Stella

Endless Mountain #1

by Elle E. Kay

Abandoned by her dearest friend, Stella is running-scared. Life and death decisions force her to re-examine her faith, as well as her priorities. The handsome Jason only exacerbates her anxiety. Should she trust him?

Something is amiss in the quiet town of Edinsville. How will Stella fare as her world gets turned upside down?

Stella is a stand-alone romantic suspense novel. It is the first book in the Endless Mountain Series.

Semi-finalist in ACFW Genesis Contest - 2015

Genres: Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction, Suspense, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller

286 pages, ebook

First published March 13, 2018

About the author

Elle E. Kay is an Angel Award-winning Christian fiction author known for her gripping suspense and engaging romance novels. She lives on a hobby farm in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, three dogs, and a variety of farm animals. A devoted follower of Christ, Elle is actively involved in her church's youth ministry and shares her love of Jesus through music.

Her writing journey began with non-fiction, poetry, and children's books before she made her Christian fiction debut in 2016. Since then, she has written 24 novels in the genre.

Elle is the author of the Endless Mountain and Pennsylvania Parks series, both romantic suspense collections set in Pennsylvania’s scenic Appalachians.

In addition to her solo projects, she has contributed to several multi-author series, including the Lawkeeper series (three contemporary and four historical novellas), Blushing Brides (two novels), Heroes of Freedom Ridge (three novels), and Christmas in Redemption Ridge (two novels). In October 2024, she contributed Midnight Offensive to the Silent Night anthology, part of the Winter Shivers collection.

Her stories seamlessly weave faith, suspense, and romance, offering readers thrilling narratives grounded in Christian values.

For updates on her latest works and upcoming releases, visit her website at elleekay.com.

Reviews

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book ended up being a binge-read. It was not my intention, but the story was captivating and the breadcrumbs compelling. I had to stay up and find out what happened!

Although not an easy topic to read about, author Elle E. Kay handled it with finesse and crafted a character who chose to see how God could use her in this situation. Jason was a mighty fine male main character.

Memorable lines:
“God’s mercy was not giving us the punishment we deserve, and God’s grace was giving us favor that we didn’t deserve.”

*this was a freebie for signing up for the author's newsletter

[Digital Book Freak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review rating: 5 stars.

Thank you to author, Elle E. Kay, for providing me with an advance reader copy of Stella for a fair & honest review.

WOW.....This was such an emotional novel for me to read. Realizing yet again that we always put our faith in other people, when all we have to do is look up, be still and ask for help. Stella makes you want to be a better person.

"She could be surrounded by hundreds and would still be lonely. Her loneliness was deep within and couldn't be touched by human hands. She thought that God had abandoned her and her heart felt as if it were an empty abyss."
Stella

This is a powerful and passionate book about love, forgiveness, faith & family.

Everyone, in his or her lifetime, has experienced being in a situation that you can't run or hide from. All you can do is face it, and with the help of God, everything is possible.

Stella gets herself into an awful situation. She feels like she's living in a nightmare and thinks that God had abandoned her. She asks Him to forgive her and to show her the way. She doesn't know what to do or where to go. She decides to go home and face her family. There she realizes that no matter what happened, love and forgiveness will always be stronger.



What I loved about this book

The interaction between Stella and God. She never ceases to stop praying. When she is in serious trouble, she talks to God. She believes he will help her no matter what and that he is always by her side. This is a faith that can't be broken.

The interaction between Stella and her family. Nothing is more important than family, so when Stella returns home, to her family, they are all happy to see her, they hug her and welcome her back into their lives. Even after telling her father what really happened and why she came home, he showed only love for his eldest daughter.

The interaction between Stella and Jason. Jason really likes Stella. He treats her with respect, he shows her he will stand by her no matter what and when she goes missing, he searches for her like it's last thing he'll ever do again. Jason lost his parents and brother and when Stella vanishes, he prays fervently to God to return her to him.

A very powerful read and I would recommend this to all Christian readers!

[Valentina Markasović · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this e-book by the author, in exchange for a honest review. Thank you!

I always feel bad when giving such mediocre rating to a book I was personally provided with. It's not that I didn't like, or that it's bad - after all, I read it in a day. But there were a few things that bothered me to bigger or lesser extent.

Stella is a 21 year-old who ran away to Florida, only to get raped and impregnated. Jason is a man in his twenties who immediately gets drawn to this pregnant lady when he sees her by the lake.
Then we have all these lesser characters who also get POVs from time to time - Jim, Joy, Joe, Jen (I'm not even kidding). Claudia is a character I just didn't understand. She seemed so random and her parts felt forced.

There was a huge, dare I call it mistake? that I couldn't get over. Okay, so Stella gets kidnapped halfway through the book. They assume the kidnapper is also the rapist. So instead of, oh I don't know, taking the child's DNA, they look for DNA on a cross she dropped? Seriously? I'm no expert on these things, but come on. The second half of the book was what kind of dulled the whole experience to me. There were so many plot conveniences, and by the end it felt dragged, with the way we just had to hears everyone's thoughts on the matter or see them praying.

But one thing I was relieved about was that the Christian overlay, despite everything, wasn't heavily accented. That's what I was most afraid of, but this is a book for everyone who wants to read a good contemporary thriller/drama.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was very enjoyable, it will keep your attention until the end.

Stella was a woman I could relate to and I think other readers will be able to relate to her too. We all have a had moments where we know God has forgiven us, but we can't see to forgive ourselves. We have had those moments where we question why would God allow bad things to happen to us and we have had those moments when we have had to deal with our brothers and sisters in Christ who can't seem to stop throwing our past sins in our face. I think the author captures these moments perfectly in this story, but also shows us that no matter what, even if we don't understand keep trusting in God.

Elle E Kay, did an excellent job of not leaving you on the outside looking in, but she brought you into the story, which made it believable. I loved how she showed Stella's dad (who is the pastor) struggling with the things that he couldn't understand. These things lets the reader know that Christians are not perfect, but we have a perfect Savior who is willing to carry our burdens for us, we just need to rest in Him. There are a few other twists and turns to this story that will keep you on your toes and have you wanting to read the second book in this series.

[Bhriv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella, written by Elle E. Kay, is a GREAT read! I absolutely love Stella and how her life progresses, ultimately growing her as a young lady, but also closer to The Lord.
Stella grew up a Pastor's daughter who was always the 'good girl.' Then she goes to college and she made a few poor choices in her life. She asked for forgiveness, but the consequences of these choices affected her life in many areas. I loved that her dad and step-mom were loving and supportive when she came back to The Lord even in the midst of trying circumstances. I loved the excitement and suspense that was on every page of this novel! I absolutely loved that it had the underlying theme that God helped her this far in her life, and He wasn't going to stop now that she had troubling circumstances!
I completely recommend you read this story of a girl whose faith in God and men has been challenged, and just see how great a God we have and just maybe a truly loving and caring guy may just be out there for Stella!
I was gifted this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Linda Buzard-Moffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good Contemporary Christian story. I felt that Stella was a very brave woman faced with some tough choices that challenged her faith. She persevered through them and came out doing all right for herself in the end. The story kept me interested wanting to know what would happen next with good characters that I really enjoyed (except for the misunderstood villain). I would recommend this story and also cannot wait to read the next in the series 'Claudia', which is about her sister. I really want to read it to hear what else happens with Stella, so hopefully she plays a part in the next story also.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Elle.

[Elle Kay]

Author Review

I hope you enjoy reading Stella, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B...

[Valicity Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book put me in a pickle. I liked it for a number of reasons; the title was simple which really drew me in, wondering just who is this Stella and what does she have to offer me? The cover to this book was also striking. I thought it looked like something that should be on the cover of a book of historical fiction but once I really got into the story I had a change of heart. This cover is spectacular and it pretty much matches the content within.

This is a work of contemporary Christian fiction. So I was definitely excited when I was given a copy for review, as a Christian and as a fan of contemporary fiction. I thought Stella, on the surface, was a strong female lead and she was also someone who was relatable. Stella isn’t just a ‘normal ol’ girl’ she has a mind and a personality but, most of all, she has gotten herself into a pretty sticky situation.

This book will be a good ride for most readers. I’d like to say it ‘goes there’ with Stella and her experiences and her emotions and her friends and family. This is a real book that can be seen playing out in real life. For that, I liked it and I, of course, enjoyed the incorporation of faith and the character’s relationships with God. I’m a very strong Christian but I have to say I can be a bit picky when it comes to Christian fiction. I always feels nervous because I don’t know if I’m going to be given a lot of preaching or a lot of story. This was a safe one, it was intriguing, inspiring, and solidly Christian.

As far as faith goes, Stella is someone that is definitely honest and easy for readers to enjoy. When she is afraid, when she is struggling, when she is in trouble, she turns to God. And it’s not cheesy, it’s true. Because that’s what everyone does, right? Stella has a lot of reasons to turn to God so the faith is strong in this book and that’s just how I like it.

Now, back to the pickle I was in.

I felt that this was a good, strong book. It will definitely grip readers of all ages, especially those in the Christian audiences. But the style of narration bothered me a little bit. It felt like a list at times, especially in the beginning. Stella woke up, Stella looked around, she felt afraid. For some it worked but for me it didn’t. I still read the book and found enjoyment in it but I had to get around the awkwardness in the narration.

Now, sometimes there were bits where the author’s true talent as a writer came through. Whenever she described Stella in great detail and really got into her personality I found myself really turning the pages and really enjoying it. The editing wasn’t bad, the structure wasn’t bad, this was just a case of preference. Is the story still good? Absolutely. Is this still a great read? Of course! It just wasn’t the best read for me.

Despite that, I will say this is a solid story worth five stars from anyone. Give it a chance and I’m sure you will enjoy it too. I would recommend this book to Christian readers of all ages.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Pamela Harstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella started with a unique inciting incident which drew me in to read more. Her character and the other characters in the book were well developed and believable. While Stella's situation is misunderstood in her family's community, she does begin a bit of romance with a nice Christian theme woven into the book as well. During mid-story there is another unusual surprise bringing tension to the characters to keep reader interest. All in all, Stella is a fresh, satisfying Christian read.

I was given a copy of Stella in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for honest review. Wonderful Christian fiction. Bad things can happen to good people. Good mystery thriller. .

[Debbie Chatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense, Romance, Faith, and Family - all the elements that make for a good read are found in this book. I have to say I was hooked from page 1 and finished the book in one sitting as I was drawn into Stella's story and needed to see how it ended. Highly recommend this book for a good read to not only escape into Stella's story but to be encouraged and challenged in your faith walk at the same time.

I loved how the author intertwined a realistic picture of the Christian life into this story. In this story you will see the characters struggle in the walk of faith, they have doubts and they face the battle of knowing the facts of God's goodness in their head when their heart is telling them something else. This made the story more personal and believable as I could personally relate to the characters as I've been in those same places time and time again. I found myself right there with Stella on her journey of faith. Also, as you will discover in this story, Stella is forced to face some dark elements of life that we would hope no one would ever have to go through, yet she doesn't let them make her bitter toward God. In fact, I found myself challenged and encouraged from the way Stella faced these dark times in her life with strength and resolve, allowing them to cause her to draw closer to God instead of turning away from God. This additionally made Stella a character you will personally relate to and feel drawn to.

So get a copy of this book today and prepare to travel with Stella through some tough times (rape, unplanned pregnancy, and kidnapping) and grow with her as she seeks to understand why God is allowing these trials into her life. Get to know her family consisting of her dad Jim a preacher, her stepmom Joy and her stepsister Claudia. I loved how at the beginning of the book is a modern version of the prodigal son from the Bible when her family willing welcomes Stella back home, which is a picture of how God always welcomes us back.

And not to be forgotten Romance, in this story Stella initially resists friendship with Jason as she is uncomfortable around men after her past encounter but a relationship begins to bud between Stella and Jason and as the reader you will find yourself cheering them on. And you will see how they help each other by being able to bear each others burdens. In this relationship, you can see how God brings others into our lives when most needed to walk alongside us and encourage us and help us grow.

Overall my biggest takeaway besides the fact that this was an intriguing beautiful story that has value in the story alone, was the encouragement to my faith and how trusting God doesn't mean I won't face trials but that God will be there with me through my trials. Kudos to the author, this one is a winner. Can't wait for more books to come in this series

[Mia Elbaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am not usually fan of the Contemporary stories but the synopsis of this one made me interested to read it. It was a great book but personally not the best.
This is the story of Stella and her journey of faith and the process that makes her closer to God. Stella is the daughter of a Pastor and lives with her father, loving step mother; Joy, and her step sister; Claudia. Her choice in running away to college and seeking a new adventure of self discovery affects her life forever. The unfortunate event she undergoes force her to come back home and face the consequences. And from there, the journey of faith starts.
The book was well written, the pace was great and the suspense element was a great add-on to the plot. The main theme of this book was to keep holding on no matter what and things will get better because it might be stormy for now but it couldn't rain forever. So, you just have to have faith that God is always next to you and working things out for you even when you don't feel it.
For readers looking out for an inspirational lighthearted book, Stella is your book. Nonetheless, it was not my type of book I personally like to read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite an enjoyable read. A mix of suspense, romance, and small town story, the author manages to portray vivid, genuine characters that feel like a friend from across the street. One of my favorite parts was the dialogue between characters - the author's way of conveying conversation make it flow naturally, reading as if you were a part of it.

The story focuses on one main protagonist; each time she grew in character, I got a little thrill of pride. You grow invested in these characters quickly, and the decisions made felt like they actually impacted me a little - as if it were happening to a relative. Conversely, the antagonist is cracked open little by little, showing glimpses of motivation and feeble thoughts.

I loved the family of people Stella drew around her, family members and friends alike. The highs and lows of relationships were shown, good and bad alike. A couple of the characters I didn't even like at the beginning of the story! But, the growth of character, and closeness of family woven in by the author turns things around by the last page. Hopefully the author will continue the series, and focus on someone else in the small circle!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was provided a free copy of this book by the author. i was not required to write this review. all opinions in this review are my own. i read about half the book in one sitting. it was so good i didn't want to put it down but alas, i was falling asleep because it was way past my bedtime. this book is about how stella, the prodigal daughter, comes home to her Father (and family) who welcomes her home with open arms. God shows her his redemptive grace and faithfulness and when she thinks she's fallen low, God gives her beauty for ashes. this author is new to me as this is the first book of her's i read but i would gladly read a book by ms. kay again. if you're on the fence about reading this i would recommend that you read it. Stella's story, her fears and triumph's are very relateable.

[Jodi Woody · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a copy of "Stella" in exchange for an honest review. I like the book. Interesting storyline, there were a few editing issues and a few spots where I was a little confused as to characters. Some came and went with little or no purpose to the story unless they were supposed to be possible suspects in the mystery.
I loved the Christian viewpoint, the slow moving romance, and the issues with hard topics.
I like it and give it three stars, and will probably read any new installments.
No swearing and the only sexual content is implied. Due to subject matter, I would say it is suitable for teens on up.

[Stella Potts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella is a story of love and forgiveness and learning to trust in god in all things. Can you imagine being a pastor's daughter and finding yourself pregnant and unmarried. Having to put up with the gossip and jealousy from your peers. I admired the way Stella handled her life and made the best of her situation. Then to have a handsome man fall for her was such a blessing. In the second half of the book the suspense of what is going to happen to her as her stalker kidnaps her will keep you reading to the very end. I recommend this book and have given it a 4 star rating.

This book was given to me by the Author for my honest review and all views expressed are my own.

[Deanna Fugett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't normally read contemporary stories so my review may not be super helpful. Stella was a cute story about a girl who falls on hard times and her journey to get out of the messes she keeps finding herself in. It's a story of a girl who has to grow up quickly, which sometimes can be a painful experience. Of course, there's the love interest who makes everything better, and the most interesting part was the psycho who...well, I won't do any spoilers. I hate spoilers and I'm sure you do too. You'll just have to read it to find out. :)

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella McIntyre returns home, pregnant with from rape. And the assailant isn't through with her.

Jason Duncan, Army Corporal, returns from a deployment in the Middle East. He's captivated by Stella.

Very good book. I planned on reading this book over a period of a few days. That didn't happen because I couldn't put it down. I loved Christianity within the book. The only thing I didn't like was a few characters who attributed the wrong actions with God's will.

Stella was an interesting character. The plot kept the action moving. The tension was perfect.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great book! I really liked the book a lot!!!

I loved how it was a Christian book and it talked about God and prayer. I enjoyed that and will start looking for more Christian authors and books because of this.

I also liked the thriller aspect of the story. It was very interesting and kept me hooked.

I loved getting to read other POVs than just Stella.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes thrillers and who wants to read a clean read.

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great debut novel giving us lots of suspense, with a dose of romance.
The suspense kept gaining in crescendo until the end of the book.
Elle E. Kay brings us characters that are flawed but are redeemed by God's grace, and a storyline that is well put together.
She deals with the subject of rape in a sensitive manner.
This book is recommended for all fans of Christian Romantic Suspense.
A review copy was given to me by the author but my opinions are my own.

[JoAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great debut novel. This is a fantastic romance/suspense. The book is well written and has great character development. The first few chapters I had my doubts about the book but once I got past them I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. I am really looking forward to book two. Many thanks to Elle for the pleasure of reading and reviewing her book.

[jennifer keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read

Great plot and characters. Sweet romance. Just enough religion to inspire. Can't wait to read the next offering. Great debut story.

[Doris Sandquist-jecminek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense

Very good read. Not sure I will be able to go to sleep. Clean, uplifting and will hold you to it. Hard to put down.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book

There may be some spoilers in this review.

The author needs a basic review of the English language. She continually switched tenses between 3rd and 1st person.

The book was very choppy and did not flow well. She would bring things up and never address them later such as Jim and his lack of having a sermon in one chapter, she never said how that turned out, Kyle's DNA and the scam preacher. I think she had way too many characters. I didn't mind the hero and the heroine character lines but she introduced way too many other people. Her writing is truncated and lacks a basic flow. It is as if you are reading a summary at times or bullet points. Her dialogue could use quite a bit of work there wasn't a lot of feeling of passion.

Claudia is unpleasant in the extreme and while I appreciated that the author was handling a hard subject and that she made her characters very human I just did not care for Claudia and would have a hard time reading the book about her.

Again a review of basic English language/grammar would be good or perhaps a thesaurus. The author continually used the word said, she could have said exclaimed proclaimed anything other than said said. She also namned Stella's birth mothet Summer and later called her Tori.

Her theology or her presentation of her theology at times is questionable. Such as God always answers prayers he either says yes no or wait. Several of her characters said God answered their prayer, when what they really meant was is that God answered it the way they wanted Him to.

I cannot recommend this book. There are too many flaws and it just feels like a beating by the time you get to the end.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shadowing Stella is the first book in the Endless Mountain series by Elle E Kay. Pregnant and alone, Stella McIntrye has no choice but return home to Edinsville to the family and God she ran from. Her family welcomes her home. Jason Duncan sees Stella beyond her mistakes and wants to show her that she is loved and deserves love. But first he needs to break through the walls she has built around her heart. As they spend time together and become close, they don’t realize that someone is watching Stella from the shadows and evil is around the corner. When Stella is abducted, she must keep her faith and wits as she works to set herself free. Who has abducted her? Will she be set free?
Shadowing Stella is a Christian suspense story. I loved the focus on faith and trust in God. I also loved the acknowledgement of doubts and struggles with faith and God and yet continuing to trust. I don’t know why Christians have this idea that believers cannot have doubts or struggles. I also loved that Stella’s parents welcomed her home like the prodigal son and helped her get back on her feet. On a sad note, the attitudes from others in town about Stella’s situations were all too real. However, the pace was a bit too slow for me and the suspense part of the story dragged the story down even more. Overall, the story was okay; however, I will not be continuing the series. If you enjoy Christian suspense stories, you may enjoy Shadowing Stella.

Shadowing Stella is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christian suspense with potential

This book has a good basic plot, and the suspense is interesting. However, due to the story being told from so many points of view, it feels disjointed. We hear from Stella, Jason, Stella’s mother, father & sister, Kyle, and at least three law enforcement officers.

When Stella awakens from a traumatic experience, she decides she must finally return home from Florida to her parents’ house in Pennsylvania. There she meets Jason, who is recently home from the war in Iraq. She begins to be threatened by someone, and the story goes on from there to solve Stella’s resulting experience.

Both Stella and Jason develop a stronger faith. Stella’s sister Claudia is an inconsistent character, which could possibly be explained by her age. Even her minister father struggles a little with his faith in the face of a very difficult situation. The Christian faith thread is woven throughout the story.

I believe a good editor would help refine the book, as well as fix the fair number of punctuation, grammar, & spelling mistakes. I believe this is one of Elle E. Kay’s early books, because I have read some of her more recent books that I enjoyed a lot more. I will continue to read Mrs. Kay’s future books.

3 stars for a clean, Christian, suspense romance with potential

[Robin Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book of courage grief strong family support and unfortunately evil. This book emphasizes the importance of believing that faith is always there to help you through any situations you encounter. This book also addresses the issue of mental heath disease which is a difficult situation in which we have very little resources for assistance to those in need. I found the characters in this book to be very strong in faith and as human as any believer to still question the reasons for hard times. Overall, their strong faith shows through out the entire book. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely refer it to all my book loving people.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is actually 3.5 stars. There were several things I didn't like about the book. It read like a Hallmark movie which made a lot of it seem unbelievable. Some of the scenes could've been skipped altogether without ruining the story. Even some of the dialog seemed odd to me.

However, there were some definite redeeming bits. The underlying messages the author wanted to convey came out loud and clear. I am interested to read book 2 which focuses on the MCs sister.

If you love Hallmark movies, Christian suspense stories, and sweet romance, you would likely enjoy this one.

[Susan Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a genre I don’t choose often because I have a hard time getting over the tension. Although this story definitely was loaded with suspense, it also included some beautiful scenes that focused on family relationships.
Stella McIntyre’s bid for independence goes terribly wrong when she finds herself alone in a hotel room far from home then discovers she’s pregnant. She makes her way home but so does her stalker. With themes of forgiveness and persistence in the face of discouragement, this is well worth the read.