Book Blurb:
A captivating story of forbidden love, passion, and betrayal set against the sweeping backdrop of the American West.
The War of the Rebellion is over, but the past still haunts Mariah Renwick. Perhaps that’s why she’s so quick to fall under the spell of the dashing Lieutenant Nathan Lawton, a man whose sights are set on revenge, a new life out West, and his claim to the Renwick fortune.
With Mariah torn between desire and duty, only fate knows if she will survive her epic westward journey that shows no mercy.
When the visionary businessman Julian Marquette steps back into Mariah’s life, he’s in a desperate fight to secure a bank loan to construct the Transcontinental Railroad, certain it will improve not only his own circumstances but that of the entire nation. Julian is disciplined, passionate, a man of conviction ... and he’s been secretly in love with Mariah since the day he first met her.
Now that Mariah is faced with an untrustworthy husband who’s only after her family’s money, any chance at a happily ever after seems impossible ... until an unexpected moment with Julian takes them both by storm.
Will Julian fight against all odds for the woman he loves, or is all hope lost?
An impossible love. A second chance. Romance for all time.
"A highly entertaining book that had me spellbound from the very beginning." ~ Teresa Syms, Readers Favorite
If you adore sweeping sagas, epic historical backdrops, and impossible love that defies all odds, you will get lost in the pages of this forbidden love story full of longing, betrayal, and romance for the ages.
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/ydQfF
Author Bio:
Award-winning author Susan Rounds has always been fascinated with history and other cultures through her travels and living in Europe during her childhood. Exploring fairytale castles filled her mind with all sorts of dreamy notions. Her adventurous lifestyle led to a career in aviation that was really about the romance of flying as much as visiting new places around the world.
Novelist Jane Austen has had the greatest influence on Susan’s writing. She was first introduced to Austen’s work when she visited her home, Chawton House, in England where historic mansions and gardens also made an impression on her. The first romance book she read was Pride and Prejudice, which she loved, but her inspiration came from Persuasion, and how deeply emotional Austen portrayed the characters and their second chance at love, the theme that's also at the heart of her novel.
Susan’s historical romance, The Winds of Autumn, reflects her passion for storytelling with its rich narrative and sweeping landscapes that draw on many of her life experiences. She’s found no greater joy than writing about the enduring power of love. She and her husband have two sons they’re very proud of and call northern California home.
Editorial Review:
“With bayonets prodding against their backs, the Cherokee tribe lumbered toward the great Father of Waters, like herds of grunting cattle. As they crossed its icy depths on the white man’s wooden boats, sudden cries shattered the frigid air. The floating ice overtook the elders and swept them away to their deaths in the dark void of the Mississippi. How many more voices would be silenced before they reached Indian Territory? Huddled by the water’s edge, the survivors shivered and wept. Only the warmth of Nuhda Iga Ehi, shining in the sky, gave them solace. Ahyoka hid her face in her tattered shawl and tried shunning their voices, but it was her own agony she heard, a sickening sound that drove straight to her belly and the brutal beginning of her condition.”
It’s 1839 in Missouri, United States of America. Ahyoka has lost hope as she faces a dreaded and uncertain future. Yet in 1865, in St Louis, Mariah is getting married, while still grieving the loss of her sister. Mariah’s pretend smile and secret thoughts do hint at a bride who has…doubts. Those doubts spiral, and her marriage to Nathan, assumed to be a love match, instead becomes rife with misunderstanding and dissension. “The Winds of Autumn” by Susan Rounds is full of emotion, making the reader want to reach through the pages and shake – or save – the characters.
This novel has parallel but interconnected storylines, and yes, it is a romance. But there is also direct, on-the-page reference to sexual assault, with graphic detail that may or may not be necessary for the storyline. Some readers may find the hinted dynamic in Mariah’s marriage troubling, albeit in a different way.
Mariah finds herself in something of a love triangle. Nathan is traumatized by his origins, and this impacts on his marital relationship with Mariah. The basis for her unrequited love for Julian is of mysterious origins (although he is handsome!). Of course attraction often cannot be explained on an intellectual level, but readers may consider that the storyline swirls from extravagant swoons and various passionate scenes of considerable detail to the harsh reality of driving oxen on the Oregon Trail in a way that does not do justice to either aspect. There are various scenes where the language is flowery and highly embellished, leaving the reader in no doubt as to the romantic elements of the storyline. Those readers who are ardent fans of traditional romances (dare I use the term, bodice-rippers) will find much to enjoy.
“Mariah’s longing sent a rush to her fingertips. She couldn’t resist the feel of his hair with its rich lava hues, and the nape of his neck that swayed so sublime and heightened the intensity of their kiss. They let it deepen the need hidden between them as they fell trapped in the dream once almost ended in a heartbeat. But the end never came, not when the impossible became possible.”
In all of this, Mariah’s parents are standout characters, and their love for their daughter is clear and enduring. The complexity and trade-offs of Mariah’s choices are evident, and many readers will relate to her wish to please her parents and shield them from any possible unhappiness caused by her. The references to Mariah’s travels over the Oregon Trail with an unloving husband are also well-researched; the wild west is just that, and the lack of options available to her is starkly apparent.
“As the months passed and the stillness of winter set in, Mariah buried herself in her schoolwork.
But toiling away in the classroom didn’t help her escape the emptiness inside. Time can heal the heart, can it not? Yet the love Nathan pledged to her—for better, for worse—al- ready did its damage. If time could indeed heal the heart, it had thus far done nothing to change the truth.
The end of the school day brought about the usual quiet. Instead of preparing her lessons for tomorrow, she kept calling into question every decision she made. How could she see, through her starry-eyed gaze, that marrying Nathan may have been a mistake? He was a proud defender of the Union. What more did she need to know? Except he was not the man she thought he was. There were no answers.”
“The Winds of Autumn” by Susan Rounds is a rollicking yarn, moving between historical and romantic elements, including considerable grit and, as befits a romance, a happy ending. As a main character, Mariah is compelling and complex, and more than a match for what fate throws at her, although she does not immediately realize it. While some readers may find the contrast between the historical rawness and the embellished romantic language a shade too much, others will savor the vivid story-telling and twists and turns of the narrative.
*****
“The Winds of Autumn” by Susan Rounds receives 4 stars from The Historical Fiction Company
To have your historical novel editorially reviewed and/or enter the HFC Book of the Year contest, please visit www.thehistoricalfictioncompany.com/book-awards/award-submission
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