Mending Places

New Heights #1

by Denise Hunter

When mountain guide Micah Gallagher is hired by the spirited Hanna Alexander to help raise revenues for her failing family lodge, a high-country adventure filled with love, intrigue, and romance ensues. Almost immediately, Hanna betrays her own professional reservations and finds herself enamored by the mystery of Micah's carefully guarded past. When the two unexpectedly fall in love, Micah is forced to face the hidden places that haunt him, and Hanna must address her fears and determine if forgiveness can make way for love. Teeming with suspicion and intrigue, this Grand Teton adventure leaves the reader struggling with the Christian response of forgiveness in the midst of emotional entanglements, fears of the heart, and the inevitable agony of love.

Has fate brought the two together, or will circumstances tear them apart? What are the secrets that Micah guards so closely? Will love and forgiveness conquer the entanglements of their past and make way for a future together?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Christian, Audiobook, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance

319 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

About the author

Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of more than 40 novels, three of which have been adapted into Hallmark movies.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town romances, peopled with layered characters who have real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, Denise began her first novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

Denise and her husband live in Indiana, where they raised three sons, and are currently enjoying an empty nest and four beautiful grandchildren.

Denise gives away books and gifts cards in every monthly newsletter! Subscribe here to be eligible: https://www.denisehunterbooks.com

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

i have been looking for this book for years just so i can’t write a scathing review about it and i’ve finally found it. this is hands down the worst book i’ve ever read, not because the writing was lacking in any way, but simply because denise hunter thought it would be okay to write a book where a rape victim falls in love her rapist and it’s somehow justified? obviously she is trying (and failing) to show how people should forgive but wtf. marrying him? he gave her so much trauma and ruined her life and he got everything he wanted in the end. anybody who enjoyed this book is sick and twisted because in no world should a mentality like this be supported and even encouraged. if you’re thinking about reading this book, stop. it’s not worth your time and is actually awful.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal read. This book deals with heavy stuff but Denise writes it brilliantly. Very moving read.

[Janet Merrell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seriously can’t believe Denise Hunter is associated with this horrid plot. Forgiveness is one thing. Falling in love with your rapist? Just crazy ridiculous.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

What to say, what to say. Let's get Real here people. This story line was to far fetched. The main character gets raped, then falls in love with the man who raped her years later. She doesnt realize however this is the man who has raped her. He doesnt know she was the one he raped either. I mean come on. Then even AFTER they find out who each other is, they still stay together. It was a good book up until the point of. Hey it was me who raped you, still wanna get married???
Epic Fail for this book

[TheModestMillennial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read! Denise Hunter has an incredible way of diving in to messy, horrible, traumatic situations and bringing depth, redemption, and a genuine love for those who have endured them. Hanna and Micah are strong, well-developed characters with whom you can't help but fall in love, and feel their struggles as your own.

Am excellent story of how God can bring forgiveness and redemption in the worst of circumstances.

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book until the surprise twist near the end (which I could already see coming). Seriously??? I could see forgiveness in this situation for sure, but nothing beyond that. Hannah needs to see a psychiatrist. this was just way too coincidental and way too unrealistic. I found out the whole series is like this.

[AP · Rating 1 out of 5]

So it's ok for the H to brutally rape the h in the past, this is somehow excused because he was abused by his mother as a child. Message ok to not report your rapist to the police and ok to marry your rapist? No, just no, this is sick, you can forgive and move on, but not marry your rapist, again pure fantasy land.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy, I’m not sure where to begin with this review. There is so much I disliked about the book maybe I should start with the few things I did like…
The Good - Denise Hunter is a gifted writer. Even though I didn’t like the story itself, the writing and dialogue are solid. The characters felt authentic and plausible. That is why this title gets 2 stars.
The Bad - I have 3 main issues with this story. This series had potential but book 1 has ruined it for me. I do not plan to read the rest of the series. I will be reading more Denise Hunter books though. If you eat enough apples 🍎 you are bound to bite into an icky spot eventually.
Gripe 1: This book tried to do too much. There are aspects of financial worry, elder care, infidelity, attack/rape, childhood abuse, and the trauma that goes along with several of these. It is admirable to try to address real life issues but not all at once! It makes the story feel forced and unrealistic.
Gripe 2: The sister’s story drove me crazy. In the end it had nothing to do with the main plot and was all a set up for book 2 in the series! The way the infidelity played out in the sister’s relationship was so cliche it made me cringe. 😬 *Spoiler but only sort of since it has nothing to do with the main story* The sister finds out her husband may be cheating and instantly assumes it’s because she wasn’t meeting his sexual needs adequately. 🙄 Her immediate thought was she must have done something wrong. No! Please tell me women think more highly of themselves than this? This side story could have have been cut and I think it would have improved the book.
Gripe 3: All of the cliches and fateful story intersections made the Christian faith presented in this book feel unrealistic which is so sad. The faith of the characters was presented in a real and authentic way. The over arching Biblical theme running through the main story hit its mark at the end. If you are going to write praying, Bible-reading Christian characters into the story please run 🏃🏽‍♀️ from cliche so the story can be taken seriously by readers of any faith. I hope that makes sense to someone. Thank you for reading to the end of my frustration. I encourage you to read this one as well and then we can compare notes.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the surface this appears to be a typical Christian fiction romance book, which I usually find cheesy and reducing.....But this one had some other themes that I just couldn't ignore.

This book unintentionally highlights the double standard that exists between the sexes when it comes to romance/relationships/marriage. The woman is always expected to be the prettier one, the purer one, the kinder one, the more forgiving and patient one....with no mention as to what, if anything, the man brings to the relationship. For example: it's always the virtuous, amazing woman who graciously forgives the man for his troubled past and loves him anyway....I'm all about forgiveness and grace, truly, but why is it always the woman who has to lower her relationship standards in the end? Why is it assumed that women should 'take what they can get' while men usually get the better end of the deal? Why are women still being devalued in this archaic way? Sexism is still very alive and well.....

This book has a particularly triggering plot line in which the woman is asked to first overlook several red flags regarding the man's past and then ultimately forgive him for something incredibly egregious (rape), in a scene that is far too easy and one-sided. I know it wasn't this author's intent, but an effort to 'show the other side of the story,' she practically rationalizes rape!! Why can't the woman truly forgive the man BUT still decide that she deserves better in a relationship!

(Side note, being someone who used to live in the Tetons, this book contained numerous eye-rolling inaccuracies......)

[Ckainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty powerful book. Made me really think about forgiveness. God, forgiving our sins, we forgiving others, and forgiving ourselves. Not sure I could be as forgiving as Hanna. I liked the way it was written to show the point of view in a scene between the 2 main characters, where there was a break and the author switched to the others thought stream or view. Curious as to how Gram’s disease progresses and if that story line continues in the next book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy a Denise Hunter novel immensely and this one was no different. It's a bit more intense of a read but what I wasn't expecting was a plot twist that knocked me sideways. I'm usually pretty good with guessing where a story is leading but not this one. But, it was emotionally intense which is what I look for in a book. Hunter handled this story well.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just awful. Poor character development, unrealistic, poor plot, poorly researched (post affair counseling was wrought with things that are frowned upon in the Christian counseling world)…. so ridiculous it’s laughable. Kept reading to see how much worse it could get, in that it did not disappoint.

[Melissa Hetrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed her books in the past - this book was terrible and compromises her characters made were not believable or realistic. Not completing this series.

[Orianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favourite of all of Hunter's books so far.

Themes/Topics: Forgiveness, faith, romance, sexual abuse, child abuse, fear, guilt, infidelity, healing

Pros:
- great character development
-well-written and well developed plot
-Christianity and the hard topics of life combined, which is a rare find
-sets the stage for the second novel very well

Cons?
I personally have none. :)

[Dianne Sidebottom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting myself to read this book. excuses of the time isn't right, start a chapter and debate do I continue, get another book but I pursued and have now finished. Biblical characters like Joseph, Ruth , David examples. A difficult topic to tackle is memory and shoved down past. For peace it needs to be exposed and God is there to walk along side. Yeah God!!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It showed Micah was forgiven for much and how Hannah could be healed by forgiveness as well. I understand that some find the premise of the book disturbing but forgiveness can often be offensive when you are hurt by someone.

[Brittney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m usually a fan of Denise Hunter. But this one was too much. Overall, I enjoyed the book and the majority of the plot, even more than some of her other stories. But the end was just “too much.” Caution to anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault.


The two main characters fall in love, per normal Denise Hunter romance novels. BUT the female lead has trauma related to being raped eight years prior. Okay. We are talking about hard things. No worries. When the male lead starts working at her Wyoming lodge, she fells drawn to him. He doesn’t want to date anyone bc he himself is working through ALOT of past mistakes. But, in typical romance fashion, they fall in love. But then we find out, and this is where I have issue, that he was the person who raped her eight years ago. Neither of them knew until the end. And I totally believe in forgiveness and the power it holds, for us to forgive others and to forgive ourselves, but they STAYED TOGETHER and it just felt “too much.” And it ended so quickly after the revelation and decision to stay together that this one just wasn’t it for me. And I feel like this book could cause some pain with people who have a history of assault.

I still enjoy Denise. But this one’s heading was no bueno. It just didn’t hit the mark.

[Sarah Sartin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me first say I love Denise Hunter and have read and loved many of her books but the reissue tricked me into thinking this was a new book and I realize now it’s one of her older ones and I’m sorry to say her writing was clearly not then what it is now. I am a Christian but the Christian internal dialog was way over kill. Hannah pursued Micah like a crazy person because she thought “God wanted them to be together” and in real life one would act like that, and if they did, the other party would not be interested. I thought the sisters husbands affair side story took away from the main story line and I started just skipping those chapters by the end. There was a ton of repetition, something would happen to a character and then there was a whole other chapter of the character telling another character in detail what happened. Which I can’t understand why a reader would need to hear it twice. I listened to the audio book and found the narrators vocal intonation, child voice and male voice super annoying. There was also no way she would be cleaning his room like he was a normal hotel guest to conveniently find his journal. I won’t continue with the series because it was so bad.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me. It was my first of Denise Hunter’s, and I admired her courage in grappling with some really tough issues (extramarital affair, rape trauma). I’m hesitant to believe a redemption story like Micah’s happens very often, but I appreciated that Micah’s salvation alone didn’t “fix” everything. He was in a group, working through his past with the Lord’s help. I was also relieved when Natalie’s efforts to win her husband back didn’t work. I was grieved for her, but I would think it too unrealistic for Keith to come crawling back so soon. I just really appreciate how deeply this story is making me think and making me ponder the reality that God heals both victims and predators (and how we all have a little of both inside of us).

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warning for this book: child abuse, alcoholism, and sexual assault.

I enjoyed the book up until the end (literally the final 2-3 pages). Biggest theme is forgiveness and I think that was covered well. However, the final choice I found incredibly unbelievable and a damaging ideal for someone to walk into.

[Lavender · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not my favorite. I rate my books strictly on MY enjoyment and I really struggled through it. It was a very heavy read, and I just don't think any woman who has ever been raped could EVER move forward and love the man who raped her. It is beyond comprehension to me. Forgiveness is one thing but I personally think this is taking it a little too far.

[Elke Eelbode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit is de tweede reeks die ik lees van Denise Hunter en ook hier zet ze weer levensechte personages meer.
Ook de verhaallijn is best OK, het lijkt wel sterk op het boek "het einde van de rivier" van Nora Roberts.
Een goede vakantieroman die vlot leest.

[Susan Tuttle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweethearted read. I loved this book and each one in the series. I loved getting to know these sisters and their tender stories of healing. These books sit on my bookshelves still today.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put the book down! However, it has a shocking plot twist with an even more shocking ending!

[Dianne Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent story of forgiveness and healing.

[Barbara Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a difficult time rating this book, but ultimately gave it 3 stars because it is a very well written book. I listened to the audiobook which is also well done.

That said.. this was a difficult book to read, which surprised me as I have always enjoyed Denise Hunter's works. Mending Places is heavy. Honestly a great deal of it is depressing to read. I don't mind books that are realistic and don't paint life as a happy-go-lucky fairytale, but this was more than that. I honestly thought of not finishing it because I could not see any way it would improve.

And while the subject matter contains very sensitive subjects (all of which can be triggers .. I will share those at the end with a semi-spoiler alert)... the last portion of this book was quiet beautiful. I've read other reviews and there are those who are passionate about how impossible and ridiculous they feel the ending is. I get that. I would say it is very unlikely and even if it did occur, it would be rare. I also think some readers felt Hunter was excusing a certain behavior. I did not read it that way at all. Honestly, I think she gave her readers pause to stop and think before we just pronounce someone as "bad". Yes, the act was horrendous and inexcusable, but something just as inexcusable and horrendous led to a broken person who made a heinous choice. Again.. no excuse, but it does cause us to look at the offender as a human and consider how they got to where they are.

There is also beauty found in this book as we watch as grace and forgiveness play out in our minds. Again.. it is difficult to imagine this actually happening and yet with God anything is possible. And when I am removed from it all, watching as a spectator, I can see the validity to it all.

This was a painful and beautiful read. I rarely re-read books. This would never be one I would consider re-reading. I don't believe I would recommend it to someone without knowing them well and adding some warnings. It is most certainly not a story many would choose to read, but once started it is difficult to let go. There are two more books in the series and I am not sure I will read either.

SEMI-SPOILER ALERT... Below I list some of the topics included in this book that I believe could be triggers (I have not personally experienced any of these, but can imagine specific friends that have and how this book would affect them.)
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Adultery
Child Abuse
Divorce
Rape

One more bigger spoiler..... this one "ruins" the ending.. that said, I stopped mid-book and read reviews and learned this. I actually think it helped me to know what was coming.
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The main female in the story was raped years earlier. She learns that the man she falls in love with is her rapist. He does not know she is the woman he raped in a drunken stupor. There is so much more as to how this is handled.. it is not sugar coated or treated lightly at all. He is never excused for his actions. However, she does (over time and after a series of occurrences) come to forgive him (something he never asks for) and they choose to move forward with their relationship at the end of the book. As I said early on.. could this happen? Yes. Is it likely, absolutely not... at least not the relationship part. I do not believe Hunter is intimating that rape victims should love their rapists, but I fear some will assume that. I would never recommend this book to someone who is a victim of rape. I truly believe this would be a devastating read for them.

[Isabel Hinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see why this book has mixed reviews. Sexual assault is a very difficult topic to write about, much more so through the lens of Christ. Forgiveness is easy to preach until you get to things like this. However, I do believe this WAS inspired and a beautiful story about redemption from past mistakes. The thing about forgiveness is that God will redeem even the most horrific people/acts of sin, if the sinner repents and asks forgiveness. Then He calls us to do the same. Is forgiving someone who hurt you horribly, the same as then choosing to marry that person? Maybe not… or maybe so. I can’t imagine going through that myself, but I also know that God calls us to very difficult things, for His glory, and who would I be to reject His perfect will? The point of this story was clearly the incredible power of forgiveness and the way God enables us to forgive the unforgivable, as He has forgiven the unforgivable in us.

A point I want to make as well, is the fact that the Micah who hurt Hanna and the Micah who fell in love with Hanna were two VERY different men. One was lost and the other saved and redeemed. The two were separated by almost a decade (not that time erases wounds but it does help in the healing). Hanna had a choice to make because she was in love with the Micah she knew in the present but had to reconcile what she now knew of him as a good, God-honoring man, with a past in which he had hurt her when they were strangers and his soul was horribly lost. What an awful choice to have placed in front of you. But love overcame, and I think some of you are missing the point… the circumstances are horrific, and not to be made light of. But that’s also why we need God and what God calls us to is choosing love and forgiveness, and that takes sacrifice. Sometimes that sacrifice is giving up our hurt and bitterness.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Christian, I really appreciate the topics Denise is trying to tackle in this book and the effort throughout this series to hammer home that God’s grace is able to change any heart in any situation. However, from a psychological perspective, the outcome of this story is wrong on so many levels. Also, her excessive use of foreshadowing (via the characters’ inner monologue, so maybe that’s not the right term) made the plot 100% predictable, which turns what had the potential to be a really good read into fluff. Don’t get me wrong, I love Denise Hunter books for the clean yet passionate feel-good Christian romance fix, but while I have massive respect for the overall message of this book and I did enjoy the read, there are just too many problems with this book for me to give it a higher than mediocre rating. And I could pretty much copy and paste this review for each book in this trilogy.
It’s very obvious this is one of Ms. Hunter’s earlier books. I kind of wish every now and then she would bring what she attempted to do with this series by trying to tackle more controversial and potentially polarizing topics like these with her now more polished writing style.

[Oluwatosin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biggest thing I got from this book was the power of forgiveness. I stumbled across the last book in the series "Finding Faith" and that one has a pretty big twist... I saw the direction she was headed but I thought to myself... "Nah... there's no way" but sure enough it was. This book... same thing except this time I thought..."No... Again? Well she went there last time so why not this time."
So... apart from the surprise twist I enjoyed the story of Micah and Hanna. I loved their connection and patiently awaited them getting together. Apart from the theme of forgiveness... for oneself and for others... there was also a theme of realising that "If any man is in Christ he is a new creature, the old has passed, behold the new has come." and coming to terms with that new creature despite ones past.

[Amanda Dunnebecke · Rating 2 out of 5]

In full disclosure, I DNF this book. This is a book where you need to read some reviews, and possibly a spoiler or two, before you decide if you want to read it! When I started getting a feeling I knew where Denise was taking this ending, I read a few spoilers and knew I didn’t want to continue. Such a bummer, because the book was not bad at all! But the big surprise twist/ending that comes just feels yucky, unbelievable, and insensitive to me. I know where she was trying to go with the redemption and forgiveness aspect of the faith, but again, it feels unbelievable.

2 stars because I did enjoy the book until I realized what was going to happen