Kristina Hall

Heart of trust is the first of Hearts of the West series, a collection of 15 standalone Christian historical romance novellas and the first book I read both by the author and in this genre (Western specifically, but also Christian historical).

This book is written in a unique writing style (at least it seemed new to me) to which I quickly accustomed myself to. It’s completely written in third person, but always from the perspective of either Georgia and Jake and it was easy to follow their thoughts and feelings.

Sadly I have to admit I know very little about the Civil War, being from Europe and we don’t learn a lot about America’s history (or other countries and continents) if it doesn’t involve our own country. At least it was the case for me, but this book got me interested in its historical background so I researched it a bit, because Jake made quite a few comments about the Yankees and how they destroyed his country (if remember his words correctly).

The situation in which we find Georgia and Jake in turns very quickly very dangerous. The threat felt very real and at one point in the book, I couldn’t really see a good ending for them.

They both struggle with worries and never want to burden one another. I’m pretty sure I would run away if I faced such a threat. Jake also doubts his own decision to stay and not let other men intimidate him because his decision did not only put his wife in danger but also led to casualties, even if he was only defending his family. But in the end we don’t really know which decision would have been the right one and this is how life sometimes is. We don’t always know how things will turn out. The important thing is that Jake trusted God, had only the best intentions of giving Georgia a better life, a life they always dreamed of and was very aware of his own faults.

“Yet he couldn’t promise her that nothing would ever touch them. He couldn’t promise her they’d always be safe. He couldn’t even promise her that tomorrow would go well or even be theirs.
He sat up and pulled her close. ‘He’s with us, no matter what.’”

Georgia was kind of a worrier and sometimes it felt a bit too much, because I think in a marriage there is a fine line between burdening the other one with your worries and not communicating because not wanting to burden someone. But she knew that her worrying wasn’t helping anyone and kept praying about it. I don’t expect perfect characters. Georgia was a very modest, selfless and hard working woman who mostly kept her flaw of worrying too much to herself, bringing her worries to God and this is exactly what we should do.

“I know You’re sovereign. I know there’s nothing outside of Your control. But I’m still scared.”

“Please help me. Please protect us. Please fix this. And even if You choose not to, please help me trust You.”

They were a loving and caring couple and they went through so much hardship in such a short amount of time, only wanting to live an honest life as farmers.

I would have loved to read a bit more about them, maybe about their backstory or how they moved on from all the destruction. I also would have liked to learn a bit about the motives and the background of the other farmers Jensen and Dalton, but this is a novella, concentrating on the couple, their thoughts, prayers and struggles and I think it is done very well.

I think it was very interesting how I could literally feel the danger despite the slow pace, if that even makes any sense… What I liked most was that despite the many trials and the very real threat they faced, they never stopped trusting in God, talking to Him, knowing that He might answer their prayers in a way they wouldn’t like.

I already put other books by the author on my wishlist and will keep an eye out for the next books in the series.

* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.… (meer)

Truth Unshaken by Kristina Hall is book 3 in The Moretti Trilogy. This story take place in the 1920. It is a fast-paced suspenseful Christian historical fiction that focuses on God’s forgiveness, crime, family drama and contains touches of romance. This is the third story of the Ashton’s family adult children, this one focusing on Frank. This story takes off when book 2 ended, so it is best to read them in order.

This is such a good story. I enjoyed how Carla showing up at the Ashton home changes Frank and his outlook on life. I appreciate her concerns about her parents’ eternal salvation after finding out their lives were not what she thought they were. While Moretti is still a major character in this story struggling with his past, the theme of who could he trust was very strong. My favorite character is the lady he went to for help after being injured. She was so caring and compassionate as well as knowledgeable. I also enjoyed that we were able to catch up with Frank’s sisters that were in the first two stories.

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this story from the author, this is my honest review.… (meer)

Mercy Undeserved is book two in the Moretti Trilogy by Kristina Hall. This story does follow book one, so it is recommended to read this series in order. This is a well written story with great characters that takes place mainly in New York City in 1923. This is a story of a young widowed single mom that is on the run from brother in law. I totally enjoyed reading this story. It is fast paced with lots of action and suspense. I enjoyed the devotion Alberto has towards Lilian and how hard he works to keep his promise to her husband. I also enjoyed reading of their faith and struggles with living in a sinful world and doing what they need to do to stay alive. One of the things that stands out to me is how they read the Bible together and help each other understand it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, this is my honest review… (meer)

Promises Unbroken by Kristina Hall is the first book in the Moretti Trilogy. This is a well written, fast paced story set in New York City in 1922. Mae knows in her heart that her sister is not dead and she will do anything to find her. And her fiancee, Davis will do anything to keep Mae safe.

I just loved reading this story and found it hard to put down. It is very descriptive and filled with suspense. I enjoyed the strength the main characters had as well as their need to share salvation with others. This story dies contain violence that may not be suited for all readers. This story also touches on PTSD, war injuries and what happens to a family when loved ones disappear.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, this is my honest review.… (meer)