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Review of “The Inn at Hidden Run”by Olivia Newport

The Inn at Hidden Run

Olivia Newport

Publisher description:

“A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Present to Past on Family Trees

Meri’s family has been producing doctors for so many generations that no one remembers why, so when she flunks out of medical school, she runs as far from her parents as she can get. In the small mountain town of Canyon Mines, Colorado, she takes a job at the Inn at Hidden Run B&B. And waits. It’s only a matter of time.

What she doesn’t count on is genealogist Jillian Parisi-Duffy and her father, Nolan, having her back when it takes everything she has not to bolt again but to stay and face the truth that only unfolding her family’s history will reveal. While Nolan works on keeping Meri calm—and in town—Jillian pulls out of her gems of information she doesn’t know she has and arranges the puzzle pieces.

But none of that changes the fact that Meri’s family is closing in to haul her back to her “real” life. When their arrival inflames tensions and Meri finally does bolt, Nolan and Jillian may be out of time.

The Inn at Hidden Run is the first book in the Tree of Life series. Readers will come back to backdrop of a lovely mountain town of Canyon Mines again and again to explore and celebrate unforgettable family stories that inspire them to connect with their own family histories and unique faith journeys.”

My Review:

I am assuming as you read this review that you’ve read the book description.  I’m not going to go back over that in this review.  This is more about what I enjoyed about the book.

I literally picked this book because of the cover.  I liked the graphics on it and thought  the title sounded “small town” intriguing.  I kind of scanned the book description and downloaded the book.  It was in my to-be-read pile for a month or so.  I’d never read a book by Olivia Newport, and just wasn’t in any hurry to get to this one.

If I had know this book was going to be SO good, I’d have read it twice by now.  This is not a romantic story.  It’s a story about a family that desperately needs to come together in love and acceptance.  There’s a thread of faith in this story that even though it seems small. it has huge impact on the storyline. 

This author is a great storyteller.  This is a “split-time” story:  One story takes place in present-day Colorado; the other in Memphis in 1878. Both stories were equally interesting, but I could not imagine how they were ever going to weave together.  But weave together they did, and it was amazing when all the details fell into place.  It takes a talented author to pull all of this together in such a heart-touching way.  I was delighted to finish the book and see that there was Chapter One of a sequel.  I’m going to love going back to revisit this community again.

If you love a good story with great characters and the perfect setting, you’ll love this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.