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The Softest Breath (Echoes of the Heart Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Naomi Musch (Author), Brandy Vickery (Editor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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Modern girls seemed always in a hurry. Now one of them has slammed into Jacob Hessman on the street near St. Paul's Union Depot and boarded his train. He knows her type: flapper-chic in her bobbed hair and stylish dress, so different from the sweet, country-bred kind of girl who once filled his heart.

Gwendolyn Smith’s narrow window of time to escape Hugh Phelps is closing fast. Performing in speakeasies and underground clubs has left her mistrustful of most men, but the big fellow she plows into on her flight to the station seems safe enough to attach herself to for short-term protection.

Friendship unfolds, but Gwen hides behind lies, wishing she might deserve such a God-fearing man as Jacob, and Jacob’s pursuit of a perfect wife conflicts with his mounting concern for Gwen. Meanwhile, Hugh is catching up. For Jacob and Gwen, trapped in their pasts and misconceptions, the time for truth and love is running out.

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  1. Book 2 of 3
    Echoes of the Heart
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    November 10, 2018
  6. File size
    7921 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07KDY3GRY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Long Lake Books; 2nd edition (November 10, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 10, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7921 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1682948455
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

About the author

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Naomi Musch

Naomi Musch

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Naomi is an award-winning author who crafts her stories from the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, where she and her husband Jeff live as epically as God allows near the families of their five children. She enjoys roaming around on the farm, snacking out of the garden, relaxing in her vintage camper, and loving on her passel of grandchildren. Naomi is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers; and the Lake Superior Writers. Though she has written in a variety of venues, her great love is historical fiction. She had three new releases in 2022. Her novel, Song for the Hunter is the sequel to Mist O’er the Voyageur, a 2019 Selah Awards finalist and two-time Book of the Year nominee. Not for Love is her novella in Barbour's new Lumberjacks & Ladies collection. Her Heroines of WWII novel titled Season of My Enemy releases in June. She is the author of several other series, collections, and stand-alone novels. Naomi would love to connect with you around the web and you can sign up for her monthly newsletter on her site.

Website: naomimusch.com

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Nike N. Chillemi
5.0 out of 5 stars Speakeasies, gangsters, a nation recovering from WWI
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
What I really love about this novel, well aside from the fact that the author captures the post WWI era perfectly, is that her characters are multidimensional. It’s not the often reworked scenario where the flapper has a heart of gold, but that Gwendolyn Smith has a deep interior life.

The saddest thing was Gwen’s early life. She was abandoned by her mother, befriended by Hugh Phelps, an older man who purported to be father-like, but used her incredible singing ability to make a lot of money for himself. He controlled and intimidated her, holding her emotionally and financially captive, and even physically abused her on occasion.

Jacob Hessman doesn’t have a way with women. From what I gathered in backstory, he had his heart and his pride smashed to smithereens in the previous novel in the series. I started with this novel because I like the Roaring Twenties era so much. He completely misreads Gwen when she actually physically runs into him at the St. Paul train station as she frantically tries to find a train she can board to run away from Phelps. She follows Jacob onto a train and to a small town where he helps her partially out of Christian kindness and partially out of an intense instant attraction.

This novel is well worth the read. I recommend it to anyone who loves the 1920s era in American history as much as I do.
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Linda Yezak
5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful story of redemptive love
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021
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I can't tell you how long it's been since I've read a full series at all, much less one book after the other. I just ordered the third in Naomi Musch's Echoes of the Heart series because the first two held me completely enthralled.

In The Softest Breath, modernity smacks headlong into traditional when a singer from the speakeasies escapes that smoky underground world and collides with an old-fashioned man with staunch ideas of proper and improper behavior. With bobbed hair, kohled eyes, and a drop-waist dress that revealed the knees, Gwen Smith epitomizes Jacob Hessman's idea of "improper."

But Jacob has a soft heart, and Gwen has a past that's closing in on her. While the battle rages between her and the man who claims she "owes" him, Jacob realizes he's falling in love with her. He can untangle her from her past, but can he convince her that she is "good enough" for him?
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Michelle W.
4.0 out of 5 stars Great historical romance set in Wisconsin
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019
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Naomi Musch tells a good and fascinating story. I enjoyed being transported back to northern Wisconsin just after WW I and watching the characters' lives transform. The suspense over how Gwen will escape the clutches of one world to become part of another keep one reading. There is tension on many fronts as Gwen and Jacob work to figure out where they belong as they try to evade a couple of thugs. If you enjoy historical romance, I highly recommend it. Well written.
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Twin Willows Farm
5.0 out of 5 stars Loving This Series!
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2019
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Wow. This is the second book in the series. I loved the first, "The Deepest Sigh," and this one might even be better. The wonderfully rounded characters are both endearing and flawed. The setting is post-WWI when so many changes were happening both socially and industrially. The hero is charmingly old-school, and the heroine is snappily modern. The tension between them is believable and understandable. I didn’t want to put it down!

This book, as well as "The Deepest Sigh," was originally published by Desert Breeze Publishing which has since gone out of business. Author Musch is putting the books back in production independently and is releasing book three, "The Brightest Hope," on August 1, 2019. I never really thought I liked books written in this era, but she’s proved me wrong. I’ll be first in line to get my copy!
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Danielle Carpenter
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, Love makes hard choices
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2019
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This story takes you back to the 1920's during prohibition when speakeasies were the way to get your liquor. Jess befriends Gwen and helps her get a job in a department store. Gwen growing up on the street attached herself to one Hugh Phelps who treats her like his daughter, but abuses her financially, and sometimes physically. She escapes and meets up with Jess. This story is very action-packed and mistrust is the theme of the plot. Learning to love and acting in love are so difficult, but the choices made are exactly that. I love how the relationship was initially built, and how Jess and Gwen made hard choices, but stuck by them to the end. This is not my favorite time era, but the story is well written.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Naomi Musch!
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2019
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Naomi Musch doesn’t disappoint in The Softest Breath, book 2 in her Echoes of The Heart series! Once again, she has done her impeccable research and has written another historically accurate drama for readers to enjoy. Since I grew up in Wisconsin, I could drive through the towns and walk the streets in my mind as I read the story, but even a reader who isn’t familiar with the areas will feel transported in time and place. Don’t forget to read The Deepest Sigh, book 1 in the Echos of the Heart series!
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Colonial Contributor
5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2019
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Set after WWI in the upper Midwest, it’s a time of social change. Jacob Hessman and Gwendolyn Smith are an unlikely match. He’s old-fashioned, comes from a close-knit family, and works in a shop. She’s a modern, an orphan, and sings in speakeasies. Jacob and Gwen are both living with regrets and aiming to make new lives. But the road to putting the past behind them, changing perceptions and finding love is not always easy. The Softest Breath will have the reader holding their breath while Jacob and Gwen figure out their futures.
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Cindy_Huff
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing love story set amid prohibition
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019
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Jacob Hessman, the longsuffering friend of Marilla in The Deepest Sigh get his happily ever after. I was fond of Jacob and his desire to always do the right thing. And that conviction presents all sorts of problems when he determines to help the mysterious Gwen Smith. Loved the characters. The prohibition era setting made it so interesting. Naomi Much captures the timeframe and keeps you there through the whole story. I enjoyed the twists and turns the plot takes before the two are truly ready to tie the knot.
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Top reviews from other countries

Book Boss
3.0 out of 5 stars Gaining independence in postwar
Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2019
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I enjoyed the setting of a young woman fleeing a lifestyle she didn't enjoy, and pursuing independent living. Pamela (Gwen) Smith left an orphanage but couldn't find work. A man saw opportunity when he heard her singing in the streets. He has supported her, like a father, but had her singing in speakeasies. She lands in a small town and enjoys a new job and new friends. But "pop" is not willing to let her go. I found it difficult to image Gwen willingly going back with Hugh - but I have never been in that kind of life to know how one gets trapped in negative feelings. A good story that points one to God as our ultimate rescuer. I am surprised to see that the next book in the series is about Hugh. Well done!
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The Devil in the Dust
5.0 out of 5 stars The softest breath.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2019
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This book was exhilarating and a joy to read. The dilemmas make a of Gwen and Jacob make fascinating reading and I didn't want to put my book down.
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