When I was a tweenager (many, many years ago), I had an obsession with horses. My room was filled with horse posters and figurines, and anytime one of my friends who owned a horse invited me to ride, I was there. So, when I saw Stephania H. McGee’s first book with Revell was about a horse farm, I was interested. Add in the title: The Secrets of Emberwild, and I was going to read this book.

McGee writes wonderfully vivid descriptions. She was either raised around horses or did meticulous research to make those scenes authentic. I also appreciated that some of her minor characters didn’t turn out to be as cliché as other books usually make the characters in those roles.

I was, however, a bit disappointed in the story overall. I never really connected with Nora. In fact, sometimes she annoyed me. The romance was as well developed as I prefer (but I did appreciate the ending of this story).

In the end, this was an average read for me. Nothing to really make the book stand out in the sea of other options out there. But other readers may enjoy meeting Nora and Silas.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own. ( )

The gorgeous cover piqued my interest in this novel and the back cover blub about horses confirmed my desire to read it. This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed the intriguing plot and twists and turns. I thought the action was a little slow to start, but once it picked up, I had a harder time putting the novel down. I thought the romance was well written and believable, and I enjoyed reading the perspectives of the two main characters, even though Nora’s naïveté annoyed me at times. The research the author did about horses is clear as the details are interwoven well into the plot. I thought the story wrapped up well. I did overall enjoy this novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. ( )

This book was pretty good. I liked the setting and the horses of course, but some of the characters made me want to shake them for their stupidity and downright denseness. How ridiculous that at one time women trainers weren't allowed or thought of as proper! Although we don't have horses, caring for our animals is one of my favorite jobs. I also love working in my home and caring for our family, but it's a balance of both indoor and outdoor work. Some of these older prejudices against women seem so out there, but I know that sometimes they were reality even as foolish as they were.
I loved Nora's caring but fiery spirit and how she tried to stand up for herself, Arrow, and her family's farm.

This author is new to me, but I'll definitely be checking out her other books soon!

Thank you to the author, publisher and LibaryThing's Early Reviewers program for the complimentary paperback of this book. I appreciate it! :)
A positive review was not required of me, and the thoughts above are my own. ( )

Years after his father perished under the hooves of a stallion, Silas returns to the scene of the accident with many questions. Questions that those who were present cannot or are unwilling to answer. A search for work leads him to Emberwild Horse Farm, where more mystery lives. Nora, whose father recently died, is a fiercely independent and progressive woman who wants to take charge of Emberwild and race her favorite colt, Arrow.
After several mishaps, Silas surmises: “There is something very wrong at Emberwild.”But who can Nora trust? It will take both of them to figure out the secrets that haunt Emberwild. “Sooner or later, one of them would trip and the lies-or perhaps the truth- would spill. Then she could only pray the secrets of Emberwild would not leave them all with broken hearts and shattered hopes.”
Intrigue, mysteries, manipulation with a dash of romance and underlying faith make this an outstanding book by Ms. McGee.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads Review Program. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* ( )

If you enjoy women's rights stories, this book is definitely for you! I feel like this story focused heavily on it. As somebody who doesn't prefer those kinds of stories, it ended up being better than I expected.

My only compliment is that Nora was a little rebellious and set on disliking men in an obnoxious way. I think the only reason it got under my skin is because I went through my own season of disliking men. I grew up in an area where there were many bad men, so I viewed them as the enemy--ignorant and corrupt. However, I've now learned that not all men are bad. Men were created by God. When they lean into God, they are an example of strength, love, and support. Good men deserve tons of appreciation!

With that said, Nora learned the same lesson. Not all men are bad. Due to that aspect, this book has earned four stars. I wish that Nora's lesson would have been more prevalent, but I still enjoyed this story! The ending pleasantly surprised me!

Content warnings:
• several mentions of people throwing out obscenities or wanting to, but no words are actually said.
• several uses of the word swear
• several mentions of whiskey
• super frequent uses of the word fool (in its many variations)
• frequent uses of the word idiot (in its many variations)
• one use of the word lecherous
• side characters use tobacco
• short passionate kisses
• the emotions of falling in love (aka: mentions of electric feelings, wanting to know what his/her lips would feel like, etc.)

Trigger warnings:
Death. The emotions that come along with death.

As a disclaimer, I may be missing some content or triggers warnings. I read this book while I was sick. 😅 If I missed any, let me know below!

I received a free copy of this book through Library Thing. All thoughts are my own. ( )