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Southern plantation owner Hunter Calhoun gambles the success of his Virginia horse farm on an Irish stallion; unfortunately, the animal arrives crazed and unridable after the stormy sea crossing. Desperate, Hunter turns to Eliza Flyte, the horsemaster's daughter, who has inherited her father's gift for gentling horses. Her ability to heal wounded spirits with her compassion and wisdom is amazing, and when Hunter convinces her to leave her isolated island and return home with him, she soon applies that gift to the bitter man and his grieving, motherless children. But what future can a woman raised alone by her father with only the sea, animals, and a few books for companions have with a man who grew up as a rich, upper-class son of the South? It seems unlikely that Eliza could ever fit into Hunter's world and just as unlikely that he would give up his privileged life for her world. It just may take a miracle for these two mismatched lovers to find a way to live happily ever after.

In this novel, centered on the brother of the hero from the bestseller The Charm School, the cynical hero who has nearly given up on life is balanced by a heroine who has enough faith and wisdom for them both. The plot, blessedly free of clichés, is unusual; just when the conclusion seems obvious, Wiggs tosses the reader a curve and with a few deft twists and turns, pulls off a terrific surprise ending. If you're only going to read one historical romance this week, make it this one. You'll be so glad you did. --Lois Faye Dyer

When you least expect it, love will find you no matter where you are, even on an island all alone. And even when you think you can love no more, love will slap you right up side the head. This is what happens to the characters in this book. The Horsemaster's Daughter is a book to truly enjoy and keep in your collection.

But before you read this, you must read "The Charm School."

Hunter Calhoun's last hope is the horsemaster, Henry Flyte. The horse he purchased from Ireland, to save his family from financial ruin, arrived in a maddened state and has been deemed a menace. The horse has already killed a mare and maimed a man. But when he hears of Henry Flyte, he decides to give the horse one last chance. When he arrives on Flyte Island only to discover the Horsemaster's daughter, Hunter is fully prepared to kill the horse. But Eliza prevents him from doing so and eventually teaches him what her father taught her: the secret to healing a broken horse.

The Horsemaster's Daughter is a wonderful story about a girl who, unaffected by society's narrow-mindedness, infuses a man with hope even while she frustrates him with her self-confidence. Susan Wiggs has done a terrific job of illustrating how Eliza's power to heal horses can also be used to heal people. As Eliza demonstrates, the key is patience and understanding. Eliza displays these traits in spades when she is forced to leave Flyte Island and travel to Albion with Hunter. Eliza is a simple girl and she doesn't understand the malice of Hunter's society friends who are amazed by her and cruel when it comes to her ignorance of their ways. Even Hunter is at times impatient when it comes to her unsophisticated way of thinking. But Hunter has problems of his own. His children haven't been the same since his wife's death and he is resentful of his father who gave him a life full of high expectations but left him with nothing but a bitter reality. But with Eliza's help, Hunter and his children reconnect and learn to embrace life and love once again.