Appalachian Summer by Ann H. Gabhart

APPALACHIAN SUMMER

by Ann H. Gabhart

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: June 30th, 2020

Is true love worth forfeiting fortune?

In 1933 Louisville, Kentucky, even the ongoing economic depression cannot keep Piper Danson's parents from insisting on a debut party. After all, their fortune came through the market crash intact, and they've picked out the perfect suitor for their daughter. Braxton Crandall can give her the kind of life she's used to. The only problem? This is not the man -- or the life -- she really wants. 

When Piper gets an opportunity to volunteer as a horseback Frontier Nursing courier in the Appalachian Mountains for the summer, she jumps at the chance to be something other than a dutiful daughter or kept wife in a loveless marriage. The work is taxing, the scenery jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and the people she meets along the way open up a whole new world to her. The longer she stays, the more advantageous marriage slips from her grasp. But something much more precious-true love- is drawing her ever closer. 

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First can we take a moment and just admire this gorgeous cover! I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover but I do love when they are so pretty and eye catching and this one definitely is! This was my first book by Ann H. Gabbart and it was so lovely and well written. I had never heard of the Frontier Nursing Service or the person who began it Mary Breckinridge. I was actually so intrigued I went on a search myself and found her story very interesting and selfless that because of the heartache over the loss of her own two young children caused her to devote her life to the well being of of mothers and children in the remote areas of southeastern Kentucky. I think this made me love the book even more. 

The story takes place in the beginnings of the Depression Era and the after the suffragette movement where women have now begun to vocalize their wants to be more than just a trophy wife. This is where we meet Piper at her debut party and right away you can tell she is none too happy about it but wants to please her mom and not disappoint her. She feels like there is more to life and her heart definitely belongs to another. 

A the debut party we meet Piper's escort and man that her father has "arranged" for her, Braxton Crandall, I mean he is okay and I am sure a catch for the time period we are immersed in but right away I knew he was not the man for Piper! 

Truda is her aunt which definitely encourages Piper to follow her heart rather than what society and her parents deem from her. I loved Truda!! She definitely tells it like it is and is not afraid to speak her mind. She definitely stands by what she believes. You also get to learn why she is single and cheer her on the entire story. I won't tell you much but she definitely has her own story within Piper's!! 

When we meet Mary Breckinridge at a fundraising tea she is looking for more volunteers for her Frontier Nursing Service. She sees something in Piper and urges her to try something new. By leaving home, she leaves everything behind, including her best friend Jamie who she has loved since childhood. She learns so much about herself in the mountains and learns that she can do anything put before her. 

The love story between her and Jamie is sweet and definitely one you cheer on throughout the story. There are some times when you want to bonk him upside the head but I think that's how the author meant for you to feel which I love because it means you are totally invested in the story. 

If you like historical fiction I definitely recommend this book. I thought it was very well written and I can't wait to read more from this author. She has already been added to my growing list of authors to read books from! 

Favorite quotes:

"Every person should be allowed one idiotic dream in her lifetime." ~ Truda

My Rating: 4 stars/ Really Liked it!

(I received a copy of this book through the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

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Ann H. Gabbhart grew up on a farm in Kentucky. By the time she was ten she knew she wanted to be a writer. She's published over twenty novels. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. She still lives on a farm not far from where she grew up. She loves playing with her grandkids, walking with her dog, reading and, of course, writing. Her Shaker books, set in her fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800's, are popular with readers. The Outsider was a Christian Fiction Book Award Finalist in 2009. Her Heart of Holyhill books are Small Town, America books set in the 1960's. Angel Sister, a Rosey Corner book set during the Great Depression, will be followed by Small Town Girl.

Visit Ann's website http://annhgabhart.com or her two blogs, One Writer's Journal, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com, and the Hollyhill Book of the Strange, www.hollyhillbookofthestrange.blogspo.... Giveaways several times a year.