My Thoughts on The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee

About:

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 and West Alabama 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 the risk of ruining everything for the feisty woman he's come to admire.

My Thoughts:

Nora Fenton is living only a shadow of the life she really wants to live. Living on her father's horse farm and being a horse trainer herself, her life should pretty much be perfect. Except it is not. Her father is sick and dying and hasn't much cared for her for years, and then he tells her a devastating secret. One that Nora does not understand and now lives under the shadow of something nefarious, along with never being able to please her mother, and the farm seems to not be doing well.

Silas Cavallero is on the hunt for answers to his father's murder and the loss of something important to him. His quest for answers leads him to Nora and her horses. He hires on to help with the training and gets much more in the bargain.

This was a story that took place in 1905, before the World Wars and before women really had the freedoms we enjoy today. Nora and her plight of just living the life she was gifted to live resonated with me and I was cheering her on every step of the way. She really had an uphill battle, and when it is family that is part of the battle, the stakes are so much higher. 

Silas and Nora's relationship goes from distrust to a slow burn romance as they work together on more than just the horses. Horses, mystery, and romance abound along with the horses in this story.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Stephenia H. McGee is the award-winning author of many stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South, including The Secrets of Emberwild. When she's not reading or sipping sweet tea on the front porch, she's a writer, dreamer, husband spoiler, and busy mom of two rambunctious boys. Learn more at www.stepheniamcgee.com.