I couldn't put this book down. I needed to know what was going to happen the whole time! Oliveira is great at pacing and building tension.

However, there was so much misery and misfortune. It exhausted me! It ends happily, but I found it hard to enjoy the ending because there had been so much anguish on the way there. I can deal with a lot of drama and conflict; this was too much even for me.

I really liked the Seattle setting. The early days of big cities is always fascinating to me.

Hailey grew up wealthy and her parents had certain expectations for her, which did not include Samuel who was not considered to have the right background and finances. Yet when Hailey's family goes bankrupt and they move to Seattle to improve their circumstances, Samuel follows them as soon as he is able to in hopes of reuniting with Hailey. It takes him a while to get there and in the meantime Hailey accepts the proposal of a another man because she thinks it's the only option she has to help her family survive. However, she does meet Samuel again and although they both still love each other, it's like they keep missing the right opportunities to be together. Overall, partly a story of never giving up on love and also the lengths one will go to do what they think is best for their family. Hailey's husband was very controlling and abusive and at times it was difficult to read.

Title: A Wild and Heavenly Place
By: Robin Oliveira

Genre:
Adult Fiction, Romance, Historical

Red Flags:
Alcohol Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Rape, Infidelty

Summary/Review:
One day in Glasgow, Scotland, Samuel Fiddes and Hailey MacIntyre’s eyes meet. Samual saves Haliey’s brother from a runaway carriage, but they come from two different worlds. Hailey is from a privileged family, and Samuel is a lower class, hard worker, trying to raise his sister, after the loss of their parents. These two secretly see eachother on and off over the next several weeks, where they begin to see and feel the results of young love mutually growing. Unfortunately, Haliey’s father makes a drastic decision which tears the two young lovers apart, however, Samuel doesn’t give up easily. He has fallen hard for Hailey and travels across the world to find her. Will their love last? How far will you go for love?

Robin Oliveira has woven a beautiful and intricate story of young love, however, I am going against the norm on this review. I did enjoy the writing, the author is no doubt talented. However, historically it fell short for me. I was hoping for more of the history with the fires, the era and time period. I felt the story was extremely predictable which made it very hard for me to finish. For that reason, this novel receives an average rating for me.

Thank you to Robin Oliveira, Random House Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads
#Robinoliveira
#netgalley #netgalleyreads
#Awildandheavenlyplace
#advancedreadercopies

A Wild and Heavenly Place is a sweeping historical fiction that will keep you engrossed throughout. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah, this book offers a more hopeful story of two people overcoming poverty, tragedy, and the difficulty of their circumstances to build a better life together in a new world.

Samuel Fiddes lives a difficult life in the tenements of Glasgow, Scotland, where he toils by day to support his little sister after rescuing her from the abusive orphanage where they were raised after their parents died in their childhood. Samuel nurses his attraction towards a wealthy young woman from his church, the beautiful and lively Hailey MacIntyre. A stroke of fate brings them together when Samuel saves Hailey's brother from an accident, and the two develop an unlikely friendship and affection.

When Hailey's father is pushed out of Glasgow following a bank collapse that wiped away the family's fortunes, her family sets out for the fledgling young Washington Territory. Out of love, Samuel follows in the hopes of finding Hailey again a world away from Glasgow. Their new home of Seattle tests the two and their families in many unexpected and fateful ways, but it also provides opportunities that they never could have found in the old world of Glasgow.

This novel is a story of love conquering all, both romantic and familial, and of the power of dreams. It's an ode to the early settlement of the Pacific Northwest and to the American Dream. I was totally engrossed in the story and powered through it to learn what would happen to Samuel and Hailey.

Some books just capture your heart and this caught mine. Oliveira's epic love story would make a great TV series. I loved the plot, the setting, the characters, all of it. And it was interesting to learn about Seattle’s history. This was such a satisfying story that left me with a book hangover. I read it as well as listened to the audiobook. The audiobook elevates the story and offers a delightful listening experience. I loved the narrators’ warm voices and Scottish accents as they brought Samuel and Hailey to life. This book swept me away!

Love triumphs all things & all obstacles. Samuel falls in love with Hailey in Glasgow, Scotland. When Hailey’s family leaves for Washington, Samuel is devastated, but ultimately decides to follow & try to find her. Many unexpected things happen & things do not go as planned. At all. I kept reading, wanting to know what happened next. I held my breath for Hailey so many times. Definitely a must read!

I really enjoyed this epic romance and can’t wait to pick up more from this author in the future. This book follows Hailey and Samuel wrong side of the tracks childhood sweethearts who are pulled apart from one another when Hailey’s family lost everything in the collapse of the Scottish bank. Hailey’s family trying to find a new life move to Seattle where Hailey’s dad becomes a fire boss in a coal mine. Samuel unable to bear the loss of Hailey learned how to build dinghy’s then found passage on a boat to find Hailey but Samuel finds himself too late.
This was a beautifully written historic fiction that really made me feel like I was in the story. I really enjoyed this authors writing it was beautifully written but kept my attention. I also enjoyed the characters and the choices they are forced to make they felt real and flawed and I really enjoyed the time period as well. I hope to read more from this author in the future. I would like to thank net galley and the publisher for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Hailey and Samuel meet through their church in Glasgow, Scotland and while their attraction is instantaneous, Hailey is from a well-off family and Samuel is an orphan, struggling to support himself and his much-younger sister, Alison. Hailey's parents think Samuel is beneath her, and as their fortune dissipates, they have more reason to want Hailey to make an advantageous marriage.

When they lose everything, Hailey, her parents, and younger brother travel to the state of Washington in hopes of rebuilding their lives. But none of them are equipped for the challenges they face, least of all her father, who is haunted by his past. Improbably, Samuel follows her there, but circumstances still delay their union.

This novel unflinchingly presents the true difficulty of the times for those who were not wealthy. While I appreciate its accuracy, it's tough to read, particularly when the first two-thirds of the book is unrelentingly difficult for the characters. The happy ending is a relief, but the ratio of happy to sad could be a little higher. I like to read to escape which ideally doesn't include reliving the trauma of my ancestors through fiction. #AWildandHeavenlyPlace #NetGalley

A Wild and Heavenly Place was such a beautiful book! This is a story of star-crossed lovers set in Glasgow, Scotland and then the early days of Seattle in the late 1870s-1880s.

This was such a wonderful book about starting a new life, family obligations, immigration, despair and hope. The author has a wonderful way with words, especially in the setting. I felt like I was in Glasgow, the mining town and Seattle.

I feel like this book is flying under the radar and I really really enjoyed it. If you're looking for a historical fiction set in the late 1880s I highly recommend reading A Wild and Heavenly Place!

Thanks to Putnam Books for my copy!

Like the Elizabeth George blurb on the front says: this is an about love, redemption, jealousy revenge….Definitely another fantastic story by Oliveira! I sailed through this one, and was gripped from the very first pages to the last.

This story, while beautiful, didn’t hit me in the way I needed from a historical fiction novel. Admittedly I think this was a “right book, wrong time” moment for me as I’m a habitual mood reader. I’d reread it for certain and hope I’m able to get into it more in the future. I was left wanting more from everything - place, characters, relationships, etc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this one and thought that is was beautifully written. I don't read historical fiction super often, but I was intrigued by the setting and details on the description for this one. It did not disappoint and since I have visited the San Juan Islands and that part of the US, it was fun to make those connections too. I will be looking for other books to read by this author for sure.


The book starts off in 1880s Scotland. Hailey is a well off teenager who fall in love with Samuel, an orphan who lives in poverty while trying to care for his young sister. They strike up a friendship and a romance until Hailey's dad loses it all in the collapse of a bank. From there, Hailey's family moves across the world to start over in Seattle, Washington. Fueled by love Samuel traipses across the world to follow her. The details of the story are both heartbreaking and beautiful and I truly loved the ending. I would recommend this one highly! Thanks for the opportunity to review it!

I enjoyed reading Robin Oliveria's A Wild and Heavenly Place. I had a hard time putting it down. I give this historical fiction five stars.

I enjoyed this book so much more than I expected. Solid 4 stars for me! The author says this book reflects her love of place most of all but also a sense that everyone is in search of home, and love, and that when they are the same, we reach a wild and heavenly place. So beautiful! And truly this novel tells that story. We follow Samuel and Hailey, who have very different upbringings in Scotland, but fall for each other. They can’t be together and circumstances separate them. But, they both find themselves in Seattle in the late 1880s and it is a place filled with hardship and people chasing the American dream. The story touches on immigration, discrimination, and poverty in a tender and gentle way. We see Samuel chase his dreams to be a shipbuilder and watch as Hailey has to rewrite her own dreams. Their love for one another is the heartbeat of this novel, but it also really examines what family and community and home mean to us. I highly recommend this one.

Hailey and her family are very rich and live in Glasgow, Scotland. Samuel is very poor and struggling to feed himself and his sister. When he saves Hailey’s little brother from a runaway carriage. His world changes. He falls head over heels for Hailey. He knows she is out of his league. But not long after that fateful day, Hailey’s father loses it all. She and her family move to America. But this does not stop Samuel. He follows her!

I cannot think of a better day to post about star-crossed lovers than on February 14. Life just keeps getting in the way of these two. But, you just can’t help but keep rooting for them!

I enjoyed a great deal about this novel. The setting, the characters and the story just reeled me in. The tragedy that follow both of these characters just break your heart but you just can’t stop reading!

Need a heartbreaking, captivating, star-crossed lovers tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

**POTENTIAL SPOILERS**

For fans of “The Great Alone” by Kristen Hannah, this is another story for you. We follow Samuel and Hailey, two Scots from very different lifestyles. Hailey, the rich daughter of a high society family with a fully staffed house and her little brother, Geordie. Samuel, an orphan who escaped an abusive orphanage ran by nuns with his baby sister, Alison, to live in a poor district near to starvation. Then one Sunday after church, Samuel saves Geordie from getting run over by a wagon in the street. Hailey and Samuel were fascinated with each other from that moment on. As the two characters get to know each other, cruel twists of fate take Alison’s family, now poor and ashamed, to Washington territory where her father works at a coal mine. Samuel follows her, hoping to find Hailey and make a life for all of them. Samuel and Hailey live through challenge after challenge, heartbreak after heartbreak. I was rooting for a happy ending the entire book. And I loved the moment when the title is said in the book, tying it all together. Robin Oliveira wrote beautifully about the scenery of the PNW, the cold, the nature, the lumber. She definitely researched for this novel, which I see fans of historical fiction and romance enjoying.

I was immediately drawn into this story of star-crossed lovers Samuel and Hailey. Hailey — from a wealthy family in Scotland — loses everything with the collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank, and her father whisks her family to the wild territory of Washington state for a fresh start. Heartbroken, Samuel leaves Glasgow, determined to find Hailey and create the life circumstances robbed them of in Scotland.

As a Pacific Northwest native, I loved revisiting a familiar history, and the rich descriptions of the landscape induced homesicknesses. The alternating POVs threw off the pacing at moments, with the story moving forward and jumping back slightly to experience moments from the other character's perspective. But the plot and conflict held my attention throughout the story, and I was anxious to know how things would resolve. Overall, it was a simple yet beautiful account — Samuel and Hailey's story was full of heartbreak and despair, but the book never lost a sense of hope, and the resolution felt like a triumph.

I loved this from the author's note: "This novel reflects my love of place most of all, but also a sense that everyone is in search of home, and love, and that when they are the same, we reach a wild and heavenly place."

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira is the best type of historical fiction. I was drawn into the story from the first page to the last and didn’t want to see the story end.

There was a richness to the book that begins in Scotland and culminates in the Pacific Northwest, mainly in and around Seattle. The story takes place from 1878 to 1882 and is told in five parts in alternating chapters by one of the main characters. The newspaper or book references provided at the start of each section helped set the stage for what was to come.

There are layers to the story as we get to know Samuel and Hailey—two Scots from different sides of the tracks. But there is an immediate attraction and chemistry, although Hailey’s mother thinks Samuel will never amount to much. Wherever Samuel goes, his young sister, Alison, whom he raises the best he can, is with him. Hailey’s charitable deeds are not unappreciated but mean so much to both of them, especially as their circumstances change. When Hailey’s family wealth is lost, they start their journey across England by sea to get to the Seattle area, where a job has been promised.

A Wild and Heavenly Place is a moving story, and I sometimes had tears in my eyes with what the characters had to endure. Life doesn’t treat either of them fairly, but Samuel is strong and does his best to rewrite his destiny, hopes, and dreams through his hard work, and he surprises many while on his way to doing just that.

Throughout it all, Ali is by his side. We get to know Samuel and Hailey’s families a little at a time, and Hailey finds inner resources to get through each day in a life that she never expected or dreamed of. There are lessons learned, hardships lived and endured, and happiness taken when given.

There are so many vivid descriptions throughout that made me feel like I was there. I could sense the weather and the muck and smell the pleasant and off-putting odors. There was the disdain of many characters whose paths we crossed but also friendships forged and tested. There was hard work, lessons learned, those who could be trusted, and those best avoided. There are so many stories told and woven together. The historical facts and references drew me in since the settling of the West is one of my favorite periods in U.S. History.

The epilogue, which takes place eight months after the story ends, gave me the closure I crave, although I wish it went on a tad longer. Ms. Oliveira is a new-to-me author, and I look forward to reading more of her books, all of which have been added to my TBR pile.

A Wild and Heavenly Place is historical fiction with a touch of romance, but hardships, unexpected circumstances, and kindness all play a role as the characters forge their way in a new land they call home.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

This novel reflects my love of place most of all, but also a sense that everyone is in search of home, and love, and that when they are the same, we reach a wild and heavenly place. ~ Robin Oliveira

The saga of Samuel Fiddes and Hailey MacIntyre spans just a few years, but reaches from Scotland all the way to late 18th century Seattle. The coast of Washington was a favorite spot for Scots to emigrate as it reminded them of home, but with more opportunities. While I was reading I kept thinking of the movie 'Far and Away.' Yes, I know that particular plot featured an Irish couple who eventually settled in Oklahoma. Bear with me. If you read this I think you will find yourself picturing Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman as Samuel and Hailey. The plot and character development made for a compelling read. While Oliveira did extensive research to establish a strong sense of place, I do think readers more familiar with that part of the country will love it even more than I did.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I wrote about this on Goodreads and The Storygraph and shared links on various social media sites. In a nutshell, this book wasn't for me and I probably should have DNF'd it. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6254911865