Rocky Mountain Redemption is book one in author Lisa J. Flickinger’s Rocky Mountain Revival Series. This is a Christian Historical Romance novel set in an 1890’s logging camp. Readers should expect romance, adventure, intrigue, history with a Christian message woven throughout the pages.
This is the story of Isabelle Franklin. The book opens with her hidden at a logging camp helping her Aunt Lou cook meals for the loggers. Okay, I was hooked. Mountains, streams, lumberjacks, a mysterious girl hidden away, and cooking all make for a great story. Immediately I was invested in the story.
It also is the story of camp foreman, Charles Bailey, affectionately known as Preach. You can guess why. He has turned from his old, sinful ways and is a fledgling Christian. When he sees Isabelle, he is immediately taken with her.
The author has a great way of putting readers right in the middle of her story. I could almost smell the pines and hear the mountain stream. The details are vivid and not overdone.
The characters are well rounded and relatable. Some of the loggers were so quirky that I laughed out loud at times. Aunt Lou was a hoot, but the one I enjoyed most was Miss Sophie. Her character was multilayered and caring. The dialog flowed smoothly and sounded authentic for the most part.
I enjoyed the many timeless life lessons which were incorporated into the story. The author easily tackled redemption, second chances, starting over, gossiping, lust, forgiveness, and judgment along with a few others. The spiritual lessons of faith, hope, trust, and a deeper relationship with God are not hidden. There is plenty of material here for a nice group discussion.
There was mention of a character having Hand Foot Mouth and Disease, and I question the historic accuracy of that. In my ecopy I did not have any author notes so I do know if this was researched. I would have loved a better menu with more detail on what was being cooked, but that was not the author’s path for her book. There were no recipes or discussion questions in the back of the book.
I did enjoy the story. The HFM disease tainted the book a bit for me, but I would still recommend it. Any fan of Christian historical romance will enjoy the story and characters. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit but these are my honest words.