★★★★★ “This novel was as breathtaking as the first. I couldn’t put it down, and when I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next.” — Reader Reviewer In Where the River Settles , the second novel of the best-selling Hymns of Blue Hollow series, author Kemma MarShall delivers a gripping story of love tested and dark secrets unearthed. At the Old Reed Estate in 1940s Tennessee, Esther is still unraveling the foreign language of love, wary of its warmth yet aching for it in the same breath. All she has known is how to endure, not how to trust. Ian Huggler, the steadfast German who refuses to give up on her, offers something as fierce as it is protective. Yet his tenderness feels dangerous, and surrender may cost more than survival ever did. As their fragile bond deepens, old ghosts stir, and danger is not just memory—it is flesh and blood, armed and emboldened. A battle builds between the moonshiners and the ATU, drawing Esther into their sights. But Ian isn’t the only one who has discovered Esther—or wants to claim her. Her innocent smile has captured the attention of a charming and unexpected rival, creating a simmering love triangle. With the lines between protection and possession blurring, the question is who she will choose and why. Atmospheric, raw, and deeply human, Where the River Settles is a slow-burn historical romance rooted in resilience and a woman’s unbreakable strength. Sweeping and epic, it unfolds as a tale of desire, danger, and devotion—where love becomes both salvation and reckoning. For readers of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, The Nightingale , and The Giver of Stars , this epic Southern saga blends survival and lyrical storytelling with unflinching grit. Perfect for book clubs, the Hymns of Blue Hollow series delivers historical literary fiction that will keep you up at night. Begin the saga today and discover why readers can’t let go of Esther and Ian. For the best reading experience, start with Book 1 ( Hymns of Blue Hollow ) to follow the full story arc. Book Two of the Hymns of Blue Hollow Series Set in the shadows of the Appalachian hills in 1942, Where the River Settles returns to the Old Reed Estate, a place where the war between moonshiners and the law is heating up and where old sins refuse to stay buried. Ian's made his choice —he wants the girl from the hills. Beautiful, stubborn Esther. But loving her means more than accepting her past. It means surviving it. Wounded and guarded , Esther resists even the language of love. And when a charming revival steps in, the line between protection and possession begins to blur. Lush, evocative , and deeply romantic, Where the River Settles is a tale of resilience, reckoning, and love that must burn through fear before it can rise from the ashes. A gritty and passionate Southern historical romance series readers didn't know they needed. Author of the acclaimed Hymns of Blue Hollow series, an epic 1940s Southern historical romance, Kemma Marshall calls North Carolina home. With family roots in the Appalachian hills, the stories of her ancestors fuel her creative soul. Growing up poor as one of nine children, Kemma writes from an authentic heart, painting with words to bring her characters to life. She knows what it feels like to be a young girl who's unseen. Inspired by the love of a good man and a lasting marriage, and shaped by her years as a mother, she has spent her life as an artist and researcher, with a deep passion for history and bygone eras.