Hope Like Wildflowers, the third book in Pepper Basham‘s My Heart Belongs in The Blue Ridge series, is a sweet romance. The characters are real and relatable, and this reader could not help cheering them on towards their HEA! And like others of Basham’s novels, this book does not shy away from showing life in all of its messiness including the follies and flaws of its characters. The overarching message of God’s truth, love, and care shines like a beacon and reminded me yet again how good God is. Main character Kizzie is young and naive and looked for love, attention, and affirmation in the wrong place. Her mistake is costly as she finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her family. This may be shocking to modern readers, but the setting is early 1900s Appalachia, so her circumstances ring true. The first chapters of the book really are heartbreaking, but Kizzie soon discovers what real love looks like. Kizzie is a formidable character — her vulnerability and weakness are strengthened by her faith and hope. Yes, hope is a strong theme in the novel — something unseen but knowable in its certainty. As Kizzie grows in her faith and finds a place of purpose and belonging, she finds that God is a true provider, father, friend, and husband. A hefty dose of suspense kept the pages turning as well.

While Hope Like Wildflowers is a standalone novel, I really want to visit the first two books in the series. My heart yearns for more of that Blue Ridge experience!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

Hope like Wildflowers

This book kept my attention throughout the story. I love Kizzie. She was so loving, brave and smart. So many great characters in the story. I love how Kizzie and Noah meet. The story was set in the early 1900’s where they rode on horses and drove carriages. I love stories about this time period. I really enjoyed reading this book.

I received an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley. This book review is my own opinion.

As with most characters created by Pepper Basham, Kizzie quickly became someone I wish I could meet face to face. Kizzie is dogged by past moral failures that resulted in an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, a social taboo in the 1910s. Even worse, Kizzie succumbs repeatedly to the charms of the wealthy Charles Morgan, father of her baby and son of Kizzie's employer. Not only is Kizzie shunned by her family and society, but she also views herself as unredeemable. With guidance from neighbor and treasured friend Nella, Kizzie begins to learn about God's grace and accept the new identity she has as a child of God. But although Kizzie is confident in her newfound identity, societal pressures persist, even in the place she has looked to for a fresh start.

I enjoyed getting to know Kizzie and the other characters. I appreciated that Kizzie accepted responsibility for her own sinful choices, though she was, understandably, placed in a difficult position by a person in a position of power.

I received an ARC through NetGalley. The opinion expressed here is my own.

By focusing on Kizzie MacAdams's life and the events surrounding her redemption, Pepper Basham crafts a lovely narrative. Throughout her story, Kizzie's journey is a powerful reminder of the importance of seeking God's perspective on love, acceptance, and worth in the face of a shameful past and misunderstandings about these virtues. If you or someone you know has ever doubted God or our identity as His creation, you will find great encouragement in Kizzie's faith in the Lord and His miraculous will.

I thought this was a good story about forgiveness and learning to see yourself as God sees you. I thought it was interesting that this story is based on her great great great grandma. I thought she did a great job of helping us see the struggle that Kizzie went through as she continued to make the same mistake over and over again and struggled to see her self worth. I liked that Noah loved Kizzie even with the mistakes she had made. I also liked seeing the forgiveness and reconciliation with her family later in the book. I loved seeing how God’s love can heal and can make someone new. I also liked getting to see characters from the previous books and seeing what they are doing now. I thought this story was an emotional story with a wonderful ending.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

The beginning of this story was so good. The storytelling really wrapped me into the plot...and then Kizzie found her Saviour (which I loved) but it felt like after that event everything seemed to just work out for her. It was a little too predictable and convenient for my taste. Also, this is a clean read but it does deal with some closed bedroom issues...

This is a stunningly beautiful story! I’ve been eagerly anticipating Kizzie’s story since first hearing about her in Laurel’s Dream when I read it back in 2021, and wow did it exceed all my expectations!
Kizzie is an amazing character, and it was a joy to watch her bloom into the woman God created her to be. Seeing her give her heart to Jesus and discover her God-given worth and value was absolutely beautiful, and seriously touched my heart so deeply!
Noah is my favorite type of hero: smart, honest, kind, trustworthy, and breath-stealingly tender! If you ask me to describe my dream man, my answer would be: any of Pepper Basham’s heroes. I feel like every time I read one of her books my list of favorite heroes gets longer, and Noah definitely has a spot on that list!
And I would be remiss if I did not mention my love for the secondary characters (especially Nella, I just love her to pieces!)
Every book Pepper Basham writes becomes a favorite of mine, but Hope Like Wildflowers is truly a favorite among favorites! This book is a masterpiece of the Christian fiction genre, and in my opinion it’s right next to Redeeming Love as one of the most powerful and impactful Christian fiction books of all time!
Y’all this book wrecked me, in the best way! I almost never cry at books, but the last few chapters of this one had tears of joy pouring down my face, and I kept having to wipe my blurry eyes so I could finish reading this splendiferous gem of a story! I was this emoji: 😭
There truly aren’t words to describe just how deeply this book ministered to me!
Please treat yourself to the blessing that is Hope Like Wildflowers. This book can be read as a standalone but it would be most meaningful if you read Laurel’s Dream and The Heart of the Mountains first!
I totally and completely loved every second of this book and it will always hold a special place in my heart!
I wish I could rate it higher than five stars, because this book deserves every star in the sky!



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher.
My review was not influenced in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own

The pain of being shunned is very evident as Kizzie is alone with a newborn. The dreams she has with the man she adores seems far away now. I was very upset that Charlie would promise to marry her yet put her in a small house far away from him and his mother. He leads her on until she comes to realize she is a kept woman.

Her test begins as she faces reality and how deceitful Charlie has been to her. The family that helps her out is kind and comforting to her. As they share their faith Kizzzie sees that God loves her no matter what she has done. The hateful words the townspeople say or the men who come to her home to harm her is turned over to God. I love watching her blossom as a young strong woman with strong faith.

A beautiful story of growth, wisdom, faith and overcoming the past makes this story a must read. The author shines in her storytelling which had me crying at times. There is always hope.

“You’ll live with your actions like we all do, but you don’t have to live without hope or purpose.”

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham is the third book in the My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge series. While this is part of a series and briefly mentions characters from the previous book, this is a great stand alone story. Kizzie takes a job as a servant and ends up carrying the owner’s son’s child. Her father has turned her away and the baby’s father is not allowed to marry her but sets her up with a home and property of her own. When she realizes the truth she moves away for a new start. She comes upon Noah’s accident while traveling and gets connected with him and his mother.

I just loved this story! This is a well written, easy to read and imagine story that grabbed my attention from the beginning and left me wishing for more. I loved Kizzie’s character. She is so strong, hard working, and smart with tons of common sense. When she is not working at the store she is teaching the women or helping Noah get to the bottom of what’s happening at the mill. This story is so good. It shows Kizzie’s servant’s heart yet it also has mystery and suspense about what is happening at the mill, why and by whom. I highly recommend this story for anyone who enjoyed Christian historical stories.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book, this is my honest review.

Wow. This story was incredible. It's a raw, gritty, and realistic story of redemption. It has a Carry On, Mr Bowditch + Hattie Big Sky + Redeeming Love mash-up vibe, and it is probably the most "un-put-downable" book I've read this year.

We get dropped right in to the drama, and it doesn't really stop until we get to the beautiful redemptive end of the story. There is danger, angst, and deception all working together to make the powerful changes in the story's female lead, Kizzie. The shame and guilt of her circumstances doesn't automatically disappear with leaving her situation or even by discovering a walk with God. But her faith and God's faithfulness working in concert to reveal the truth of how he won't fail when people fail is like a rebirth for Kizzie, even when her obstacles feel insurmountable.

I'm sad, I'm encouraged, and I'm content all at the same time from experiencing this story. I don't know that I was prepared for all the emotions, but it was 100% worth it!

I received a complimentary copy of the author's story from my friends at NetGalley to read and review. All thoughts contained here are my own.

Pepper Basham really outdid herself on this book and series as a whole! I loved this world and was so honored to get to read an ARC of Hope Like Wildflowers. I've been waiting for Kizzie's story and it did not disappoint! Such a sweet story of redemption and the main characters were so fun to get to know. Highly recommend this book if you are looking for a great story about hard things. I hope she continues this series because I am not ready to stop reading about this family!

Set in the Appalachian Mountains, this book centers on Kizzie who grew up here and made some bad decisions in her young life resulting in a hard time of growing up living with the consequences of her choices. Forgiveness and love play a big part in this story.

This was somewhat of a slow read for me, but glad to have continued through it as you read of her redemption and how she grows to find the life she seeks.

I would recommend it to others. Thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham
Book 3 in the My Heart Belongs in The Blue Ridge Series

What a beautiful story by Pepper! Thank you to her for sharing Kizzie's story with us, it was well worth the wait! We learned about Kizzie in Laurel's Dream, book 1, who is Laurel's sister who has been sent away from their family due to her mistakes made. Oh but the LORD perused and protected this woman with all His power, what a beautiful journey Kizzie had to redemption, forgiveness and freedom!
Set in the early 1900s in Appalachia, Kizzie is essentially disowned by her father due to a pregnancy she didn't plan on. After being on her own, with no food or shelter for a while, she meets a local family, Nella and her husband, who offer her refuge and help, no matter what she's done. They love her unconditionally and help her as such. They did the work of the Lord in these moments and helped a girl in need. I absolutely loved their characters. We see Kizzie struggle with her relationship with Charles, the man she thought she loved and was supposed to marry, now pregnant with his child. Charles is of a rich status in life and unable to marry Kizzie due to their societal differences. He strings her along and we all know as the reader that Charles is a snake in the grass. Cut to the second portion of the story when Kizzie and her son Charlie go on their own in search for a new home and life, where she meets Noah....a wonderful man who loves her and her son Charlie unconditionally as well. The story moves on from here as Kizzie gets a fresh start....

The faith in this book stands out among the crowd. We see Kizzie go from feeling rejected and unloved to being fully known and loved by the Lord. She realizes how no matter her mistakes made, that the Lord can take it all from her and she can be a new creation in Jesus. That nothing is too far gone for God. I loved how Nella encouraged her to go to church and trust in the Lord. She held on to that throughout the story and became a very strong willed woman. Her relationship with Noah was so beautiful too. Chapter 24 made me cry as it showed us how great a man Noah really was in those moments with Kizzie. Chapter 25 made me cry when Kizzie realized the true names the Lord gave her. And the epilogue, wow. SO many happy tears. WHAT AN ENDING! All the STARS!

Overall, such a great wrap up to Kizzie's story. I highly recommend this book and series!

P.S. You have to read the author's note. Love that this was part of a true story for her family and the heart she put into this story.

With so many eyes focused on the Appalachian region since Hurricane Helene, I enjoyed the opportunity to read Hope Like Wildflowers. What a powerful message of hope this is.

The story is engaging, faith filled, and hopeful, and spoke to my heart. If you're looking for a story full of faith and hope, and a touch of romance, be sure to grab a copy of your own.

A story of finding strength, faith, and forgiveness from the past.

Kizzie McAdams must forge a new way forward after making mistakes that leave her estranged from her family. Along the way she makes new friends who share their faith, fights for her future, learning new skills and finding lasting love.

A wonderful addition to series about the McAdam's sisters. An engaging read, with strong, likable characters. Kizzie is a clever young woman, with a strong work ethic, and a will to keep going. I liked her lyrical way of saying things, as well as her problem solving ways. A story of second chances, faith, grit, and restoration. Noah is a man of noble character, with a big heart, who prioritizes faith and family.

Overall, it was a well done story, and wonderful addition to the series. I liked the friends that Kizzie met along the way, like Joshua and Nella. A compelling story of family, faith, and fighting for a future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Darn you Pepper! I rely on you for my rom com books. A nice feel good love story that makes me laugh. Why am k sitting here sobbing??

PS I want more of these families! I need to read George and Sam’s redemption stories!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I have to say I really love Pepper Basham's historical fiction novels, and Hope Like Wildflowers is one of my favorites! It's full of heart and hope, showing how God can redeem anyone's past for good.

Story: 5/5

Worldview: 5/5

Hope Like Wildflowers is a bit slower-paced, but packed with beautiful character moments. From chapter one, we meet Kizzie, a troubled young woman searching for love and a future. Seeing her transform from clinging to a man's promise to realize and embrace all the promises that God has for her was beautiful. Kizzie is a great character. She dedicates herself to her baby and she also cares to help others get back on their feet. She's humble and kind and strong, and funny! Noah Lewis is another great character, along with his mother, Victoria. And even though this novel was slower-paced, there was a great thread of mystery in between!

The worldview was stunning in this novel. So many great quotes! From the very beginning, the themes are laid out on the pages, but it takes a while for them to sink in. I loved seeing so many little details come to fruition by the end. Here's some great quotes from early on in the book: "God's love is even bigger than that. What you're craving, He can supply. The joy you're looking for, He has. Because His love ain't measured by your ability to love Him back. He loves because He loves." and "But God ain't so shortsighted to waste your past. Oh no, He'll use it to shape you and your future. Always remember how valuable your soul is."

Content notes: Kizzie is treated badly for having a child out of wedlock. A few times is referred to as a prostitute, kept woman, and whore in the first half of the book.

Overall, I really loved Hope Like Wildflowers. I just noticed it's a book in a series, so I hope to check out the other books soon!

I loved, loved, loved this book! I finished it a few days ago but I needed to pause and savor the essence of what I’d read. The stories that are set in the Appalachian area are all must reads to me. The author’s notes in the back of the book was so special when I read them. This was based loosely on some of the author’s real ancestors complete with their actual names. The character of Kizzie had a hard life growing up and committed many sins which caused consequences. It wasn’t until she found the Lord and realized how much he loved her that she was able to change her life. Her before life with the ones that were in it, was a one eighty flip to those she met in her life after Christ. She was able to see what was real and ask for forgiveness for all her wrongdoing. She was a real inspiration and encouragement to me as I read. Many tears, both sad and happy, smiles and laughter followed me throughout the pages. Five stars!
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review.

Somehow, even in the middle of broken dreams, God touches the raw, painful remnants with a teensy bit of stardust.

God works out life’s tangles into a better plan than we could ever make. Kizzie McAdams made some poor choices which led her into being alone in the woods, wondering if she would even survive. Loved on by friends, she begins to realize that there is hope and she does belong, regardless, to God! She is His and always will be.

Starting fresh is hard but with God’s help, she will do it. Making new friends that look beyond her past brings hope that the wildflowers will bloom again. An ecopy of this book was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

I love how this story doesn’t follow the classic structure of a romance novel because this story is so much more than that. It’s the story of a young woman finding her way back to her Savior 💕 And the romance between Kenzie and Noah only magnifies that!

It was wonderful getting to experience this with these characters. I’ll definitely be hunting down the previous two books for more of the McAdams family 🥰