I really, really wanted to enjoy this book! I loved the first half of the book, it really drew me in with the initial plane scene and subsequent fight for survival. When Michael and Mallory meet, I immediately feel a connection between them. I was on board with the relationship right away. The trouble began in a number of ways...

(1) Please, please, please market this book as Inspirational or Christian - religion is mentioned way too often in this book for it not to be labeled as such. I have seen many reviews saying the same thing about this book, so I know I'm not alone in my surprise at how often God and religion is mentioned. I love Inspirational Romance, read it all the time, but I need to know upfront what genre I'm reading. When it takes a left turn into another genre, I am thrown for a loop and it can be difficult to recover.

(2) About halfway through the book, the hero literally says he wants to have a romantic relationship with Mallory, but he can't have sex with her because he still loves his wife....um, okay. When she says she just wants his heart and doesn't need his body (girl, please), he says she can't have that either. And STILL, she's like, I'll take whatever I can get....*blink, blink* GIRL, if you can't have his heart and you can't have his body....what else is left to have other than friendship? She just came off as so desperate and I couldn't keep reading. It was really not fun to read about a heroine who literally throws herself at the hero, and is willing to take whatever crumbs he throws her way. Not attractive.

I will say that I loved this author's writing style, and I am hoping to read their previous books or future books. But this one missed the mark for me in a big way. Not my ideal type of romance.

I received this book from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me entranced from the moment I opened it. I loved the adventurous main character and believed in her strength. In the beginning when the story appeared it could be ending soon, I just looked at the page number and was pleased that I would not be sourly disappointed by the foreshadowed ending. I recommend this story - Enjoy! I am excited to read more of S.C. Stephens book

Great book. Impossible to stop when you begin. Love can cure a lonely heart. Made me cry. Michael and Mallory are great together. You should write a sequel for those two.

Here’s the thing, I would honestly read just about anything this author writes.
I might not love them all but I will read them. why? Because Kellan Kyle? That man will forever be one of my favourite book boyfriend. *Be still my beating heart
And it is because of him that I always have high hopes when it comes to a S.C. Stephens’s book. And it is also because of that man that I will be a tad partial towards the author.

Having said that, Under The Northern Lights is not something I will be reaching for again.
Here’s another thing, I love a slow-burn romance..I mean who doesn’t right? All that angst? But this one was so disappointing!
I think by the end I was like “that was what I was waiting for?! Tsk Tsk!”.

Under The Northern Lights was interesting. I like the whole ‘adventurous’ wilderness aspect of the storyline. I really enjoyed the thrill of the whole ‘scary and dangerousness of being out in the wild unknown’.

So there you have it: Under The Northern Lights was not my favourite book by S.C. Stephens.
There was just something about it that didn’t satisfy me.
NO, it was not the ‘religiousness’ of it. To each their own.

I just feel like Mallory and Michael’s story was not worth the wait. I was kind of hoping for the unbelievable sizzling chemistry…which wasn’t there.So yes, I’m kind of bummed out about it because I was really hoping to fall absolutely in love with these two.

I recieved this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have read this author previous works and was excited to start this one. The first chapter is very slow. Then the next chapter hits you with a bang. This book is close to YA so it's not like her other works.

Mallory is wildlife photographer who flies to Alaska on a yearly basis. She has plane trouble and is saved by Michael. My heart broke for them you can tell he cared for her. He just didn't know how to move on. Yes the middle of this story dragged for longer than it should have. Mallory love for Michael was very relatable. I see alot of women like her who fall in love with a man they can't have. I loved how she had faith for the both of them. This book for some by might be a 3.5 star rating.

This is my first SC Stephens ARC. I requested to read it on Net Galley and was lucky enough to be granted the chance. I was practically happy dancing. The Thoughtless Series was one of my fave series, and I have every paperback. Kellan Kyle was one of my fave book boyfriends!

Oh man... Where do I even begin? I love the story.... I admit, it was a slow burn for me but its part of what makes this story great. I've never been on a plane crash and I have never been lost in the cold wilderness of Alaska— I can only imagine almost every part that was described.... but I have been in a relationship and I have experienced tremendous loss... and while people deal with grief differently, I understand their love-story has to be written this way.

I can relate about Michael's resentment towards God but at the same time I can also relate to Mallory's gratefulness towards God. I'm Catholic and while I'm far from being called religious, I do try to make time to pray and go to church. I think it's awesome to point out about the little things we tend to take for granted... like waking up alive, or thankful for our eyesight... or limbs. Or knowing our family is still around...

I felt every emotion—the frustration, the anger... the helplessness... and I also felt the grief... the wariness and the love... This story will surely pull on your heartstrings. I never thought this one will be an emotional read, but it is—well at least to me.

Michael's stubbornness and resistance was exasperating and Mallory was almost pathetic waiting for a scrap of affection, but it made for a great build-up... for the thrill... like you're climbing up and waiting whether to jump over the precipice or not... and when they finally did, it was such a relief but still painful at the same time.

While I was reading, I kept on thinking... this would make an awesome movie. There's action, there's drama and romance...

I think this is the best book the author has ever written... my only complain is that the ending seemed hanging. I wish there was an epilogue of them starting a family. The romantic sap in me needs it, lol But who knows, maybe they will have a novella.

Like I said I love this book. It's not a quick and easy read but I finished it overnight. It was too captivating to put down. This story will teach you to have faith in God and to have faith in the goodness of others... it also teaches you to be brave and to take risks...

If you love Devney Perry, A.L Jackson and Kennedy Ryan, or if you're simply looking for something heartwarming to read, then this is the book to pick up next!

Another beautiful book by S. C. Stephens. This story started off with a bang and kept the intensity going through the whole book. The slow build is everything. I is a great read.

So I went in blind to this book and although it took me a few chapters to grab my attention needless to say as I kept on reading I thought this was so incredibly different to anything I have read before!
I wasn’t sure if I would like the story however as I read on the connection between the characters really got interesting! The whole survival aspect out in a place where you have to live to survive and with no modern conveniences at all was rather astounding! I admired both Michael and Mallory for how they endured everything!
My heart was in my stomach at certain parts and I wondered if we would get a happy ending at all! I was pleasantly surprised and loved how it ended!
Certainly a story not for the faint of heart and something a little intriguing as well!
Definitely a story of survival!

This was the first book by this author that I have read. And Oh My God. I adored it.

I literally could not put this book down. I devoured it.

Mallory was such a strong, independent and likeable character. And Michael was such a sweet, quiet yet caring alpha. They were perfect and it really had me invested in their story from start to finish. I didn’t want it to end, because I had grew to actually care for these characters. I want to know more.

When I read the blurb, I was mildly interested and thought I’d give it a go. And I was definitely right to do so.

I absolutely enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending. I will be gifting a copy to my sister, also.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher via Net Galley but this has in no way influenced my review or opinions.

I've read a few books from this author and enjoyed them! I then saw this book on Netgalley and the cover drew me to it, so I checked out the synopsis! It sounded exactly like my kind of read, so I requested a copy and tried to read it as soon as I could! I would have read it straightaway, but I had a few other ARCs to read first! After reading this book, I have to say that I enjoyed it! I loved the whole idea of the plot and felt like it was slightly different to other books with a similar plot! It only took me a few sittings to read as well and I thought that the plot developed at a nice pace! Religion also played a big part of this book, which I wasn't expecting, and I'm not religious in any way, so I did find this a bit distracting! That was my only issue with this book! I enjoyed the romance and it allowed for a few hot scenes! The characters were also amazing and made this book even better! Mallory was the main character, and in this book all she wanted was to go on her holiday and take pictures of wildlife! This definitely didn't go to plan for Mallory and she ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere, which is how she came to meet her love interest! I liked Mallory in this book and she was stuck because she wanted to stay with her love interest, but she also wanted to see her family again! I could understand Mallory's dilemma! Michael was the love interest of Mallory! I was intrigued by Michael pretty much as soon as he was introduced in this book! He did keep his cards close to his chest and it took quite a bit of the book for him to open up to Mallory and reveal more about himself! I did like Michael in this book and I had respect for him because he did everything himself and he didn't rely on any mod cons! I also understood why Michael wanted to escape people because he had lost faith in them! This book was only written from Mallory's point of view, which surprised me a little! In a way I was expecting it to be written from dual point of view, but the synopsis does give the impression that it is only going to be written from Mallory's point of view, so I probably shouldn't have been too surprised lol! I can understand why it was only written from Mallory's point of view because it kept Michael's secrets for longer and kept the mystery going for longer! I would have liked to have gotten the chance to have went inside Michael's head, but I enjoyed this book only being written through Mallory's eyes and I was still able to connect with Michael! I can also completely understand why this book is a standalone! I wish that it wasn't because I would have loved to have read more on Mallory and Michael, but the ending of this book was left at the perfect place and summed up the characters story beautifully! I still have a few of this author's other books to read and I can't wait to see what she's going to release next! The cover for this book is absolutely stunning! The blue really makes the cover stand out and it definitely drew me to the book! The cover also definitely suits the book and I love it a lot! Big thank you to S.C. Stephens, Montlake Romance, and Netgalley for an ARC of Under the Northern Lights!

I'm always a sucker for a good adventure story, so this one was just my style. I admired the courageous main character, Mallory Reynolds, as she headed off alone to the Alaskan wilderness for a yearly trek to photograph wildlife. The unthinkable happened, and her plane's engine stalled during a storm. Unable to avoid a crash, Mallory is hurt, but amazed that she survived. Even with her injuries and having lost almost all of her supplies, she manages to tend to her wounds as well as possible and to survive a couple of nights alone. Just as it looks like her courageousness isn't going to be able to get her out of a situation, she is suddenly rescued by a man.

After some trepidation, but no choice about being taken back to his cabin, Mallory begins to trust Michael Bradley. Soon, her feelings about him grow, but Michael is a damaged man who wants nothing more than to be alone in the wilderness.

The adventure and danger in this story were what really drew me in. The main characters were likable, and I enjoyed Mallory's family members once they were drawn into the story. There was some angst in this one, but it felt like a requisite part of the romantic adventure story. This was my first book by S.C. Stephens, and I enjoyed it enough that I'll be searching out her backlist. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this exciting book in return for an honest review.

Thought this was an okay romance. Didn't really connect with any of the characters or had a really good time enjoying it. Felt like it lacked a better building plot.

I would give this one 3.5 stars. Okay I have to be honest. I usually five star just about everything I read from S.C. Stephens. I absolutely love her writing and her characterization in her stories. However, this time, I didn't get the same feelings I usually get reading her stories. It was a little slow for me. It was a bit of a struggle to make it through and I was missing the connection with the characters and emotion that I love feeling when I read S.C.'s stories. That being said, the writing and the setting are absolutely beautiful and I think the characters are well developed, I just didn't relate with them myself. I think this one was just not my cup of tea, but I will still recommend to others as I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story and the writing and I will continue to love and read S.C. Stephens.

DNF at 42%
I rarely DNF books, but Under the Northern Lights just wasn’t for me. It sounded interesting and I normally love what S.C. Stephens writes, but I found myself bored pretty early in the novel. The first few chapters were interesting, but after that the progression of the story was to slow for me and nothing really caught my attention. I persevered with my read for a few more chapters hoping my impression would change, but sadly it didn’t. I didn’t connect with the characters like I wanted to. I had some questions that intrigued me about Michael’s past, but it wasn’t enough to keep me reading. I’m really disappointed in this book!

4.5-4.75 STARS

For years, I have been a huge S.C. Stephens fan, having first fallen in love with her angst-filled romance series, Thoughtless. Intrigued by the premise of her latest book, "Under the Northern Lights," I wasn't sure what to expect, as it seemed a far cry from the type of books she's previously written. And while that is most certainly true, it is also true that "Under the Northern Lights" is proof-positive that S.C. Stephens is truly a talented storyteller.

When the plane she’s piloting crashes in a remote area of Alaska, wildlife photographer, Mallory Reynolds, quickly goes into survival mode. But Mallory is ill-equipped to survive the harsh realities that face her—including the wild creatures that inhabit the area. Just when Mallory is about to fall prey, she is rescued by a mysterious recluse named Michael Bradley. Unfortunately, while Mallory takes refuge in Michael’s cabin, she is stranded there till spring, which is still several months away.

Disillusioned by humanity, Michael lives a life of self-imposed exile. Even with the daily dangers that living such an existence poses, Michael prefers to be left to his solitude. Still, he can’t help be drawn to Mallory, despite all the reasons he must keep his distance. With faith and determination on her side, Mallory slowly chips away at Michael’s walls. Over time, feelings grow and a pseudo-relationship develops. But as spring approaches, so does the looming reality that their time together is coming to an end.

Boasting a unique and intriguing premise with likeable, multi-dimensional characters, “Under the Northern Lights” is a perfect combination of suspense, desire, and heart. Right from the get go, I was drawn into Michael and Mallory’s uncertain world, and savored every moment of their arduous journey. And as their budding romance blossomed, my heart ached for the outcome that seemed doomed from the start. Still, I held out hope that Michael would finally grab ahold of the HEA that was well within his reach.

On another note, I feel I must address the critical comments pertaining to the religious component that underscores this book. While I understand how this might make readers feel a bit uncomfortable, it is not a prevailing theme that detracts from the story as a whole. Nor, is it preachy. It is simply one aspect of Mallory’s character, much like any other trait that a character in a book might possess. But more importantly, it showcases how Mallory’s world view is so drastically different from that of Michael’s—a man who has lost everything, including his faith in God and humanity.

The beginning of Under the Northern Lights had me on the edge of my seat. I was completely in the moment, so much so I settled in expecting to devour the book in one sitting. The storyline was full of possibility. Sadly after the initial wow and excitement the story turned monotonous. The pace and flow went from compelling to painfully slow. I felt trapped and bored and no longer cared about what happened to Mallory and Michael. I applaud the author for making me feel the excitement and the halting pace but at some point it needed to go somewhere of interest rather than round and round and round. For me Under the Northern Lights was predictable and drawn out without substance. I wanted to love it but got left behind in the wreckage of lackluster romance, unexplained insta-love, and a fair amount of contradiction.

There are a couple of things I hate and DNFing a book is one of them.

Rarely I came across a book that just doesn't suit me but when I do, it's really hard to end it especially if I already read more than half of the book.

While once I finished it no matter what, lately I stopped doing that because there are just too many good books out there to spend my time on the ones I don't like.

First thing I don't really like is that the MCs met at around 20 %. That's one-fifth of the book. It's waaay too late for me.

But you know, I thought ''Eh, maybe it will get better''.

Ha, not really.

In the fifth chapter (after they already met) I came across a moment where they were talking and the whole conversation turned religious. Now, I am Christian but I really don't like to read about religious aspects in the books. They are not my cup of tea. I like my books simple, deep with emotions and yes, with heat between characters. When I got to this conversation, I was like ''Please, don't let it be like Return of the Song'' (book I once also requested on NetGalley and it turned out to be a Christian romance with no emotions, no heat, anything I liked in book - you can see the review here). Because if there's religion mentioned in a conversation there's a mild possibility that there will be no passion in the book, not the one I would like.

But as I did before, I continued reading because maybe it will happen just this once and not anymore.

One thing that also bothered me was too detailed descriptions of animal killing and preparing for food. I have a ''slight'' idea where food came from, I really don't need the details. It was just so hard to read about it...

Sometimes I thought that while the author mentioned a lot of things, she forgot to include the basics. For example, when she crashed and rescued herself from the plane in the forest, she mentioned that her fingers are so cold and she needs to warm them otherwise she'll need to cut them or something. But then a couple of pages later she wore warm gloves. Umm, what? Maybe she got them from her first-aid kit but it wasn't mentioned and it left me confused. Another example: In another chapter, they were making pancakes. He goes to civilization twice a year. Where does he get eggs? How did they make the pancakes if not with eggs? Why is this not mentioned if the author goes in details with animal cutting?

Her injuries were mentioned also in details, yet when they both came to his cabin, she was already up and running in a couple of days. With her injuries, I thought she would need more than a week to recover! (not an expert here though)

At around 60 % they had a big conversation about why he chose a cabin away from people. He said some things that made me think that he will not be persuaded otherwise, that the heroine can't change his opinion, can't change him no matter what she tried. His beliefs were strong, it was like watching two very different people, each on a different path, leading the different way, never coming across. I didn't see the connection between them anymore.

She realised she can't fix him (her words) and a couple pages later she thought she can. Such a contradiction.

Because I didn't see the passion between them anymore I stopped there. I can't bring myself to continue reading it.

I was curious though what other readers thought of this book and if the talk about religion continued. Apparently, it does and it goes beyond that and I was also right that there are no hot moments between them (except some kissing).

Even though I didn't finish this book, I'm gonna rate it. I'm giving it two stars. Not because I want to lower the average ratings, but because this rating is more for me. So that I know what bothered me. I know many people would say why rate it if I didn't finish it. I'll tell you why. I think it's important to have arguments on why rate it the way you rate it. I think that if I'd continue reading my rating wouldn't change. Because no matter the ending, my opinion wouldn't change. I came across so many things in this book that bothered me that those last 40 % for sure couldn't make the book better. And because also, I'm over half of the book. I already have a clue what's the author's writing style, how the characters act and such. Nothing could make my rating better, not even a HEA.

This was my first book by this author, by the way.

Good forced proximity romance with a broken hero. Visualization was key as Mallory was stranded in wilderness that most of us have never experienced before. Vivid descriptions made the story interesting.

Mallory and Michael made it all work as not only were they the main characters, they were for the most part the only characters. Nicely paced.

*ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

This was a new author for me. The story sounded interesting as Alaska, the great frontier and the Northern Lights always intrigue me.

Other reviews mention the religious tones were overwhelming, but I don't agree. We all have something to turn to in times of distress that helps us cope. Mallory 's faith is what sustains her. She discovers it once was Michael's faith that sustained him until tragedy struck.

The story was slow moving and torturous at times. Understandable that crashing in the remote Alaskan woods would be treacherous, the descriptions of Mallory's injury and subsequent injuries to Michael due to wildlife were overkill. It took so long for Michael to find Mallory after the crash. It took forever for their relationship to develop and then once it did she was headed home.. The final few chapters, from the consummation of their relationship to Mallory returning to her family and then the story's culmination, we're the best and saved the story. Stuck with it, and skimmed a lot , but overall an okay story.

I was provided a free ARC eBook by the publisher and Net Galley for my honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for a review. The beginning of this book really captivated me and find out what happens to Mallory and then she meets Michael. Classic love story. I loved the ending!!