Held in the Rising Smoke, The Lost Pages: An Epic 1940s Southern Historical Romance Saga • A Book Club Favorite (Hymns of Blue Hollow 3)

In
Held in the Rising Smoke
, the third installment of the acclaimed Hymns of Blue Hollow series, Kemma Marshall weaves a gripping tale of survival, forbidden love, and haunting truths. The heat of war collides with the wreckage of the past, and nothing is ever as far behind as it seems.

Esther has always lived by instinct. Hide. Protect. Endure. But after the devastation left in Clive’s wake, her quiet life in the hills of Tennessee has turned to ash.
Forced to flee, she finds herself a world away from the Blue Hollow Hills, swept into the electrified streets of 1940s New York City. Skyscrapers. Bright lights. But even there, shadows follow—especially for a woman carrying secrets... and a child.

Her husband, Ian, has risked everything for her, but as a German-born man in the wrong place at the wrong time, he’s viewed with suspicion. With his freedom hanging by a thread, he clings to the hope of building something safe with Esther. But nothing feels certain anymore—not in the city, and not in a country that can’t decide who its enemies really are.
Ian’s brother, the magnetic and reckless Freddie, offers Esther a world of glittering escapes. Nightclubs. Laughter. The thrill of being seen. But the glamour fades quickly. And the past they tried to outrun begins to call them home.
Back at the Old Reed Estate, the hills whisper warnings. The ATU and the moonshiners are circling like a pack of dogs. Both want what Clive once had. And Esther is the only one standing in their way. This time, she won’t run. She’ll protect what’s left, even if it costs her everything.

As danger mounts and loyalties are tested,
Held in the Rising Smoke
delivers a heart-wrenching, slow-burn romance set against the backdrop of WWII. This emotionally layered, character-driven novel is rich with atmosphere, smoldering tension, and the grit of Southern resilience.

Step into a historical fiction saga where heroes are brave, the stakes are high, and trust can be as dangerous as the threats closing in. Gripping and evocative, it’s a story rooted in the strength of Southern women—where every choice carries a cost, and the past never stays buried for long.