Winter Silence

by Vella Munn

Trust the heart? There’s no greater risk.

Nineteen year old Carrie Walsh was forced to marry George, a man she’ll never love. She had no choice but to accompany him to Eagle Canyon, an isolated gold camp set deep in California’s mountains. One thing keeps her from despair—the precious life inside her.

The loner known as Nevada sees Eagle Canyon as his future. He commits to making it through a brutal winter, trusting that spring will allow him to break free of his past.

Then George dies under mysterious circumstances. Suspicion centers around Nevada who was with him on that fatal day. As the investigation intensifies, Carrie fights her feelings for the too-quiet Nevada. As much as she wants him to be innocent, his refusal to defend himself makes her doubt everything, most of all her heart. Admitting she can’t trust his dark eyes and strong arms, she commits to supporting herself until spring thaw allows her to escape. But if she does, Nevada will have to fight for his freedom on his own—if he deserves it.

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2022

About the author

I had to edit my biography, changing my status from married to widow. Since I'm often asked how I'm doing, I'll put the answer here. For the most part I'm doing all right thanks to loving family and understanding friends.

I have two sons and four grandchildren. Two rescue dogs allow me to hug, walk, and feed them. In exchange they give me unconditional love and the occasional need for the carpet shampooer.

As the product of a rural upbringing, the wilderness, particularly mountains and evergreens are in my blood. I live in a small southern Oregon town which boasts four distinct seasons, an awesome river, and the ocean within a short drive. Ditto with Crater Lake.

Setting plays a big role in most of my writing as witness by two recent contemporary romance series set in Montana's awesome mountains.

Also writes as Dawn Flindt and Heather Williams.

Reviews

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but it read like a precurser to a larger book. The style was like some of the books I grew up reading. The characters were interesting but I wanted to know more... dig a little deeper to their motivation. I love strong female characters and males written with many layers and not the stereotypical type. I just wanted a bit more background. I would definitely read this author's work again and I am curious about what comes next for Carrie, Katherine and Nevada.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winter Silence is the first book in the Gold Camp series it is the middle of a gripping very cold winter and when Nevada and Robert set up from Eagle Crossing to deliver the Mail to grass Valley, a days walk away. Nevada has something Robert doesn’t morals, sobriety and a warm coat. Unfortunately Robert doesn’t make it back from the trip to grass Valley and everyone is suspicious, everyone except Roberts wife Carrie. She wouldn’t miss her abusive husband at all. She noticed the haunted, yet kind eyes of Nevada, long before they set off the grass Valley. Win Nevada return without Robert and told her about her husband‘s demise. Carrie noticed the marks on her husbands partners neck, but said nothing. The town suspicion and his growing love and respect for Carrie may be his downfall. She wants to tell the sheriff what she knows , but it would ruin her reputation and he won’t allow it. She is starting to fall in love with him and doesn’t know what to do. Will he be found guilty and she will never know true love or will the truth come out and her and her baby can live happily ever after with Nevada?

I really enjoyed this book and the authentic details in it. I think the author Musta did her due diligence when it comes to research, because everything was spot on when it comes to how people live in the 1800s. My favorite thing in this book was Carry’s pet doe and favorite confidant Trouble. I thought that was a nice addition to the already great romance of Nevada and Carry. I highly recommend this book if you love accurate historical romance and drama. This is so worth reading one of the best historical novels I have read in a while. Please forgive any grammatical or punctuation or errors as I am blind and dictate my review. I was given this book from Books sirens, but I am leaving this review totally voluntarily.

[Lara Chabot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this book because I love historical romance. I usually read stories happening in Scotland and England, anywhere between 12th and 19th centuries. This story is a VERY slow one. Almost nothing happens throughout the book, besides Carrie learning to live alone and trying to make a living. We know almost nothing of her life, besides the facts that her father was cruel, that he had given her to a good for nothing man and that she had some kind of a relationship with her mother. As for Nevada, he doesn’t even have a family name. His story is equally sad, but confusingly so. We know some bits of what happened to him, but nothing clear. Katharine is Carrie’s friend. I understand that life has been a nightmare for her, but again, we don’t know much of what happened to her before. She is bitter, trusts no one, and treats all men as if they are monsters. She’s hard to get attached to, perceiving everything in a very negative way.

Overall, I did not like this story: too many things left unsaid, a deceptive ending (an epilogue would have been great), characters who always repress their feelings... Too much runaround, not enough action and no clear romance. Barely any, in fact. For me, this story was boring and exasperating. If you like quiet, tranquil stories, this is for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing tale of a woman redefining herself to survive after being widowed in the middle of Winter in California during the gold rush. Carrie's husband had treated her with little respect and virtually no consideration of her as a person. Now she has to figure out what to do to survive trapped in a mountain valley town after discovering her husband gambled all the money away and the equipment for the sawmill he was a partner in. Nevada's life became tied to Carrie because of the loss of the sawmill and also as the bearer of the bad news and the need for the whole town to help take care of the new widow.

The characters were deep and reluctant to talk about anything of substance so the book is filled with many contemplative moments and failed attempts at action. The descriptions of the realities of being snowed into this mining town felt real and not overdone.

There were a few places where I had a bit of trouble following the dialog or understanding and came away with the feeling that I just wasn't getting what VM wanted me to understand. Fortunately, it did not detract from the book over all. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery and this is my honest review.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

1852. George Walsh and Nevada were walking in the high Sierra snow to deliver the mail. The pass was only walkable and it was cold. George was taking a nip here and there and Nevada was worried he was not prepared for the cold. Drinking and cold did not mix.
George had a pretty wife waiting at home for him but he also liked the ladies. Nevada didn’t like that about his partner. They were partners in a saw mill. Nevada was happy about their prospects.
Carrie is George’s wife. Married off by her father without a thought for her. Unknowledgeable in the wifely duties, she did her best. Her mother insisted on them taking a stove with them that George didn’t want to lug home, but he was happy when it kept their home warm.
This is a story about learning to look forward and not look back. Where you find friends where you can and survive the best way you can with what you have. Where those you don’t know help when in need and love comes when least expected. This is also a story of learning to trust and winning back lost trust.
Awesome story with awesome characters. Would like to see where the characters go from here.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

[Irene S · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Nevada returns alone from an aborted mail run, Carrie is not heartbroken to hear that her husband George is dead. Even though her husband's death is suspicious, the heavy snow keeps the sheriff from investigating. Carrie's husband was very controlling and Carrie never ventured far from her cabin. Now Carrie starts to build a life for herself and make friends. Carrie also starts drawing closer to Nevada, but people in town are suspicious of him. I received a free copy of this book from eBook Discovery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. For me, this is story is a western fairy tale. The story is not historically realistic, but it is still an enjoyable read. Carrie and her friend Katherine are modern women in an old west mining town. Even though they are both widows and the only available marriageable women in town, none of the men bother them. I really did like Carrie and how she quickly became an independent woman. Nevada is the strong and silent type who is always looking out for Carrie's best interests. This was a quick and enjoyable read.

[Margaret Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in an isolated mining town during the gold rush, I found this novel interesting as it described conditions and the interaction with fellow citizens. Modern mining has improved dramatically but conditions are still harsh. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for Carrie to discover that she had been left high and dry on the death of her husband. Fortunately, her husband had dragged the stove her mother gave her along with them, albeit reluctantly, otherwise Carrie would have had no way in which to support herself. I enjoyed the way in which Carrie and Katherine learned to depend upon one another and how the dynamics of the small town changed as events unfolded. Nevada is a caring man, but human nature being what it is, will always view someone different with suspicion. I found parts of the book a little ambiguous and battled to figure out what was happening, but nevertheless was glad that it came to a good conclusion. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Winter Silence" takes place in 1850s California. Carrie is a young wife to George, a older chauvinistic man. He is also an investor and a gambler. Nevada is a man who works in a sawmill but wants to start his own business. He and George are prospective business partners. The story opens with both men going on a journey and only one returns. I like this story. It has a good plot with mystery, elements of danger & suspense and a slowly developing love story. The characters are multilayered. I like the way the story explores the treament of women at that time, their relationships with each other and their struggle to survive in areas that are difficult in climate and social situations. The author does a great job of showing the vulnerability and strength of the main characters when both have to pursue a new plan for the future. They must trust themselves and each other. A good weekend read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome historical.
Did Nevada do something to George? You meet them both at the beginning of the book and I have to say George is not one of my favorite characters. His attitude toward his wife was horrible but based on the setting of the book the author did a great job of making it realistic. I was amazed at how good the writing was beautiful detail I felt as if I was in the storm with the men. Then later in the book the emotions and challenges that were faced kept me captivated it was such an excellent piece. I picked this book up on BookSirens and I am so glad I did. I highly recommend this book. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[SKM · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the summary I didn't know if I'd enjoy this book or not but I was pleasantly surprised. The writer is axle to pull you in and keep you guessing about what actually happened on what mountain right until the very end. She also developed characters with depth and that left you wanting stories for the secondary characters. This is good because some books don't leave you wanting secondary characters to have their own story because you aren't invested.

All in all, this is a good book with a good story and I highly recommend it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Toyenlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is kind of unusual, the story line is unusual but interesting all the same. It's about a woman, Carrie, whose husband had no respect for her at all. Her husband, George, was on a journey with his partner, Nevada, on a very chilling and snowy night. He wasn't properly dressed with enough overcoat and in an attempt to save himself offered his wife in exchange for his partner's coat. Nevada refused but George tried to kill him but ended up dead. Which led to a series of events which is better read than being told... "I received this book from eBook discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review".

[CORINNE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am reviewing it voluntarily

This was a stark reminder of how people lived during the gold rush

Life was hard decisions made by power and those who had money pleasures were few and simple

I found it hard to read at times so sad

Very well written

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I did enjoyed the book. At times, I felt that it was a little slow. But I believe that the slowness was needed to better develop the characters, settings, etc. but I did feel like something was missing, but I can’t put my finger on it.

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Ojone Stephen-Nwosu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am always happy to read stories of women who prevail in the face of obstacles thrown their way and finding that lasting love in the end. This book has all that elements. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily