultures that don’t exist in the same form anymore. I love reading first-hand accounts to help me bring a particular time period to life. I often visit historic forts and talk with those who have studied the time period and setting in greater depth.

Three years ago, My family and I set out on a 28-day epic road trip to tour many of the state and national parks across the country. We spent about half of our time in Wyoming and Montana, exploring Yellowstone and Glacier, and tour historic and ghost towns. We spent more than one night tent camping in primitive camping!

These experiences definitely make it easy for me to slip into that world as I write. The characters come alive in my mind, and I see the story like a movie in my head. Writing Earning the Mountain Man’s Trust was especially fun to write, as we return to the Coulter Ranch. I fell in love with not just Naomi and Eric, but also sweet little Mary Ellen, their one-year-old daughter who Eric meets for the first time in this book.

I pray the story comes to life for readers as much as it has for me! J

Blessings!

Misty