About the Book
Book: A Spring at the Greenbrier
Author: Sandra Merville Hart
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: April 30, 2024
Marilla will sacrifice anything for her family. So when her sister’s doctor suggests daily sulphur spring baths, an amenity her family could never afford, Marilla takes a job at The Greenbrier resort bathhouse in order to give her sister the care she needs. When her sister befriends another girl staying at the resort with a similar health condition, Marilla finds herself crossing paths with the girl’s handsome, charming, older brother. And despite their growing attraction to each other, courting Wes must remain a dream. After all, resort staff cannot court guests and Marilla will not risk her sister’s health for her own happiness.
Wealthy resort guest, Wes Bakersfield, has dreams for a future and plans to make his family’s business his own. And while he finds himself drawn to Marilla, despite their differing social classes, he can’t help but wonder if she is really interested in him, or in his wealth.
Can the couple find the trust to help their love succeed, or will their differences pull them apart?
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A Summer at the Greenbrier by Sandra Merville Heart is a Christian Historical Romance. This is the seventh book in the Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Book series. Marilla is willing to sacrifice anything for her family, especially for her younger sister. So, when the doctor recommends daily sulfur baths, Marilla takes a job at The Greenbrier Resort bathhouse to give her sister the care she needs. Marilla’s sister befriends a young girl staying at the inn with similar health issues who happens to have an older brother.
Wealthy resort guest Wes Bakersfield plans and dreams for a future to make his family’s business his own. But when he crosses paths with Marilla, he is drawn to her. With pain from past relationships affecting them both, they cautiously begin spending time for their sisters’ sake. With the rules of employees of the inn not being able to socialize with those staying at the inn, Marilla fears for her sister’s treatment.
As with all of the books in this series, I truly found myself unable to put this book down. The way the author allows the two young girls to bring their older siblings together made this book shine for me. With mothers who quickly become friends, Marilla and Wes find themselves encouraged to court each other. Truly, this book and all the books in the series deserve to be read.
So, if you enjoy Christian Historical Romances, check out A Summer at the Greenbrier by Sandra Merville Heart.
I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known yet fascinating facts from American history to include in her stories. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. She is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.
More from Sandra
In A Spring at The Greenbrier, Book 7 in Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Series, Marilla, our heroine, is as desperate as her mother to find healing for her younger sister’s polio. When the doctor recommends daily bathing in the sulphur springs, her family cannot afford the cost. Marilla transfers to the bath wing at The Greenbrier where her new boss allows her to bring her sister at the end of each day after the guests have finished their bathing sessions. It makes for a long day yet the sacrifice is worth her exhaustion if the springs can help her ten-year-old sister.
The Greenbrier, a beautiful and elegant resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, first received its fame from healthy benefits of drinking the sulphur springs and bathing in its waters.
Both the hero and heroine in A Spring at The Greenbrier have younger sisters who can benefit from heated spring baths.
The bulk of my research for this story was for the springs and what illnesses benefit from them. I had to discover the illnesses for which doctors recommended the baths historically.
Soothing soaks in hot springs are recommended even today. They can boost blood circulation, reduce pain, improve skin conditions, reduce stress, decrease inflammation in joints, and detoxify the body.
Most resort guests in the early days drank tumblers of the water before each meal. A resort doctor in the 1800s cautioned taking a maximum of 12 glasses daily. Health benefits for the bowels, liver, kidneys, and skin most often appeared between three to six weeks. The resort began to sell it in bottles at drug stores. It was labelled as A Natural Laxative.
Major renovations were done by new owners for a grand reopening in September of 1913. Marilla, our heroine, begins working at the Women’s Department of the new bath wing. Female guests enjoyed heated sulphur spring baths in bathing rooms. Doctors sent their wealthy patients to the springs with a recommended regimen of bathing that might also include drinking the spring water. The temperature of the water, the frequency, and the length of the baths were set by their doctor.
Folks suffering from a variety of ailments sought benefits from the spring waters, including gout, rheumatism, arthritis, neuritis, dyspepsia, jaundice, scurvy, hay fever, malaria, bronchitis, asthma, and chronic diseases of the skin, stomach, bowels, and liver.
Mineral waters can harm people with aneurisms in the heart and large arteries, cancer, tubercular consumption, and some brain complaints.
The springs were of great benefit for folks suffering from chronic complaints. These benefits happened so gradually that patients started to feel better “without being able to account for it.”
So there were a lot of conditions to choose from for my two ailing girls in my story.
A Spring at The Greenbrier is a nostalgic story set in 1914. I invite you to read the whole series!
Blog Stops
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 1
Book Looks by Lisa, May 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 2
Devoted To Hope, May 3
Texas Book-aholic, May 3
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 4
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 5
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 5
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 6 (Author Interview)
She Lives To Read, May 7
Books You Can Feel Good About, May 7
Blogging With Carol, May 8
Simple Harvest Reads, May 9 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
For him and My Family, May 9
Blossoms and Blessings, May 10
The Lofty Pages, May 11
Bizwings Book Blog, May 11
Connie’s History Classroom, May 12
Holly’s Book Corner, May 13
Pause for Tales, May 13
Life on Chickadee Lane, May 14
Cover Lover Book Review, May 14
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Sandra is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2b35d/a-spring-at-the-greenbrier-celebration-tour-giveaway
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