Ingrid Chastain readily agreed to accompany her father to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory. She never could have anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. When rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man who tends her injuries, she’s hesitant to put her trust in this quiet man who seems to have his own wounds.… wounds.
Micah Bradley left his work as a doctor after unintentionally bringing home the smallpox disease that killed his wife and daughter. But his self-imposed solitude in the wilds of Montana is broken when he finds Ingrid in desperate need of medical attention, and he’s forced to face his regret and call on his doctoring skills once again.
Micah can’t help but admire Ingrid’s tenacious determination despite the severity of her injuries, until he learns the crate she brought contains smallpox vaccines to help quell a nearby outbreak. With Ingrid dead set on trekking through the mountains to deliver the medicine–with or without his help–he has no choice but to accompany her. As they set off through the treacherous, snow-covered Rocky Mountains against all odds, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.
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It was good, but a little on the slow side.
Out of tragedy,strong people can face harsh environments and manage to survive and help one another.
Hope’s Highest Mountain started out so, so well! I loved how the storyline basically started with tragedy (yes, you already know I’m a sucker for tragedies). But then it got worse . . . and worse . . . and worse.
The writing style was amazing and captured me immediately! Finally, I thought, A review book that I’ll finally rate more than three stars! Unfortunately, the contents heavily detracted from that. *cries*
I loved Micah’s character: strong, protective, and running away from the memories that haunt him. Having suffered unspeakable loss, he’s lost his faith and isolates himself in the wilderness, where he finds the wagon wreck and Ingrid Chastain.
I liked Ingrid? Generally in romances, I tend to like the man far better than the woman, and this was no exception. I did love her heart of gold, but though she was a Christian and prayed every once in awhile (the spiritual aspect of the book seemed lacking), she seemed to have no problems with falling in love with and kissing Micah, even though she knew that he and God were not on good terms.
The overall setting was fantastic. There were times I had trouble conjuring up an image in my mind to match the description, but I could definitely feel the characters’ pain and cold.
The last complaint I have is that once I got about 3/4 of the way into the book, it seemed to drag. Like, it reaches a plot twist and you’re just like “oh YAY plot twist!” and then another one comes and you’re like, “okay, I can handle this” and then by the time the end of the book rolls around, you’re wondering if the author was just looking for ways to draw the story out longer.
But, the rest of the book definitely kept me hooked (aside from the romance, thx) and thus 3 stars!
*I received an e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Loved it
Climbing Every Mountain!
In 1866, Ingrid Chastain and her dad, are on a quest to take smallpox vaccine to the Montana Territory. An epidemic has broken out and the Chastains will not let bad weather, mountains, or Western inexperience stop them. Unfortunately, a horrible accident in a steep mountain pass leaves Ingrid the only survivor–with serious injuries, and little chance to live.
However, a rough mountain man, Micah Bradley, discovers her and uses all his strength to drag her to his camp. Despite the danger to her health, Ingrid begs Micah to take the vaccine on to save lives, and justify her father’s death.
Can Ingrid convince Micah to make a trip that will take weeks of walking through the snow-covered mountains? Since Ingrid can’t be left alone, how could he bring her with him? Could Ingrid survive a trip like that since she is already in tremendous pain? Micah has demons of his own that drove him away, will he leave the mountains to help?
The fascinating characters of Micah and Ingrid immediately draw you into their stories, and keep the pages turning. This clean tale has lots of excitement and adventure. Despite Micah not believing her, Ingrid credit’s God with giving her strength. I highly recommend this 5-star book to all who enjoy well-written tales of the old west with romantic fireworks on the side.
Bethany House Publishing has provided bookreadingtic with a complimentary copy of Hope’s Highest Mountain, for the purpose of review.
MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK
Ingrid Chastain loved helping her father take care of his patients, so when he was ask to bring small pox vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory, she went along with him. But she never realized the harshness of the trip ahead of them. After a horrific accident leaving her alone to die, Ingrid was found by Micah Bradley, who lives in these dangerous mountains.
After reading Arthur Misty Beller’s last series, I was excited to read book one in her “Hearts of Montana” series. And Hope’s Highest Mountain has all of the wonderful characteristics of Ms. Beller’s writing. From the first page, I was pulled into this story from every side. When Micah found Ingrid, his doctoring skills were put to the test, and all through the story my heart went out to him because of the sadness of his past. And as usual, Misty Beller takes readers through so many twists and turns in this story, and just when you think nothing else can possibly happen to these two characters, she throws something else at them that seems impossible to deal with. My heart was in shambles several times as I read this book, and I really was afraid for all of the characters involved. And I love the ending. Someway, Ms. Beller weaves it all together and creates an ending I wasn’t expecting.
If you enjoy stories set in the historical Montana Mountains, this is am awesome one for you to read. And you will love the beautiful cover of this book as well. And I can’t leave out the way this author weaves the Christian life into the characters everyday lives. This is a book you sure don’t want to miss.
A copy of this book was given to me by the author or publisher. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions here in this review are totally mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Misty M. Beller’s Hope’s Highest Mountain is a well written and compelling story. The premise of the book is not one I normally select but the description and setting caught my eye. The author drew me in within the first few pages. I could feel Ingrid’s wariness as she submitted to this strange man’s care. He was so different than anyone she had ever met. Micah was a reluctant caregiver who overcame his own self doubts and made healing Ingrid’s injuries his priority. Again and again he took up her challenges, first providing for her care and then forging a difficult path to deliver the vaccines. I felt the cold and shivered as Ingrid and Micah traveled under less than ideal circumstances through the mountains.
Throughout their journey Micah was tested. His courage and willingness to stretch his will to care for Ingrid was inspiring, considering his long held feelings of guilt over the deaths of his wife and daughter. Micah is my favorite character in this book. Ingrid’s determination, while admirable, wasn’t practical, considering her injuries and the terrible weather conditions for travel. However, Micah risked even more as he tirelessly planned and carried out their journey to the mining town. It was dangerous. She was severely injured and the two combined made the journey all the more treacherous. The inner turmoil for him was just as much a struggle. He escaped to this life of solitude for the very reasons she was tasking him with.
This book is for the reader who likes adventurous journeys with that little added touch of romance. I have not read and of Misty M Beller’s books before, but this will no doubt not be the last. Many thanks to Bethany House for the opportunity to read this book for review. My opinions are my own.
Micah after the great loss that befell him lost faith in God and became so self-reliant.
But even in his pain and self imposed exile, God was leading him to help people. God directed his footsteps to be able to help people in direst need of medical attention. Even when we can’t see it God is directing our footsteps.
People have gone hurt under his care before and he felt every time he let his guard down someone got hurt, that made him to always what to be there for those under his charge even when he couldn’t help. Until he met Ingrid in the snow filled mountains who taught him to rely on God by her lifestyle and words of encouragement. She taught him that turning control over to God would give him peace.
Ingrid had lost all she had but not her faith in God. The most endearing virtue she had was her faith in God even in the worst of situations threatening her health. Her inner strength to be able to overcome pain, grief and bitterness came from reliance on God and prayers.
I felt sorry about what happened to Joanna and her son but their paths crossed with Ingrid and Micah and it was just divine Providence at work.
Together the four of them traversed the harshest of physical conditions which refined their faith and threw them into absolute reliance on God.
One of the greatest lessons I got from this book is the fact that when we come to God and rely on him He always brings out beauty out of every bad situation no matter how much we’ve messed up. In Him beauty always comes out of ashes.
“Relying on God fills us with inner strength greater than we could posses on our own” My favourite quote.
I received a copy of this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed here are mine.
Oh wow, where to start?? I don’t know if I have the words to do this novel justice. This was not my first read by Misty Beller, and it most certainly will not be my last. I’m already impatiently waiting for the next one now!
This novel was a perfect blend of historical fiction mixed with wilderness survival. With a cast of wonderful characters and a setting that seemed to throw every imaginable hurtle their way, the result is an adventure you won’t soon forget. The heart and urgency of their mission was palpable and the danger was always lurking.
The romance was craftily written into the storyline through the moments that held the readers’ hearts the most. It flowed out of mutual, genuine concern for each other’s well-being instead of shallow romantic fluff. I appreciated that while it was pretty evident that there was always “chemistry” between them, it wasn’t until they got to know one another and experienced each other’s character that the real feelings of love started to bud. This was an easy romance for me to swoon over.
I appreciated reading a story that was so richly seeped in selfless ambition. Even as they wrestled with very real and heartbreaking emotions, they were still able to see past themselves to consider one other. I adored how Joanna and Samuel joining the ranks only seemed to sweeten the endearment. It was heartwarming to see a story so heavily steeped in people pushing themselves to the limits in an attempt to save the lives of others they don’t even know.
There is so much more that I could say about this story but I don’t want to give anything away. I absolutely devoured it and can’t wait to see where the author goes next in the series. You can believe that as soon as it’s announced I’ll be adding it to my TBR pile. HIGHLY recommend!!
*I received a copy of this book through CelebrateLit. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.
Last spring I read a book by Misty Beller and was impressed by the author’s ability to make me feel connected to her characters, how she used man versus nature scenarios to create tension, as well as how her characters wrestled with their faith. This last point resonated with me because I feel like mainstream Christian fiction is becoming watered down (more subtle and/or secularized).
All of the elements that initially drew me to this author are present in her new release, Hope’s Highest Mountain. I’m particularly pleased with how she stayed true to herself by continuing to write characters who trust in or learn to rely on God. This was a concern I had when I learned Ms. Beller, previously an indie author, had signed with a traditional publishing house.
As for the characters in this story, both Ingrid Chastain and Micah Bradley possess a number of endearing qualities and I enjoyed how their affection for one another grew out of mutual admiration rather than mere physical attraction. Micah stood apart from Ingrid, Joanna, and Samuel chiefly due to his compelling backstory and marked growth. While I liked Ingrid, I feel the overall story would have been stronger if she had been presented with a few flaws of her own.
The reason for the three-star (good) rating is simply because I feel like I have already read this story. It holds a number of similar elements to The Treacherous Journey— a grieving widower, harsh and seemingly insurmountable trek through the mountains, and a willful yet admirable female protagonist. A reader unfamiliar with Beller’s earlier novel would likely rate this book more favorably.
I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley. The views and opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255 Guidelines, concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.
Ingrid Chastain readily agreed to accompany her father to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory. She never could have anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. When rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man who tends her injuries, she’s hesitant to put her trust in this quiet man who seems to have his own wounds.
Micah Bradley left his work as a doctor after unintentionally bringing home the smallpox disease that killed his wife and daughter. But his self-imposed solitude in the wilds of Montana is broken when he finds Ingrid in desperate need of medical attention, and he’s forced to face his regret and call on his doctoring skills once again.
Micah can’t help but admire Ingrid’s tenacious determination despite the severity of her injuries, until he learns the crate she brought contains smallpox vaccines to help quell a nearby outbreak. With Ingrid dead set on trekking through the mountains to deliver the medicine–with or without his help–he has no choice but to accompany her. As they set off through the treacherous, snow-covered Rocky Mountains against all odds, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known. u2003
Ingrid is left alone with a broken leg and rib in the mountains of Montana after an accident that killed her father. They were on there way to deliver small pox vaccines to a settlement. Micah is running from life and God. He finds her and takes her to his hut. She begs him to help her take the vaccines to the settlement. After finally agreeing, he rigs up a sled to pull her on since she can’t walk. They go through all kinds of difficulties getting to the their destination. I encourage you to read the book.
I was given this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.