I enjoyed this book, however it was different from what I was expecting. The Secrets of Emberwild falls more into the genre of coming of age, or women's fiction, and I was expecting more romance. I liked how Nora didn't give up on her goals, no matter what challenge she faced. The villain was pretty villainous... I don't want to give spoilers, but he creeped me out from the beginning. Nora's mom kind of got on my nerves for a bit, but she eventually came around to Nora's point of view and it worked out in the end. I was glad for the happy ending. Anyone who enjoys books with family drama, a strong female protagonist, a mystery, horse racing, or just a touch of romance will enjoy this book.

The Secrets of Emberwild will grab hold of your imagination and keep you in the story all the way through. Nora loves her horses and doesn’t understand why “proper etiquette” can’t change. Yet, she loves her family despite the tensions and tries to honor her mother and father. But the horses keep beckoning. And she follows. When a stranger shows up and begins helping around the farm, she grows uneasy with the questions he asks yet finds herself appreciating that he honors her knowledge of horses and the way she handles them. Where is all of this going to go? Will Silas get answers? What will happen for Nora?
The Secrets of Emberwild was a lovely read. It was set in a simpler time yet the themes of difficulty ring true for today. It is a clean read with none of the sexuality in many “clean” books today. The story is labeled as Christian, and though you see a tiny bit of that, I don’t feel there is enough Christianity in it to label it a Christian romance. However, thoroughly enjoyed it and can easily recommend it.

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.

This story is filled with secrets and mystery that surround the horse farm. It was a little slow moving, but I enjoyed the characters!

The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee is a must read if you love inspirational historical fiction stories set in the deep south. This story also has suspense thrown in that won't disappoint.
Nora Fenton will do whatever it takes to save her horse farm after her father passes away, but because she is woman she is finding out that society isn't quite ready for her independence just yet.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

Growing up I loved all things horse. I loved to ride them and care for them and in my spare time I read every book about them that I could get my hands on. Fast forward several years and I'm still a crazy horse lover and I'm still delighted to get my hands on a book that centers around horses.

The Secrets of Emberwild checks all my horse loving boxes. Emberwild is a horse farm in 1905 Mississippi and is filled with beautiful offspring from Ember the prize stud for their farm. Nora Fenton has spent her entire life devoted to making her father's fledgling endeavor a success. But much to her horror shortly before her father's death he reveals that the whole thing is built on a lie. Nora has no idea what he's talking about but as the story progresses those words will come back to haunt her.

After the loss of his mother Silas Cavallero decides to set out on a journey to solve the mystery of his beloved father's death. That journey takes him to a small Mississippi town where his father was killed in a freak accident. Silas was about twelve at the time and has harbored doubts about the circumstances ever since. He takes a temporary horse trainer position at Emberwild and that's where he meets and clashes with Nora.

The chemistry between the two just sizzles. I enjoyed watching their rocky relationship unfold. Not only is their relationship tumultuous but so are the circumstances surrounding the farm. This was a book that was hard to put down because each chapter ended with an urgent need to see what would happen in the next.

Stephenia McGee is a new to me author and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style. At the end of the book there is a teaser for her next book. It sounds just as fascinating as The Secrets of Emberwild and I'm looking forward to diving in.

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

McGee has delivered a masterpiece with The Secrets of Emberwild. The mystery, the suspense, bits of romance, strong characters, twists, turns, and Arrow! I really felt like Arrow was his own character at times and boy did it add to the story. Oh McGee’s love and knowledge of horses certainly came through the pages of this story, as well as her attention to detail in history. Of all the books I’ve read by McGee, I think this one shows her heart the most.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book was Nora’s character. She was so strong, so ahead of her time, and willing to fight for what was hers. You could see her passion for Arrow from the very beginning, and I was curious how her ambitions would play out through the story. Sorry, no spoilers here, but I’ll say that McGee nailed it.

Historical fiction fans, horse fans, and fast paced story fans are going to love this book. I highly recommend checking it out!! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There were secrets aplenty at Emberwild. Just how long will they remain secrets?

Secrets can make you miserable by binding you up and destroying your options. However, uncovering secrets can have the opposite effect. Revealing the truth can right some wrongs, offer much better choices and maybe just maybe, it can set you free to pursue your dreams.

I loved the role that horses played in this story, actually becoming important characters themselves. The bonds between horses and humans are truly beautiful and amazing.

The bad guy in this story was not just bad, he was downright dastardly. A broken heart which never healed, joined up with envy to become an unbridled obsession. Bitterness took over and he lost his moral compass.

Ah, but what was intended for bad brought about some good and wonderful things. A true love match was made and a broken mother/daughter relationship was mended and healed.

I loved Nora’s and Silas’ story. Each battle and obstacle that they faced together made me love these characters even more. As his mama had hoped, Silas had found a better life and he sure did love a good woman. And, he had finally learned to rest once in awhile. This was such a satisfying story! Ah…the joy of reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I finally got access to this little gem from NetGalley.

This was a sweet, romantic film with Christian undertones. There was just enough mystery to keep it interesting, although I did suspect the correct situation quite early on. The two main characters are admirable, feisty and compassionate, and who doesn’t love horses and cowboys?

The structure could be a little confusing at times as the POV changes randomly and without warning- there is no full paragraph separation to indicate this.

Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for a cosy Sunday afternoon read!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction set during a time other than World War II. (I do really enjoy those stories, but this was a breath of fresh air!) Set just after the turn of the century, Nora is a young woman who loves horses and is caught between wanting to pursue her dreams and pleasing her parents. With the death of her father, she believes that she finally has the chance to run the family home and horse business, despite his deathbed confession of a long held secret.
Silas comes to town seeking answers for his father's death 15 years ago and lends the air of romance to the story. While there is romance in the story, it is more about finding the answers they seek as well as the inner confidence to fight for what they each want in their future.

I received a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

This was a slow build for me, taking to about the halfway point before I really got into it and it held my interest. The horse element particularly appealed to me; I read pretty much every horse book I could get my hands on growing up, so that nostalgia came back full force here and was really what kept me going.

The story itself is indeed sweet, and readers looking for a clean romance will enjoy this. I started to put the pieces of the mystery puzzle together early on, and wouldn't have minded something slightly more complex in that regard. But, I did enjoy the read as a whole, and appreciated revisiting this era in history.

3/5 stars.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading The Secrets of Emberwild by Stephenia H. McGee. I received this book from Revell for my review of the novel.

The story takes place in Mississippi around 1905. Nora Fenton’s family owns a struggling horse farm that raises horses for harness racing. After her father’s death, she intends to save her family’s farm and bring success back to the business. During this time in history, it is inconceivable that a woman would run a horse ranch and she faces many challenges.

Silas Cavallero comes to the farm to solve the mystery of his father’s death. It seems that his father owned a wonderful horse, but it was stolen and was thought o have trampled his father to death. It happened in the town near the Fenton horse farm. Strange things are happening on this ranch that is threatening to cause Nora to lose the ranch and perhaps her life. She and Silas try to solve these problems together, but previous actions by her father and uncle seem to be coming between them.

Nora is a fantastic character who is trying to fight the strictures of her world. She wants to train and race her horse, she is not interested in what is considered proper.

Silas is trying to figure out what happened to his dad. He was never satisfied with what had happened.

This story was beautifully written as these two characters navigate their challenges and uncover the mystery surrounding them. I found myself drawn in and trying to solve the mystery alongside them. What I also found was growth with Nora's relationship with her mother, understanding, grief, and faith.

This was a beautiful story and full of hope and adventure. It kept my mind engaged and pulled me in as if I was there

I received an early copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review

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.

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.

Stephenia McGee knows how to write an enthralling historical fiction.

Horse races. Romance. Mystery. This is a book that once you start you won’t want to put down!

Nora Fenton loves horses and training them. Her father does not approve and her mother has been trying to find her a suitable husband to solve the problem they see as Nora. As for Nora, she will have none of it! After her father dies, she is more determined than ever to save Emberwild and train horses.

Silas Cavallero is a man on a mission, determined to find out what really happened when his father died several years ago. After the death of his mother, he goes back to where his father died and gets hired on nearby at Emberwild.

Nora sees Silas as a threat to her plans for Emberwild. If he has been hired to train her horse, how will she carry out her plan? Silas on the other hand just wants answers and he feels they can only be found at Emberwild. Will Silas and Nora see that they only way forward for both of them is to work together to meet their goals?

I enjoyed this story. From the setting to the individual stories to the message of the importance of faith, this story is such a beautiful one. Also the horses and the information on racing and training taught me so much. I have always thought of horses as beautiful, intelligent animals and this story helped me see that even more.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Revell. All views are simply my honest opinion.

I instantly cared for this little girl who loved horses, and the mystery surrounding an unexplained accident. This gal was a woman ahead of her time, she wasn’t afraid to go against societies rules which didn’t approve of her training horses or any animal for that matter. Oh, my don’t even think about riding a horse in a race.

1905 women shouldn’t think the way Nora did, but her father saw her gifting and let her train the horses. Things changed when her father died, and Uncle Amos stepped in to manage the horse farm. He lets Nora do what she’d been doing before with limitations. He was determined for her to marry well, fulfilling Nora’s social obligations.

If this weren’t enough to wrap her head around, she is still trying to make heads or tails of her father’s secret. She told no one about what her father whispered in her ear before he died. She tries to encourage her mother to embrace being an independent woman, she knows it could be possible.

Amos hired Silas to help train horses on the farm. Silas only purpose in taking this job was to find out what really happened to his father, that caused him to die. Was it really an accident? It was a mystery Silas had to solve.

I was mesmerized by what it took to run a ranch, train, and bred horses. The love of everything horse related shines through this feisty strong-willed young lady, who is mission minded, as she wrestles with her fears and longs for independence and freedom, and to live out her dream of managing the ranch.

I enjoyed the main characters and the minor ones as the mystery surrounding Emberwild, unfolds. I liked the unexpected twists and turns as secrets rise to the surface and things become clearer to the reader and to Nora and Silas. What would they do with these secrets?

This is a sweet heartwarming, story filled with family, loss, faith, and hope, oh, and let’s not forget the horses. It’s also a story of a mother and daughter finding their way to independence after the man they trusted deceived them. I liked how the mystery added to the drama. This is an engaging read and one that would work for your next book club meeting.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! https://psalm516.blogspot.com/
The Book Club Network blog

The Secrets of Emberwild is a romance with mystery and family drama set in 1905 Mississippi. The heroine is a young woman who is progressive in her want of freedom and women's rights. She is also a thoughtful and caring young lady. She cares for her mom, her farm and her beloved horse Arrow. The hero, is a man trying to make sense of his father's death when he was a boy and comes to Mississippi to find answers. I really enjoyed this book from the first page. I loved learning some of the history of horse racing during that time period. This is a new to me author and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
*I received a copy of this book by Revell Publishers and this is my honest opinion.

Recommended for fans of clean reads and historical fiction.

I admire how the author combines a love of horses with a southern romance. The characters, particularly Nora and Silas, are well-written and you will be rooting for them.

The mystery is a little bit forced, but it does help keep the reader's interest.

The horse content is wonderful and you can tell that the author knows her stuff.

I especially enjoyed following along Nora's journey as she comes into her own sense of independence. In a way, this is not just a romance and mystery, it's also a coming-of-age story.