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

Pepper Basham invites us back to the 1910s in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where people are still divided by their socio- economic and racial status. This book, Hope Like Wildflowers, is so well-titled! As Basham explains, wildflowers will fight their way up through mountain rock and other areas that one would think impossible soil. Yet, beauty springs out of surprising hardship. It is leaning into the Rock that is bigger and stronger than ourselves that gives strength to endure and overcome. We cannot do it on our own, as Nella encourages Kizzie. “Life is hard, Kizzie. You can look for easy in all kinds of places, but more likely than not, that easy turns to its own kind of hard. The real test is what you do when the hard comes. There’s bound to be more times in life than not that the hard gets too big for your own shoulders. That’s why you need someone bigger, stronger, wiser.”

What a journey you will go on with young Kizzie McAdams. We first see a bedraggled, rejected, pregnant, poor mountain girl struggling to survive. But as Kizzie begins to spend time with her friends John and Nella, she begins to see there is a different road to life available, if she chooses. One that she will not have to walk alone. At first, it seems Kizzie will get trampled and tossed aside by those who are bigger and stronger. Every decision she makes will have you yearning with her as you see her difficult choices.

Fortunately, Faith is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. As Kizzie makes decisions and moves to leave her old life behind, life actually gets harder in many ways. Will she return to her old ways, to the promised security, or will she continue to step out in faith and love?

Ms. Basham pens her novel with beautiful descriptions of the Appalachians, slices of local color, and great relatable characters with tough choices. While part of a series, this book can stand alone. Highly recommended, especially for fans of Catherine Marshall’s Christy.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy for my keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“It’s difficult to smile when your focus is on things that rarely lead to joy.”

“Sometimes the very best folks rise out of a second chance because they know what they’ve been forgiven of.”

“My mama says that our true self rises to the top when we’re mad or when no one’s looking.”-Kizzie

“The Lord don’t want nothing to do with the likes of me, Nella.” “Well, that just goes to show how little you know about the Lord. The broken kind’s who He’s been after from the start.”

“True compassion cared with a steel spine.”

I loved this story of forgiveness and redemption as Kizzie McAdams who lives in 1917 recovers from the shame and stigma of having a child out of wedlock. Her journey of faith; acceptance of who God says she is, and the transformation from a young woman who was looking for love to knowing she is loved makes this a story to treasure.

There are so many rich characters in this story that show Kizzie she is more than the actions of her past. Nella and her family helped when she truly had nowhere else to go. I loved that Kizzie was able to help them in return. Mrs. Carter and her boardinghouse gave Kizzie a chance to see a better future and gave her a purpose. And of course, there is Noah Lewis, a man who looked beyond Kizzie’s past actions to the strong, caring, amazing woman Kizzie really was.

Favorite quote: "I have called thee by name; thou art mine." Isaiah 43:1

Things to love:
mountain setting
winter pansies
faith based story
Mrs. Lewis
mystery
the ending :)

I highly recommend this book for older teens through mature readers if you enjoy historical fiction set in Appalachia. This is the third book in the My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge series, but can certainly be read as a standalone. However, each story is wonderful and you’ll want to to read them too.

I was given a complimentary copy of the book through Celebrate Lit. and NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

I so loved this book! It was a heart warming story about going through hardship as a non-believer and then becoming saved and seeing all the good that God wants to do for your life. I loved the romantic story of Kizzie and Noah. I definitely kept thinking how this book would be a movie. It reminded me of a good Hallmark movie back in the day. This is the first book I've read by this author and I so enjoyed her writing style. I was immersed in the story by the detail she gave and how the character is were so relatable. I will definitely be reading another one of her books! Highly recommend this book!

Hope Like Wildflowers is a deeply emotional story of redemption and new beginnings that proclaims the Gospel and our Savior’s love. This Appalachian romance in the 1910s follows Kizzie through the mire of her past choices to the solid ground of her salvation, where she starts fresh and finds love. Kizzie makes the wrong choices at the beginning, but she learns and grows as she finds the love of Jesus to be more fulfilling than any earthly connection. Eventually, she finds the romance that she deserves, and the book has the happiest of endings! Pepper Basham retold her own family history to bring us this touching story, and I am so glad she shared Kizzie’s journey with her readers. Steeped in life lessons, Gospel truth, mountain love, and beautiful depictions of 1910s Appalachian heritage, Hope Like Wildflowers is a treasure not to be missed.

I received a copy of this book for promotional purposes, but my thoughts are my own. I truly loved it!

Really enjoyed this one! Pepper Basham is among my favorite authors.

Kizzie’s struggles certainly seemed realistic, and the love she found with Noah was just what was needed!

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Four stars.

What a beautiful story of redemption and second chances! I was so excited to read Kizzie’s story. Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham was everything I hoped for and more. This lovely book was filled with a sweet swoony romance, faith, overcoming the past, and forgiveness. I loved this Appalachian story based on the author’s own relatives. It was so hard to put down & beautifully written.

Kizzie McAdams has always had fairytale dreams. When the heir of a wealthy family falls in love with her, she believes her wishes might come true. Finding herself expecting a child, her hopes are crushed when she’s sent home to her family & her father disowns her. Kizzie returns to the man who put her in this precarious position, but when he keeps making promises he can’t keep, she finds support & a new found faith through the kindness of a loving nearby family.

After the man she thought she loved won’t marry her & she experiences threats & slights, Kizzie leaves town for new opportunities. She meets Noah Lewis, a handsome businessman & part mill owner whom she rescues in a surprising way. Their fast friendship and desire to help others leads to more, but will Kizzie’s tarnished reputation and Noah’s older brother’s threats prevent them from having a future together?

This story was so impossible to put down! Kizzie has such an adorable personality! I loved her “sass,” and indomitable spirit. She tries so hard to do what’s right and I thoroughly enjoyed reading her redemption story. She wants so badly to be loved & unfortunately found it in the wrong place until she realizes what true love looks like through Noah. I loved Noah! He’s such an amazing, swoony hero who’s able to look past Kizzie’s mistakes and see the beauty within.

The messages of faith, forgiveness, & second chances were beautifully woven throughout the story. I absolutely loved the way the Chapelle family took Kizzie in & were such great examples of truly loving your neighbor. I also loved Noah’s mother who’s willing to give Kizzie a chance.

This tender, heartfelt story is a must read! Highly recommend to Christian historical romance fans. Though part of a series, it can be read as a standalone, however, it’s more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous books in the series. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

The depth of character and heart to this story is amazing. It took me a little awhile to get into the storyline but once I did I was hooked. I love a story where you see the character grow and develop their strength and really truly become amazing. I highly recommend this book.

Having read Laurel's Dream and The Heart of the Mountains I was pleased that Basham decided to take us back to Appalachia to tell us Kizzie's story. You could read this book as a stand alone, but I enjoyed it more for the curiosity the other books sparked about Kizzie.

This is the story of a girl growing into a woman, not because of an unplanned pregnancy, but because she begins to discover her worth, both as a woman and as a child of God. And as she begins to discover what real love looks like (and that fact that she is worthy of real love) she begins to make choices to build her life on a solid foundation of wise choices.

Kizzie's story is one of heartbreak and triumph. From being an object of manipulation to becoming a blessing to all around her, this tale is a heartwarming read.

The book is broken up into distinct segments of Kizzie's life and I found the flow of that a bit challenging. The first third of the book was almost a novel in itself. Noah isn't introduced as a character until much later in the in narrative and yet, his character, his losses and the things that he learns provide a significant overlap to what Kizzie is learning so that this tale becomes not just a tale of a woman's growth, but of a man's journey to value and courage and belonging as well.

The book was well done and satisfied my curiosity for the untold tale alluded to in the previous novels.

I received a free digital copy of this book for review. The opinions are my own.

Pepper Basham has outdone herself with Hope Like Wildflowers! It is such a good story of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the early 1900s. Kizzie is a wonderful female protagonist who is pursued by her boss's son, ends up pregnant and kicked out by her father. It takes a while but Kizzie does learn from her mistakes and meets people who live godly lives. Throw in a mill owner who plans to wed a wealthy woman who wants to live beyond his means and life gets complicated. Noah Lewis is a wonderful man who wants to help those less fortunate but is hindered by his older brother. You will not want to miss Hope Life Wildflowers! I received a complimentary advance e-book from the author and NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

What a great conclusion to this wonderful series! Yes this a series that needs to be read in order. If you been wondering what has happened to Kizzie McAdams you finally have her story! I absolutely loved it! Kizzie goes through some things that unfortunately quite of few young ladies also do and learn from their mistakes. I just loved the message of this story. Very strong Christian content. I loved the main characters. And I love how brave Kizzie is. And Noah is just an amazing man. Overall, this is a fantastic conclusion to the series and I definitely recommend!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content: fornication/out of wedlock pregnancy (shown as sin and before being a Christian)

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author and netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

I have never read a book by Pepper Basham that I did not devour and Hope Like Wildflowers is no exception. I adored the feisty passion in Kizzie. I love that she made some mistakes, even though she was fully taken advantage of, she owns her own part and allows God to bring healing. In the process, she fully embraces the fact that she is loved by God and desires to help others who are need of a second chance. Not to mention her mind for numbers and business and her ability to thrive where God plants her. I love how she always speaks the truth; no watered-down version coming out of her mouth! She is not intimidated by others and stands up for truth and justice. She is simply content with all having all that she needs and knows that God will provide the rest. Any extra is used to help others. She is beautiful inside and out and her story of redemption is just a powerful reminder that God does indeed use all things. And yes, there is some kissing, because what it is Pepper Basham book without some kissing!
I received a complimentary book from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Maybe it's because of my love for the NC mountains and its people and traveling to various places since I was a girl my attention was captured from the first page to the last and I was reading it during the flooding that was taking place a few hours up the road from me and wondering how the author was doing. I could visualize the mountains and the areas in which I live.
Set in Appalachia in 1917 the story follows the life of Kizzie McAdams. Born and raised in the mountains Kizzie was naive when it came to men, and she was young. Working as a maid for one of the more prominent families in the area Kizzie caught the attention of Charles, the son of the family. Taking advantage of her, Charles used every promise he could come up with to keep Kizzie under his spell. Becoming pregnant Kizzie's father runs her from their home. Kizzie runs through dense forest to find a place to go and finds herself being chased by coyotes. She begins to feel a tightening in her abdomen and screams for help. The Chappell's come to her rescue as she sees a faint light and they hear screams.
Scaring off the coyotes by a blast in the air from a gun Kizzie finds her first step towards salvation but she doesn't know that yet. Her baby is born and the Chappell's show her how to care for her child.

Charles eventually moves Kizzie into a house on his family property and it is there that she truly realizes she is a kept woman. Town people let her know she is now a marked woman. But Kizzie is strong and much wiser than anyone thought. Deciding to leave Charles and all of his empty promises behind Kizzie comes upon an overturned horse and buggy and risks her life to save two others. One of those men was Noah. He finds himself falling for Kizzie and during all this time leaving her family behind, Charles and his false promises, realizing she will never be good enough that Charles would ever marry her she relies on her faith that continues to grow in her heart. Noah and his mother take her in and treat her kindly, but she realizes that her presence could ruin Noah and his family's reputation. She finds work through a friend of the Chappell's and life begins to change for her. Being good with math Kizzie makes her way keeping books and helping with the other women who reside at the boarding house, young women like Kizzie that had been taken advantage of. Through a series of events involving Noah's brother and Kizzie finding ways to outsmart him Noah and begins to fall in love. Noah's character is so sweet and kind.
Growing up in a small town I remember how easily people sat in judgement of others and turned their heads when certain people walked by. What I loved about Kizze was how she used her past and her hurts and pains to help other young women who found themselves in her exact situation. Kizzie was used by an arrogant man who abused her youth. Reading as her heart grew more and more in love with God and realizing how special she is her life took such an amazing turn that only God could orchestrate.
I love Pepper Basham's books, and this one was so real and so touching. Definitely a ten-star review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

I've been a long time admirer of Pepper Basham's stories across all the genres she writes in and I'm continually in awe of how her storytelling continues to improve. Interestingly, this story is based on some members within Basham's historical family which adds to its authenticity.

Kizzie McAdams is a 17 year old young lady who falls for the son of a wealthy landowner within the Appalachians. Kizzie is besotted by Charles Morgan's charms and looks. When we meet Kizzie she is with child and has been abandoned by her father because of it.

It's not long before we come to appreciate just how remarkable Kizzie is and she is very easy for a reader to admire and cheer for. She possesses wisdom beyond her age, a willingness to acknowledge her mistakes, an intuition in business and significant courage to step out into the unknown. There is also a beautiful faith story with Kizzie which is a delight to read as she learns to trust in the Lord and follow his precepts rather than her own.

Noah Lewis is a wonderful man. A widower trying to make the family's mill profitable and a desirable place for workers to seek employment. He adores his mother, Victoria, is a lovely addition to the supporting cast.

We have a couple of villains in this tory who are well portrayed. Charles Morgan, beholden to his mother's wishes for the right bride in order to receive his inheritance, and George Lewis, Noah's brother, who desires to become something in the upper echelons of society by marrying up.

It's wonderful storytelling with good pace and sufficient twists and turns that keep us turning the pages.

I can't wait to read what Basham writes next.

I was fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from Barbour via Net Galley, however, I bought the Kindle version and read it instead and am so glad the published version is now in my e-library.

Historical fiction is always a comfort read for me and this one did not disappoint! This was such a beautiful and sweet story showing that our mistakes can never push us out of reach of God’s love, grace, and redemption. I couldn’t help but love Kizzie and wanted more of Nella. The first half of the book Kizzie wrestles with settling for the scraps of the world or embracing what God has for her. Kizzie lives with the consequences of her actions and hopes that something good is waiting behind the hard. In the second half, we see God blow past her expectations of what good could be. Noah comes onto the scene and he can’t help but love Kizzie as well.

Apparently this is book 3 in the My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge series. I didn't know and read this one first. I think it does fine as a stand-alone novel and I only felt like I was missing something at the very end when new characters were introduced.

I thought Hope Like Wildflowers was a great read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kizzie's story of redemption and sacrifice.
At the beginning of the story, Kizzie discovers she is pregnant and hopes to marry the father of her child. She imagines a fairy tale ending where Charles will swoop in like a knight in shining armor and they will live happily ever after! But Charles is one of the richest and from one of the most prominent families in the area. He keeps digging in his heels with all sorts of excuses why they cannot marry right now. "One day,' he always promises. Well Kizzie finally realizes that "one day" will never come. She undergoes a complete transformation where realizes she has been living in sin and that she will always belong to God. To avoid any more temptation, Kizzie moves a few towns away to start over. God puts some amazing people in Kizzie's life including local mill merchant, Noah. When Charles comes to claim Kizzie and their child for real, will Kizzie follow him home, or embrace an honest man like Noah?

If you are a fan of historical fiction or fiction with a Christian message, the you will enjoy Hope Like Wildflowers. It has a strong Christian and moral lesson of only being with someone you're married to and that God can redeem any situation.

From the very beginning of the story, I knew Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham would be a deep but challenging read for me as it was obvious that the main character, Jenna faces opposition on every side, some of her own making and some challenges from outside influences. But, as it was the third book in the series, ( "My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge" series) I could not wait to get my hands on this book. Kizzie McAdams' hopes and dreams are turned upside down when faced with an unplanned pregnancy and the stigmas that comes with it. While Charlie is a true gift from God, Kizzie sees herself the way the world does and believes the lies and shame thrusted upon her

She finds solace in a nearby family who display Christ's love to her and show her what it really means to be loved. Using what she has learned, Kizzie desires to help other marginalized individuals. But the stigma of her predicament quickly gets in the way as Thankfully, she finds help through a friendship with Noah Lewis. a kind and compassionate individual. As always, Pepper Basham weaves a beautiful example of the Gospel throughout the story. There is a lesson for all of us but, there is a bit of mystery in the book that kept me intrigued and interested in seeing the complete development of characters.

Finally, Pepper Basham's deep knowledge of the time period and the link she provides us with her own family leaves us with a vivid storyline that will stay with us for a long time. Any history romance reader will love this book!

A tender tale of hope, new beginnings and redemption. The first part of this book was a little bit more serious for a Pepper Basham book. She sets the stage for you to really care for Kizzie and why she is in the place in life we find her.
You can't help but root for her to embrace her faith and become a new creation.
And once Noah was on page....well then I flew through the rest of the book. Such a gentle yet strong hero. I loved him.
I recieved a complementary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally, all thoughts and opinions are honest and completely my own.

I read Hope Like Wildflowers, set in the Appalachian Mountains, during the recent devastating flooding and mudslides, which ironically made the book even more heartwarming. Honestly, I kept thinking it was Pepper Basham's best book yet, with lovable and caring characters - except the antagonist - whom I wanted as lifelong friends. This novel explores community and forgiveness, as a young lady faces consequences for her mistakes, yet finds God's hope and forgiveness, beautifully symbolized by the wildflowers. Pepper Basham

It’s a really great story! I loved it actually. But- only 3 stars. I really struggled with the whole “she was a sinful fallen woman” idea. In my mind Kizzie was innocent. I see it more as an underage girl who knew nothing about sex was exploited by her employer. But if you can overlook lots of references to her sin, and if you are comfortable with some minor preaching and scripture, it was a fantastic story.

"Humility was knowing God's place and knowing your own place and not getting the two mixed up."

The story of Kizzie was a long-awaited one, filled with anticipation because the first two stories about her siblings Laurel and Jeb were so good. Kizzie endured trials upon trials but didn't find strength and peace until she surrendered her life completely to Jesus. Kizzie's faith and big heart were genuine and her quaint, rock-solid observations on life and faith were endearing and full of truth. Yet I had a hard time getting through the first third of the book; it felt like a recounting of Kizzie's life events until she meets Noah and I did not feel completely engaged. Noah was such a patient, thoughtful, and charming hero for Kizzie and the story did pick up once they met. There were some loose ends, like Kizzie's first love and Noah's brother, that could have been tied up but were not. Kizzie's redemption, Noah's healing, and the sweet reconciliation that happened at the end of the story elevated the story to a 3.5 star.

I'm sad that I didn't love this book like I have of every Pepper Basham book I've read. Still, I am sure others will find this uplifting historical quite delightful. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Barbour Publishing via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.