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 can help her has vowed to stay away from thoroughbred racing for good. An Irish-born son 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 start a farm, 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 annual Drayton Stakes at Nashville’s racetrack––the richest race 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. Cullen and Maggie need each other in order to achieve their dreams. But their stubborn, wounded hearts––and the escalating violence from a “secret society” responsible for lynchings and midnight raids––may prove too much for even two determined souls.
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Sexual Content - 2/5
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Violence - 1/5
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Language - 0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
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Summary
When the aging Gilbert Linden offers the young Irishman Cullen McGrath the offer of a lifetime, a chance to purchase his property, it includes something, or rather someone quite astonishing; his daughter, Maggie. How can Cullen possibly accept the hand of a beautiful young woman in matrimony, with whom he is not acquainted, and whom he suspects would never willingly agree to this manner of proposal? Is the lush Linden Downs estate worth this kind of risk? Maggie Linden is incensed that her father would ask her to marry man whom she does not know, even if it is primarily a business arrangement. Her beloved Linden Downs would escape auction and Maggie would have the security and protection of a husband when her father joins her mother and four brothers in the Linden family cemetery. Granted, her father has always been an excellent judge of character, but the handsome Cullen McGrath has seemingly managed to win her father's favor overnight. Deep down, Maggie also fears that her new husband might not allow her to accomplish her lifelong dream; racing her beautiful thoroughbred, Bourbon Belle in the upcoming Peyton Stakes. It seems that a hasty marriage is not the only force threatening to rob Cullen and Maggie of true happiness; there are those in post¬civil war Nashville who do not take kindly to an Irishman treating freedmen and their families with kindness; when Cullen brings entire working families to live in snug cabins on his property, vicious retaliation ensues. Added to the fact, Cullen's history with racetrack treachery has put him at odds with his wife's desire to race a prized horse. Will the putrid stench of racial hatred and one woman's determination to challenge her husband's decision serve to destroy all the Cullen and Maggie hold dear? \"To Win Her Favor\" is an amazing story, beautifully written, with lively dialogue between two \"business partners\" that quickly ascends to treasured conversations shared among two joined together as one. It took great faith and a lot of courage for Maggie and Cullen to look upon those around them without judgement according to skin color or intonation of speech; a legacy that I believe the author bequeaths to those who read this engaging addition to her Belle Meade Plantation series.
Violence: there is some disturbing racial violence in this book, but it is not graphic in nature past one scene
Sexual: this is an extremely romantic story between two married individuals whose love and intimacy grow within their marriage relationship.
Drug & Alcohol: family members with a past history of drunken behavior are mentioned briefly