To Win Her Favor (A Belle Meade Plantation Novel)

By Tamera Alexander

Description:

From USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander. . .    

"Captivating beyond expectation. . ."
~ Cindy Woodsmall, New York Times bestselling author   

 ". . . sizzle[s] with tension and passion."
~ Jody Hedlund, author of Love Unexpected     

A gifted rider in a world where ladies never race, Maggie Linden is determined that her horse will become a champion. But the one man who could help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing forever. 

An Irishman far from home, Cullen McGrath left a once prosperous life in England because of a horse racing scandal that nearly ruined him. He's come to Nashville for a fresh start, hoping to buy land and begin farming, all while determined to stay as far away from thoroughbred racing as possible. But starting over proves harder than he'd wagered, especially when Maggie Linden's father makes him an offer he shouldn't accept yet cannot possibly refuse.

Maggie is certain that her mare, Bourbon Belle, can take the top purse in the inaugural Peyton Stakes, the richest race ever run in America. Maggie only needs the chance to prove it. To give her that chance--and to save Linden Downs from being sold to the highest bidder--Maggie's father, aging, yet wily as ever, makes a barter. His agreement includes one tiny, troublesome detail--Maggie must marry a man she's never met. A man she never would have chosen for herself.   

What others are saying:

"Tamera Alexander is one of my favorite authors, so I expect a lot from her novels. To Win Her Favor is captivating beyond expectation! This novel has everything readers are looking for--rich characterization, page-turning intrigue, a heartwarming romance charged with tension, and more!"  
~ Cindy Woodsmall, NYT bestselling author  

"Marriage of convenience stories are my favorite and To Win Her Heart by Tamera Alexander is no exception. The challenges and dynamics of the unlikely relationship between a southern lady and handsome Irishman sizzle with tension and passion. The plot is as powerful as the magnificent thoroughbreds the heroine rides. A moving story of overcoming post-Civil War obstacles and racial discrimination, readers won't be able to put down the book until the last page." 
~ Jody Hedlund, bestselling author of Love Unexpected

Book Takeaway:

That through hope and determination even the greatest obstacles can be overcome. The story explores questions of race, faith and loyalty and offers perspective on how Reconstruction affected racial relations, social status and economic fortunes in the post-war South — and a passionate love story is at its very heart.

Why the author wrote this book:

To Win Her Favor is definitely one of the more passionate stories I’ve written, and I don’t mean that solely in a romantic sense. From the start, this story was simply more evocative because it delves into the intimacies of a marriage of convenience, and also explores prejudice within a marriage—in addition to examining the prejudices between former slave owners and former slaves. Everyone was learning how to be with each other in that time period, learning where the new boundaries were, where everyone fit.

As I read and researched for To Win Her Favor, I often found my own emotions stirred by real events that occurred in Nashville during Reconstruction. At times, the accounts were repugnant and heartbreaking. Yet at others, they were remarkably soul stirring and bore promising whispers of fresh hope.