Mysterious Stranger

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

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 .

What a good story, great mystery! I deducted one star, the story kept talking about cars, in the horse world of Kentucky?! No, we have a farm, a second home, in between Lexington, and Louisville. You either drive, SUV'S, or Trucks, but you don't run around any of those farms, in hilly Country, without a SUV, even a small one. On the other hand, a good mystery, and I enjoyed the, no profanity, no super sexual content. I loved Curran, and Jane is a very strong heroine! I highly recommend! Thanks! Enjoy!
carolintallahassee 👒

This is a curious story of healing old wounds, some obvious, some not. Jane and Curran must learn to trust each other in order to move forward to success at Grantham. Unfortunately, someone is determined to see Jane fail, even if it costs her life. Can Curran use his McKenna legacy to bring hope, joy and prosperity back to maddened horse Finn and he equally maddened owner?

and the horse have been attacked.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
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.

A great story by a wonderful writer. Overall, I did like this book, and the techniques and scenes where Curran was working on the horse Finn and on the owner Jane were well worth the read. Jane had been brutally attacked trying to protect Finn, and both are now "broken" and distrustful. Throw in the fact that the racing horse farm, in Lexington, KY, which has been in her family for over a century, is now on the brink of bankruptcy. Curran, the handsome horse whisper from Ireland arrives to help with the horse, and ends up helping with Jane too. The attacks and evil that is hiding in the shadows was a little creepy, and at times too much in the shadows that is was easy to forget it was there. Either a bit more information, so the reader could have more clues, or less and more on just the build-up of the growing romance would have been a stronger story in my belief. Overall though, I enjoyed the book, and it was interesting to see more of a behind the scene look at thoroughbred politics and racing. Highly recommend this book and author.

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.

3.5☆
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.

Jane, a woman with a past that has emotionally and physically scarred her, determined to save her home.
Curran, a man who is haunted by rejection, with an empathic connection to horses.
Finn, a horse, scarred by cruelty, with a history connecting him to both Curran and Jane.
A romance wih an interesting storyline, a mix of characters, that'll leave you guessing as to who the villain is, and you'll still be surprised by the twist!

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.

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. [SPOILER!!] (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'.) [/SPOILER!!] 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.