Journey now to healing spa town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado in 1888 Where the past and present collide and a woman is on the precipice of unexpected love. Millie Cooper, fisherman’s-daughter-turned-nurse, flees a painful entanglement with the wealthy Drexel family who summered near her childhood home in Nantucket, only to encounter them again six years later in Glenwood Springs. The serenity … Glenwood Springs. The serenity of her mountain hideaway in a town with healing springs is disrupted when she faces caring for the elderly mother and the expectant wife of Stephen Drexel, the man she’d once loved–at the request of his brother John, the man who’d kept them apart. Will Millie forgive the wrongs she feels were done to her, or will she come to see them as a blessing in disguise that leads her to greater joys?
More from My Heart Belongs Series…
My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss: Priscilla’s Reveille by Erica Vetsch (January 2017)
My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains: Carmella’s Quandary by Susan Page Davis (March 2017)
My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho: Rebecca’s Plight by Susanne Dietze (May 2017)
My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley: Lily’s Dilemma by Andrea Boeshaar (September 2017)
My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah: Leanna’s Choice by Angie Dicken(November 2017)
My Heart Belongs in Niagara Falls, New York: Adele’s Journey by Amanda Barratt (January 2018)
more
“I will be with you, your troubles to bless.”
I’m still befuddled, my heart still racing and my emotions still raw from this story so forgive me if my review makes little sense! It packs a punch that leaves you wanting more of these characters even though it has a very satisfying, if not nail biting ending. Seriously, you’ll be on the edge of your seat like I was in more than a few scenes. Without giving much of anything away, it’s so hard to form a coherent review that still makes the reader long for it; as if they simply can’t live without reading this for themselves!
Millie, what can I say but I love her! Coming into her own after a heartbreak six years ago; from a lowly fisherman’s daughter to respected nurse. Fleeing her past life to start over must have taken great bravery & determination. She’s caring and has a natural knack for making her patients feel at ease, even in the midst of their suffering. I don’t think there’s a stranger she’s met yet, or they wouldn’t be for long after meeting her. But as it happens in some stories, the past catches up to her in human form and she either meets it head-on or shrinks back to the mousy young woman she was.
Ah yes, the older brother John! The one that stole what could have been her happily-ever-after with younger brother Stephen. He feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders after their father died years ago. Making decisions that best suited the family in spite of great pain he inflicted on the young lovers. If it weren’t for his mother’s failing health and the concern for Stephens’s pregnant wife, he would have never sought out or asked for Millie’s help. As for Stephen, well, he has his hands full with his young family and many regrets about the past. Since I don’t wish to spoil it for other readers, that’s all I will say about the story.
Past meets present; cue the tension, conflict and drama as these three lives collide under vastly different circumstances! This has a depth that I didn’t see coming and stole my breath at times. I was so invested that the world around me disappeared. Did someone say romance…oh my…I needed my fainting couch & smelling salts or at the very least a fan blasting ice cold in my face! I was a puddle melted on the floor. What clinched this for me was the strong faith thread. It comes naturally and in all the right places without being overbearing or as some would say, preachy. The characters struggled with their faith in very real ways that we might find our own selves doing. I can’t recommend this enough; I didn’t want it to end! I felt like the author could have made it longer if she wanted to and it still would have not been long enough for me. That’s how good this is!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. *
This is written by a new to me author but I’ll be looking for other writings by her in the future. I’m really enjoying getting to “visit” all these different locations in the “My Heart Belongs” series. Glen wood Springs Colorado sounds like a lovely place in the late 1800s, one that Millie found herself in after a broken engagement. She found her calling as a nurse after being trained by a local doctor. The one family she hoped to never see again, however, made their way to Colorado because of the health of their mother. The oldest son sought the services of Millie for his mother and her asthma attacks. She reluctantly took the position even though she had been jilted by the younger brother. A number of mishaps, misunderstandings and crisis situations make this a page turner in hopes for a little romance along the way.
I enjoyed getting to know the characters especially Millie. She had been made to look at herself as a lowly fishermans daughter by the asthmatic Mrs. Drexel. The family’s aristocratic status and wealth seemed to put Millie in her place. But she occasionally had a little spunk and a take charge attitude that served her well from time to time. A very readable and entertaining novel.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
Millie Cooper is the heroine of this wonderful story and with every chapter I admired her more and more for her strength and fortitude even when she’s put in a situation where all of her accomplishments will mean nothing to the family who shunned her when she needed them the most. Millie is quite reluctant to take the nursing position in the Drexel mansion because of their past cruelty toward her. But after much thought the weight of her conscience far outweighs her misgivings, even when the Drexel family matriarch treats her harshly and never fails to put her in her place. Because of the life lessons she has learned from Doctor Murphy and his daughter Millie sees to her patients and the family even when she’s brokenhearted by what she thinks is John Drexel’s unwarranted judgement of her. At the lowest point of this story Millie’s faith and her medical knowledge will falter but God’s teachings and His mercy will bless this household in ways they could never have imagined. Rebecca Jepson has written a heartwarming story of courage and hope with humanly flawed characters whose lives are made infinitely better by Millie’s example and the Spirit who shines through Millie’s heart. I highly recommend this book’s uplifting message for Christian and historical romance fans of all ages. I read a copy of this book courtesy of Barbour Publishing through Net Galley and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
This is my first book from Rebecca Jepson and I loved it!
The plot of the story was complex and filled with drama, but very engaging. Millie, a fisherman’s daugther, was left heartbroken and she thinks it was Stephen’s older brother -John- the one who caused them to never marry. Now, she has started anew and is a professional nurse, and John comes to her requesting her help in assisting her ailing mother and Stephen’s wife who is in the last months of her pregnancy. Can Millie overcome her past hurts and care and serve this family? What if unexpected love gets in the way as well? Can they overcome all the obstacles thrown their way?
I’ll just say it’s an emotional story filled with drama, compassion, intrigue, but sweetness and faith as well.
I liked the characters, especially Millie, she was kind and caring, and she trusted God to show her the way around the difficulties in her life. John was a great character as well. I learned things from them. It was inspirational and uplifting.
I highly recommend this book to historical lovers! It has depth and a great message. And the plot will keep you reading until the end!
I received a copy of this Book from Barbour Publishing via Netgalley. This is my voluntary, honest and unbiased review.
My Heart Belongs In Glenwood Springs Colorado has a wild beginning. it starts out with the following words, “It was his voice.” That is exactly how it started – now you may ask who was he? Well that is something worth your while to find out. You read that and you go – uh oh – what is wrong? What did he do? What is it all about his voice that she recognized? I know but do you? Who is it? When the book was over I couldn’t believe it because I wanted more – so much more. This author knows what she is doing by pulling you into the book – no – that’s not it – she actually has the Characters fly off the pages and meet you – they engage with you. It is an incredible storyline and the Characters make it that way. I received a copy of this book from the Publisher and Netgalley; all of the opinions expressed in this review are all my own.
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This was a super cute read! It put me in a mind of one of my all-time favorite movies Sabrina. It has a similar storyline which made Millie and John’s story irresistible to me. The ending was phenomenal and had one of the best scenes I have read lately and the way some of the other ends were tied up was perfect. This book has great characters, humorous scenes and I adored it. Definitely one for my keeper shelf!
I received this book from NetGalley and wasn’t required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
Millie Cooper is a stronger, more admirable person than I am. There is no way, especially after six years, that I would become the nurse for the mother and brother who broke up my engagement with their son and brother. I wouldn’t have the willingness or grace, particularly after learning their reason was-I was beneath them socially as the child of a fisherman’s family! Then, add that to the fact that her beloved needs her to care for his pregnant wife…NO WAY, NO HOW! However, if we indeed accept God’s grace, we can do anything. In this way, Millie is truly a strong, admirable person.
Rebecca Jepson is a new author to me, but she won’t stay that way long. Her story resonates with Biblical truths, insights and wisdom. She crafts a unique story that leaves you guessing until the end. The last few pages toward the end produce a desire to be able to read even faster! Inevitably, it can’t end the way you fear, or can it? The suspense is exciting, causing you to hold your breath hoping for, and receiving, a satisfying conclusion.
I am so enjoying the My Heart Belongs Series! I especially like that I am discovering new authors like Rebecca Jepson and that each book is a stand-alone story.
I received this book from Barbour Publishing, Inc. through NetGalley. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.
4.5 stars
“It was his voice. . . . . . How could a voice be so familiar, yet so forgotten?”
Millie Cooper traveled all the way to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, away from her childhood home in Nantucket, after her future took a drastic turn for the worse over a broken engagement. Now six years later, while serving the local community as an apprenticed nurse, she has come face to face with a desperate man; the older brother who, on that fateful night, informed Millie that she would never become Mrs. Stephen Drexel.
John Drexler’s first words upon seeing Millie Cooper again were far from eloquent. “Millie Cooper. You’ve grown.” How could he possibly expect “the fisherman’s daughter” to serve as his mother’s private nurse and oversee the final months of his sister-in-law’s pregnancy? “Even if I persuade her, our troubles will be far from over”, he muses. However, as the ever faithful head of his family, he had done what had to be done, he had asked. Now it was up to Miss Cooper to decide if she could put the past behind her, while John has to decide just what he really thinks about Millie Cooper.
This book far exceeded simple expectations, for the roads traveled by its characters are steep and treacherous; switchbacks appear without warning and storms unleash their fury with nary a breeze. But just as the warm healing waters of the Colorado springs bring relief to so many, this lovely, romantic story demonstrates how God beautifully “sanctifies our deepest distresses”.
notes from the publisher
Journey now to healing spa town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado in 1888
Where the past and present collide and a woman is on the precipice of unexpected love.
Millie Cooper, fisherman’s-daughter-turned-nurse, flees a painful entanglement with the wealthy Drexel family who summered near her childhood home in Nantucket, only to encounter them again six years later in Glenwood Springs. The serenity of her mountain hideaway in a town with healing springs is disrupted when she faces caring for the elderly mother and the expectant wife of Stephen Drexel, the man she’d once loved—at the request of his brother John, the man who’d kept them apart. Will Millie forgive the wrongs she feels were done to her, or will she come to see them as a blessing in disguise that leads her to greater joys?
My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado: Millie’s Resolve by [Jepson, Rebecca]my thoughts….
Millie Cooper, the heroine in this book was the beautiful young woman who raised herself up from poor circumstances to become a gifted nurse in Colorado. Her dedication to duty was to a fault and made it difficult to turn her back on the Drexel family in their time of need. She put aside decades old hurt to give the best possible care to Mrs. Drexel who often took the opportunity to remind Millie of her lowly upbringing. She took such care for the wife of the man who left her behind and took the brunt of all in the household when her methods didn’t’ seem to suit them. Still, she persisted and practiced her nursing skills while burying her feelings inside a heart she longed to quiet forever.
It is through time and duty that she discovered her true purpose in life. As with many of us, she learned over years of experience how what we think we wanted in our youth may not have been the best path to follow. God has a way of showing us, whether through a perilous illness to, seeing, finally, what lays before us and giving us a chance to make the best choice. His choices are our best choices and while we don’t always see that, things often present themselves to us as though we should have known all along.
I enjoyed reading about Millie Cooper and her courageous way of facing such a challenging path. She is a champion for those who dream of a better life even when there are those who would keep you down on your luck. This book is for those who seek encouragement to keep their faith for the good things to come.
The My Heart Belongs series is unique because each book is written by a different author. This is my third venture into the series and the books are not written in cookie cutter fashion. Rebecca Jepson developed believable characters set in the backdrop of the beautiful red rocks of Colorado.
As with all the books in the My Heart Belongs series, if you enjoy Christian historical fiction with light romance, you will enjoy this standalone story set in the beautiful state of Colorado. Having never been there, I enjoyed the descriptions within the story.
Author Rebecca Jepson makes her characters so realistic that you will find yourself talking to them; encouraging them to make the right decisions and scolding them when they make a wrong turn.
The twists and turns in this book are none the less infused with God’s love and forgiveness. Heroine Millie does something that can’t be done in human strength, but I won’t give any spoilers here. I recommend you read My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado to find out what happens!
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
Can they see beyond the past to find a future?
Through the My Heart Belongs In… series I have been introduced to more than one new-to-me author, Rebecca Jepson is one of that group. As I’ve read through the series I’ve fallen in love with heroines and heroes, I’ve enjoyed fascinating locations and historical settings, and, of course, I’ve found that some have been a little more favorite than others. My Heart Belongs In Glenwood Springs, Colorado: Millie’s Resolve is one of my top favorites.
There was something about the story, the characters, the setting, I can’t exactly pin it down to a single reason, but just couldn’t seem to put the book down. I finished it in one day, more like in an afternoon, which is pretty good for me this time of year.
My Heart Belongs In Glenwood Springs, Colorado: Millie’s Resolve is a great historical romance with some valuable lessons on following God’s leading even when it hurts, the importance of communication and, in the words of actor Spencer Tracy “never assume(ing).” Rebecca Jepson’s contribution to this series is a good one and I know that I will be watching for more from this author in the future.
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. )
Life brings unexpected turns in Millie’s Resolve! Millie Cooper as well as John and Stephen Drexel are excellent characters. While not always a pleasant person, Mrs Drexel was an interesting character! Glenwood Springs, Colorado is a beautiful setting for this historical story of love. I enjoyed My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs and recommend it to others as light reading. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
I think this has been my favorite in the My Heart Belongs series. I have not read this author before, but enjoyed her sense of time and place and her characterization. The characters are flawed people, each dealing with emotional hurts and loss that influence how they think and act. It is a story of redemption and how if we wait on the Lord, He will meet our needs and bless us beyond measure. Caution….you may need tissues and may not be able to put down. I really enjoyed this and recommend.
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
I was caught up in this book from the first. The characters were very real. I could feel Millie’s self-doubt, but liked that she wanted to do what was right even if it was an uncomfortable situation for her. I loved the character of John, but found myself frustrated at his reluctance or inability to share what was on his mind. And I liked the personal growth that Stephen showed by the end of the book. I thought this was a great book and would recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
From the first page to the last, I absolutely loved Millie Cooper, who had endured so much as a young girl in Nantucket and accomplished so much as a young woman in Colorado. Now, in 1888, Millie is both loved and admired as a nurse in the community of Glenwood Springs, Colorado and she is finally happy. Suddenly her contented life is shattered by a family from her past and her old insecurities once again threaten her peace of mind. Millie is asked to become a private nurse for the woman who deemed her unworthy of her son’s attention and to also help deliver the baby of this man that she once loved. She doesn’t believe that she should be expected to do this but Millie soon realizes that God is urging her to set her feelings aside and to answer these calls for help.
Author Rebecca Jepson has written a story of young love lost and an everlasting love found. She reminds us that what seems so perfect at the time is often the worst thing that can happen and that God’s Plan for our lives is always the best. This is a Christian romance so the romantic scenes are wholesome but the chemistry between Millie and John Drexel is amazing and the increasing awareness of their feelings for each other literally took my breath away! My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado: Millie’s Resolve is the perfect book for those who enjoy historical fiction with multi-faceted characters and Christian romance.
“i received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.”
I really enjoyed this read, and the pages flew as I was reading, a poor girl, rich boy, back in the late 1880’s, and in beautiful Colorado.
You might want to have the tissues handy for this one, there are some very sad parts, as we meet reality head on, and our girl is there for everyone, including those who seem to really dislike her.
We walk in Millie Cooper’s shoes, and as her we are a strong, smart young woman, and full of compassion for her fellow man. She doesn’t seem to be very lucky in love, but we see where God is leading her, and how he is there for her.
I actually wanted more once the last page was turned, but the story did wrap up like I would have wanted it to.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.