gorgeous and poignant hisfic romance with a mesmerising plotline, filled with human emotion just to the brim. would recommend. thanks for the arc!

This is the story of Samuel and Hailey who meet in church in Scotland. Samuel and Hailey inhabit opposite worlds in Glasgow and Hailey's wealthy parents immediately disapprove of Samuel as a viable choice for Hailey's partner. But then Hailey's family falls on hard times and they decide to emigrate to America. Two months later, Samuel and his younger sister Alison set out to find Hailey. Eventually Hailey and Samuel come together again, but not under the circumstances either had hoped for.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the scenery of Seattle and learning more about the early days there. I liked the characters of Samuel and Hailey, though they both were a bit one-dimensional. James, Hailey's husband, was almost too much of a villain sometimes. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters of Geordie, Alison, Hailey's parents, Bonnie and Pruss and John Salvation. I felt like each was unique and well-drawn.

I liked that the plot kept moving along and didn't get too bogged down. I was really rooting for the couple and found their love story compelling. I thought this did both the historical fiction and the romance parts well.

✩✩✩✩/5
A new, fantastic historical fiction to add to your tbr!
I was so excited to get an advanced look at this one because it takes place in Seattle, a city near and dear to my heart.
The story begins in 1870s Scotland with a Romeo & Juliet type love story. After the young girl’s family decides to sail to America in search of a better life, a young Samuel must decide if he wants to stay in his native Glasgow or follow the love of his life across the world to Washington Territory.
It’s such a wonderfully descriptive and layered story touching on so many faucets of life in the 1800s from coal mining to the rise in ship building, immigration, the opium trade and a women’s place during this period.
Described as, ”an ode to the Pacific Northwest, to those courageous enough to chase the American Dream, and to a love so powerful it endures beyond distance and hope.”
I really enjoyed this one and loved that it was a different time period and region than a lot of historical fictions that I have read. This book debuts on February 13th and I highly recommend it to historical fiction lovers and anyone who has an affinity for the wild and beautiful Pacific Northwest. 𖠰

A big thank you to @net and @penguin random house for the advanced copy

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, each day I would look so forward to picking it up and starting again. I was rooting for Samuel and Hailey. The author did a lot of research and her descriptions were spot on. I could envision the banks of Seattle when they arrived from their long journey and the burning of the town, could almost smell it. The coal mine when it exploded, you felt for the women and children waiting impatiently for their men to come out. I could relate to the times, it was an awesome read.

I was a bit surprised at the ending but it was certainly fitting. If you enjoy historical fiction and you wonder how the Northwest corner of the US got started in the 1800’s, this is the read for you. Coming in with high 5 stars.

I received an ARC from Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for my unbiased review.

3.5 stars. Hailey comes from an upper class family in nineteenth century Glasgow. When a poor orphan, Samuel, saves her brother’s life, Hailey falls in love with him, much to her family’s disapproval. The novel follows Hailey and Samuel in alternating chapters as they travel to the new town of Seattle in separate harrowing journeys. I enjoyed the setting and struggles of the Pacific Northwest in the 1800’s. The characters were frustrating at times but overall, I liked this historical novel. I received a digital copy from NetGalley.

From Glasgow to Seattle, two families pursue a better life after tragedy and hard circumstances in Glasgow. When Sameuel and Hailey fall in love in Glasgow, they are faced with barrier of class. When Hailey's family loses everything, they move to Seattle to start over. Samuel and his sister follow in pursuit of love and a better life.

The author does an amazing job of describing the beauty Seattle's wild coast and the harshness of the coal mines. We are given a glimpse of young Seattle and the trials facing the new city. Samuel and his sister are endearing. However, though I liked Hailey, I didn't really connect with her and her family.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an ARC copy of the book.

With her aptly titled new novel, Oliveira (Winter Sisters, 2018) sweeps romantically inclined readers into the spectacular setting of the Washington Territory during the 1870s and 1880s, when Seattle was a muddy frontier outpost primed for growth and industrial development. Centering this epic tale is the enduring relationship between Hailey MacIntyre, a prosperous Scottish coal engineer’s daughter, and Samuel Fiddes, an aspiring shipbuilder determined to lift himself and his young sister from poverty. After Samuel saves Hailey’s brother from an accident in Glasgow, the two fall in love despite her parents’ disapproval. When the MacIntyres lose everything in a bank failure, Hailey’s father relocates his reluctant, traumatized family to the Pacific Northwest, where they must adjust to severely reduced circumstances. Samuel follows soon afterward, hoping to find Hailey again. The characters aren’t quite as nuanced as those of Oliveira’s previous historical novels, but their stories are magnetic as they undergo complex personal transformations. This unique American immigration tale has a large, multiethnic cast, and the exceptionally well-evoked backdrop makes it perfect for armchair travelers seeking an absorbing emotional escape. (published in Booklist, 1/1/24 issue)

Living in the greater Seattle area I enjoyed reading about the city during its infancy. The romance was fun and kept me turning the pages. However the love story it seemed a little weakly grounded— I wish there was more story at the beginning to establish the relationship. Some of the secondary characters along the way seemed a little underdeveloped as well. I was worried this would have a tragic ending and while it ended up ending well, there were a few unresolved threads (Allaway’s payments? Samuel’s bank loans? Bonnie?) I also wish there had been Scottish slang and culture incorporated throughout. This would make a great TV series.

What a great mix of history, setting, and characters. The most striking part for me was the beautiful descriptions of Scotland but especially those in the Seattle area of the natural beauty of the mountains, the waterways, and the forests. Bringing in the reality of life there in the mid to late 1800s was eye opening and very interesting. I liked the storyline even though it was a predictable and typical boy/girl struggling through adversity to be together story. My only minor disappointment is with 2 of the main characters: the “bad” guy has almost no redeeming qualities and the “good” guy is too perfect for words. But it is a warm hearted novel of the pull of home and finding home with those you love.

Thanks to NetGalley and G.T. Putnam Sons/Penguin Random House for the ARC to read and review.

A Wild and Heavenly Place reminds me of books that show the changing times and creation of some of the biggest and most important cities in America.

Beautifully written and enjoyed the character arcs. The time period of the story was a little different from what I’m used to but still enticed me.

Beautiful writing, well-researched characters, and wonderfully detailed. I highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are mine.

The author takes the reader on a beautiful, yet heartbreaking and bittersweet ride back through time in this tale of love, tragedy, hope, dreams, revenge, and triumph.
My heart broke as we started off in Scotland and were introduced to Samuel and his sister, their living conditions, and past. While these characters were fiction, you know that the setting, environment, the situation that the author described happened all too often in that timeframe. The descriptions, and emotions, Samuel’s hopes for his future and his despair for himself and his sister reach out from the page and wrap around your heart. Then we meet Hailey, the daughter of a wealthy family who turns out to be more. She sees Samuel and for who he is beneath the dirty clothes and unfortunate circumstances, but she’s trapped by her own circumstances. She’s not free to love who her heart chooses.
From there, we’re taken on a whirlwind trip across the pond, as a family chases their last hope and a man follows his heart but all are met with more challenges, tragedies, obstacles, triumphs, and failures than they ever imagined when they set sail. Along the way, we get to watch Samuel and Hailey both grow into the people they need to be. This isn’t a traditional romance, but it is a love story and there were times I worried these two wouldn’t get their HEA, but the author didn’t disappoint.
I truly enjoyed reading A Wild and Heavenly Place, and seeing Seattle in its early days. I’m especially glad, to have lived in the PNW, a good 100+ years later, LOL, after it grew up a bit and matured and next time I visit, I’ll think of Samuel and Hailey and all of those who helped make it the wonderful place it is today.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group, and Robin Oliveira for the advance copy. All opinions are mine.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!

This was not the type of book I’ve spent the year reading, but I really enjoyed it. The locations were rich, the time period fleshed out to feel historically accurate, the descriptions rich and vivid.

Samuel and Hailey love each other from the moment they see each other. And their story sweeps them around the world in a time when travel was grueling. Their story is one of despair and sadness, but also of hope and triumph. It seems as if something will always try to keep them from finding happiness together. Hailey’s story is raw and painful, but Samuel never gives up. I thought it was beautiful.

One family goes from luxury to poverty while another goes from poverty to more poverty, but then both circle back.

The MacIntyre family was living in luxury until the bank of Glasgow failed.

Samuel was poverty stricken from birth.

Harold Macintyre lost everything including his job.

He decided to move his family from Scotland to Seattle, Washington, where he was hoping to get a job in the coal business.

It was a rude awakening for his family, but now they know how the poor that Mrs. MacIntyre had no time for back in Scotland had to live.

Hailey MacIntyre was more devastated than her mother because she had fallen in love with Samuel Fiddes a poor dock worker back in Scotland. Her mother forbid her to see Samuel.

Meanwhile Samuel is on his way to Seattle to find Hailey, and she doesn’t know it.

We follow Samuel, his little sister Allison, and the MacIntyre family as we share in their struggle to live and live with them in their sorrows in this time frame - 1878 to 1882.

I loved sweet Allison.

Samuel will warm your heart too with how he takes care of his sister.

You will also feel the pain of most of the characters, but you will want James to have some pain.

The descriptions were very vivid and easily took you to the setting. Ms. Oliveria’s Writing is beautiful and lush.

There also is some heartbreaking romance, but more of the lives of the characters and how the homesteaders built a life for themselves and the country in the wild area they lived in.

Historical fiction fans will enjoy this book even though most is about hardships and heartbreak.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Overall, a well told story with some actual historical figures woven throughout. The star crossed lovers tale was just a bit over the top for me.

3.75☆

A Wild and Heavenly Place by NYT bestselling author Robin Oliveira
Out February 13, 2024
 
An epic love story spanning continents, oceans, and decades
 
Because of my own family history, stories about immigrants hold a special place in my heart. Coupling that with American historical fiction (my favorite hist fic sub-genre) and a class differences love story, I absolutely had to read this. And I’m so glad I did.
 
In 1879 Glasgow, Scotland, Hailey MacIntyre is the privileged daughter of a coal baron, and the primary caretaker of her younger brother due to their neglectful parents. During one such neglectful moment, Hailey’s brother is nearly killed by a runaway carriage but at the last second is saved by Samuel Fiddes. Samuel is nothing like the MacIntyes, he and his sister are the only living members of their family and they reside in a tenement with nothing to their name. Despite the fact Samuel saved the life of Hailey’s brother, her parents do not warm up to him. The pair fall in love while they see each other in secret. But the City of Glasgow Bank fails and Hailey’s family loses everything. Suddenly, Hailey is whisked away from Scotland to Seattle, Washington where her father finds work. Their last emotional moment together, Hailey begs Samuel to find her in Washington Territory.
 
While the McIntyre family go from riches to starvation, Samuel rises up and makes a name for himself in the shipbuilding industry. Samuel treks after Hailey but tragedy and circumstance keeps them apart.
 
The romance is the main story, but I really admired the character growth both Hailey and Samuel experienced, Hailey in particular. And in between the emotional lines lays lush imagery of the Pacific Northwest and Seattle in its early days. The ship building that Samuel begins to master was fascinating as well. The author clearly did significant research for this book. There is also a wonderful cast of characters surrounding Hailey and Samuel, some I loved and some I despised.
 
This was a captivating, emotional book I highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC of this book.

This book has intense detail about the environment and scenery. I wish there was just as much detail, or more balance, with the details of the characters and relationships.

Living in the PNW my whole life, this book brought an interesting context of an early Seattle. I liked that a lot.

The romance is easy to root for!

Well, what can I say. I have read books by this author before and really loved them. This one, it just wasn't that interesting to me. The book followed the outline where boy meets girl, boy and girl are separated from each other by circumstances, boy follows her halfway around the world looking for her, boy finds her.......So, that would be the romance part of the book. The historical fiction part is very shallow and really disappointed me. I was hoping to feel the grittiness of the Seattle fire, abhor the life in a coal mining town with strong images filling my head. None of that happened. I do realize that my opinion is in the minority. The book is getting quite a few 5 star reviews so please, read my review and know that sometimes I am just disagreeable.

A Wild and Heavenly Place brings Romeo & Juliet to 1870s Scotland, following star-crossed lovers from opposite ends of Glasgow to a life oceans away in Seattle. I appreciated the evident research by the author, who wrote in detail and with care about everything from coal mining to social dances, homemaking to shipbuilding. As a character, Hailey's arc is most compelling. The time and setting were engaging, and seemed a refreshing choice for a historical fiction/sweeping romance/family drama set in the late 19th century.
***Spoilers ahead***
- In a completely incongruous moment with no relation to any character building that had been done before, or would follow, Samuel goes to a brothel. This felt shoe-horned in as his way of seeking comfort when he felt rejected. But the entire book is a pattern of him being rejected, and reacting nobly, aside from this moment - there's no clear reason for his MO to suddenly switch after being deprived of touch for years, when he has a girlfriend, and otherwise has exhibited no interest in the vices other men freely indulge around him. There's hardly mention of him drinking ale with the other men in town, and then he goes straight to a brothel for one night? It was strikingly out of place.
- The parallel younger siblings of Alison and Geordie were ill-fitting foils. Alison was sweet, charming, and feisty in turns; Geordie was annoying and never aged beyond 4-5 years old. He is written throughout the entire book as still being a small baby, scooped up into arms constantly to be kissed, speaking with a lisp, never uttering a full sentence, while Alison grows a foot, develops a personality, and brings other characters together.
- The interracial relationship between two characters is kept to the shadows the entire book, then quickly addressed with a minister who believes love is love marrying them to live happily ever after, which felt trite. This and the friendship between the Lovings and Samuel could have been explored more deeply.
- Hailey's name seemed a bizarre choice - very 2000's for a girl born around 1860.
- The title has little relation to the story. The "Wild"ness is exemplified in the land and the behavior of men, James Murray in particular. But the inclusion of "Heavenly" is confusing - there is no religious bent to the European colonizers of the Washington Territory, they are simply in search of coal and resources. Though Hailey and Samuel attend church, they bear no deeply held beliefs throughout the entire book. The pairing of Wild and Heavenly is, I think, intended to highlight the contrasts but there's something off about it. And, the exact phrase gets used repeatedly in the epilogue, as if to justify its use as the title.