Country Roads

Whisper Horse #2

by Nancy Herkness

When sheltered artist Julia Castillo flees her family home, she has just one goal: to prove to her overbearing family once and for all that she can make it on her own. In Sanctuary, West Virginia, her horse paintings promise to take the art world by storm. Yet Julia finds her courage tested as never before—by her love for a handsome country lawyer, by her bond with a dangerous black stallion, and by the secret she is so desperate to keep…

Paul Taggart abandoned his high-powered legal career to return to Sanctuary, giving up his own dreams to care for his troubled brother. But the day he rescues Julia Castillo from the side of the highway, his staid, responsible life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to the fiery but unworldly artist, Paul will do anything to protect her—even sacrifice his own happiness to guarantee hers.

Dramatic and emotional, Country Roads is a heartwarming tale of two people struggling to balance the bonds of family with a passionate love of their own.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Animals, Audiobook, Chick Lit

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2013

About the author

Nancy Herkness is the award-winning, best-selling author of contemporary romance for readers who love richly developed characters and an immersive reading experience. Meet the wealthy, powerful alpha heroes who need down-to-earth women to show them how to find soul-deep love and pulse-racing passion. Nancy’s vivid writing brings to life settings both elegant and homey, while making her flawed but fascinating characters leap off the page and into your heart. Savor the thrill of falling in love by diving into one of Nancy’s books.

Author of the Royal Caleva, Consultants, Wager of Hearts, and Whisper Horse series, as well as several other contemporary romance novels, Nancy has sold over a million books. She is also a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award.

Nancy has received many honors for her work, including the Book Buyers Best Top Pick, the New England Readers’ Choice award, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature and creative writing.

A native of West Virginia, Nancy now lives twelve miles west of the Lincoln Tunnel in suburban New Jersey with two tabby cats.

For more information about Nancy and her books, visit www.NancyHerkness.com. Sign up for her monthly newsletter—and get a free novella—at: http://www.nancyherkness.com/newsletter/

Social media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness
BookBub author: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nancy...
Amazon author: https://amazon.com/stores/author/B001...

Reviews

[Antonella · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute but boring...
perfect if you are looking for no drama romance...

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Country Roads by Nancy Herkness is a 2013 Montlake Publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Julia Castillo is headed for Santuary, West Virginia to show her paintings to the owner of the art gallery that purchased her first works. Traveling in a rusted out old automobile, Julia has a flat tire. Luckily a gentleman stops to help her who turns out to be an attorney and the mayor of Santurary.
Paul, had bigger dreams for himself than living in Santuary. Family obligations have kept him here and it looks like he's in for the long haul. He can't believe it when he stops to help the beautiful lady with a flat tire and she turns out to be Julia Castillo, the famous artist. Why on earth would she be coming to Sanctuary?
Well, the truth is Julia is seeking to escape her uncle and hopefully find a market for her new paintings. For years, Julia has been under the watchful eye of her uncle who has kept her from experiencing any kind of stress. It is his opinion that the new direction Julia's paintings have taken will open her up to some harsh critisism and that could effect her health.
Now that she has some space away from everyone that is knowledgable about her health condition, Julia experiences love with Paul, swimming in a river, riding a motorcycle, and a high spirited horse she has fallen in love with.
Naturally, there are problems. One is that Paul has put her so high up on a pedestal he refuses to ask her to stay in his small hometown and live a rather ordinary life. Julia's uncle is still trying to maintain control over her professional life and her personal life, and Paul's brother has serious issues and Paul feels obligated to keep an eye on him and his nephew, Eric. These family problems are one of the reasons Paul has found himself chained to Sanctuary and has had to put some personal goals on the back burner for the foreseeable future.
This contemporary romance takes the reader on a journey with Julia Castillo as she emerges from behind the protective confines her life has been up to this point. This is a new world for Julia and she is relishing the freedom of making her own decisions and dealing with the fallout as a stable, healthy, mature adult. Her fervent wish is for Paul to think of her as a strong, normal woman and not the fragile, naive woman her uncle would have everyone think she is. The irony of this is Paul does see her that way and has no reason not to. This works against Julia when push comes to shove and a decision has to be made about the future of the relationship.
The author brings up some interesting topics that requires a bit of thinking on the part of the reader. If you have a family member or friend that is dealing with an illness or disease and stress reduction could make a difference, it might be natural to smother them with concern and protectiveness. But, did Uncle Carlo really help Julia by being so controlling and yes, in my opinion, manipulative? Sooner or later a person in that type of situation will long to be free from it. Other issues concern family obligations and how far we really should go when as an adult we have a sibling that has major problems. Paul has his own dreams and hopes, but because of his brother he had to put those ideas on hold. Is Paul really that obligated to his brother and nephew? Also, Paul makes choices on Julia's behalf by making a decision regarding the future of their relationship without thinking about what Julia might want or what might make her happy. Sure, he has her best interest at heart, but so did Uncle Carlo in many ways. So, poor Julia has to step up and prove herself and not only that she has to let Paul see the vulernable side of herself she tried so hard to keep from him.
I was really absorbed in this drama and all the family dynamics involved. The romance between Paul and Julia is hot and heavy, but also burdened with the issues they are having to face. I loved how everything came together in the end as everyone faces the errors they have made in life and works to put those mistakes behind them and proceed toward a fruitful and successful future.
This novel is steamy and that is fine since the physical relationship for Julia especially is a sexual awakening for her, but there were maybe a few too many sex scenes and for me personally, I start to skip over them after awhile so I can get back to the story. That would be my only complaint and that's just a personal thing and not any real critisism of the author or story.
This one gets an A.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved a broken horse finding his whisper person

Book two of the Nancy Herkness Whisper Horse Series, narrated by Shannon McManus.
Julia is a very sheltered artist that for last two years has been painting what she calls her nightmares (horses) but after her uncle decides that people won’t like the artwork, she decides to go to Sanctuary to see Claire and get a honest review of the dark paintings.
When she brakes down in a ancient car on the motorway Paul pulls over to help her.
When Paul finds out she’s a famous artist that Claire displays in the little local art gallery he takes Julia to see Sharon at the local horse rescue. That’s where Julia finds Darkside a black male stud that was abused by his previous owner and sold because he had permanently injured him.
Instantly Julia had a connection with Darkside and Sharon explains that he is her whisper horse but it’s what Julia does for Darkside that I truly love and the way Darkside helps to bring Julia out of her protective bubble.
I think the narration is fantastic but definitely needs work on the British accent.
Really enjoyed all books in series so far. Looking forward to more

[Aphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Paul and Julia was not one I cared too much from the blurb. But, boy, was I wrong! I totally enjoyed the story, it is about family, loyalty, and the personal sacrifices one has to make sometimes for the people you love, mainly your family. Sometimes you protect them too much that you don't allow them to grow, sometimes it feels like it is not enough. I liked the depth of this story more than the first book and it still had steamy scenes. Now I am looking forward to the book about Adam.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book and can't wait for the next book! Nancy us a great writer !

[Karen Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WHISPER HORSE SERIES
Take Me Home, Country Roads, to The Place I Belong
By
Nancy Herkness
REVIEW OF SERIES
Any native West Virginian knows every word of John Denver’s legendary hit and can sing the lyrics from the time they can follow the tune and form the words (or near sounds). “Take me home, country roads, to the place I belong. West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads.” Driving down the back lanes of the winding mountain roads you can almost hear the strains of the banjos and guitars blowing with the wind through your hair as it whistles through open windows of your vehicle.
There is a sense of having arrived and wanting to belong, a sense of finding home every time you visit, or come back home. I should know, I lived in one of the most remote areas of the state, not too far from the settings of these three novels, for almost five years. Just like the scenes and places in the great Louis L’Amour’s novels, even though the names of the locales and business were fictionalized, I have walked the streets of similar towns in the area and am well acquainted with the personalities of many of the small locales. Nancy nailed the spirit of the small, isolated town in rural West Virginia. She was able to verbalize the spirit and genuineness of the people. In these three novels Nancy singlehandedly dispelled the longstanding aura of “dueling banjos” that has so haunted the area and villainized the souls of people who lived there. No wonder outsiders who wander through or seek a place of solace, find themselves putting down roots and settling in this little piece of heaven on earth.
The central focus the three novels revolved around was a horse stable run by a former Olympic medalist. The name of the stable was Healing Springs Stable. Sharon, the owner of the stable, took in horses nobody wanted anymore or were old or ill. She also believed that every person had a Whisper Horse. Whisper Horse? No, not a horse whisperer, but a whisper horse. “A horse you can tell all your troubles to.” Horse owners have a special connection with their animals. Horses will run themselves to the ground for their owners, they respond to body language, to voice nuances. They are highly intelligent. Sharon’s idea of a whisper horse is not a bad idea. Horses need to be needed as much as humans need someone. Nancy recently quoted on her FB page about the friendship between man and his horse.
"When your horse follows you without being asked, when he rubs his head on yours, and when you look at him and feel a tingle down your spine...you know you are loved." --John Lyons
This energy and joy was evident throughout her novels. Until you have known the joy of a horse’s love, you have not known the joy of unconditional love.
The stories, though each is a stand-alone, grow and build upon the one before it. The characters have active full lives that are not narrow in scope. They care about each other, their neighbors, and their community. They are close knit, and beware he/she who threatens one within their community. In fact, “community” is very much a sub-plot through the entire series. Community is very much a way of life in the mountains of West Virginia.
Nancy Herkness has been recognized for her literary skills and abilities. In 2014 Country Roads received the nomination for the coveted RITA award for Contemporary Romance Novel. Then in 2015 The Place I Belong also received a RITA nomination. It is a privilege and honor to be able to write a review on this series.

TAKE ME HOME
SYNOPSIS –
When Claire Parker left Sanctuary, West Virginia, she thought it was for good. But now she’s back, reeling from an ugly divorce.
Readjusting to small-town life is harder than Claire expected, so she’s surprised, and grateful, to find companionship in Willow, an abused Thoroughbred mare. Willow is Claire’s “whisper horse,” and they share a special, rare bond. Except Willow isn’t the only one helping Claire heal; Willow’s ruggedly handsome veterinarian, Dr. Tim Arbuckle, is sympathetic…and secretive.
Devastated by his wife’s death, Tim thought he’d never find love again. The stoic, sexy doctor was sure he’d left his heart behind when he came to Sanctuary. But Claire stirs up emotions he thought he’d buried long ago. For the first time, the doctor tries to see past his grief.
When Willow falls gravely ill, Tim and Claire must work together to save the horse’s life and to find a love so encompassing, so intense, their lives will never be the same again
Review-
Nancy Herkness assaulted the senses with each turn of the page in the first of the Whisper Horse novels, Take Me Home. I found myself sucking in deep breaths on more than one occasion as I felt Claire’s pain of desolation in the aftermath of her divorce. She had been ground down and her spirit powdered to the point of becoming but dust-in-the-wind. Self confidence in her work, as a professional, and self-worth in who she was as a person was at nil. There was little evidence left of who she formerly was.
The story of a deep love and attachment between a woman in deep sorrow and a horse who reached back spoke to this reader’s heart. When the human love interest was introduced in the form of a huge crotchety bear of a man, who also happened to be the local country vet, it was like adding all your favorite spicy flavorings to the pot from the kitchen cabinet and giving the pot a good stir.
The interactions between Clair and Doc Tim ignited in sparks and fire from the beginning. As we all know, where there are sparks and smoke, there is fire. Fire did take hold and the pages and chapters burned with the flames of their burning passions as Claire and Tim worked through the issues that prevented them from fanning those embers and ultimately setting the sheets on fire.
Pages could not turn fast enough as I followed this fast paced love affair and affair of the heart through to the end. I was so thankful that book two of the series was sitting on the table waiting for me to pick up the next evening.
Consistently, Nancy’s love stories leave me short of breath and longing for more. This story did not disappoint. I gave this book a solid FIVE STAR review.

COUNTRY ROADS (2014 RITA AWARD NOMINEE)
SYNOPSIS –
When sheltered artist Julia Castillo flees her hometown, she has one goal: to prove to her overbearing family she can make it on her own. She knows they only want the best for her, but when they question her artistic vision, it’s time to break free. Julia’s search for independence carries her to the small town of Sanctuary, West Virginia. There, her courage is tested as never before—by her love for a handsome country lawyer, her bond with a dangerous black stallion, and a secret she is desperate to keep…
Paul Taggart abandoned his high-powered legal career to return to Sanctuary, giving up his own dreams to care for his troubled brother. Then Julia Castillo blows into town like a fresh mountain breeze, changing his staid, predictable life forever. Has Paul earned his second chance at happiness? Or does loving Julia mean having the strength to let her go?
Review-
Only someone who has had to run for their life, someone who has had to truly look over their shoulder in fear, could have expressed the fear and desperation that the young girl (Julia) was experiencing when she first arrived in Sanctuary, West Virginia. Nancy Herkness captured the essence of what it would be like to be suddenly on your own and alone. But what was she really running from or was it something she was striving to run to? The “White Knight” that comes to her rescue not only is the protector of her legal matters, but becomes the “Knight” who takes on the conquest of her heart.
Once again Nancy pairs our heroine, Julia, up with an injured horse at the riding stable run by the former Olympic star, Sharon. This time the stallion is one that has been abused and strikes out at any and all who reach out to him – until he meets the red-headed Julia. An immediate spark between the two leaves the entire staff at the stables puzzled and awed as the two become inseparable.
Nancy opened up in this telling of her story. The depth of the development of each of her characters, from the young artistic Julia and her love of painting horses to the gallant Paul who was the “white knight” and lawyer who fell head-over-heels in love with Julia from the moment he laid eyes on her. The characters lived and breathed as they walked between the pages. The back stories on some of the intricate details and focus points of the story gave it depth and weight that you would expect to “know” about everybody and everything in a small mountain town in the back woods of West Virginia.
There were times I felt like I was walking along with the characters through the lanes and down the streets of Sanctuary. I could feel the rip of the wind through my hair as we raced down country roads and felt my stomach flip and roll with the sharp corners. I even felt the sting of the gravel on the country roads when riding the bike. Oh and the smell of the pine and moldering leaves high in the mountains where there was no pollution and only the smells of nature to catch your attention as you set on that cool damp moss by the river. Yes, I lived and loved every word of this wonderful novel. It is no wonder that it was nominated for the 2014 RITA Award!!
A definite FIVE STAR review of my favorite novel by Nancy Herkness, to date!!!!

THE PLACE I BELONG (2015 RITA AWARD NOMINEE)
SYNOPSIS –
Fleeing professional scandal and a broken engagement, veterinarian Hannah Linden abandons Chicago for the mountain town of Sanctuary, West Virginia, hoping to put her troubles with men and the media behind her.
But when she encounters world-famous chef Adam Bosch, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the charming but darkly complex man and his troubled teenage son, Matt. Adam, a recovering alcoholic, fears he can never be a worthy father to the surly, distant boy he has just come to know, and enlists Hannah’s help in his struggle to connect with his son.
Hoping to coax Matt out of his shell, Hannah introduces the boy to an ailing brown pony who has the power to change his view of the world. But can the determined little whisper horse prove to Hannah, Adam, and Matt that they were meant to be a family?
Review-
As Nancy has continued with the Whisper Horse Series, her writing perceptions and story-telling skills have been honed and each story has shown her growth as a writer. The Place I Belong, is the crowning jewel of her, work, to-date. The complexity of the storylines, taking three separate stories and over-laying each one with the other, weaving them together like a work of art has created a masterpiece of the written word. To add color and additional depth to this already intricate story, Nancy reached back into each of the two previous Whisper Horse books and utilized the back stories of the characters from those novels to broaden and fill-out the beauty of The Place I Belong. Weaving these characters and their continuing stories into the current novel brought additional life to the pages. Suddenly, these were real, living people who interacted on a daily basis and lived as a community. The feeling of community seems to come out the loudest and most keenly in this, the final novel.
Like Country Roads, I think that The Place I Belong is some of Nancy Herkness’ best writing to-date. This set showcases her storytelling gift at its best. I loved this book because it was about finding family. It was about community. Oh yes, there were her wonderful pages where she showed her great skills at storytelling and description and leaves us all swooning, but to me, the story, not to be missed is about the priority of finding family and the priority of family in your life. This, her third novel in the series, gets a standing ovation and FIVE STARS in my review of her novel The Place I Belong.

ABOUT NANCY HERKNESS –
Nancy Herkness is the author of the award-winning Whisper Horse series, published by Montlake Romance, as well as several other contemporary romance novels. She is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America RITA® award. Her new series, Wager of Hearts, follows the romantic adventures of three very wealthy men who make a life-changing bet.
A member of Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, and Novelists, Inc., Nancy has received many honors for her work, including the Golden Leaf Award, the Maggie Award in Contemporary Romance, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.
Nancy graduated from Princeton University where she majored in English. In addition to her academic work in literature, she was accepted into Princeton's creative writing program, and her senior thesis was a volume of original poetry.
After graduating, Nancy had a varied career which included retail management and buying, COBOL programming, computer systems sales and marketing, and a brief stint as a receptionist at a dental office. Once her children were in school full-time, she sat down and wrote A Bridge to Love, her first romance novel to be published.
Nancy finds nothing odd about writing in the genre she calls “the “Rodney Dangerfield of the literary world. It gets no respect.” She explains: “I was trained as a poet, but from the day my grandmother gave me my first Georgette Heyer novel I wanted to write romance. Romance is the genre of optimism, and that's why I like it.”
A native of West Virginia, Nancy now lives in suburban New Jersey with her husband, two mismatched dogs, and an elderly cat. She cheers loudly for the New Jersey Devils hockey team.

A VISIT WITH NANCY –
Karen: Where did the idea for a “whisper horse” come from? Did you share all your troubles with your horse(s) when you were growing up?

Nancy: The idea of a “whisper horse” came from my real pony Papoose who was my constant companion all through my younger years. When I was upset or angsty, I would pour my problems into his ears. If you know horses, you’ll know their ears are very eloquent, so I felt I had a sympathetic listener. Not to mention that he would never share my secrets with anyone else. Horses are very discreet.

Karen: Growing up in a location that has a love affair with the art scene is a gift for any child. How did this affect you? Did you ever dabble in art? If so, what medium do you like to create in?

Nancy: My little hometown had an amazing number of artists when I was young and has even more now. Our school had an art contest every year, and I often won a ribbon with my crayon drawings. I think that started my interest in art. There was a local sculptor who offered lessons in clay sculpting which my parents enrolled me in. I still remember the horsehead I created; I was quite proud of it. I doodled pencil sketches of horses on all my class notes in school.

The one medium I never could get comfortable with was stone; I was terrified that one chisel stroke would ruin the whole piece, so I was a very timid stonecutter.

All of this made me a very visual writer: I see the scenes in my mind and then try to capture them as vividly as possible in words.

Karen: Do you still get to ride often? What breed of horse is your preference to ride? What style of riding to you prefer to ride?

Nancy: Living fifteen miles west of New York City is not conducive to my preferred kind of horseback riding. After galloping all over the hills, trails, and woods of West Virginia, trotting around a ring is just too tame for me. Whenever I’m on vacation, I try to find a great trail ride to go on. I grew up riding hunters and jumpers so I am most comfortable on an English saddle. Since my riding muscles have grown flabby from lack of use, I no longer ride over fences, but I sure miss the sensation of flying through the air!

Karen: Knowing the inspiration that you grew up with from living in around that area of West Virginia, how do you decide on what to write next? Will we see another Whisper Horse installment? Maybe one for Sharon and her story?

Nancy: Much as I loved returning to my roots in the mountains, there will not be any more Whisper Horse stories for now. While these books found many enthusiastic readers, there weren’t quite enough sales for my publisher to continue the series. So I had to bid farewell to my beloved Appalachian mountains and return to my current locale near the skyscrapers of Manhattan. I’ve now lived here longer than I lived in West Virginia, and my children are native New Jerseyans, so I’m quite comfortable setting stories in the NY metro area.

I hope my readers will follow me into the Wager of Hearts series, in which three very wealthy men make a life-changing bet on finding love in the steel canyons of New York City. While the setting is different, the characters still wrestle with the timeless issues of family and obligation, as well as true love. The first book, The CEO Buys In, was released in July 2015. The next novel is The All-Star Antes Up, scheduled for May 2016.

Karen: Congratulations on your nominations for the 2014 and 2015 RITA awards for Contemporary Romance novels. It speaks to the quality of your writing, the spellbinding stories you have to tell, and the connection you make with your readers’ hearts.

Nancy: Thank you so much! I’ve been hugely delighted and flattered by the honors my Whisper Horse novels have won. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I got those RITA nomination calls. I sure wasn’t expecting my quirky West Virginia characters to soar so high.

Karen: For fun…. Can you tell us one thing about yourself from growing up in WV that we don’t know?

Nancy: There is one secret about me that harks back to my youth in West Virginia: I am a Lady of the Golden Horseshoe. When I was in eighth grade, I was knighted with an antique sword by the state’s governor for getting my county’s top test score in West Virginia history. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a tiara.
Thank you so much for having me a guest on your wonderful blog! It was a pleasure to chat with you.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love listening to these books while I am working as I get swept away in theses amazing woman who have a whisper horse to share there troubles with & having a true companion for life. Then add the hot male that steal there hearts - holy cow it makes a good story.

Julia & Paul's chemistry was like lighting striking from the start

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Nancy Herkness did indeed "Take Me Home" with the first book in her "Whisper Horse" series, and now book two, "Country Roads", has led me back to the welcoming community of Sanctuary, WV. Julia Castillo is a talented young woman whose artistic and personal growth is being smothered by the confining concern of her uncle, who is also her manager. Due to a medical condition which causes her to have seizures, Julia has been restricted from many activities and situations which her family felt would cause unnecessary stress that could lead to an epileptic seizure episode. However, as a grown woman desperate to leave her childhood behind and explore more of life, Julia decides to take a daring leap of faith. She leaves behind her isolated life in North Carolina and heads to the mountains of West Virginia to find the woman who had been the first art dealer to buy her paintings. Claire Parker had once worked at a big gallery in New York City, but she had married the local veterinarian, Tim Arbuckle, and was happily settled in Sanctuary. Julia has actually never met Claire, but she knows that Claire runs her own small gallery, and is hoping that she will be interested in Julia's newer, darker style of painting. Julia's Uncle Carlos had disparaged the vivid, bold, hues and dramatic emotions apparent in Julia's most recent work. Just outside of Sanctuary, the old vehicle Julia bought breaks down, and handsome lawyer Paul Taggart comes to her rescue. A friend of Claire's, Paul arranges for a tow truck and drives Julia to the gallery to meet Claire, who is quite taken with Julia's paintings. Paul, who had once thought Claire was the only woman he could love, is immediately smitten by Julia, who finds him equally intriguing. Julia had only planned to stay long enough to meet Claire and hope that she would accept her work, but now with the sweet and sensual relationship blooming between her and Paul, she finds hers plans delightfully changed. On a visit to Healing Springs Stables, Julia discovers Darkside, the embodiment of the black horse who rumbles through her paintings. Julia and the troubled animal are kindred spirits, and as she works with him to gain his trust, she gains a sense of purpose and a new confidence. Paul his own issues to deal with, including keeping an eye on his alcoholic brother, Jimmy, and helping Jimmy's ex-wife and son. Will Claire find the freedom she seeks by reaching out and grabbing hold of new experiences? Will Paul once again find a lightness of heart and joy of living by letting go of his heavy sense of responsibility? Is there a way for them to be together and blend both their worlds? "Country Roads" is a passionate and poignant love story that will leave the reader looking forward to the next visit to Sanctuary and the compelling storytelling of author Nancy Herkness.

Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine

[Veronica Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My full review and review policy is available on my blog: http://veronicahardy.blogspot.com/

Overall: ★★★★★

So, keeping with the West Virginia theme, I explored Country Roads by Nancy Herkness and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.




(Copied Excerpt)

"Nancy Herkness welcomes readers back to Sanctuary, West Virginia, where family loyalty leads to sparkling love, with the help of a whisper horse.

When sheltered Julia Castillo flees her hometown, she has just one goal: to prove to her overbearing family once and for all that she can make it on her own. After she moves to Sanctuary, West Virginia, her horse paintings take the art world by storm. Yet Julia finds her courage tested as never before—by her love for a handsome country lawyer, by her bond with a dangerous black stallion, and by the secret she is so desperate to keep…"

Originality: ★★★★★

The idea of West Virginia as a center for art is original. Not unprecedented, but I have never seen West Virginia depicted this way. It is fresh, gives WV the culture it deserves to have, and it gives the state depth. I love West Virginia. I visit a lot, I live an hour from the state line. I want to see positive things come out of it, not just negative. This does that, and it does it in a (mostly) believable way. I like the attention given to horses, it is part of the series, but this is a great stand alone work. One I happily dove into.

Character Development: ★★★★★

Herkness hit it out of the park for me. Sure, sometimes it was a little cheesy (I am not a fan of motorcycles) but it was good and it made sense. She has complex characters with wants, desires, needs and fears. And she wields them well. I love the way Julia develops, comes alive in front of my eyes and the way that Paul responds and also seemingly comes alive. The intricacy made me turn the pages, and I looked forward to reading this one. I can't wait to go deeper in the series.

Editing:★★★★★

Superb. Montlake Romance is an Amazon subsidiary and I appreciated the attention to detail. I also love the syntax and word choice of the author.

The Sex: ★★★★★

This is a romance novel, so it is not as... graphic as an Erotic Romance but it was very good and the tension was both believable and page turning. I found myself slowing down at these parts, hoping to savor it. It was tame enough that I would recommend it to family, but I still found it exciting.

Veronica Hardy is a professional editor and author who enjoys writing reviews in her spare time, for fun. She is not compensated by authors, publishers or online retail markets for her opinions. If you are interested in a book review or editing services please email her at Veronica.R.Hardy@gmail.com.

[Paula Shene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Herkness has been on my radar for as long as she has been published. She was an author I watched, but did not read, only having her on my TBPTBR list. Being on ‘To be put, to be read list’ is one step closer to actually being read.

This went on for several years until I entered a give away for COUNTRY ROADS by Herkness. This is book two of her Whisper Horse series. Finding out I had won made me think, maybe I should read book one in the series, TAKE ME HOME. That didn’t happen because I am not only pressed for time, saying no to extremely little, but also because I am a full time care giver to my husband of nearly fifty years.

Herkness is not one to procrastinate, and I had COUNTRY ROADS in my mailbox within the week. As I do for books, I intend to keep, COUNTRY ROADS made it to the chair I use as my night book reading stand. I was almost finished with my last library book, making COUNTRY ROADS, the next read.

I thought, at a little over 400 pages, I was embarking on a life commitment. Well, I was, but not one of being stuck in a book, forever. I’ve been enamored of horses all my life, their strength, their character, their beauty. They were my first study in drawing, from the majestic Arabian to the cartoon horses of that day. Then the love and romance, fast and furious, and quite reasonable to one who trod that path. Three, being a magical number of likes rolled into one piece was a build up of anticipation.

COUNTRY ROADS is for my reading, an ARC, and I expected to catch typos or dangling participles or, horror, squinting modifiers. If there were any, and I doubt it, I was too engrossed in the storytelling and finished the book in three nights.

The story, COUNTRY ROADS is a stand alone even though it is book two in the series. I had to try and find out who were featured in the first, TAKE ME HOME hence no spoilers. I am not a critic who gives the plot away. If you want a taste of that, read the blurb. If you need a storyline that will attract and keep you wanting to see what is coming, COUNTRY ROADS is a read I highly recommend.

Now, it is time for me to carry Herkness’ earlier books onto the TBR table.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Castillo knows she is a talented artist. Her work has sold at top prices at several galleries. But her uncle believes her new work is too much of a departure from her previous paintings. He has taken care of her and been her agent since her parents moved overseas. He has tried to protect her from everything the world has to offer, including any negative criticism her work may receive.

Julia has made the decision to show her family she can take care of herself. The first step is connect with someone who loves her work and find out if her new work is as good as she thinks it is. She loads up her paintings and heads to a gallery in Sanctuary, West Virginia.

Julia is going to find herself tested like she never has before. Will her new work be accepted by the art world? How will a huge black stallion change her life? Will her heart open up to a handsome country lawyer, a man with a whole set of obstacles in his own life? Can she keep an important secret from all the new people in her life?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This the second Nancy Herkness story I have lost myself in. Take Me Home was the first. Like that one this was a wonderful story. The groundwork about “whisper horses” was all laid out in that story so this one really took us into Julia’s and Paul’s lives.

Julia grew by leaps and bounds in a very short time, beautifully written and perfectly paced by Herkness. Paul’s awakening finally was reached by the end of the book thanks to another character’s wake up call. Julia was driven my several forces including the force of one huge horse who needed her as much as she needed him. Paul was resigned to his life and didn’t see any future of change until Julia entered his life.

This is a passionate story of two people finding their way together while keeping promises they made and trying not hurt their families in any way.There are some very steamy scenes between Paul and Julia. Their romance burned up more than a few pages.

A extraordinary romance. The author painted lovely and powerful images in my mind. I wish Julia’s work was real so I could see if my thoughts even come close to the real thing.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Victorian Town, Horses, and Romance

Julia, a painter celebrated for her horse pictures, gets a flat tire on her way to Sanctuary, West Virginia. She's alone and frightened. She's escaped from her controlling uncle because he tells her that her new paintings are not good enough to sell. At her wits end, she searches out a critic who supported her first pictures. She has to know if the work is any good. It's her life.

She's rescued by Paul, a handsome attorney. Immediately there are vibes. He makes sure she gets to the gallery with her pictures, but he can't leave her there, and the two become involved.

This is a very typical romance. Paul and Julia set eyes on each other, immediately feel the tingle, and then problems set them apart that have to be resolved so they can be together. If you like romance, this is a gentle one.

Julia is an interesting character. She's escaped from a domineering older man, her uncle, and immediately falls in love with another domineering man, Paul. I suppose that's psychologically accurate behavior, but she wants so much to be her own person, I was a little surprised she leaped into bed so quickly.

The town of Sanctuary is a wonderful setting. It is beautifully described and welcoming. It makes you want to visit and perhaps stay for awhile the way Julia did.

I recommend this book if you like romance. There are horses and its an interesting sub theme, but doesn't overshadow the romance. Likewise the discussion of Julia's creativity and paintings is iteresting and makes the character more alive.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

[RoseAnn DeFranco · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this return visit to Sanctuary, a town rich in culture and warmth. While I like the concept of the Whisper Horse, it was the complexities of the main characters and their romance that kept me turning the pages. Paul Taggart is dynamic, tortured hero worth rooting for, and Julia is his perfect counterpart. Their romance and passion equals one inventive and HOT love story. If I were ever stuck roadside, you better believe I’d want a man like Paul to stop and give me a lift. I highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to the final installment in the Whisper Horse series.

[Lisa Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Herkness has written another fabulous, sensuous romance with Country Roads, her second installment in the Whisper Horse series. Her characters always steal my heart -- they seem to me like people I'd bump into at the local store. And the romance! This story has the added attraction of major cameos by Tim & Claire from TAKE ME HOME. Nancy is on my MUST BUY list - can't wait for her next one!

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy's second book in her "whisper horse" series is as good as the first! Once again we're in Sanctuary, West Virginia with Claire, Dr Tim, and the other wonderful characters Nancy introduces us to. And once again, 2 lost people find each other and their "whisper horse" and we love them all. I love Nancy Herkness's books!

[Becky Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book, i loved the characters . I could not put this book down :)

[lk]

Received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads; it was a wonderfully written book and now I'd like to read her other books. Thank you for the Goodreads!

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable, but fun and light. If she writes more of these Whisper Horse novels, I'll read them...have to keep following all these people in Sanctuary, WV...

[Fabiola Chenet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un super bon moment avec ce bouquin. Des personnages super sympathiques, de l'humour, de l'émotion. Et un animal qui ne prend jamais le pas sur l'histoire d'amour. A lire. :)

[Karen Layus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the whisper horse theme... And of course the great love story of Julia and Paul.

[Savsandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horse Sense

“Country Roads” has more depth of character than the average romance novel and as a bonus, there’re some sexy love scenes too. So if that’s not to your liking, you can take a pass on this one. But that’d be a shame cuz’ you’d be missing out on a good story. Yes, a horse is part of the story but it’s more about family relationships, loyalty and responsibilities. Julia Castillo is an accomplished artist who “runs away from home” seeking independence from her over-protective uncle, as well as validation of her art as it has evolved from idyllic pastoral scenes to pieces with disturbing depths. When her rust bucket car breaks down, she’s rescued by Paul Taggart, attorney and former mayor of Sanctuary, WV and there the fireworks begin. I’ll skip a synopsis since that’s available elsewhere. I loved Julia’s free spirit and her artist’s awareness of the beauty of color, lines and shapes in everyday items that we don’t even consciously notice. Paul has the hero’s obligatory good looks and charm but he also has some nervous tics that signal an underlying impatience or restlessness and some control issues as well. What bothered me was perpetuating a myth and presenting epilepsy as a “disease” from which Julia had been “cured” when it’s widely known that it is instead a symptom of a disorder, not a disease. Seizures can be triggered by a wide range of events as simple as a camera flash, strobe lights, low blood sugar, twirling objects, etc, etc, etc. They kinda’ sorta’ explained Julia’s episode as low blood sugar but only after depicting it throughout the book as a horrible disease that signifies weakness. What hogwash! But the saving grace is the author’s obvious understanding of equine behavior and “horse sense”. That part is spot on.

[Shel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Castillo ran away from home. She was cared for, coddled and protected by her Uncle to a fault. But when he refused to give her new paintings any consideration she set out to get a second opinion from the one person she knew would give her the unvarnished truth, Clair Parker. She almost makes to Sanctuary when her junker car breaks down and she is rescued by the oh so handsome ex-Mayor of the town Paul Taggert.
Sanctuary is just what she needs. A small quiet town with people who do not know her secret, the one her Uncle Carlos has protected in his overzealous way of keeping her from public scrutiny. Paul has a secret that he does not want Julia to know and so he tries to keep their relationship from getting too deep or himself from falling for her.

The Night Mares she has painted blow, Clair, away and she immediately wants to set up a showing. Even Paul who says he knows nothing about art wants one of her paintings when he sees them. The trip becomes more like fate as Julia and Paul spend more time together and then she meets Darkside, her Nightmare horse through Sharon at Healing Springs Stables.
This story is sweet, sad, funny and so sexy. I truly enjoyed getting to know this couple and watching them grow and change together. I know I have not done this book justice but unlike Nancy, I cannot find the perfect words. I love it!

[Victoria Sturlini · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC STORY!!!😊

What a good book this was. Nancy Herkness continues to delight and amaze with her beautiful writing. She somehow managed to touch upon many deep subjects in this story as well as weaving lightness, love, and joy into the story at the same time. Paul and Julia's story was a beautiful love story. They both had issues to deal with that were depicted in a very real manner. Their fascination with each other was sexy, swoony and heartwarming. They were nice people finding their way through the complicated ties that the love of family can bring. I was really impressed by the set of questions for the reader at the end if the book. They were thought provoking and interesting to contemplate. I really enjoyed Julia's love and sweet connection with her "whisper horse"... It was very moving. As were the friendships between the characters. I would give this book a bigger rating then 5 if I could and I highly recommend it for a satisfying and very enjoyable read.

[Pontiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia is a painter who’s led a sheltered life due to her epilepsy. Her uncle, though well meaning, has curbed her life and criticized her newer work. She has a dark horse she can’t get out of her mind, so she keeps painting it. She seeks out Claire, who loves her work, and gets more than she bargained for.

Paul finds Julia, who’s like a wood sprite, by the side of the road, and there’s no going back. In their time together, Julia experiences more than she has her whole life, but she keeps her epilepsy a secret from everyone so she’s not protected.

Julia also finds her whisper horse, Darkside, who seems to need her, and is the embodiment of her dreams.

Paul has family obligations that hold him back in his life, but Julia shows him things can change.

Great story, with Paul, who’s fun, savvy, and cool to boot. The whisper horse theme makes more sense in this book, and it’s nice to see many of the same characters.

KU

[Donna Rutledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about Julia, 1paul, and Darkside. I enjoyed the series to about"whisper horses". Julia is a painter who has beem painting Darkside for years begore she ever met him. He is a wild stallion who was saved by Sharon an owner of a stabke that believes in whisper horses.

Julia meets Paul when he rescues her on the side of the road when her car breaks down. Julia is taken with Paul and he designates himself as her taxi while shes in Santurary, WV. He takes her to lunch and then later to the stables since she paints horses for a living.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artist needs change but ends up changing others

This is a story about an artist who needs to express herself true her paintings. She changes her style as a natural progression of her expression. In the pursuit to find out if her new vision is still wanted but buyers and critics she meets many people which in turn changes their lives as well. She also finds more than she was looking for. Well worth reading.

[Quinlan Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this just as much as the first!!!!

This novel took a person introduced (in name only) from the first book and gave her a great storyline that I fell in love with and cheered her on through her growth as an artist and a person - while falling in love with a man and a horse!!! Can't wait to get started on book 3.

[Norma Reasor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book

This book has to have been the first I’ve read by this author, because I would know about a lot more of her work, and in fact, I plan on working on that immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, couldn’t put it down, and hated for it to end. A wonderful story of personal growth, and finding the courage to step outside of everything known. Enjoy!!

[Cleone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Artist and black stallion struggling with emotions

I liked the whisper horse idea of healing. I gave it a 3 because it is an average read. Too much graphic sex. Not high vocabulary

[Susan Lyall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful love story.

This is a wonderfully written story about an artist and a lawyer that happen to meet in a town where one is visiting and one lives and they also happen to fall in love.