This was a great historical romance! The story was so heart wrenching and full of great character growth. I loved the forbidden romance!

Going into this story I knew nothing about the real-life people - Amalia Grob and Peter Britt - upon whom this story is based. It's clear that the book is well-researched, not only in terms of these people's lives, but also the culture and country that they were raised in. I learned so much about Switzerland while reading this book, which to me is one of the joys of reading anything set in a culture outside my own. The author does and excellent job gently educating the readers about Amalia's way of life, revealing details as they are necessary and never overwhelming or overexplaining. Although I did notice some details were needlessly repeated, this didn't take away from the overall reading experience.

The author also does a great job getting into the character's head. Since this book is very introspective and much more character-based than plot-based, it's essential that the reader has a good sense of who these characters are, which I think was done well. This isn't a character study by any means - we are told early on who these characters are, and they stay pretty consistent throughout. But as this is a pretty gentle, low-stakes story focused more on romance and societal expectations than on character development, I didn't mind that the characters sometimes seemed a little flat.

Overall, this was a fun, easy read - nothing in this story is too complicated, and the star-crossed lovers trope is familiar enough that it's easy to get immersed in the story. A nice bit of escapism with a setting you don't often see in historical novels.

I was quickly drawn into this captivating story of Peter and Amalia, set in a scenic Swiss village in the 1800's. Reading it while backpacking in a mountain range allowed my imagination to vividly picture the quaint villages and life in the mountains described. As in other books by this author, the words expertly draw you into the story. It's a book (or Kindle on phone) that I couldn't put down until the last page and left me wanting more, eager to read the next installment. I loved that not only were Amalia and Peter real people, but as the story unfolds, one realizes the ebb and flow of their lives has a distinct crossover to our current time in history. There's friendship, career choices, families in joy and conflict, a desire for the best for your children, love and heartache intermingled, but also decisions to seek a better life through immigration, women's roles and rights in some cultures still controlled by patriarchy, and living with the consequences of choices made. This enchanting story of love, loss, and hope rates at least 10 stars in my book!

A very well researched story in 19th century Swiss Alps. It is told so well. It’s a true story of how they ended up in Oregon. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

A big thank you to Netgalley and Little Red Press for this ARC book!

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the next instalment! I do not in general read a lot of historical fiction (certainly never previously from Switzerland and in this time period) so I was pretty ecstatic to find out that I really enjoyed this story.

I loved the German words that were tastefully used in the book, I speak German, so this gave the book an authentic feel to me without being overwhelming for the non-German speakers.

I also loved all of the characters and felt everyone played an important role in the story. The book was extremely well plotted with no dull moments. It had a lovely tension to it and you couldn't help but share the emotional turmoil of the characters. Amalia's growth and inner monologues/reflections where gripping and you could feel her dread at being faced with impossible decisions.

This is not your standard love story by any means, the drama is very high, but appropriately displayed considering the time period that it was set in. I can really only recommend this book! It is a cosy, atmospheric, clean read.

Thank you all for reading!

This was a beautiful book that transported me to 19th-century Switzerland. I didn't realise that Peter and Amalia Britt were real people who lived in Switzerland and immigrated to the United States.

My favourite part of this book was the focus on women’s roles in society and how it was often correlated with religion. I liked the way the author explored the lack of control and autonomy women experienced and that they were required to obey God, their father and their husband with little regard for their own wants and desires.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the way the author was able to create a beautiful, yet heartbreaking, story of life in a small village in the Swiss Alps.

This is the first in what is to be an historical fiction series, Where Lost Dreams Awaken, inspired by the lives of Amalia Grob and Peter Britt.

In 1840s Glarus, Switzerland, Amalia meets Peter. Even though she is just approaching her teens, she knows she loves him and wants to marry him. Unfortunately, in those days, a young woman had to have her father’s permission to marry. Herr Grob is a stern, devout man who wants his daughter to make the best match possible to secure her future, and Peter is not it. As she matures, Amalia’s love for Peter only grows. When her father learns of their plans to marry, he forbids it, and she ends up marrying her cousin, Karl Grob. Meanwhile, the destructive foehn winds wreak havoc on the livelihoods of many in the local community, prompting some to seek salvation in emigration to America.

Atmospheric, beautifully descriptive, and well researched, the author paints an accurate portrait of those times. As a Swiss descendant with numerous visits to Switzerland, I was impressed by the enduring relevance of many of the traditions depicted in the book. Indeed, I find myself indulging in a slice of birnbrot whenever I return to the country.

For a captivating and immersive narrative that delves into the life of the Swiss mountains in the 19th century, accompanied by a heartwarming true-life romance saga, don’t miss this charming read. I look forward to the next installment, eager to read of the remarkable journeys of Amalia Grob and Peter Britt, who went on to become a noted photographer and vintner in Oregon.