58. These Blue Mountains. Sarah Loudin Thomas. 2025. 352 pages. [Source: Library] [4 stars, historical fiction, historical romance]
First sentence: Hedda slipped from the frigid air into the warmth of the kitchen and snugged the door shut behind her. She closed the dead bolt. Opened it. And closed it again, nearly dropping the newspaper beneath her arm. She reached for the lock a third time but then lowered her hand. No. It wasn't necessary.
Premise/plot: Hedda Schlagel lives with Lotte, the woman that would have been her mother-in-law if her fiance had not died. She is surprised to see his name appear in an American newspaper as someone who died in a German camp. She goes to America to find his grave, to bring his body back to his mother, to perhaps find some closure. The problem--you know every novel has one--the body in the coffin, in the grave, is NOT her fiance. It is a woman who has been missing for years. (I believe 1918, though I could be off by a year either direction). She does NOT want to return to Germany, yet she's overstayed her approved visit. Sheriff Garland Jones finds himself in a place to help the newly arrived Hedda out. Not just once, but over a series of weeks and months. Soon he considers her a friend. He is aware that she could get deported back to Germany and wants to help her find a way to stay in the United States.
Several mysteries are found within These Blue Mountains. It is historical fiction set in Germany AND North Carolina in 1932/1933.
My thoughts: I enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the characters. There are definitely more side characters fleshed out than is typical in a romance novel. (This is a good thing). I enjoyed the setting and the time period. Easy to recommend this one to those who enjoy Christian historical romance.
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