Sean Pope already lost Amalie Lincoln once. This time, he will risk everything to never have to say goodbye to her again.
Amalie Lincoln moved to Jubilee, Kentucky, to start fresh, build her business, and heal the scars of her past. Little did she know she'd run into Sean Pope, a beloved childhood friend she hasn't seen in decades. But on the day she moves to town, a helicopter explodes under suspicious circumstances, wreaking havoc on the families of Pope Mountain.
As the Jubilee PD dives into their investigation of the incident, Sean and Amalie find comfort and a budding romance with each other. Life in Jubilee becomes exactly what Amalie hoped for. But as the investigators uncover the truth and the crooks behind the attack set Amalie in their sights, Sean must face the danger or risk losing Amalie forever.
Sharon Sala is a Native Oklahoman and still lives within a two hour drive of where she was born. First published in 1991, she is a New York Times/USA Today, best-selling author with a 135 plus books published in seven different genres, including Romantic suspense, Mystery, Young Adult, Western, Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Industry Awards include: Eight-time RITA finalist. (Romance Industry award) The Janet Dailey Award. Five-time Career Achievement winner from RT Magazine. Five time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Five time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence. Heart of Excellence Award., Booksellers Best Award. Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award RITA, presented by RWA. Centennial Award from RWA for recognition of her 100th published novel.
4.5⭐ Genre ~ romantic suspense Series ~ Jubilee, Kentucky #3 Others in the series ~ Don't Back Down, Last Rites Setting ~ Kentucky Publication date ~ February 6, 2024 Est page Count ~ 477 (21 chapters +e) Audio length ~ 10 hours 44 minutes Narrator ~ Traci Odom POV ~ multiple omniscient 3rd Featuring ~ small town, murder, found family, second chance
Amalie & Sean ~ aged 27 Amalie is looking for a fresh start, so she moves to Jubilee. She opens her own CPA firm, but needs help setting up the computers, which is where IT tech Sean steps in. Once these two see each other there's a familiarity....y'all, he saved her from bullies back in elementary school! How adorable! And it was when they lived in a different state! If that's not FATE then I don't know the meaning of the word!
There are a few different plot lines that come together nicely. We get the perspectives of many characters, but it's pretty easy to follow along with. The Pope family is so tight knit, delightful and welcoming. The characters that are supposed to be horrible are perfectly written as such.
Overall, I loved it! It's super fast paced with hardly any downtime of action. I think I spotted the set up for the next book, so I can't wait until that comes out.
I have 3 gripes, which did not affect my review ~ Ghost, the hero dog, who I've come to love from the previous books barely had any page time ~ The Culinary Institute of America is in Hyde Park, NY, which is upstate not in NYC ~ since Heartbeat is one word it should be shown as such on the cover
Series notes: I suppose not absolutely necessary to read the first two, but the Pope's are one big happy family, so they're interacted with often, especially mamma, Shirley. The whole series is great, so you might as well start at the beginning.
Narration notes: Traci did an excellent job! There are so many POV's and she nailed them all!
*Thanks to Sharon Sala, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
It made me cry and it made me laugh out loud. Best Sharon Sala Book Ever! Traci Odom is an awesome narrator. I love her performance and the way she has a great characterization on each character and just a pitch perfect performance of the whole book. This is a book that was light on the romance and also light on the suspense. There was no mystery involved on either front and that was a minor disappointment. What was not a disappointment was the warm, cozy feelings you got from the people living on Pope Mountain.
Amalie Lincoln spent two weeks in Jubilee, Kentucky and Pope Mountain spoke to her. She packed up her life and moved there seeking a new start. Amalie's life has never been a bed of roses, but she just knew Jubilee was where she was meant to be and was excited to open her CPA firm there. As fate seemed to be directing her life, she hires Sean Pope to install her new computer system and a circle is completed.
Sean Pope knows a lot about the hard knocks in life and he knew Amalie had had a few too. He also knew she seemed really, really familiar, but he just couldn't place from where. When they figure out that they had been together for third grade, that time came back along with the feelings they had for each other as children who found comfort in each other.
On the day Sean and Amalie reconnect there is evil afoot in another part of the country that will directly impact Jubilee. When a helicopter explodes over Jubilee, neither Sean or Amalie could possibly know exactly how much that event would impact their lives or that is would put Amalie in danger. Sean knew he would protect her just like he did when he was a nine-year-old kid, and he also knows he is never going to let her go.
My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital audio Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.
Heartbeat by Sharon Sala Jubilee, Kentucky series #3. Contemporary romantic suspense. Can be read as a stand-alone. Some characters from the prior books show up but you don’t need to know them to appreciate this story. Amalie Lincoln moved to Jubilee, Kentucky after recovering from a car accident. She felt pulled to the small town and mountains after a visit and is opening an Accounting business there. One of her first tasks is to get her computers securely set up. She hires Sean Pope, finding out that he is the hero that saved her from bullies when they were in the third grade together in a different state. No one had ever stood up for her before or after that event and she’s so happy to reconnect with him. Sean Pope can’t believe that Amalie is back in his life. He’s extremely happy she’s moved to town and soon realizes that Amalie is a bit like his elderly relative with a touch of knowing things. On the day Amalie moves to Jubilee, a helicopter explodes over the local school and investigators are soon asking questions around the area. She suddenly in the cross hairs of the investigation since she say the explosion and was able to describe it well enough for the police to realize it had to be a bomb.
Coincidence, fate or something else? Amalie feels immediately at home in Jubilee and both the residents and Sean’s family make her feel welcome. But that she saw the helicopter explode and soon finds out she had a direct connection to a person onboard is quite unusual. It’s possible the killer is now after Amelia. Fortunately Sean’s family has the police department covered. Twists, surprises and connections abound and the mystery unravels with surprises along the way. A little bit of the psychics of past lives and souls meeting again are unconsciously being exposed by Amalie. Sean and his family are very comfortable with that type of thing from generations of his family living in the mountains and surrounding area as well as a touch of it within the family. Intriguing, with a seemingly destined romance, and found family. An absorbing read that caused a few chills and satisfaction in a happy romance and reunion, as well as a killer brought to justice.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased an audiobook copy to reread it in the future.
Heartbeat is the third book in the Jubilee, Kentucky series. This one is Sean and Amalie's story. It's a second chance friends to lovers story. with a little bit of mystery thrown in. Sean and Amalie were friends when they were little. A chance move to Jubilee, puts them in each others path.
I liked this a lot more than the second book. While there were a lot of perspectives, it didn't annoy me as much as in the second book. At the heart of the story is a renewal of a friendship of two fated people that turns into a sweet love story. Sean and Amalie were very sweet together. There is a little bit of a paranormal twist here that makes their love story that much sweeter. The msytery was good too and also came with an even sweet twist in the end. I do recommend this one.
Heartbeat by Sharon Sala. Fast paced with multiple storylines woven together into a lovely HEA story in which all the villians get their just punishment. The third book in the Jubilee series provides updates and history on the extended Pope family. Looking forward to the next visit to Pope Mountain and the families.
Thank you to Sharon Sala, SourceBooks-Casablanca,and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview the book.
I can't even describe how much I enjoyed this book. It was one of of the best books I have read. It had heartbreak, drama, romance, a little magic and the wonder of a man finding his daughter after too many years. Amalie had been raised in foster care with no love at all. When she was about 25 she was in a horrible car wreck and burned badly. A kind neighbor called her and offered to sue for damages, etc. She took him up on it and he won, hands down. It took a very long time for her to heal and she moved to Jubilee, Kentucky. She set up shop as a CPA to start over. She called an IT person and when he showed up, they both thought they knew each other. It turns out they did. (I'll leave that to you to read about it - It's too sweet to spoil). Amalie had joined Ancestry.com and finally got a result. But then she didn't hear from them for quite awhile. When she did hear, it was so sweet. They had a very special connection. Wolf Outen was a very special part of the story and there was tons of drama there. He was a very nice man (very rich also) that had had something horrible done to him. He was determined to make everyone pay and he succeeded very well.
I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review
It's been a while that I read a Thriller and Sharon Sala delivered a well executed one. There were tiny moving pieces coming together beautifully. As I moved ahead with the plot, every small detail started to make sense and it was definitely an immersing journey. The romantic part was also nicely balanced. Overall, it was an engrossing story with endless twists and heartwarming feelings.
Amalie Lincoln moves to the beautiful small town of Jubilee, by Mountain Pope, for a fresh beginning after she almost died in a car accident but survived barely with the burn scars. She will start her CPA business again and meeting Sean Pope, one of her childhood friend, was a nice surprise. Within few days of her moving in, a chopper crashes down near Jubilee public school and billionaire businessman Wolfgang Outan is suspected to be dead. But how does this tie to Amalie?
Damn, writing reviews for thrillers is always hard because I don't want to give you spoilers. Reading this story very much reminded me of Jeffrey Archer's books where the details come together in a precise and shocking way. It's told from third person POV and that too from multiple third persons so you have to pay attention and even when some random piece of information seems out of place, it actually isn't. Amalie has fought hard to establish herself throughout her foster home life and she is successful. But she feels lonely and sad and she craves to know her origin. She will find some shocking but amazing answers. And she will also find her soulmate in Sean Pope. The Popes are one of the original settlers and they have a big population interconnected with each other through Jubilee. Sean's family is such a warm and sweet one and they embraced Amalie easily. Sean is the perfect gentleman who cares about Amalie deeply from the first meeting. They did have a special connection all those years ago as kids before Amalie was displaced to another forster home. She is kind and smart and beautiful inside out. And Sean is the protective loving adoring man she deserves. There is a component of near death experience and psychic powers and mystical history those add to the complexity of the plot. The mystery of the chopper explosion and death of Wolfgang Outen unfolds in a sharp and jaw dropping way through the story as Amalie and Sean's love story is developed. The puzzle pieces fall into place and Amalie gets tangled into the web of secrets and truths. It was nicely executed and the details won't overwhelm you. You will play the game of who done it with the author while enjoying the swoony romance. It wasn't spicy but I am not complaining as the suspense made up for it.
HEART BEAT by Sharon Sala Release Date February 6,2024
This book totally has it all. It made me cry made me laugh out loud. And my opinion that’s a sign of an excellent book.
Pope Mountain calls to CPA Amalie Lincoln. Amalie grew up in foster care. Her story is beyond heartbreaking. Probably one of the saddest stories I’ve read involving foster care. Sean Is an IT guy. They say he is one of the best. When he goes to set up security and computers in Amalie’s new office. They both feel like they’ve met each other before. Finally the two of them remember that they went to elementary school together.Amalie was bullied and Sean was her savior. But due to foster care, they lost touch with each other. They are both very glad to be back together. There are so much intrigue in the story. Both had very sad childhood. But they survived those childhoods and came out so much stronger.
Thank you to Sharon Sala for allowing me to read this ARC.
Oh boy! Everyone got exactly what they deserved. Justice served with a smile. I loved the reincarnation aspects here ("waking memories"), the tight-knit family and their unwavering loyalty and that there was nothing left unresolved. Another very enjoyable read by one of my favorite authors. Can't wait for the next one. ;)
3.0 stars. This was a jammed packed story filled with injustices and drama, spirits and reincarnation and a Hallmark movie romance. Two of the Pope family sons married, one more to go.
Heartbeat is Sharon Sala’s third book in her new romantic suspense series, Jubilee. It should absolutely be read after the second book, Last Rites; the first book, Don’t Back Down, isn’t required to understand the story. This book is a must-read for all fans of Sharon Sala and romantic suspense.
Shirley Wallace and her four adult sons return to her childhood home on Pope Mountain in Jubilee, Kentucky, after her abusive husband is convicted for murdering two store employees in their Arkansas town. Shirley inherited her late mother’s house and they all legally change their last name to her maiden name, Pope, to further disassociate themselves from scandal. All of them lost their jobs in Arkansas due to her husband’s misdeeds and must start over. The second-oldest son, Sean, is 27 years old and works from home as an independent IT specialist.
Amalie Lincoln is a 27-year-old CPA who has recently relocated to Jubilee, Kentucky, from Oklahoma to get a fresh start. She has spent the past two years recovering from a serious car accident and healing from the burns that she sustained. She was raised in foster care, never adopted, and looks forward to any family matches on Ancestry.com. On her first day in town, a helicopter explodes and flaming debris lands on the Jubilee Elementary School. She hires Sean Pope to set up her computer equipment and can’t figure out why he looks familiar, since she knows no one in Kentucky.
Sean is hailed as a hero after he assists his two police officer brothers in rescuing teachers and children from the burning school. He is lonely but no female has caught his eye since he gave his heart to a classmate, Molly, when he was 9 years old in Conway, Arkansas. He likes Amalie and asks her out, not at all put off by her visible scars. Eventually they realize that they knew each other in elementary school and start falling in love. Sean’s family embraces Amalie, and she is thrilled to be included.
Meanwhile, a Miami billionaire, Wolfgang Outen, is supposed to attend a hotel board meeting in Jubilee when he learns that there’s a fire at his oil refinery in Brazil. At the last minute he sends his assistant, Stuart, to Jubilee in his place so he can go to Brazil. Then he learns about the helicopter crash and suspects that his wife, Fiona, planted the bomb. He stays in hiding while the FBI starts their investigation. Then he finds an email from Ancestry.com saying that Amalie Lincoln is a familial match and an introductory email from Amalie herself. Wolf realizes that his in-laws lied 27 years ago when they told him that his daughter was stillborn and deformed. His wife died the next day in his arms, just after he arrived from working overseas. Now Wolf must contact Amalie and protect her from his evil wife.
Heartbeat is not only about romantic love, it also shows parental and family love. Amalie remembers Shirley Wallace’s delicious cookies and hugs when she was a child and mentions her affection several times. The reader feels the love between Shirley and her four sons, and within the much larger Pope/Cauley/ Glass families. Wolf has never gotten over the death of his beloved first wife, Cassandra “Shandy”, and embraces Amalie as soon as he sees her. Wolf takes immediate action to protect Amalie and find out how she was given away.
In Sharon Sala books, the villains always get what they deserve. Cameron Pope and his large extended family were introduced in Don’t Back Down and Last Rites and serve as minor characters throughout this story. There are multiple sub-plots and lots of characters, but the author writes so clearly that it’s easy for the reader to keep up. Heartbeat contains a sweet romance between loveable characters without descriptive sex or violence; there may have been a couple of curse words uttered by villains. I couldn’t put this story down; it deserves more than 5 stars! I can’t wait to read more stories featuring the younger Pope brothers.
I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and SourceBooks-Casablanca for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved it! A romantic suspense with something sinister that raised my goosebumps and lots of quality dialogue and plot to keep me glued to the pages. Some part of the book made me teared up over the injustice suffered by Amalie. I’m happy with the ending and revelations and can’t wait for the next in this series.
I was very happy to see this novel I loved the last one so much. This has been a fantastic series! Ive enjoyed every minute of it. I always love a Kentucky setting in a book. For me, it's like coming home. Kentucky was my home for many years. “Fate is a trickster. We rarely see what’s coming, and it’s almost always something we didn’t expect. Today has been a day of shock and of surprises, and you might be the biggest one of all.” I love Sean's character. He's so down to earth especially towards Amalie. Amalie has really been through it for sure and certain. She's a brave young lady and a long stronger than I could ever be. I love what he says to her. "Bullshit." and don’t ever say or think that about me again. What I see in you is way beyond skin deep. You’re new to this town. We’re new to each other as adults. But we have history, lady. I’ve been holding onto you since before bubble gum. All I see… all I will ever see… is a woman of substance who makes me weak in the knees. You’re in charge. Lights on. Lights off. All I want is you in my arms.”. Isn't that the sweetest thang? I sure thought so! This was the best one so far. I didn't want it to end at all. I do think that all of the characters don't need their own chapter but it did flow smoothly enough. One point of view would have been even enough this was really the only thing that I didn't like. I'm still giving this one 5 stars though. I wish the Pope family were my family. In a way, they were. I highly recommend. My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Book 3 in the Jubilee, Kentucky series. Would work as a standalone, but you will gain information by reading book two. (Book one is less integral to subsequent books)
After an accident leaves Amalie's life up in the air, she is drawn to Jubilee. She visits, falls in love, and moves there. She is a CPA and when she calls a local tech person to help her set her new office up, she is surprised to find it is her childhood hero, Sean. Amalie grew up in foster care and Sean was the only person who ever stood up for her. Amalie's life is suddenly full- with newfound love and friendship.
Overall, I'd say I enjoyed this the most so far. However, there are always little things that bug me too much to rate it higher. Sean and Amalie knew each other for a few months as kids. Yet, it is insta-love. Which bothers me. It also bothers me that three characters- Amalie, Sean, and Wolf- all of whom came to Jubilee as adults (and Wolf only as a business man) are all connected. Like, the odds of that happening is astronomical. The other thing that bothers me is the inaccuracies in police procedures. And the speed of the judicial system, lol. Those details niggle at me and I can't help it.
Traci Odom narrates the audiobook. While I was less annoyed this time than with book 2, I am still not a fan. Especially in dialogue.
Other than the nitpicky problems I have, I did enjoy it. I enjoyed this one enough to look forward to book four. If I were to guess, the youngest of Shirley Pope's sons will find love.
I received an advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Amalie Lincoln grew up in foster care and never adopted. She managed to finish college and work as a CPA. On the way to work she is in an accident; by the time she recovers her job is gone and everyone she knew has moved on. The visits Jubilee, Kentucky for a vacation and falls in love with the town. She makes plans to move there an open her own office. Sean Pope works with security and computer set-ups. When they meet they seem to know each other. When they finally put the pieces together and become close. Seems Amalie's father didn't know she was alive and he's in trouble after an attempt on his life. He is working on finding the culprit and getting in touch with Amalie. I just loved touching base with the Pope Mountain family. The book contains suspense, mystery and love. Great read
This is book three in the Jubilee, Kentucky series of suspense and romance, my two favorites by one of my favorite authors. Amalie spent her childhood in foster care after being found in a dumpster. Sean Pope is a salt of the earth man who will melt your heart. This story is about a budding romance, a helicopter explosion and Amalie's past coming at her. It's about how far a man is willing to go to protect the woman he loves. My only complaint about this book was how much I hated the lawyer and I would have liked more sex scenes, other than that this book was a home run for me. If you haven't read Sharon Sala I highly recommend you do, you won't be disappointed. This book can be read as a standalone. I received this book from NetGallery for my honest review and opinion. #NetGallery #Sharon Sala #Heartbeat #goodreads
Sweet second chance romance with a touch of suspense.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The romance between Amalie and Sean was lovely. I loved seeing how Amalie interacted with Sean’s family and how easily they accepted her as one of their own. The suspense part of the story was engaging and even if it was easy to unravel.
There were a few things I didn’t enjoy about the story. First, it felt overly long. The last 30% could easily have been an epilogue. When the major plot points were wrapped up at 70% I started to worry about what else was going to happen. My second issue (and this may be due to listening to the audiobook) has to be that there were too many POVs and the shift between them felt random at times. Not sure if there is any denotation of this change in the print version, but in the audiobook it felt like the POV shifted mid paragraph sometimes. These changes took me a while to get used to as I had to pause and go back a few times to confirm who’s head I was in now.
I didn’t realize when I started this book that it was the third book in a series; however, I don’t think this hurt my reading experience. There were hints and mentions of events from past books, but they were added in ways that are tempting me to go back and start the series properly. The only impact starting in the middle of the series may have is not connecting previous characters as quickly. There were a few moments in the beginning where I could tell I should know who people where based on how their name was dropped.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC copy of of this audiobook.
A newborn baby left for dead, growing up in the foster care system, never knowing that her parents would have loved and cherished her. That same little girl grew up, went to college, became a CPA, and ended up in a little town called Jubilee, Kentucky. There she met up with members of the Pope family and an elder who told her that the mountain had called her home.
Meanwhile, a young man who had his own share of struggles while growing up. He was the same little boy who defended this little from bullies on the playground, and he was suspended from school for a week because of his actions. He and his brothers and his mom moved back to Jubilee when his grandmother left them an old house that was originally built centuries ago. He became an IT Tech, and had a chance meeting with this girl, because he went to her CPA office to help her set up her equipment.
There was so much more to the story of Amalie and Sean, I can only be understood by delving deep into the family history. Love, betrayal, a father sorrow, later turned to anger over said betrayal, justice, retribution, eternal love, and the young woman's joy and finally being part of a family. It's all in there, plus much much more.
There's a reason that Sharon Sala is most beloved by her readers, yet others, who don't understand speaking their truth and standing up for their values shy away from her. Don't be one of those. This is another wonderful read from this author. Prepare to have your mind blown. Thank you, Sharon Sala, from the bottom of my heart.
After a personal struggle Amalie looks to a new start. Having been a lifelong foster child she is no stranger to starting over, but fate it seems has a plan for her. Sean Pope is finally settling in to his life as part of Pope Mountain, when a job opportunity leads to a blast from the past. Sean and Amalie are given a second chance. Having met as children life got in the way and separated them. After mutual tragedies they have been brought together again by the magic and mystery of Pope mountain. This is another great, sweet romance with a bit of a suspenseful twist, actually a few twists, by the author. The attraction between Sean and Amalie is almost instantaneous but soft, focusing more on the relationship between the two and their families than steaminess. The action though, well that will have you constantly turning the page to see what next is about to occur as there are so many facets to this book. This is the third book in the Pope Mountains, with many familiar faces from previous books. Those familiar with this author know that she has an uncanny ability to weave the intertwining stories together so those who have not yet read the previous books (although I highly recommend that you do) will not feel lost at all with the multitude of characters. It’s a nonstop mix of romance, action, tragedy, drama, humor and mystery. Basically, it has it all. I can’t wait to see who will be the next one to find love in the mountains and hope the story comes soon. This story will not disappoint. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to voluntarily read and review this book. A 5 star must read.
Returning to Jubilee, Kentucky, in 'Heartbeat' felt like coming home. Sharon Sala weaves a compelling story that had me hooked from the first chapter. The blend of suspense, romance, and surprises from the past kept me on the edge of my seat. I binged this audiobook in one day, captivated by the twists and turns of Amalie's journey, the helicopter crash, and the blossoming romance with Sean. The surprises from the past added a delightful layer of complexity to the narrative. I especially adore a certain someone in Amalie's life now, and I'm eagerly awaiting more in the next installment. Traci Odom's narration was fantastic, bringing the characters and the story to life with her wonderful inflections and tones. A highly recommended listen!
A very special thanks to Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
The book has it all. Drama, romance, and intrigue wrapped up into one thrilling novel.
Amalie and Sean grow so much in this novel, from the backstory of them having had been in school together to how he had saved her from some bullies? Swoon worthy if you ask me. I loved watching these two main characters grow in such a way that they’re living rent free in my mind.
With their rough upbringings I feel like they simply had that extra layer of glue that stuck them together, I can’t imagine being in foster care and aging out when looking at Amalie’s past and backstory. The supernatural touch was a welcome addition into the plot lines in the novel, and unexpected.
I’m a huge fan of instalove tropes and this one knocked it out of the park for me. In my opinion the length of time between their fated meeting only helped to drive their romance home and make it significantly more real.
The meat of the plot left me guessing at every twist and turn and while I am so glad they got their HEA, the plot itself and the events that happen really had my head buried in the book. So invested that I had the hardest time putting it down.
If you went a well paced romance novel with a solid amount of suspense, Sala is an absolute mastermind at creating such wonderful books that capture and keep your attention with ease.
Highly recommend! Thank you to Sharon Sala and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC!
This book was so good, that after I read it, I went back to the first page and read it again. It was everything I hoped for in one of her novels. The characters were enjoyable and just slightly different. The family is an added plus.
I’ve been a fan of Sharon Sala for years and I’ve commented before how much I like her quiet romances. But when I was reading Heartbeat I realize exactly what I liked about her books.
They all take place in a small town, Blessings, Georgia, for instance, or in this case, Jubilee, Kentucky. I realize that what I love the most about this author is the setting, the backdrop, the “where” in the who, what, where, when and why. Her descriptions of these small towns are so precise, when you’re reading her books, you’re there, you’re on Pope Mountain, you’re in the town of Jubilee, you’ve walked past the carved bear into the arts and craft section of town. You taste the pastries from Annie’s bakery and you’re surrounded by the town folk at the church hall.
I loved the story. Amalie and Sean met when they were nine years old. They were separated, and didn’t find each other for another 20 years. She had no family, she was an orphan, and Sean came from an extended family so large that they took up an entire mountain.
Not only did they find each other, but she found her father, and together everyone solved the mystery of her birth, they discovered who tried to kill her father, they even figured out who set fire to his business in South America.
For such a lot of action, and so much mystery, it’s balanced beautifully with a quiet, love story, and a new family for Amalie.
I received an advanced reading, copy from SourceBooks, all opinions are my own.
Heartbeat is the next addition in the fabulous Jubilee, Kentucky series by Sharon Sala. Every book is like a visit with a favorite family. We met Sean Pope in book two so it was great to see this quiet steady man get his won story. Having been through so much as a child of an abusive man, he is the perfect person understand and accept Amalie Lincoln. They had a childhood encounter but never expected to meet again. What a wonderful story.
While the helicopter crash at the beginning seems to be the main mystery in this story, it takes several twisty turns. Then there is a bit of mystic taking place which enriches this story even more. Plus I love how Ms. Sala always ties up all loose ends in her books so that you know exactly what happens to every guilty person as well as the romantic interest.
It makes you wish that you were somehow related to the Popes and could always have family to watch your back. Perhaps it serves to remind us to love, accept and support those in our family. A captivating read from beginning to end. Readers will love becoming part of Pope Mountain.
An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley for an early copy of this wonderful story. Ms Sala did it again, just when you think she must have exhausted her storylines on this mountain. Well I feel this story brought an ancient tale full circle. There was a bit going on in this story and each chapter gave us and insight into the characters in play before it all started weaving together. A helicopter crash, a murder, an old kidnapping, a second chance for two main characters who met as children and love of course. What a lot of emotions this story brought, I was near to tears then laughing. This is Amalie and Sean Popes story, her survival from a serious vehicle incident and her calling to come to Pope Mountain. Fantastic story and absolutely wonderful characters. I enjoyed every moment.
I have been a fan of Sharon Sala since I read Sweet Baby back in the 1990's. I reread it (and Tallchief) at least a few times a year. I do wish Ms. Sala would give us another classic like those two, but her style has changed since those early days. I still enjoy most of her books and some of the new ones are better than others. This one was one of the better ones. I really loved the main characters, Sean and Amalie, they made a good couple and there wasn't a waiver in their feelings for each other - which is quite refreshing in a book these days. I think my biggest complaint is that there are so many characters and storylines that it is very difficult to keep them all straight. I think it was easier to keep stories straight when you were reading a physical book, but it is more difficult to reference back in a digital copy and I think that is something to keep in mind for all authors. That said, this story really is pretty good and a strong 4 stars. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy.