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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My Thoughts:

Welcome to the Greenbrier located in West Virginia. This is another resort book that dates back to the Gilded ages, and this one is still taking reservations. I enjoyed reading this historical book, then taking a tour of the resort's web pages.

In this story we have a young woman, Marilla, who works very hard for everyone else but never puts herself first. It is just her mother and little sister, Katie who has polio. Marilla works six days a week at the bath house of the resort, where it is said the Sulphur springs can help in healing. Is it really helping her sister, Marilla doesn't know. But for the sake of her mother and Katie, she prays it will. It has brought another unexpected blessing though.

Wes's little sister deals with the pain of arthritis. Upon her doctor's orders, she goes to the resort springs that does bring her much relief. That is where his sister, Ina meets her new best friend, Katie. And he meets Marilla. As they develop a friendship, their families become quite close as well. However, is Marilla as good as she seems, or is she only after his wealth.

The class difference between Marilla and Wes, a businessman looking to expand into the automobile business, is one of the forces that may keep them apart. This was an enjoyable read to see how Wes's family was a little bit different than other wealthy patrons. But at the same time, they did need to be careful of those who only sought what they could take from them.

I found Marilla's thought process about herself somewhat sad. She did all she could do, but it never seemed to be enough, nor did anyone really look out for her. Would she ever find her dreams being fulfilled, maybe the ones that refused to die? How many times do we let life's overwhelming odds weigh us down?

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and 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!