Escape to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee in this sweet tale of two young people who meet by chance, their paths soon overlapping and intertwining amid a cast of warm-hearted characters in the small rural community of Happy Valley.
With Grandpa suffering a heart attack, Juliette Hollander saw little choice but to head back to their Tennessee mountain farm in Happy Valley to help out. She … out. She didn’t expect, or want, to leave behind her life and work in North Carolina to return to her grandparents’ home so soon. Nor did she imagine meeting, and working with, the mysterious man she met briefly last summer and never thought to see again.
Walker Logan spent the last two years traveling the United States, seeing the beauty of the country and running from his past. But an old rock house he sees while hiking near Abrams Creek Campground unexpectedly calls to his soul. With danger close behind, he never stayed in one place long enough to put down roots. Yet now, with a new vision, he decides to take the risk.
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Happy Valley by Lin Stepp is a delightful contemporary Christian novel. It is part of the Mountain Home series but can be read as a stand-alone.
I always adore Lin Stepp’s novels as they wrap around me like a cosy blanket on a cold day. The characters are kind and caring, wholesome with huge hearts that are community minded.
The reader sees how important it is not to judge by appearances. The Lord looks at the heart. We, too, should be more concerned with the state of our heart than the condition of our clothes.
Within the novel there is a character running from their past. Secrets are kept and hearts locked up in order to stay safe. As a chink of light shines into a heart, a character has to decide whether to open up and be vulnerable or to continue to carry the burden of the past and risk future happiness.
The characters go on hikes within the novel. This can be seen as a motif for our lives – sometimes the road we travel is smooth, sometimes are journey takes us up on the hilltops or down in the valleys, or sometimes we cannot see the path ahead. We need to trust God to guide us through all the stages of life’s journey.
We will always need God. He is as close to us as we want Him to be. “He’s often felt the need for faith and reached out for it.” As we reach for Him, God bends closer to us.
The love of money is the root of all evil. There is nothing wrong with having money if we are wise stewards and live with open hands and a generous heart. We must not let our money take control and be the boss of us, for then we will be on a downwards trajectory.
There is a wonderful community atmosphere that covers the whole novel. The reader receives a warm welcome. Lin Stepp writes in such a way that we feel like we have ‘lived’ the novel rather than read it.
I adored Happy Valley and am sad to leave my new friends behind.
I want to leave you with my favourite quote:
You only need a touch from Jesus to have a good time.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
My Thoughts on Happy Valley:
I have read a few other books by Lin Stepp and knew that I would love this book because I love her style of writing. Instantly, I fell in love with the peasant skirt wearing, boho vibe bringing, quilt producing Juliette. I can really relate to her character and loved her so much! I’d love to go back and visit with her in another book as well!
Her first meeting with Walker is when he catches her falling out of a tree. True story. It’s love at first sight or maybe first kiss. She doesn’t know she’ll run into him again as he’s decided to settle down and make the valley his home.
This book reads well. It wasn’t a fast read for me because I was savoring the relationships and the conflicts within the book. Juliette has an ex-beau, though never really a boyfriend, who has decided he wants her at whatever the cost. She wants nothing to do with him and is obviously smitten with Walker. Who just happens to be her boss now. . . .
When Walker bought his place in the valley he sets up a grocery store. It’s in his family heritage to run a store though he’s being very secretive about his past. He has some ghosts hanging out in there which he hope will never make an appearance here. After many years of travelling to stay safe, he’s wanting to put down roots.
Can Walker and Juliette get honest with each other and trust each other to see if they have a relationship? And who is behind all the thefts in the valley? But also who’s behind all the anonymous gifting?
Great read! Highly recommend. You’re going to love it!
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Happy Valley was a delightful book that held my attention until the very end. Its gorgeous Smoky Mountain setting and the well-rounded characters added just the right touch to a warm and moving plot.
Although Happy Valley residents were generally suspicious of newcomers to their area, Walker Logan was regarded as an interloper when he bought a home and built a new store there. Naturally he was the first one many residents suspected for a string of unsolved break ins and thefts. Juliette Hollander, home to help after her grandfather’s heart attack immediately connected with Walker but his mysterious past held her at a distance. One or more mysteries are answered in due course, sometimes with surprising results.
I loved this wonderful story that focuses on secrets, trust, fear, risk-taking, and learning to be exactly who God made you to be.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Just Read Tours. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.