Review: This Treacherous Journey by Misty M. Beller

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

Widowed and with child, Emma Malcom is fleeing from the reward offered for her arrest. She’s innocent of the dirty dealings her deceased husband orchestrated, but the angry townspeople didn’t stop to listen to her defense before she narrowly escaped with her life. Now, she and her twin brother, Joseph, must battle the mountain wilderness of the Rockies to reach Canada and the clean start she craves. But when a fall from the rocky cliff leaves Joseph wounded and weak, could the strange mountain man they encounter be God’s gift to see them to safety?

Simeon Grant makes bad choices. His deceased wife and twin babies are lost to him now because of his reckless decisions, and the penance he pays by living alone in this mountain wilderness is only a small piece of what he thinks he deserves. When a city woman, heavy with child, appears on his doorstep with her injured brother, her presence resurrects the memories he’s worked so hard to forget. And when she asks for his help to travel deeper into the mountain country, he can’t help wonder why God would force him to relive the same mistakes he’s already suffered through. Or maybe taking these two to safety could be the way to redeem himself.

But when their travels prove more treacherous than he imagined, Simeon finds himself pressing the limits of his ability to keep Emma and her brother safe. Can he overcome the past that haunts him to be the man she needs? Will Emma break through the walls around Simeon’s heart before it’s too late, or will the dangers of these mountains be the end of them all?

My Review

What an adventure! I loved getting lost in the Rocky Mountains with Emma, Simeon, and Joseph, and feeling the majesty and power and danger of the untamed wilderness. Simeon is one of my favorite types of heroes- strong, quiet, and harboring a private angst that our heroine helps him release. He saves her physically, but she saves him spiritually by encouraging him to turn to the Lord and reminding him that God's love and peace are always there, even and especially in the hard times. Emma's strength and fortitude was impressive, I can't imagine undergoing such a journey during pregnancy! When the circumstances were overwhelming, she had the grit necessary to push her anxieties to the side and buckle down to help the men. I loved her relationship with her brother Joseph and the care and support they gave each other. Joseph had a good sense of humor and was quick to smile... when he wasn't injured. Emma wasn't quick to trust Simeon because of her previous experience with men, but he quickly proved himself stalwart and reliable. Their friendship grew steadily throughout the book and their romance developed naturally after that, which I loved. There is plenty of peril and nail-biting suspense balanced skillfully with the more mundane parts of an arduous journey and the reflections of characters who are searching for safety. I am looking forward to reading more by this author!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)