Review: Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner

Where the Horses Run (Heroes of Heartbreak Creek #2) by Kaki Warner

Publication Date: July 1st 2014 by Berkley

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

“A truly original new voice” (New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas), award-winning author Kaki Warner returns to the characters of Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, as a troubled cowboy and a desperate Englishwoman come together to mend their mistakes from the past and create an exciting new future…

Wounded in body and spirit after a shootout, Rayford Jessup leaves his career as a lawman and uses his gift with damaged horses to bring meaning to his solitary life. Hired by a Scotsman in Heartbreak Creek to purchase thoroughbreds, he travels to England, unaware that a traumatized horse and a beautiful Englishwoman will change his life forever.

Josephine Cathcart loves two things: her illegitimate son and her injured stallion. Faced with her father’s looming bankruptcy, she must choose between a loveless marriage to the man who ruined her, or risk her horse and her future on a handsome, taciturn Texan and a high-stakes horse race. But as vengeful forces conspire against them, will Rafe’s love and healing touch be enough to save her horse and protect her and her son?

My Thoughts:

Where the Horses Run was a sweeping historical romance that felt like an old western, even with the majority of the story set in England.

Twenty-six year old Josephine Cathcart’s choices are dwindling when her father’s poor money management has them on the brink of financial ruin.  Josephine seems to be one of his last valuable “assets” he has to rescue them, and so she’s pressured to take an unsavory offer of marriage to get them out of debt.  Narrowing her options further is her beloved son, Jaime, the result of a naïve tryst with a baron who seduced and made promises and then left her to suffer a reputation of ruin and debauchery.  When Josephine refuses to play along, her father has no choice but to sell off their prize horses and this is how she meets Rafe, an American horse wrangler. 

Rafe is working for a Scottish earl buying horses for his stables.  When the earl hears of Mr. Cathcart’s plans to sell his horses they make arrangements to visit and check out their stock.  After having been burned romantically in the past, Rafe had no designs to settle down, until he laid eyes on Josephine. She’s sweet, strong, intelligent and beautiful.  He could care less about her reputation, but he’s in no position to care for a wife and son.  However, seeing how Josephine’s father treats her, as a commodity to sell off to the highest bidder enrages him.  Soon he’s trying to figure out a way to win Josephine’s heart and make their situation work. 

This was a beautiful, sweeping love story. With so many obstacles, and differences in situations I wondered how things could possibly work.  Rafe was such an honorable man and I fell a little more for him every time he defended Jaime or Josephine.  I adored Josephine and the fact she held her head high even when others looked down on her for having an illegitimate son.  Her love and care of Jaime was her priority even at the expense of her own happiness, so I truly felt she deserved a happy ending.

I hated how Josphine’s father treated her! I don’t think I would’ve survived back in the 1800’s because I would’ve run my mouth without thought of the consequences.  Josephine was wise enough to bide her time, appease, and then do what she wanted anyhow. She was a strong and shrewd woman. 

I was sort of reminded of the western movie, Wyatt Earp with Kevin Costner, while reading Where the Horses Run. This worked perfectly because I loved that movie! 

The little town of Heartbreak Creek sounds like a place I’d love to visit so I’ll keep my eye out for the next in this series which will feature Thomas, the Cheyenne Indian and his troubled romance with Prudence Lincoln. 

4 Suns

Connect with Kaki Warner:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads