Joy Callaway

“People are all the same deep down, aren’t they? Industrialist or inventor, miner or mason, they’re all looking for something to make them happy and to know they’re worthy enough to be invited to dance.”

What the Mountains Remember is a beautiful tribute to the magnificent Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina when it was under construction in 1913. Joy Callaway paints a gorgeous picture of the hardworking people who built the Inn as well as the wealthy elite who’ve come to watch the construction process. It’s the story of love, redemption, and the acknowledgement that every person’s story is important. I was fascinated by the meticulously researched historical details carefully woven into the story along with the heartfelt, reluctant to fall in love romance.

Belle Newbold, her mother, and wealthy stepfather have all been invited to return to the mountains she used to adore by her stepfather’s friend Henry Ford. He’s part of the Vagabonds, a group of some of America’s most wealthy elite including Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, and John Burroughs who’ve decide to go “camping” along with several other prominent families in the forest near the Grove Park Inn to check on its construction progress.

After the death of her beloved father, Belle has vowed never to marry for love. Though she loves her stepfather, she resents that her mother never talks about her father and Belle feels trapped in her grief and memories. When her stepfather arranges a marriage to Worth Delafield, she heartily agrees knowing it won’t be for love. She hasn’t seen Worth in five years, but it’s his land they’ll be camping on and she’s excited at the prospect of seeing him again. Unfortunately, her jealous “cousin” Marie Austen Kipp will be there as well.

Belle is fascinated by the building of the Inn and agrees to write an article about its construction and the men risking their lives to build it. She’s also finding it hard not to fall for Worth who’s haunted by his own sorrows. As they navigate a careful courtship determined not to fall in love, they find it harder and harder to maintain that commitment especially when they share their deepest feelings with each other. When their pasts come back to haunt them, and jealousy and illness threaten to tear them apart, they have to decide if they will risk it all for love.

I loved Worth & Belle. Their sizzling romance was filled with an underlying attraction made all the more potent by their trying to suppress it. Both had sad tragedies in their pasts making it easy to see why they were so reluctant to fall in love. I enjoyed seeing their growth as the story progressed, the realizations they come to, and the way they support and care for each other. Marie Austen Kipp is one of the love-to-hate villains in the story. Just when you think she can’t get more despicable, she does.

I thoroughly enjoyed the historical figures and details included. I’d never heard of the Grove Park Inn and couldn’t wait to look up the stunning resort. I was also fascinated by the rampant tuberculosis plaguing the workers and the need for so many sanatoriums during that time.

Definitely recommend this fascinating, romantic, well written historical romance. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author and publisher through AustenProse PR. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

CW: Infrequent, mild swearing, two mild sexually suggestive scenes, one interrupted, closed door love scene between a married couple, mild descriptions of deaths including death by fire.… (más)

A historical drama and romance set in 1913, North Carolina. Featuring the building of a remarkable historic landmark, the Grove Park Inn near Asheville, with a story mingling real and fictional figures.

"Memories were interesting that way. Sometimes you didn’t realize how much you ached for something until it materialized again."

Drama, history and a complicated romance fill the pages as a group of notable industrialists, entrepeneurs and their families convene for a camping trip in the mountains outside of Asheville. I liked how the author's research and personal experiences were inspiration for this story. The details of the building process and beauty of the area were well described. The tuberculosis epidemic was a real threat and sadly impacted the entire nation. My great grandmother contracted it, and was sent cross country for a remedy, as many in this tale did also.

"Fear is greedy. If you let it, it will expand and grow until it steals your joy, your wonder too.”

Themes of dealing with past traumas, grief, fear and betrayal added depth to the tale. Class differences and some prejudice were part of the storyline. Championing the lives of workers was a good way to show how all people have worth. Belle was transformed by the end and seemed to find a real purpose for life. I enjoyed the hopeful ending.

Fans of historical romances with some grit and flawed characters may enjoy this one. It is generally a clean read with some hints at off screen intimacy and occasional language.
3.5 stars

(An ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.)… (más)

Loosely autobiographical story of Dororthy Draper and the Greenbriar Resort starting in the early 1900s. She stayed there as a young girl, and later, as a decorator redesigned it and brought it back after it had been used during the war as a hospital and internment for political prisoners. Being a decorator back then was not typical for a woman. Dorothy was a wealthy heiress: a woman having a profession wasn't done. The story is a love story for Dorothy and for the resort as a special place. Royalty, actors, actresses, political greats and the wealthy all enjoyed staying there, with all of their secrets.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheGrandDesign #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #HarperMuse #HistoricalFiction #JoyCallaway… (más)

The gorgeous cover is what first drew me to this book. When I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version, I jumped at the chance. Based on the compelling true story of her great, great grandmother, Joy Callaway delivers a beautiful story of sacrifice, romance, community, and gardening all during the Gilded Age in upstate New York.

Sadie Fremd is the only daughter of a middle class German immigrant whose well known flower and plant nursery has earned him a place in high society. With older brothers uninterested in carrying on the family business, Sadie tries to convince her father she’s the best person to take over. However, in 1893, New York, women don’t run businesses. Despite her knowledge and love of plants, her father’s only wish is for her to marry well to keep the family legacy alive especially with the recent economic downturn.

When a former love comes back into her life, Sadie’s forced to confront her own circumstances. She sees the need for sharing flowers and plants not only with the wealthy, but the downtrodden in most need of a little beauty. As Sadie attempts to spread her love of plants and create new opportunities for the nursery, she risks not only her father’s anger, but her heart as well. When the nursery is threatened, will she be willing to sacrifice true love for her family and the people she’s come to care about?

I could hardly put the audiobook version down. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life all with various accents. I enjoyed the emotion she interjected into the story. Her pleasant voice made for easy listening as well.

I enjoyed Sadie’s story. At times, I was frustrated with the confines of the Gilded Age. It’s clear Sadie’s vision and talent are what the nursery needed, however her father’s insistence that she marry for money made this a nail-biter as to who she’d end up marrying. It came down to the last few chapters, and even then I wasn’t sure if she would choose convention or find a way out of her circumstances. Loved the descriptions of the plants and flowers. Each time an unfamiliar plant was mentioned, I wanted to google it to see what it looked like.

It’s a vividly written romantic story I recommend to garden and historical fiction lovers. I received an advanced listener copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.… (más)