The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport Review

 Hello Everyone :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm thankful you decided to join me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

Today's review is from a new to me author that I actually had recommended to me by my aunt. My aunt and I often share book recommendations with each other, and since this one sounded unlike anything I'd ever read before, I was really looking forward to diving right in.

Keep reading down below for my full review to find out if I ended up loving this one as much as I was expecting to.

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport:

Source: Library

Publisher: Shiloh Run Press

Publication Date: May 1st, 2019

Genre: Christian Fiction/Dual Timeline

Series: Tree of Life

Synopsis:

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.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Olivia Newport is a new to me author, and I was intrigued by the idea of a mystery series that focused around genealogy. It sounded unique, and unlike anything I'd ever read before, and I was expecting to really end up loving this one. Unfortunately, while I did end up enjoying certain components of this one, it didn't end up being what I was expecting, and definitely isn't a new favorite.

I love dual timeline stories, especially when this genre is used to connect mysteries between the past and the present. The past part of this stories takes place in the late 1870's in Memphis, Tennessee during the Yellow Fever epidemic. It was a heartbreaking time in history, and the reader can certainly tell that the author took many steps to present the information as historically accurate as possible. 

However, I have to be honest that I didn't truly connect with the characters in the present plot line. I enjoyed the writing style, and the way the mystery focuses around a family tree of a newcomer to Canyon Mines, but the characters weren't really written in a way that was believable. Many times I ended up feeling that what Jillian and her father Nolan were doing to Meri was no better than what her overbearing family was.

I enjoyed the ending, and will most likely pick up the next book in the series. It's not high on my priority list though, and I think the lack of development in the characters is a big reason why. I struggle with wanting to read about characters that seem disjointed from the rest of the story, and that's what I felt happened here. 

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.