This is a new author to me and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book about a young girl that loses most of her family and has to journey west in search of family. I loved the relationship Ellis had with her horse and the author did a great job detailing it. The narrator did a great job and had a pleasant voice. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction and to also young adults. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good piece of writing. When you start reading this book, it gets your attention right away. This is a book that describes things so well that you'll feel like you're actually experiencing them with the author. I couldn't stop reading this book. The story ended on a positive and joyful part and the writer suggested that there will be another book, so I'm excited to read it in the future. The people in the story were really good. They were described well and the more I read, the more I learned about them. The book had a really great feeling.

The damage from the Civil War trickled down from the battlefield to families and ordinary citizens. Ellis lost her father and her two brothers to the war and her mother to illness. She disguised herself as a boy, took her favorite horse, and went by herself to find relatives. The countryside is not safe and she is distrustful of everyone she meets, but she does meet some fellow travelers that help her. Unfortunately I felt I was watching from afar and did not get emotionally involved with any of the people. I received and arc and was not influenced to write a positive review.

Ellis River shows how a story about a girl's journey through a war torn country to search for her father and brothers can be turned into an engaging, piognant and emotional piece due to simple, beautiful and soulful storytelling.

Initially, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book as I perceived it would be a bit depressing. How wrong was I!

This book is about Ellis's journey.... her physical journey through the country as well as her mental journey as she deals with the death of her twin brother after reuniting with him and experiencing the brutal face of warfare in person. Her mare Billie, her journals in which she writes her thoughts and feelings down in form of letters to her dead mother, brothers and missing father and a trio of unlikely fellow travellers save her from going into total despair and hopelessness.

The book ends on a hopeful and happy note and the author has hinted that there will be a sequel so I will be looking forward to reading that.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bay Feather Books and the author Nicki Ehrlich for the e-Arc of the book. The cover picture is also stunning in its simplicity.

I wish we had half stars, I'd give this 4 1/2 stars, not quite 5 because there were just a few too many timely coincidences in the story. And it's quite a story, looking at the very end of the Civil War, a time often left forgotten, from many different angles but all through the eyes of a single girl trying to survive. During the war her father and brother disappeared while selling horses to the army. Later her twin brother went off looking for them, leaving her with her mother who died and left Ellis alone. As the war wound down and her neighbors disappeared and she realized a 15-year-old girl can't go it alone, so she decided to leave and search for her father and brothers, and dressed as her twin for safety's sake. Then the real adventure begins, with her mare Billie as close companion and as strong a character as any other in the book. To say it is a roller coaster ride is understatement. There are twists and turns, and yes, coincidences, but it is never predictable, and mostly believable and always emotionally true. The characters are varied and appropriate for the time period. The setting is extremely well created; I felt like I was right there with her in good times and bad. I don't remember seeing the chaos of post-Civil War America brought to life so well and so simply anywhere else. If you like historical fiction, or strong female characters, or diverse characters, or just want a good adventure story, I highly recommend Ellis River.

What an enthralling novel Ellis River is. This was a book that demanded to be read in one sitting, and that is exactly what I did! I thought this book was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. The author has really done his homework because the historical world was wonderfully depicted. Likewise, the characters had a strong sense of realism to them, as did the horses, especially Billie!

I really enjoyed every minute of this book. It is fabulous from start to finish. I highly recommend this novel.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

This was quick fun read. The story follows Ellis in an almost post-Civil War era. The war has ended but there are still skirmishes ongoing as Ellis sets out to find her brothers and her father after her mother dies. This is a beautifully written story touching on a young girl taking on every challenge she faces.

3.5 stars rounded up. A great historical fiction story that features a strong female main character. There's a lot of heartache, a lot of hold-your-breath situations, and great writing. The plot lagged in a few places, but the ending made it all worthwhile.

This was a slow-moving well-written book. I mostly enjoyed it but wish it had a bit more action/plot to the story; however, I did like the writing.

Thankyou, for the chance.
Some parts I cried, some more heartwarming tho.
This book reminds how sad separation is, in Ellis' search and struggle to meet his twin,
stunning,
Billie was great too.
especially right in the section, "See if it's my Father. At least, I'd have.....something."

My Review:
When American Civil War, left many familly torn asunder.
Ellis and Earl, a twins.
Ellis at home with her mom, but her mom as melancholy and passed away.
Her father with brother, Walter not at home.
Earl, twins of Ellis search Daddy and Walter.
When her mom passes away, Ellis search her brother and father too with horses, Billie.
She meet up with her twin brother, and the continue the quest to find father and old brother.

Walter, old brother dies on the trail north and west. Will they find father?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

The author wrote this beautifully-dealing with war, loss, grief alongside hope and live in a wonderfully balanced way so as it didn’t tip the balance between too heavy and too light given the storyline. Stunning descriptions of nature and scenery made me lose myself.

This was such a wonderful and heartbreaking novel. I believe this was a debut novel. I loved it from the very start and became engrossed where I lost track of all time and finished it in one sitting it was that good. It was definitely a late night which was definitely worth it. It was so wonderfully wrote and this story will stay with me for some time to come. This story is a thrilling and exciting read but, also heartbreaking. I was emotionally invested in this novel. This book had plenty of unexpected events and I just couldn't predict any of it. There were some great edge of your seat moments and a really good roller coaster ride. The characters were wonderful and realistic and developed really well especially this books female protagonist. The book had amazing atmosphere and tension that I felt like I was in the Story. In fact I forgot I was reading. It would make a great movie. I recommend this book if you love going on an emotional journey. 

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishing team for creating such a wonderful page turning story that had me frantically turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I really can't wait for the next exciting instalment. 
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/ellis-river-by-nicki-ehlich-ibpa-independent-author-5-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

A nice literary fiction story. Naturally, those that like horses will be drawn to this. Well conceived and engaging, I enjoyed this one.

Thanks very much for the free review copy for review!!

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed this book. It started kind of slow (for me), the hunt for her brothers and father kept me reading. I liked the characters and the Civil War storyline. It will pull on your heartstrings and have you rooting for Ellis and Billie. There's a wide range of characters and each personality is distinct. I feel like there could have been a little more action but still a good read.

Ellis was raised in West Tennessee in the mid 1800s by a family who lived by a faith similar to the Friends. When the War Between the States broke out, her father and older brother were waylaid as they took some of their horses to sell to the Army. After her twin brother went to look for heir father, and then her mother passed away, Ellis leaves the homestead to look for her father and brother.

In Ellis River, by Nicki Elhrich, the author follows Ellis as she dresses like a boy, finds her twin, stumbles into battles, is helped by a group of free negroes, and finally finds her uncle. Learn how she deals with her losses, the PTSD after the battles, and looks for peace.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is well written with characters that are nicely developed and the horses were my favorite part of the book, however I think I was expecting more of a story. It was a little slow moving. I liked the idea of the letters and journaling throughout the book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the author/publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The American Civil War left many families torn asunder. Ellis is a twin. Her twin brother, older brother, and father went off to war. When her mother passes away, she strikes out to see if she can find her brothers and father. Her quest is epic.

The military requisitioned most of the horses in Tennessee for use in the war effort. Billie, her horse, is a constant companion during her adventures in hunting for her family. She meets up with her twin brother and continues to Missouri but her brother dies on the trail.

Ellis is heartbroken but assumes his identity to avoid the perils of a single woman during that time period. With her hair cut short and men’s clothes, she can pass as her brother. Her primary goal is to avoid military convoys and arrest or confinement by the military. She gets into a group of people including emancipated slaves that is heading north.

The author writes a very compassionate and sympathetic narrative of a tragic time in our American history. I appreciated the thoughtful way she approached the issues of a woman who is trying to hide her femininity, identity proclivities. I was moved by the overall narrative experience. 5 stars – CE Williams

I absolutely loved this book. Ive read much in the Civil War genre and yet this provided me with new information. First, the prose used to describe nature and especially equines was awe inspiring. It made for such a dramatic and ethereal read.

It is the first book that I read about the Quakers during wartimes. I've attended Quaker meetings so I was drawn to these sections. The book touched on the Underground Railroad, the end of the war that no one really knew had taken place, along with the death of Abraham Lincoln.

I also loved that it also touched on women's suffrage; perhaps because it was written by a female.

I highly recommend this soothing read to all.

Oh, my, what a good story! Adventure, a bit of suspense and a great story line. Ms. Erlich tells the tale of Ellis who suffers loss and horror from the Civil War as well as friendship. This was a book I didn’t want to put down. I look forward to a sequel!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Ellis River. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and give it five stars.

Set during the Civil War, 15 year old Ellis finds herself in herself all alone after the death of her mother. Stricken with grief and loneliness, Ellis and her horse, Billie, set off on a journey to find her brothers and her father, who had left long ago to fend for the family but had not returned. Ellis, disguised as a boy, meets many hardships on her journey through the South and Midwest of the US. At 15, she sees more strife and war than anyone ever should. But luckily, along the way, Ellis meets a group of travellers who become her found family of sorts.

Ellis River touches on many dark themes, such as grief and loss, loneliness, war, mental illness and racial injustice, but it never feels too heavy. The author balances the sadness in Ellis’ story so well with optimism, acceptance and loving relationships that I shared Ellis’ near constant hope despite the many lows along the way.

While Ellis River is a historical fiction, it is also a coming of age story. I loved watching Ellis discover new things about herself and the world around her. She writes in her diary at different times in the story, which enables the readers to reflect on her experiences, her memories and her feelings as she does. I loved that aspect of the book.

Finally, what made this story so cozy for me was the many beautiful descriptions of nature. Ellis’ journey mostly takes place in the American wilderness and without being excessive, the descriptive nature scenes are very palpable. I could visualize them, smell them, hear them. The beautiful setting of the story also helps balance out some of the darker, harder moments.

All in all, a great read for those who enjoy historical fiction, coming of age and stories with horses. Apparently there will be a sequel which, after the ending of Ellis River, I am really looking forward to!