Review: The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee

Genre: Historical Romance 
Publisher: Revell
Released: Oct. 4, 2022
352 pages

About the Book:

A gifted trainer in a time women are not allowed to race, Nora Fenton prefers horses to men. They're easier to handle, they're more reliable, and they never tell her what to do. After her father's passing, Nora is determined to save her struggling horse farm, starting with entering her prize colt into the harness races at the 1905 Mississippi Fair. If she wins, she may have a chance at independence. But when a stranger arrives and starts asking disconcerting questions, she suspects he may have other motives than unseating her in the training job that is rightfully hers.

Silas Cavallero will do whatever it takes to solve the mystery of his father's death--even if it means training an unwieldy colt for Nora, who wants nothing more than to see him gone. But when mysterious accidents threaten their safety and circumstances shrouded in secrets begin unlocking clues to his past, Silas will have to decide if the truth is worth risking ruining everything for the feisty woman he's come to admire.

  

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

Nora has grown up on a horse farm and wants to be a horse trainer. But it 1905 and her family tells her that a women’s place is to get married and manage the house. When her father dies she believes she will inherit the farm and can continue training her horse, Arrow. However her uncle has different plans and motives. Silas arrives at the farm looking for answers about what happened to his father and his horse 15 years ago. He gets hired as a horse trainer for Nora’s horse. Arrow only seems to listen to Nora so Silas asks her to show him how she has been training Arrow so far. The two begin to form a bond and Silas explains his reasons for being at the farm. Nora has suspicions about what happened to the horse Silas is searching for, but if her suspicions are right, it could have a negative impact on Emberwild, her home. Nora is torn between what to do.

There are quite a few details provided about the time and activities spent with the horse Arrow. Even though I love horses, this did not keep me that invested in the story. I found the story moved slow with not much really happening for a good portion of the book. It did pick up near the end, but by then I was ready to be done. I struggled with Nora, I could understand her frustration at not being able to do what her heart really wanted and the way her uncle treated her really annoyed me, but I also felt she was very passive around others and didn’t stand up for herself. Once again it was the main guy character, Silas, that I connected with the most. He is an honest man trying to get answers about his father’s death and what happened to his father’s horse. I liked that he could see that Nora could contribute to the horse training. He gets blamed for something he didn’t do and is gone for a while. I did not like the idea of Nora being paired with a guy 17 years old than herself and was glad when she finally stood up for herself. I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance that did happened, I would have liked more time with them getting to know one another to believe the feelings that developed. I was pleased with the way the story wrapped up and happy with how things worked out for each person.

Favourite Quote: 

“There were so many things she couldn't control, but she wouldn't let worry rob her of the contentment she'd found. She'd pray for peace and let God work out the details.”

(I received an ARC of this book from Revell through NetGalley; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Timeless Love Collection: Romantic Stories that Span the Ages

Genre: Romance
Released: June 19, 2018

About the Book:

Enjoy seven romances through the ages in this Timeless Love limited time ebook. An open invitation to fall in love with the writing styles of a few new-to-you multi-published authors of your favorite Christian romance eras. All proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to the LiveStrong Foundation.

Give Me Thine Heart 1812 ~ Andrea Boeshaar
Moira loathes the man her uncle, Baron Tyrus Kinsley, wishes her to marry. But when she meets Sam Stryker, she soon guesses he’s from the American Colonies. After she stumbles onto a deep secret, Sam must make an impossible decision. Ultimately, he whisks Moira from England. However, it’s the on the 6-weeks long voyage to the U.S. that Moira learns about herself, her family…and the man who is both her kidnapper and rescuer.

This Freedom Journey 1833 ~ Misty M. Beller
Adrien Lockman left France to finally live life on his own terms, but when he discovers a half-starved and half-frozen woman in the treacherous Canadian mountains, the truth soon becomes clear—the only way they’ll survive is together.

The Heart of Home~ 1865 Stephenia H. McGee
Opal Martin aspires to scrub the remnants of the War Between the States from her tattered life. When a nearly drowned soldier appears and asks if he can die on her porch, she must guard against the sudden revival of her heart’s hope for love. Tristan Stuart wants to escape the pain of war. He wakes up at a house that’s too much like home, with a woman determined to mend him he may discover a life worth fighting for. To save the last of what Opal holds dear, will he become the man she needs or let the troubled waters carry him away?

Enchanting Nicholette 1893 ~ Dawn Crandall
Young, widowed, and newly out of mourning, Nicholette Everstone is an heiress yearning to be loved. Her parents had arranged for her to marry her loving late husband, but the marriage ended tragically on her wedding day. Returning to Boston after being away, she finds there’s someone new to her set of friends and family she can’t help but fall for. But when she learns of the danger and sacrifices this man takes on, will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears at bay?

Teach Me To Love 1899 ~ Kari Trumbo
Izzy Lawson has taken her last abuse. When her husband dies, she rushes to Belle Fourche to stay with the only friend she has. The wall she’s worked so hard to build crumbles in the arms of a man so different from her husband. Conrad Oleson can’t read and it’s shamed him for longer than he can remember. As Izzy reveals her painful past, he can’t stay away. He’ll do about anything, to get closer. Including, teach her how to love.

Façade 1942 ~ Pepper D. Basham
Olivia Rakes has excellent observations skills for facts and details, but stumbles through matters of the heart. When her brother goes missing in German-occupied France, Livy enlists her services with a group of search-and-rescue spies, who not only thrust her toward espionage, but…romance. Agent Christopher Dawson has avoided Livy since she broke his heart. When the search for his best friend brings them together, the heart takes on a mind of its own. In a world where war changes the rules of life and love, can they work together to complete their rescue mission before the enemy catches them?

Bookishly Ever After 2018 ~ Sarah Monzon
It all started with a bet and a book.
Emory Blake would take curling up with a novel over a night on the town any day. But then her best friend, Tate Woodby, accuses her of living between the pages of her paperbacks instead of the real world, and he makes a bet that will force her to experience the adventures of her fictional friends. Emory must confront the pain of the past. But is it also her perfect opportunity to her own happily ever after? 

 

Goodreads / Amazon
 

    My Rating & Thoughts:🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟    (4 stars)   

Releases June 19th!

I very rarely read novellas as I am not a fan of many as I prefer longer stories that give me more of an opportunity to really get to know the characters. However I was excited to read this collection because it includes stories from two of my favourite authors and I liked the idea that all proceeds were being donated to Live Strong Foundation. Collections like this are great for introducing to you authors you may not be familiar with.

Each story is unique in its own way with no one story feeling like another. Readers are transported to a wide range of settings featuring the upper class, farmers, mountaineers, spies, and the young adults. There is something for everyone’s taste in this collection – Romance, History, Adventure, Mystery, and Humor.

Personally there were three stories that I enjoyed the most - Give Me Thine Heart, Facade and Bookishly Ever After.

Give Me Thine Heart is the most historic story in the collection and takes you on a ship from Europe to America. I felt for Moira and the situation she was being forced into, however I did question her decision of leaving with a complete stranger for escape from this situation. But as I got to know Samuel I began to root for the two of them to form a relationship.

Facade had me on the edge of my seat, taking me to France as Livy and Christopher are spies on a mission. Danger lurks around every corner making me wonder if they would succeed with their mission and come out unscathed. I was holding my breath numerous times.

In Bookishly Ever After, Emory is a character that any book lover who enjoys escaping the real world by engrossing themselves in a book will be able to associate with. As much as I related to the bookish side of Emory I was intrigued by the excursions Tate takes her on. It was in these three I found myself easily caring about what was going to happen with the characters. I encourage you to pre-order this collection today.

 

(I received a complimentary copy of this collection, opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own. I have pre-ordered a copy of this collection for myself from Amazon.)