Mysterious Stranger

The McKenna Legacy #5

by Patricia Rosemoor

Curran McKenna was charmed not only with devastating good looks, but also with the ability to communicate with horses — a gift passed down from his grandmother. But when the Irish playboy was called to Kentucky to help gentle a crazed horse, he discovered that the beautiful owner needed some tender loving care herself — and that his connection to her was more than magic...

Jane Grantham had barely survived the night she and her beloved horse were brutally attacked by a deranged madman. Now her only hope of winning the Thoroughbred Millions cup, and staying alive, was in the hands of a mysterious, soul-stirring stranger who claimed he could heal her horse — as well as her heart...

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Romantic Suspense

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 24, 2002

About the author

With 100 novels and more than seven million books in print, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Patricia Rosemoor is fascinated with "dangerous love" – combining romance with danger. She has written various forms of romantic and paranormal romantic thrillers, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills to her stories.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. Im not too keen on the super natural thing but this was perfect if only situations like this were true..but hey Ill have hope if so. Great job and intersting ways or going about the story line!

[Megan » Hello Book Bird! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you combined The Horse Whisperer with a fated mates trope and a dash of murder mystery this would be your result.

After suffering from a viscous attack, Finn mac Cumhail can no longer tolerate any human presence other than Jane — his owner who had also been injured saving him. Enter Curran McKenna, the handsome Irish horse trainer rumored to have a bit of horse magic. With the future of Grantham Acres resting on Finn's ability to compete and win in the upcoming Thoroughbred Millions, it's up to Curran and his unique ability to bring Finn around.

Hard enough of a task until you throw in a mystery man hell bent on keeping Finn (and his lovely owner) out of the race, no matter the cost.

I have to say I really enjoyed the training sessions between Curran and Finn the most. Successfully winning back a horse's trust through sheer willpower and perseverance will never get old....especially when it involves damaged souls that desperately need it.

The murder mystery kept things interesting even though there were some pretty heavy hints sprinkled throughout. However, be prepared to look over some plot holes. (Like if someone is trying to kill you, they won't just watch you to see if you're breathing...they'd probably check your pulse to make sure you were really dead. Just sayin'.) The romance felt a little forced — Curran's ability seemed to really only serve as a reason to bring him and Jane together — but didn't bother me enough to really detract from the plot.

I wouldn't gush over this book but I don't regret it either. Overall, a cute and easy read for equine lovers that don't mind a bit of added romantic angst to top off the suspense.

[Anne Szlachcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a book that has a hint of the supernatural along with romance and mystery .

Jane Grantham and her horse Finn are trying to overcome the trauma of an attack which left both with physical and emotional damage .
Unless she can get Finn to accept people around him and recover sufficiently to win the Kentucky Thoroughbred Millions cup her family home and farm will be forfeit .
Irish trainer Curran McKenna , Finn's original trainer , has flown to Kentucky at the request of Jane's grandmother in the hope that he might help .......... he has a reputation of being a horse whisperer and getting miraculous results . Part of this is down to his Granny's legacy which allows him to make an emotional bond with horses and if Granny is to be believed , a bond with his one true love .!
Initially against letting Curran help Jane soon realises that he is having great success with Finn and possibly with her as well - every time they touch he seems to be able to see into her psyche and connect with her emotionally .
But there are those who want Curran and Finn to fail and they will stop at nothing to get their way .
Curran and Jane must fight against the threat against them , whilst ensuring that Finn is ready to win the race .
Jane and Curran's connection might be all that saves her life along with that of her sister .
Who is trying to kill them ?
All is not as it seems !
A fast paced romantic thriller with a touch of the super natural , which makes for an enjoyable read .

I was given an arc of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Originally published in 2002 as a Harlequin Intrigue. This was a good romantic suspense. The back story was fascinating and horrific at the same time. (Sorry, but beating a beautiful horse like that was tragic.) At least they got theirs :)

This review is based on the ARC provided by the author and/or the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Kit Wyatt Writes and Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm loving the re-releases of the McKenna Legacy series books by Patricia Rosemoor. With this latest release of the series I've learned that there are books in the series that I have not previously read which thrills me to no end as this series of books are ones that I grew up reading again and again throughout my teen years.
With the perfect blend of paranormal, romance and mystery, Mysterious Stranger is the kind of book that leaves you with a feeling of sitting by a fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa and just basking in the warmth.

An arc of this book was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review

[Boo Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love mystery romances. This book has it all, love, deceit, murder, and of course wonderful horses. Rosemoor is as incredible author, and I love these irish men in her books.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

We start with Jane Grantham stepping into stop the destruction of her horse, Finn, from a villain she once trusted, which traumatizes both her and the horse. This is why Curran McKenna is called in - he once trained Finn and has a special way with horses that might get through to him in time to run in a very important race that will save Jane's farm. But Curran is surprised when he connects, not only to Finn, but to Jane as well...she's prickly and wary. She's also desperate, which is the only reason she agrees to let Curran stay after she finds out what he can do. It soon becomes clear though that not only is someone trying to keep Finn out of the race, but that someone is trying to take Jane out of the equation too. Curran has come to realize that Jane is the woman that will complete his McKenna legacy and he will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Cool story actually. I like that the author changed things up a bit from the typical "horse-whisperer" stuff to include a connection to Jane herself. Curran is able to read her the same way he can read a horse simply because of how connected she is to Finn after the trauma the endured together. I liked the characters - Curran was calm and collected...little smug, but he wasn't arrogant or pushy. He just knew he had a talent and could get the job done. But he wasn't smug about his romance with Jane, which I really appreciated. He was patient and took his time waiting for her to be ready. Jane was a bit harder to like mostly because she was so damn resistant to help and admitting that she'd been played for a fool. She was really resistant to having Curran around even though he represented a chance at, not only saving her farm, but also getting through to a traumatized horse. That stubbornness did not reflect positively on her personality.

As a suspense, this was also well done. This was a little bit more complicated than just one or two people being evil and what not, which is a good thing. It's nice to see that an author isn't getting into a formula. We have a lot of red herrings but also some unexpected surprises when it comes to who is responsible (although I guess I kinda saw one of the surprises coming). And one of the villains just disappeared from the story and I'd like to know what happened to him. Overall a good read and probably in for the long haul with this series now.

[Penny Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysterious Stranger
May 31, 2002

The McKenna Legacy continues in "Mysterious Stranger," Curran McKenna's turn to discover his grandmother's legacy. When Jane Grantham and her prize horse are attacked, Curran comes from Ireland to see if the horse he trained can be saved. He doesn't expect to be drawn to the horse's fiery owner, a woman he instinctively knows is in danger. Jane needs the crazed horse to run in an upcoming race that could save her farm. She doesn't want to admit she needs the mysterious Irishman. She doesn't have a choice when the attacker begins to stalk her again.

"Mysterious Stranger" is Rosemoor's best Intrigue since "Cowboy Justice" three years ago. It's not as extraordinary as the first four McKenna books, some of her all time best, but a definite improvement over some recent efforts. While the mystery is somewhat muddled and easy to figure out, there's a good sense of danger lurking around every corner. The romance is very strong. Both characters are well developed with their own reasons for not wanting to get involved and we see them grow and get used to one another over the course of the book. This isn't the kind of story where they're immediately falling into bed. It feels more natural, as we get to see initial attraction lead to something deeper and more meaningful. Jane is no weepy ninny, but a tough woman with a vulnerable side. Fans of Nora Roberts-style Irish heroes or anyone who likes a real Irish charmer should find Curran appealing. Both are thoroughly likable and their romance is charming.

The McKenna Legacy is in full effect as Rosemoor delivers a magical tale that will please fans who've been waiting for this story and send newcomers searching for the other books, "See Me in Your Dreams," "Tell Me No Lies," "Touch Me in the Dark," and "Never Cry Wolf."

[Ivory Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 2002 this book is the fifth in The McKenna Legacy series and the first one I have read.
Grantham Acres is a respected stud farm for thoroughbred’s and Jane runs the family property. Injured and traumatised by the past she fights against her attraction to Curran the Irish horse trainer.
Curran is a trainer with a special animal empathy inherited from his gran.
Finn is the traumatised stallion who has to rebuild his trust with humans including Jane before he can win the big race to save Grantham Acres from ruin. The three of them will soon find they are connected by more than their past. This connection may save someone’s life when some people will stop at nothing to get what they want.
Curran was a very alluring character, sexy AND double bonus good with horses. I would love to meet a man like him! In addition, I liked the way he used his skills to help Finn and Jane heal and at the same time managed to overcome some of his own issues.
This book is an easy read, including a great mix of horses, romance and danger. Its the sort of story I could imagine curling up with on a cold day.
The publisher via Netgalley kindly provided a copy of the digital version of this book and this review is solely mine.

[anna ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

First thoughts: it was pretty tacky and it felt a little bit dragged, but I do not think I could ever say no to an Irish horse trainer, just like Jane - so I did like some parts of it. No, but really, it was a little dragged and it could have been a lot better if it was written a little bit more like a romantic murder mystery - I did not feel like I could suspect anybody with legitimate reason, because the whole story/background was very unclear to me.

Also, the withholding of the certain relationships was fine in the beginning, but I did think it was a little overdone. I would recommend this, but more as a in-between-read, not as a ‘this book is so so so amazing please read it’-book.

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Candy Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curran is a horse whisper plus and has been asked to come to Kentucky and see a horse, he originally trained. Grantham Acres is in financial trouble and the owner and the horse had been attacked. When I first started reading , I wondered if I was going to like it. But it was excellent, this was a new writer for me and I try to err on the side of caution. I loved it, Jane was so very untrusting but then again, who can blame her. The descriptions were great, they bought you into the story. The characters and the complex plot kept you there and kept your attention. Needless to say, I am a little tired today. The author did a wonderful job and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.
I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curran McKenna was gifted from his ancestors to be a horse whisperer and was called to Kentucky where he connects with both the horse he is to help and the healing of it's owner.
Good addition to the McKenna legacy with Curran and Jane. Enjoyed the story line and character interaction.

Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

[Jacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Patricia Rosemoor.

What I liked:
The writing style
Curran and Finn
Part of a series: The McKenna Legacy
Standalone
HEA

I look forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily received an ARC from NetGalley.