Unearthed

by Goldie Walker

Independent Republic of Texas, 1836

After barely surviving the Texas Revolution, ex-Ranger Dane McCollum seeks an uncomplicated life on his land grant outside San Antonio. Cajoled into hiring a water diviner to locate a well site, he expects a superstitious old man—not the high-spirited and determined Matilda “Mattie” Fromme.

Mattie’s used to being underestimated, but when Dane’s cynicism sends them tumbling into a maze of underground caverns, she’s forced to confront her worst fears. The dark, winding tunnels test her faith in her divining gift, the skill that could lead them to safety—or leave them trapped forever.

As Dane and Mattie navigate the unpredictable passages, close quarters fuel a simmering attraction, and they soon share steamy encounters neither expected. But survival is uncertain as Mattie struggles with self-doubt and Dane grapples with memories of guilt and failure that have haunted him since the war.

The treacherous journey through the caverns forces Dane and Mattie to confront truths about themselves and each other, unearthing vulnerabilities they’ve long kept hidden. Will their newfound trust and growing bond be strong enough to lead them back to the surface, or will the revelations that emerge in the darkness vanish in the light of day?

“Unearthed” is a gripping Western historical romance PREQUEL novella set in the untamed Texas frontier where love, trust, and hidden desires collide in the heart of danger.

Genres: Westerns, Romance

ebook

Published March 15, 2024

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Now, in the ruin wrought by his own stubbornness, Dane glimpsed how tightly he’d clung to the illusion of control. But nature and fate bowed to no man. Mattie had known, but he’d refused to listen, and now they both suffered the consequences."

[The moral of this story is to trust your instincts and that hot, stubborn, sexist men will trap you in a damp cave.]

Summary:
A dislike-to-esteem romance. A short time after the Texas Revolution, water dowser Matilda "Mattie" Fromme meets new grant owner and ex-Ranger Dane McCollum to divine a suitable location for a well on his land. Prejudiced against Mattie's gender and skeptical of her abilities, Dane doubts Mattie's judgements. When Mattie cautions against digging on a particular plot of land, Dane swiftly disregards her advice. The ground beneath consequently collapses, and the two find themselves trapped together in an underground cave. Now, they must rely on one another to survive.

Review:
I judged this book by its cover and obviously had to read it.

Overall, a decent book. Definitely an original and creative premise. I liked Mattie as a practical and independent heroine and Dane's character growth.

The romance is slow burn, which felt appropriate for the story and setting; the characters' attraction develops at a believable pace. However, the moments when they find themselves overcome with physical need were a little contrived and awkward, usually resulting from physical contact during or after dire moments.

"The peril of their situation sharpened the edge of each sensation."

[Couldn't be me, even if it were olden times and I hadn't seen The Descent, but Mattie is clearly made of sterner stuff.]

I know very little about Texas history and found the information included about the Runaway Scrape and Texas Revolution very interesting. Native American representation in historical romance generally makes me a little wary, and I am not in a position to comment on the Comanche depiction in this novella. However, I appreciate that the author writes in her bio that she is a "strong advocate for a revival of the western historical romance genre, minus the problematic stereotypes that are sometimes considered typical of its past" and is "doing her best to avoid and offer an alternative to outdated ideologies that have plagued the genre."

I got this novella as a free download for signing up for the author's newsletter. I'm definitely interested in reading on in the series; the sequel, in which Mattie and Dane's story continues, comes out in January 2025.

Rating: 3/5⭐️
✅ Creative
✅ Entertaining
✅ I liked it
❎ Underrepresented voices
❎ Subversive

[Mireille (readingwithmrleo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one. It was honestly a safe bet for me as soon as I saw the cover because the vibe you get from it? That is exactly what the book is.

It is a quick read with all the tension, forced proximity and life in peril vibes. The atmosphere of this book was on point and I enjoyed our characters right away. Our two characters are pushed together after a not so friendly first meeting and as they get stuck underground, they are forced to depend on one another if they want to survive this situation. For two people who seemed resolved to go through life alone, it was a really devilish plan fate had for them (which I approve of!). I enjoyed every second of their excursion underground. The way they started to open up, sometimes only to change their mind off of things, the touches in the dark, their closeness through all of this, it was perfect.

To be honest, I thought this was a stand-alone prequel just to give you the vibe of the series so I was expecting a short story with a HEA.. it was a hard ending for me, haha, but I'll survive. Loved the writing style, the characters and the whole Texas vibe!

[April Boulware · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Parts of it had my heart pounding! I can't wait to read the next book!

[Briahna Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A western romance novel with the perfect balance of intrigue and steamy romance. The characters are well developed and the transitions between scenes is seamless. The characters also grapple with grief and a strong sense of duty. Well written and compelling page turner!

[Imromanticallyinvolved · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be continued...This is a prequel to Beneath the Surface which debuts in January 2025. Do not let this scare you away!! This is the ultimate forced proximity scenario. Trapped underground with a skeptical man you can barely tolerate? They didn't have the best start but as the days stretched and the light dimmed, their dependence on each other for sanity and hope created a closeness that surprised them both. Their eventual escape and how to proceed outside the caverns left them feeling confused.They went their separate ways, deciding not to decide.

This was my first book by Goldie Walker and I am very impressed! Although this story only brushes the surface of the MC's story, we do get a great amount of detail to the narrative making this a solid read.This is very well written and slowly reveals the layers of the characters in a way I can appreciate. Dane and Mattie's chemistry was both fiery and sweet. They each went through bouts of strength and weakness that created a bond that went deeper than physical attraction and I loved how the author created this dynamic. We are left hanging a bit at the end but this only creates a feeling of anticipation, not disappointment. A great build up for the next book!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I couldn't put it down once I started. I absolutely loved learning about the characters as the book progressed, mixed with the thrill of a western outdoor adventure, and having it all wrapped up in an exciting romance. I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens next!

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

boooooo i was scammed!! omfg i thought this was a novella but NO ITS NOT. it’s a prequel to a book?! i swear to god i’ve never been more annoyed when i got to the next page and it was like “read the full story coming in 2025”

like thank you so much for this waste of time i’m never going to read the full book now because what the fuck is the point. why did i waste my time with this?! wtf kinda dumbass marketing strategy is this???? like if u need this book to read the full story like don’t have it be separate??? what in the actual world?????

god this sucked

[Sharon Akshar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story 'Unearthed' by Goldie Walker. It was so gripping and so easy for the reader to fall into the adventure with the characters. A woman water diviner is sent to a man who is interested in finding water and creating a well on his property. First, he does not approve of a woman traveling alone in that kind of country and then he doesn't have much faith in her ability to find water. She is used to that kind of mentality and tries to ignore it and do her job. As they are walking the land, and she is trying to locate water she is struck by a feeling of danger to a certain area that Mattie tells Dane to keep away from and not dig because something is there. He, of course, chooses to ignore her and starts to dig in that very spot the next morning. She runs out to the location and implores him to stop digging but just as they are arguing, the ground rumbles and shakes and gives way to a deep cave in with them in the midst of it. They find themselves trapped in caverns way below the surface and must try to find their way out. It is a gripping story well worth reading.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a historical western romance I can get into. I will say in general it’s my least type in that genre I tend to pick up to read, but this one I savored. I also learned about divining for the first time in this case for water (Mattie is also called a “water witch”) so that was interesting. I love the cover and typeface title font as it did depict a scene as the harsh ordeals of what Mattie and Dane had to face underground after they fell in while digging a water well. I really felt their emotions flow out of the pages as I read them wondering if they would find a way out as they did experience other dangers.
I will say the overuse of the two main characters full names multiple times throughout seemed unnecessary to me. I can’t wait for January 2025 as I’ll be back to see their story continue.

[Catheryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, love this cover.

I liked most of this story. It kept me on my toes as to what would happen and how they would escape. I did think it ended very abruptly. This novella sets up their love story in the next book, but I wonder then why even have this novella if the first book in the series is about them. Just roll this into the book. I'm not sure that I will pick up the next book in the series when it comes out (Jan. 2025 I think).

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novella very much. The strong FMC is well-developed and interesting. Of course, she has to overcome the difficulties of being a single, working woman in this historical fiction/slow burn romance. The MMC is typical of many men from the time but, I have high hopes that he will overcome. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from BookFunnel and this is my honest and freely given opinion.

[D. Rambo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The steam level was just right and I thoroughly enjoyed Matties personality. Can't wait to read the next one!

[Zeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steamy, thrilling, exciting. The novella is packed with action from the get go, and it doesn't FEEL too short. Excited and waiting for the next installment from Goldie.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time finding books that I enjoy lately, I'm looking for characters that feel real. Even if circumstances are fantasy, characters lately have been feeling like they are inconsistent, and have no growth, authors are just writing to tropes, and don't have a grasp on their characters as people.

This book is not that, it is a prequel to the main novel, and I'm absolutely RABID for the novel to be released. I even emailed the author to get an update, which I would never normally do. I can't wait for the novel, and I'm very excited to see more from this author in the future.