Mariah

Horse Whisperer #1

by Carol Devine

When disgraced FBI Special Agent Mariah McBride returns to her small hometown to pick up the pieces of her broken life, she's immediately drawn to legendary Horse Whisperer, Shane Youngblood. So is every other woman on the planet. Shane sets his sights on Mariah and what Shane wants, Shane gets. But Mariah's been burned before. Her goal is to mend her tattered reputation and revive her career. She vows to never depend on anyone else ever again, especially the most notorious womanizer in Grizzly Springs.

270 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2017

About the author

Reviews for Mariah and Shane's Story: On sale for $2.99 exclusively on www.amazon.com

“5 Stars Horsewhisperer Series a Hit!”

5 Stars! “Shane by Carol Devine is a Brilliant Testament to the Strength of a Woman’s Spirit and the Power of Love...” Stella Knights

4.5 Stars! “In these pages, Carol Devine brings to life one couples inspiring way of navigating those rocky shoals, made all the more realistic and accessible in that they do so in less than perfect but all too human ways that left me with tears rolling down my face and a paradoxically aching and joyful heart.” - Charles C. McCormack

www.amazon.com/dp/B071VDSR7B
www.amazon.com/dp/B071DXVWQ8

Born in NY, NY, Carol grew up in Hawaii. She is married and mother to three sons, four if you count her writing assistant, a Chi-weenie mutt. Loves the ocean, dogs, horses, cats, flowers, coffee, chocolate and the mountains of Colorado, where she now lives.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of, I'd like to point out that the last time I read this type of genre (Romance) I was in my late teens, and that was many moons ago. I would have devoured these types of books like they were the oxygen I needed to breathe. But as my life changed, as too did my reading material. I moved from Romance fiction to non-fiction and myths, lore, and legends.

That is the reason I choose this book to read, and I am glad I did. Mariah is set in a small town called Grizzly Springs and revolves around two main characters Mariah McBride, a disgraced FBI Agent and Kellan 'Shane' Youngblood, a steamy and sexy Horse Whisperer.

Both characters are likable and I felt my old excitement grow the further I got into the story. There is no denying the chemistry between these too as they fill a void in each other that they themselves never knew they had. The sex scenes were EXACTLY as they should be for a romance novel, not too detailed nor too long (If you are after more detailed and longer scenes you need to be browsing the Erotica sections rather than Romance IMO).

The Story was well plotted which ensured that the story flowed well without dragging or feeling like it was rushed. I hate spoilers so I will not give any away. What I will say is that this book has given me a taste of my youth and the passion for once more indulging in Romance.

It is a well deserved 4 stars!!

[Jennifer Redmile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mariah was one of those books that left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. I loved the characters of Mariah and Shane, and their hesitation at taking a chance on love. Great writing and an easy flowing plot makes this a great Sunday afternoon read. I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series, Shane.

[Madonna Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mariah by Carol Devine is the first installment of the story of Mariah McBride, a disgraced FBI agent & Shane Youngblood, a Horsewhisperer from a small town called Grizzly Springs. This book had the potential of being quite a good read but sadly it fell short of my expectations.
Mariah & Shane are likable characters and the connection between the two is believable but just doesn't hit the spot for me. I've seen a comment saying the sex between them sizzles...well I didn't feel it. The sex is ok but not decidedly descriptive & quite short in the scheme of the story.
There is some interesting conflict happening in this book and the story flows quite well...however the intricacies of these happenings confused me slightly. I certainly understand that this could just be my inability to connect to the story & that is why my rating may not be as high as some.
The author does do a good job of setting the scene of small town living and that allowed me to immerse myself into parts of the story that I loved.
Overall an okay read for me.
3 1/2 stars

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally read the first page or so of a book to decide whether I’m going to like it, then I come back later to read more. This was not the case with “Mariah”—one page turned into two and before I knew it, I was two-thirds of the way through. This engaging story involves Mariah McBride and Kellen “Shane” Youngblood, whose inescapable pasts both shape and haunt them. While Mariah struggles with the insecurities surrounding her childhood and her failed career as an FBI agent, Shane’s strength seems to be the glue that binds—at first, anyway—until Mariah’s past gets in the way of her future and puts their love to the test. Will their love survive? You’ll just have read to find out; and you certainly won’t be disappointed. The writing style in “Mariah” was not only engaging, but the characters and their struggles held my interest from start to finish. This was a five-star beginning to a series I’m looking forward to continuing!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started as something that I really wanted to read. But I just didn't feel too much but I liked.
The chemistry, the jokes and the interactions between Shane and Mariah was very good.
As an ex FBI agent, Mariah comes back to her town looking to get back her own life.
Shane is a famous cowboy from rodeos with a business and he see her and immediately wants her to protect from her own family.
The details of the book was very awesome, I enjoyed to read this, a very serene story, some twist and a few drama.
3 1/2 stars

[Pat Heiserman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were very well developed through the book. You felt like you really knew them. The book flowed well. It was a fast page turner. You didn't really want it to end. Very good read

[J.B. Trepagnier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series out of order, reading Shane first, then Mariah. After reading their HEA, I was interested to see how this couple actually got together.

I've seen some of the reviews on this one, and having read the second one, I can tell the author reads her reviews and listens to her readers. Some of the critiques I read on this one (which I didn't really see a problem with) are totally addressed in the sequel, Shane.

The entire series is a sweet one. In this one, even though I've read the sequel and knew mostly how it was going to end, I was sitting there screaming "omg girl, jump his bones and keep him!" every time Mariah tried to push Shane away.

I got the back story I wanted on both characters and this would be a satisfying read no matter if you just happened to read it out of order like I did

[Raleigh Steinhauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, let me begin by stating that Romance novels are not my cup of tea. In fact before this book I cannot recall having ever read a pure Romance novel before. That being said, I actually found myself, albeit reluctantly, enjoying Mariah. I thought the writing was very good and the story kept me engaged and turning pages. I thought the characters were interesting and well formed. Of course, some of the more, shall we say romantic parts, were a tad much for my taste. But hey that is the genre, and I am sure many will enjoy those steamier parts very much. So hats off to the author Ms. Devine for writing a romance novel that even a caveman like myself can enjoy.

[Andrew Cairns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I take my hat off to Carol Devine for her flowing prose, well-developed characters and credible dialogue. What is lacking here, for me, is a story with a bit more surprises and suspense. If she could work a bit more on the story line, add a few more twists and turns, perhaps a creepy villain or two, then I would be able to recommend this more highly. As it stands, I give it a rather average 3 stars.

[Jennifer Withers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romances like these aren't really my usual choice of reading material. The stories are usually predictable and cheesy, and although this one was no exception on that front, I did enjoy the development of the characters, and the hint of a less than perfect background regarding Mariah. The scene is well set in a small town, and the writing is smooth and well-paced.
Overall I enjoyed it enough to keep reading, and I think fans of this particular genre will gobble it up.