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Secrets at Apple Tree Creek
She found a secret in his orchard. He found a reason to stop hiding. But war is coming for them both.
Berkeley County, Virginia, 1774. Selah Chapman has always been useful and unseen. With Patriot whispers filling her family’s supper table and her father riding north on business he will not explain, she knows the war everyone fears is creeping closer to their Berkeley County farm. Then a hidden mark in Gideon Vale’s cider shed pulls her into a dangerous courier line—and into the guarded heart of a man who has sworn not to choose sides.
Gideon Vale has built his life on careful neutrality. His orchard is all he has, and survival means keeping his head down while Patriots and Loyalists tear the county apart. But when Selah discovers the secret hidden beneath his apple trade, Gideon must decide whether protecting her means sending her away—or trusting her with the danger he can no longer carry alone.
Even as Selah falls for Gideon’s quiet strength, her courage draws the attention of a Loyalist neighbor determined to expose her. And although Gideon is falling for the farmer’s daughter, who sees past every wall he has built, claiming her openly could make them both targets before the first shots of war reach their door.
Can a love rooted in secrets survive when the Revolution comes to Apple Tree Creek?
Secrets at Apple Tree Creek is the captivating first book in Christine Sterling’s Courage & Covenants clean Revolutionary War historical romance series. If you enjoy forbidden love, Patriot intrigue, slow-burn romance, and faith-forward frontier courage, you’ll love Christine Sterling’s tender story of trust, sacrifice, and love on the eve of revolution.
Buy Secrets at Apple Tree Creek today, and discover the secrets waiting in the orchard.
Berkeley County, Virginia, 1774. Selah Chapman has always been useful and unseen. With Patriot whispers filling her family’s supper table and her father riding north on business he will not explain, she knows the war everyone fears is creeping closer to their Berkeley County farm. Then a hidden mark in Gideon Vale’s cider shed pulls her into a dangerous courier line—and into the guarded heart of a man who has sworn not to choose sides.
Gideon Vale has built his life on careful neutrality. His orchard is all he has, and survival means keeping his head down while Patriots and Loyalists tear the county apart. But when Selah discovers the secret hidden beneath his apple trade, Gideon must decide whether protecting her means sending her away—or trusting her with the danger he can no longer carry alone.
Even as Selah falls for Gideon’s quiet strength, her courage draws the attention of a Loyalist neighbor determined to expose her. And although Gideon is falling for the farmer’s daughter, who sees past every wall he has built, claiming her openly could make them both targets before the first shots of war reach their door.
Can a love rooted in secrets survive when the Revolution comes to Apple Tree Creek?
Secrets at Apple Tree Creek is the captivating first book in Christine Sterling’s Courage & Covenants clean Revolutionary War historical romance series. If you enjoy forbidden love, Patriot intrigue, slow-burn romance, and faith-forward frontier courage, you’ll love Christine Sterling’s tender story of trust, sacrifice, and love on the eve of revolution.
Buy Secrets at Apple Tree Creek today, and discover the secrets waiting in the orchard.
253 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2026
About the author
Christine Sterling
126 books278 followersUSA TODAY bestselling author Christine Sterling loves immersing her readers in the small towns she’s created. Her inspirational stories feature humor, redemption, and romance, with themes of friendship, forgiveness, and fighting for the love you want.
She’s the author of over eighty romances, including the reader favorites, First Families of Flat River, and The Flat River Matchmaker series. She loves to create tight-knit families with strong family values, and you’ll often find that her characters cross over in many of her stories. Her readers describe her characters as old friends and her settings as places they would love to visit.
An empty nester, she lives with her husband and a menagerie of animals on a Pennsylvania farm. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking tea, being judged by her cat, eating snacks, or napping.
Sign up for her newsletter and get a free book at www. flatrivernebraska. com
She’s the author of over eighty romances, including the reader favorites, First Families of Flat River, and The Flat River Matchmaker series. She loves to create tight-knit families with strong family values, and you’ll often find that her characters cross over in many of her stories. Her readers describe her characters as old friends and her settings as places they would love to visit.
An empty nester, she lives with her husband and a menagerie of animals on a Pennsylvania farm. When she’s not writing, she can be found drinking tea, being judged by her cat, eating snacks, or napping.
Sign up for her newsletter and get a free book at www. flatrivernebraska. com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 19, 2026
Yet another fantastic story by Christine Sterling. I very much enjoyed this story. It takes you back to our countries beginnings. Patriot rumblings and a love that stands the tests thrown at it. You know you have a good book in your hands when you choose one written by this Author. It truly stands out as a fantastic beginning to a new series!
June 19, 2026
This book had so much in it. All the emotions and so hard to put down! Such a talented author! The story was captivating and very true to life, in my opinion. I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews