Review: The Highest Stakes

My Synopsis:

The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee

(For review from Sourcebooks)

When Charlotte Wallace was taken in by her aunt and uncle after the death of her parents, she felt more like an outsider than a relative. She found solace in the stables learning about horses, how to ride them, how to train them and how to race them from a kind stable boy, who captured her heart.

Robert Devington loved Charlotte with all his heart but his attempts to persuade her uncle to allow them to marry fell on deaf ears. Charlotte's uncle had plans for his daughter and Charlotte to marry well and afford him privileges and recognition in society. Marrying a stable boy was not a part of his plan.

Robert and Charlotte soon find that fate is against them, when one night changes their lives forever. Charlotte is left alone to fend for herself, while Robert loses everything and must go half way around the world to turn his life around. Will Robert and Charlotte, ever be together? Will Robert get revenge against those who mistreated him and kept him from his love? Is there retribution to be had?

My Thoughts:

When I first found out about this book I was really excited. Being from Kentucky and being raised around horses and racing all my life. I was interested to see how Emery Lee portrayed the origins of horse racing in England and it's beginnings in Virginia. I have to say I was throughly impressed. It's obvious to see how much work and research that went into this novel. Not only is it entertaining, but it's educational as well. I came away from reading, The Highest Stakes feeling as if I had not only read a great romance, but that I had learned a lot about racing and what it takes to breed and race a thoroughbred.

Emery Lee's debut novel has succeeded in producing the kind of story that will make readers take notice and look forward to seeing what she writes next. Her characters are were very well developed and it was easy to relate to them. Charlotte was the outsider, Robert, the poor boy who made good, and Phillip was the jaded soul. These are people we see in our own lives everyday, the setting and time period may have been different but the story is the same.

The Highest Stakes is available now from your favorite bookseller.

I liked this novel a lot and look forward to seeing what's next from Emery Lee. I give this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!