Foto dell'autore

Julia Brewer Daily

Autore di The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch

1 opera 8 membri 6 recensioni

Opere di Julia Brewer Daily

Etichette

Informazioni generali

Non ci sono ancora dati nella Conoscenza comune per questo autore. Puoi aiutarci.

Utenti

Recensioni

Adventure and romance in a magnificent west Texas setting.

The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch is a full and satisfying story of discovery, wonder, love, and loss. The tale unfolds from two angles: Emma’s experiences and those of the people left behind on the ranch. Both sides of the story are riveting. I was so engrossed in this book I almost completed it in one sitting, only putting it down because it had gotten ridiculously late.

Daily has populated her book with engaging, sympathetic characters and a couple of unique personalities who present some interesting conflicts (Chesma and Jeff Bower’s mother) to the leads. Emma is a good person and uncertain about her pre-ordained future. She’s a bold, free spirit in her actions but cautious when it comes to her heart. She’s rightfully suspicious of the sincerity of Jeff’s interest in her and considerate about committing to Kai when she knows she’s going to try and escape any chance she gets. I was totally on board with her mother, Josie’s, feelings and actions, though. I would not have held up nearly as well as she did under the circumstances.

The ranch setting is magnificent with its far-flung expanses, remote and hiding canyons, desert, and vacant spaces. It was easy to imagine the locations, getting lost in their vastness, and feeling the dust and heat that made the search and rescue and the possibility of escape so daunting.

I enjoyed the story immensely and wasn’t ready to leave The Thorn Ranch at the end of the book. The author leaves some things up in the air, so I’m hoping for a sequel. How about a Sixth Daughter? I recommend THE FIFTH DAUGHTER OF THORN RANCH to readers who enjoy family sagas or western fiction with some magical elements and clean romance.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
KarenSiddall | 5 altre recensioni | Nov 9, 2022 |
This beautiful written new novel takes place in Texas. Thorn Ranch is the largest ranch in Texas and has been handed down from mother to daughter for five generations. Emma is in her 20s - she loves the ranch and knows that someday she'll own it. She's just found out that her boyfriend is more in love with the idea of owning the ranch than he is in love with her. She decides to ride her favorite horse out on the land and sleep under the stars for a few days. A heavy storm causes her to take shelter in a cave and the rapidly rising water of a nearby river make her go further into the cave where she finds a secret that will totally change her life. The people she finds living on her property do not want her to leave and tell the world about their presence on the farm. She has to make a decision whether to try to escape and go back to her family or stay in the new world with people that she's learning to accept. While she's missing, her parents are searching desperately for her. The Thorn is a modern ranch that holds an ancient secret and Emma has to decide which world she wants to live in. I can't go into much detail about the secret -- I went into the story not knowing exactly what it was about and I want to make sure that other readers can do the same.

The author describes the ranch and the state of Texas in such glowing and descriptive ways that it's easy to feel like you are in the midst of the story instead of reading about it. Emma is a great main character and very accepting of other ways of life. She's a strong, take charge woman but when she finds herself in an unknown world, she manages to be helpful there too. Her decision whether to stay in the world that she's found or go back to her family is difficult and kept me rapidly turning the pages to find out what she would decide.

This novel is an intriguing family saga about love and family - both the family you are born into and the family made up of people that you care for. I've never read a story quite like this and found it to be a real page turner full of twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
susan0316 | 5 altre recensioni | Nov 6, 2022 |
College student Emma Rosales, is the heiress to the largest ranch in Texas. A ranch that has been run for generations by her female ancestors. She longs to work as a small-town veterinarian but the obligation to takeover Thorn Ranch from her mother weighs heavy on her mind.

On a ride to check fence lines, Emma, horse is injured and a sudden flood force her into a cave to escape the rising waters. What she finds inside the cave system will change her life forever.

I really enjoyed the mysterious Texas setting and the unique plot. Not unlike Alice falling down the rabbit hole, Emma enters a world both foreign and compelling in its simplicity. Dewer does an amazing job of creating a believable alternate world which kept me turning the page.

The storyline takes a while to develop, but once it gets going it will suck you in. I won’t go into details as it would give away the plot! There is a bit of back and forth in time between Emma growing up and as a student at Texas A &M, which explains the background of the ranch.

Overall, the book is well written and well plotted. I enjoyed the relationship between Emma’s parents with each other and with her as well as her extended family. The pace picks up once the main story develops and I found the narrative intriguing. The slow developing romance has a satisfactory ending.

I give this book 4 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
JeanRoberts | 5 altre recensioni | Nov 2, 2022 |
For generations, the massive Texas ranch, The Thorn has been run by a Rosales matriarch. Now that Emma, the fifth generation of Rosales women has graduated college with a degree in veterinary medicine, she is gearing up for her inevitable duties on The Thorn. Emma decides to take her horse and ride around some of the less explored areas of The Thorn's property; however, Emma becomes stranded in the wilderness, a several days walk from home. She is rescued by an unlikely group of people, the first people to inhabit the land of The Thorn, long before it belonged to the Rosales family and who still inhabit the land in secret. Simply calling themselves The People, Emma is amazed at their way of living. Although, when she asks to return home, The People fear for their own safety if Emma were to return and tell of their presence. Meanwhile, at The Thorn, Emma's parents lead a frantic search for their daughter and the heir of the land.

The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch is an unlikely adventure combined with ancient secrets and romance. From the beginning, the internal strength as well as momentous responsibility of the Rosales women is made known. I loved that The Thorn was a Texas Ranch run by a matriarchal line. I could feel how much they cared for the land, the animals and the people that they worked with. The writing switched between the points of view of Emma, her parents, and two of The People creating a fast-paced story that retained my interest. Of course, Emma's storyline was the most interesting to me as she navigated the lands around The Thorn and learned to live a new life among the people. Emma's internal strength, unique skill sets and mental fortitude helped her accept her new conditions and the people there. I was amazed at the world that The People had continued to live in and their strength in persisting with their culture in a modern world. Kai and Chatpa were amazing teachers and leaders as they too learned skills from Emma's world and accepted her knowledge as a woman from the outside world. It was also interesting to see the disappearance from Emma's parent's point of view and how long they held out hope. The ending wrapped up in an exciting, unexpected and beautiful way. I'd love to know what happens next!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
Mishker | 5 altre recensioni | Nov 1, 2022 |

Premi e riconoscimenti

Statistiche

Opere
1
Utenti
8
Popolarità
#1,038,911
Voto
½ 4.3
Recensioni
6
ISBN
2