To Win Her Favor (Belle Meade Plantation Series #2)

Already a huge fan of Author Tamera Alexander, this story did not disappoint. In fact, TO WIN HER FAVOR just might be my very favorite of all this author's works (and I've read every book Tamera Alexander has written!). Set in 1869 Nashville, Tennessee, this novel is filled with action, romance, and tension. Heart-tugging scenes gave me tears, while other scenes made me giggle or want to cheer. As I read the final chapters, I realized my arms were covered in chills in anticipation of what would happen. Tamera Alexander has a gift for using words that truly transport her readers into each scene---I felt I was "there" seeing and hearing the characters. I highly recommend TO WIN HER FAVOR, and look forward to reading more of Tamera Alexander's books.

Maggie loves to ride and not just any horse.  It is her thoroughbred racing horse, Bourbon Bell.  Maggie is determined to race her horse at Drayton Stakes racetrack to win a very large purse. Winning will give her the money toand standing  save her plantation. She must first prove to her father that Bourbon Belle is ready.Cullen McGrath is looked upon as Irish trash, not to be trusted because of his ethnicity.   He cares not what people think all he wants is his own piece of land and thanks to Maggie's father he is not only getting a plantation but a wife, a woman he has never met.  Cullen agrees to this barter which will keep the plantation for Maggie, only if Maggie agrees.  She has no idea of what they are conspiring behind her back.Cautiously and not without anger, resentment and some stipulations does Maggie agree to the marriage, unbeknownst to the fact that Cullen is against horse racing, no if, and, or buts about it.  How will she get past this hurdle and change Cullen's mind?Tamera Alexander is  one of my favorite authors. This book drew me in not wanting to put it down until the last page was read. Even then it kept me yearning for more.  You can't help connecting with the characters feelings and actions.  The story also provide me with the chance to catch up on some of the characters from book one of this series.  It was like catching up on old friends.I want to thank Tamera for another great read!I am looking forward to the next book in the BELLE MEADE PLANTATION series!I highly recommend this book.I rated this book 5 out of 5.Disclosure:  I received a free paperback copy of this book from Zondervan and a digital copy from NetGalley for an honest review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.

To Win Her Favor is the second book in Tamera Alexander’s Belle Meade Plantation series, coming after To Whisper Her Name. I’ve always enjoyed everything Tamera writes, so it’s always a good day when I get to read one of her books, and this novel was no exception. I have also for some reason always loved the kinds of stories where the marriage comes first and the love comes later, so I was really excited to discover that To Win Her Favor fit that description. When I first started this story, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, other than a rocky beginning to a marriage of course, but I definitely found so much more than I ever expected to find. Not only is this the story of their unexpected marriage, and the rocky ground the topic of horse racing leaves them on, this is also a story about slavery, and what has been happening in the South now that those slaves are free. It’s a story about segregation, and how it wasn’t just between blacks and whites, but how the Southern people weren’t all that fond of the Irish either (which makes me really sad because the South is my home, and I can’t abide the thought that our people could be so close minded, so against anyone who wasn’t a white Southerner). This story is an eye opening story. It’s not just about the love, the romance, and whether or not they’re going to race Bourbon Belle and save Linden Downs. On the one hand, it is about those things, and the struggles they face as they learn to accept being married and the decisions that must be made about Bourbon Belle are part of what makes this book so enjoyable, and I loved reading every part of it. There were so many twists and turns, so much back and forth between the two of them, that I was captivated every page. But on the other hand, that’s not the whole of this story. This story is also about the reality of what happened in the South after the war ended. The reality that the Southern people were prejudiced. Close-minded. And that they didn’t care who they harmed or what they did just so long as they had a mask over their faces to keep them from being recognized. That, I think, is the main reason that I loved this book so much. While I love the romance, I loved watching them go back and forth between arguments and growing feelings for one another, I really love the fact that this book is so much more than that. It isn’t just a romance novel, though if it was, it would still be a good one. Instead, it’s a wonderful romance, that has true history and reality and serious time-period struggles. And I applaud Tamera for tackling that, both in To Whisper Her Name, and even more in this novel. All in all, I cannot imagine giving To Win Her Favor anything other than all five bookshelves, for every reason I’ve already listed above. Tamera did a wonderful job of weaving together a romance with a story about the true South, and what it was really like for Irish and freedmen in that time, and that bit of history is one I wish didn’t exist but is one I really appreciated learning more about. I highly recommend this novel, as it was absolutely fantastic, and has even made it onto my all-time favorites list, because it is so very worth reading. (This review is from my blog, spreadinghisgrace.blogspot.com)

Tamera does a wonderful job building a wonderful romance with a lot of history. Many feelings and emotions in the story but the charactors were rational, which I loved. I can't wait to read all her books.

Book two. An excellant read. Really enjoyed it. Another hit.....Buy it and enjoy...

I really enjoyed the story line and the entire book was well written and fun to read.

I absolutely loved this novel. The characters and story line were perfect. I enjoyed this book tremendously and would strongly recommend it. I would also love for this to be made into a movie.

Another great read from Tamera Alexander! I’ve read all of Ms. Alexander’s books, and To Win Her Favor is a wonderfully written continuation of the Belle Meade Plantation series. The plot is solid and the characters are well developed and believable. Certain scenes in the novel evoke emotion so well that I found myself crying over the characters’ experiences. The dialogue is well written, and I enjoyed reading about the plantation setting. Ms. Alexander does a great job of bringing the era to life by painting vivid pictures of the land, the thoroughbred racing scene, and the post-Civil War climate in Nashville. The discussion questions and the lemon cookie recipe at the end of the book are nice bonuses too. To Win Her Favor was a pleasure to read and had a satisfying conclusion with room for a sequel. I’d love to read Savannah’s story! I also highly recommend Ms. Alexander’s other novel series: the Belmont Mansion Novels, Timber Ridge Reflections, and Fountain Creek Chronicles.

What a wonderful story of love, loyalty, and perseverance. It was endearing to see the kindness of Cullen and Maggie toward their help and the love and acceptance they all had for each other. Cullen and Maggie's love was tender and sweet and their intimacy was tastefully written. I truly enjoyed this book. Tamera Alexander is such a gifted author!

My favorite book by Tamera Alexander!! I have read and absolutely love all of her books! Highly recommend!

Southern landowners fell on some pretty tough times following the Civil War. Many lost what their fathers and grandfathers had struggled to achieve. While others had to make hard choices in order to keep their land. One of those difficult choices is put before the Linden family. A marriage of convenience seems to be an answer to prayer to Gilbert Linden and Cullen McGrath. But to Maggie Linden it represents the only way to save her family's land and keep her beloved horse Bourbon Belle. The prospect of being married to an Irishman does not sit well with her, but she finds herself without any other viable options. It turns out that the whole situation is brought about by Divine Providence. Sometimes when we feel like we are in the midst of an impossible situation God uses it to refine us. And refining is just what Cullen and Maggie both need. Tamera Alexander takes on some tough subjects in this novel and doesn't bother to sugar coat them. Not only were blacks still being persecuted, the Irish were also looked down upon. When we look back on this time from our current perspective it seems so brutal and barbaric. Unfortunately it was commonplace and we would do well to learn from it. While the book has serious undertones there is still a very steamy and romantic storyline going on. While Cullen and Maggie's marriage was a business agreement to Maggie, Cullen was determined to win her favor. The ways in which he undertakes that are a delightful read that will remind you of the beauty a loving marriage can reflect. As with most of her books, Tamera Alexander has included a set of discussion questions that would be beneficial to any book club. I look forward to sharing this book with my local group. It is sure to be a source of great discussion. I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

This was the first Tamera Alexander book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In this novel, she takes readers to the American South where horse breeding and horse racing is a major part of the culture. The characters are brilliantly portrayed. As a horse afficionado and having owned several show horses, I loved the connection with these beautiful creatures. The plot is strong and multi-layered. There was plenty going on to keep me engrossed and turning the pages. I especially enjoyed the main characters, Cullen McGrath and Maggie Linden, who are people of high moral fibre with strong beliefs. I enjoyed how these characters grew closer together as the story progressed. The author's writing is so seamless yet detailed that it is easily envisioned in one's mind. Definitely talented, Tamera Alexander knows how to spin a good yarn, one the captivates, while putting the main characters through conflict. Discrimination and prejudice are also minor themes tackled in this book. It is a book that warms the heart, solidifies our personal convictions, and definitely entertains. Highly recommended! I'll definitely be reading more from this author.

Another well written novel by Alexander. The strong characters and well structured plot engage and keep the reader moving through the novel to the satisfying conclusion. The various forms of prejudice - racial, ethnic and gender - are addressed by showing the consequences of such beliefs.

Returning back to the Belle Meade Plantation was a joy. You'll quickly fall back into the post civil war setting. Believable characters mixed with historic details.

First, the beautiful cover grabbed my attention. Then the title, the author, the back blurb. I anticipated a great story and To Win Her Favor did not disappoint. It just kept getting better and better with each passing chapter. As I fell into step with the characters, I quickly fell in love with them too. Throw in horse racing and a marriage of convenience in the post-Civil War, southern setting and I was hooked. I’ve read multiples stories involving a marriage of convenience before. Some I’ve liked and some I haven’t, honestly. This one was believable, unique, and full of heart, without the cliches. I loved following these two through the ups and downs of marriage. It gave a beautiful depiction of two people growing to love and learning how to live a life as one. The intimacies between husband and wife are there, but written with care and handled beautifully. Their relationship was honest and real and that endeared me to them even more. I also loved many of the side characters. Their roles were minor, but pivotal to the overall story and added great emotion to the plot. The chapter hooks were great. Each scene seemed to breathe into the next, pulling me to the next page with it. The various obstacles along the way added great twists. The cameo appearances of previous characters from other books added to the fun too. And the ending? Talk about suspenseful and exciting! I could see – really see – the scenes unfolding. I was captivated right to the end. This author knows what she’s doing. ;) This story will sweep you away. There were so many touching moments that brought tears – many of them happy ones – to my eyes. Beautiful writing has a way of doing that to me. Thank you to Zondervan, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and the author for providing a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

To Win Her Favor was another great visit to Belle Meade Plantation where we once again encounter the true, but larger than life characters of Uncle Bob and General Harding as they are in the process of building one of the best Thoroughbred farms in the United States. The setting is Nashville, Tennessee, several years after the devastating Civil War. Many of the landed gentry have lost or are in the process of losing their land. Such is the case with Linden Downs. Maggie and her father have struggled to hold on to their land. They have sold off their horses, let most of their help go and still they cannot pay the taxes that are owed on their property. Now, it is scheduled for auction. All Maggie has left is her horse, Bourbon Belle, who she has trained as a race horse. Without their land and her father’s failing health, all her dreams will be crushed. Cullen McGrath is a recent Irish immigrant. He lost his family on his way to the United States as they were trying to escape scandal in England. He finds America not to be a land of opportunity, but a land full of prejudices against not only the African Americans, but the Irish as well. He has money to buy land, but no one will sell to an Irishman. Gilbert Linden has land, but no money to keep it. On a chance meeting, Gilbert believes Cullen may be the answer to his prayers to ensure the future of both his plantation and his daughter. The trouble is that Cullen has secrets concerning the reason he left England and Maggie keeps secret her desire to train and run race horses. This was a very satisfying sequel to To Whisper Her Name. The author has done thorough research in to the life and times of those living in Nashville following the Civil War. This book really brought out the sufferings of those who lost so many loved ones to war and then lost most of their possessions after the war. It also shows the plight of the freed slaves with no place to go, no work, and no education. Most of us are aware of the prejudice they suffered, but few know that much of that same prejudice was directed at the Irish who fled starvation and mistreatment to make their way to America in hopes of a better life. This was a wonderful story of the fulfillment of dreams as well as a great love story. I could barely put it down. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tamara Alexander drew me in right from the start. She gives us a look into what  life looked like post-Civil War for blacks and immigrants in the South in 1869 and the struggle  to save the family home.  I found some parts of this story that showed some of prejudices against the Irish and African-Americans and the actions some took to keep them in their place, hard to read and not feel compassion and disbelief at what they endured. I was drawn in quickly and the vivid descriptive scenes were quickly running through my mind and I could see and feel the emotions they portrayed.  A quickly arranged marriage to save the  family estate proved to be a wonderful story of faith, endurance and triumph over hard times. I loved this story.  My emotions run  low to high,  I felt anger, I laughed  and yes, I even shed a few tears. The closer I got to the end the faster I wanted to turn the pages.  I too wanted to soar on the back of Bourbon Belle! This story, especially the ending truly touched me.  If you like Historical romance with mystery and suspense this one  will hold you fast within the pages.. You will like this one!      I would rate this one PG-13.    I was gifted a copy to review by NetGalley for my  honest opinion which I have given.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of this novel is "passion." Our hero and heroine, Cullen and Maggie, are passionate characters individually, and when they interacted with one another, the sparks were flying!  And not necessarily in a romantic way, although this novel contained much more romance than most of Alexander's previous novels.  Cullen and Maggie both know how to be headstrong and put up a good fight.  Cullen is passion personified.  He is very masculine, a hard worker, and isn't afraid to throw a punch if he's threatened or sees someone being wronged.  He loves deeply and is devoted to those he loves.  Maggie's passion in the beginning is her horse, their family farm, and horse racing.  But as Cullen weaves his way into her heart and life, he opens up passions in Maggie that she didn't know were there.   Prejudice also plays a huge role in this story.  It's post Civil War south, and there are huge prejudices involved with those who were slaves, how they are treated, and discriminated against.  Cullen himself, as an Irish man, is treated harshly.   I loved this novel!  While it may be considered a little more "edgy" than some of Tamera Alexander's previous novels, I felt that the passion and prejudice were appropriate for the context they were written in.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for young readers, though.  **I was given a free copy of this novel from NetGalley by the publisher for an unbiased opinion and review.** Stacey D.

To Win Her Favor is a Christian Historical Romance that takes place post Civil War in Tennessee. There are some hard facts presented are hard to read. I grateful that Tamera Alexander did not gloss over the prejudice and violence that was part of everyday life for the people of African and Irish descent. The two main characters in this book are Maggie and Cullen. They enter into a marriage of convenience. She wanted to save her family home, he wanted to own land in an area where the Irish need not apply.  I enjoyed that Tamera wrote about the progression of their relationship from strangers to a loving couple. They don't immediately fall in love, get along, or have meaningful conversations. Their love and trust was earned. I have read a few reviews where others were bothered by the violence and the innuendo in the book. I did not find either to be inappropriate or offensive to me. The language, attitudes, and violence against the black people were disturbing, but they were historically accurate. Words that we find offensive today were common during the time period. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written. I loved the characters. Many were good and honest people trying to make their way in the world and I appreciated their different struggles and experiences. I felt that the story focused on repentance and forgiveness. There are so many wonderful things that this book has in it's pages. Because of some of the content, I would classify this as an adult book.

 I could not put this book down! Probably one of my favorites by Tamera Alxeander. She did such a wonderful job accurately portraying life in the south after the civil war. I love reading a story with an arranged marriage; Maggie and Cullen had a lot of ups and downs and Tamara did such a wonderful job making the characters seem real and believable. But my very favorite aspect of the book was all of the horse training and racing. After finishing this book (in one day I might add) I had a new dream of becoming a jockey :) all in all I highly recommend this book!!! I promise you will not be disappointed!

A truly wonderful read. I can't express how much I loved Cullen and Maggie's characters. There were so many little details that just made me fall in love with Cullen and Maggie together. I love how Maggie learned so much about Cullen from comments other people made to her about him (how he treated the workers, things he did without her knowing). Somehow it made it so much better for her to learn these details about him in a round about way... not by him telling her. He wasn't looking for acknowledgment. He was just a good man. I loved how Cullen learned about Maggie just by making observations of her. Her grace and strength while riding, her care of her father, seeing her needs without her asking. She was such a strong woman. Young and naive in ways... but mature beyond her years in others. This book was really so much more than the little book blurb. It covered so many serious topics during the post civil war era. Treatment of immigrants. Treatment of women. Treatment of former slaves... free men and women. Cullen and Maggie lived in such a time of great historical change. It was amazing to read as they learned and grew through their story. The supporting characters in the novel were also really interesting. I loved learning all of their stories. How Cletus and Onnie met, married, and continued more as family than help on Linden Downs. The story of Cullen's family and how he came to be in Nashville. The story of Ennis and Odessia and their children, especially Kizzy. I have to especially say was a special character Kizzy was. I would love to read more about her as she grows up. The world and characters created in To Win Her Favor definitely drew me in and made me want more.

I scored an advance copy of Tamera Alexander’s new release. I’ve reviewed Tamera’s books before and she’s one of a few historical writers whose books I automatically move to the top of Mt. TBR. I’ve loved them all. TO WIN HER FAVOR is set in post-Civil War Nashville. Margaret Linden and her father are about to lose their family farm and home to auction. An Irishman offers to buy the farm. Irish are not welcomed in Nashville and Maggie is horrified to learn that not only is her father going to sell to Cullen McGrath, but her father wants her to marry Cullen to be sure she has a home and someone to take care of her when he dies. Maggie has raised a thoroughbred mare and hopes to race her. Bourbon Belle is fast. Cullen knows the world of European racing and has no intentions of getting involved in the sport ever again. As Maggie and Cullen’s relationship grows, each finds it difficult to keep a secret from the other. I enjoyed watching their love and relationship evolve through the course of the book, though not without some true-to-life hiccups. Maggie learns some hard lessons about herself and her attitudes toward others. Cullen suffered devastating losses before coming to Nashville and learns he can be happy again. As I said above, order this one now! You won’t be sorry! Bethany House Publishers provided a review copy.