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Hawthorne Horses #2
The Boy with the Amber Eyes
“What’s it to you, P? What is it you want?” Tinkerbelle snarled.
“Me?” Pike laughed quietly. “Battles and brimstone, fire and ash, fight evil and win, die a hero and return, marry the sprite princess, raise little Eleanors, bring up foals and…” He leant into her a little then. “I don’t flipping know – to somehow matter, I guess.”
With his girlfriend away travelling and a solitary autumn ahead of him, Pike, former dressage protégé and heir to two very different family traditions, finds himself alone with the question of what he wants to do with his life. In the meantime, there is a young stallion to train, a new friend to tame, some old ones to rescue and a mystery to solve.
Set in the grounds of Hawthorne Cottage, The Boy with the Amber Eyes is a stand-alone follow up to Eleanor McGraw, a pony named Mouse and a boy called Fire.
“Me?” Pike laughed quietly. “Battles and brimstone, fire and ash, fight evil and win, die a hero and return, marry the sprite princess, raise little Eleanors, bring up foals and…” He leant into her a little then. “I don’t flipping know – to somehow matter, I guess.”
With his girlfriend away travelling and a solitary autumn ahead of him, Pike, former dressage protégé and heir to two very different family traditions, finds himself alone with the question of what he wants to do with his life. In the meantime, there is a young stallion to train, a new friend to tame, some old ones to rescue and a mystery to solve.
Set in the grounds of Hawthorne Cottage, The Boy with the Amber Eyes is a stand-alone follow up to Eleanor McGraw, a pony named Mouse and a boy called Fire.
- GenresYoung AdultRomanceHorses
306 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
3 people are currently reading
1209 people want to read
About the author
Katharina Marcus
6 books101 followersKatharina Marcus is a British Brightonian author of German-Jewish descent with a Dutch passport and a nationless heart.
She lives in perpetual chaos on a ball in space with two to three children, four ponies and a couple of cats.
A life-long horse woman with a serious penchant for bareback riding, she used to top up her meagre earnings from writing by moonlighting as a freelance riding instructor and horse trainer when not practising as a psychotherapist or serving food. Presently she is employed as the resident woodland sprite in a school for exceptionally entertaining and diverse young people.
As the daughter of Antiquarian book dealers she reads - and always has read - loads but is so private about her personal book collection, she keeps it in her bedroom.
Nearly a decade after publishing her first novel she has finally got a website together.
She also occasionally blogs on GR but doesn't really do any other social media - or so she claims.
By and large she prefers her interaction to be face to face or in personal messages but is, of course, immensely grateful for every like, share, feedback and review left.
She lives in perpetual chaos on a ball in space with two to three children, four ponies and a couple of cats.
A life-long horse woman with a serious penchant for bareback riding, she used to top up her meagre earnings from writing by moonlighting as a freelance riding instructor and horse trainer when not practising as a psychotherapist or serving food. Presently she is employed as the resident woodland sprite in a school for exceptionally entertaining and diverse young people.
As the daughter of Antiquarian book dealers she reads - and always has read - loads but is so private about her personal book collection, she keeps it in her bedroom.
Nearly a decade after publishing her first novel she has finally got a website together.
She also occasionally blogs on GR but doesn't really do any other social media - or so she claims.
By and large she prefers her interaction to be face to face or in personal messages but is, of course, immensely grateful for every like, share, feedback and review left.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 21, 2015
This is a YA romance, a sequel to Eleanor McGraw, a Pony Named Mouse and a Boy Called Fire. This sort of book is not really my cup of tea, but this one kept me reading. Marcus certainly knows horses & her descriptions are nothing short of incredible. I could practically feel myself riding. (I do, although not nearly as well as Paytah.) Even better is the way she describes the herd dynamics & the brutal realities of idiots. If you think idiots who buy dogs for a lark are bad, you'll be totally disgusted by those who buy horses. She pegged them.
The book started very slowly for me. Paytah is battling with PTSD & is a mess, so mostly we're treated to little action & a lot of thought that catches the high points of the first book. Not what I want to read about & a bit too much. I'm glad I stuck with it, though. The action picks up & life gets interesting with horses (Life is always interesting with horses.) plus the makeshift family which I adored. Another kid or animal (if that isn't redundant) isn't a big deal. It's much like our family (We wound up with a couple our kids brought home.) although they really needed a couple of dogs to round it out. Don't know how they managed without a dog.
The end was great. A lot was resolved including something that was well foreshadowed. All in all, a super read.
The book started very slowly for me. Paytah is battling with PTSD & is a mess, so mostly we're treated to little action & a lot of thought that catches the high points of the first book. Not what I want to read about & a bit too much. I'm glad I stuck with it, though. The action picks up & life gets interesting with horses (Life is always interesting with horses.) plus the makeshift family which I adored. Another kid or animal (if that isn't redundant) isn't a big deal. It's much like our family (We wound up with a couple our kids brought home.) although they really needed a couple of dogs to round it out. Don't know how they managed without a dog.
The end was great. A lot was resolved including something that was well foreshadowed. All in all, a super read.
January 31, 2016
I'd been looking forward to reading this for a long time, and it did not disappoint.
Loosely, it's a sequel to "Eleanor McGraw" but it also stands alone. The story takes up Pike's tale, starting approximately two years after Eleanor McGraw ended.
While this is Pike's story, it also interweaves the lives of many other characters: Ash, a homeless boy, Wendy, a kid escaping an unhappy home life, Pike's grandparents, and further along in the book, Eleanor. As with the previous book, the horses are full characters, and have their own development paths.
I admit it took me a little while to become fully immersed in this book, the beginning is slow, but gradually the lives of the characters, and the intensity of the story drew me in. My favorite characters were the very savvy Wendy, and Pike's grandfather, Aaron. That's the beauty of stories like this; although the book is almost entirely from Pike's point of view, the wide net of characters gives it richness and diversity.
If I had to pick a theme for this, it would be belonging. Pike has a compulsion to encircle all the waifs and strays (horses and humans) and bring them home to his herd, but this is nicely understated, and also very respecting of individuality.
Mainly, this book is just a damn good read. It's a tale well told and well written. As with Marcus' previous books, while it will appeal to the YA market, this is a book for adults too. There's so much warmth in the pages, that it's, quite simply, a delight to read.
Loosely, it's a sequel to "Eleanor McGraw" but it also stands alone. The story takes up Pike's tale, starting approximately two years after Eleanor McGraw ended.
While this is Pike's story, it also interweaves the lives of many other characters: Ash, a homeless boy, Wendy, a kid escaping an unhappy home life, Pike's grandparents, and further along in the book, Eleanor. As with the previous book, the horses are full characters, and have their own development paths.
I admit it took me a little while to become fully immersed in this book, the beginning is slow, but gradually the lives of the characters, and the intensity of the story drew me in. My favorite characters were the very savvy Wendy, and Pike's grandfather, Aaron. That's the beauty of stories like this; although the book is almost entirely from Pike's point of view, the wide net of characters gives it richness and diversity.
If I had to pick a theme for this, it would be belonging. Pike has a compulsion to encircle all the waifs and strays (horses and humans) and bring them home to his herd, but this is nicely understated, and also very respecting of individuality.
Mainly, this book is just a damn good read. It's a tale well told and well written. As with Marcus' previous books, while it will appeal to the YA market, this is a book for adults too. There's so much warmth in the pages, that it's, quite simply, a delight to read.
February 15, 2017
It's taken a little while to make up my mind whether I like this less or more than Eleanor McGraw. I've come to: I like it just as much although this is actually the better book.
It's initially less easy to get into and it lacks the thrills of a developing love story since the love is already there but it's just got more meat on its bones, more to digest, more to stay with you.
It's initially less easy to get into and it lacks the thrills of a developing love story since the love is already there but it's just got more meat on its bones, more to digest, more to stay with you.
January 1, 2022
I can't decide if this should get a 4 or a 5 star. If I had the choice, it would get 4.5 .
The story is as engaging as its predecessor, but I have to be honest and say I missed Eleanor for a large section of the book (that made it a 4 star). Once she was back, the story became so much more rounded and enjoyable (that made it a 5 star, leaving us with an average of 4.5).
The story is as engaging as its predecessor, but I have to be honest and say I missed Eleanor for a large section of the book (that made it a 4 star). Once she was back, the story became so much more rounded and enjoyable (that made it a 5 star, leaving us with an average of 4.5).
December 5, 2018
AMAZING! A great follow up to, "Eleanor McGraw, A Pony Named Mouse, and a Boy Called Fire." I really enjoyed this book, and it was great that it was set 2 years after the previous book. Definitely recommend, especially for horse lovers like me! 🐴
October 26, 2018
This is my second time reading this book and I enjoyed it even more. Your writing never disappoints, and continues to prove itself hard to beat. Thank you for interupting my work time, it was much appreciated.
February 26, 2017
I somewhat loved this book more then the first one which resulted in me starting and finishing it within one sitting!
If you've read the first Eleanor McGraw book then this is a definite for you to read. Just as much adventure, horses and love within its pages.
I hope the author starts releasing a few more like this sometime soon!
If you've read the first Eleanor McGraw book then this is a definite for you to read. Just as much adventure, horses and love within its pages.
I hope the author starts releasing a few more like this sometime soon!
August 22, 2016
Hawthorne Barn is a great creation, and the story continues two years on. On finishing the previous instalment (yesterday) I bought and read this one today. Characters one aches for, an intriguing plot that keeps pages turning, writing that pierces and has depth to drown in. Horses, of course, but with some new and original ideas about them. People that grow, change and learn, not to mention discover. I adore Katharina Marcus, and I will continue to buy everything she writes... only now I have to wait for the next book, whatever it may be. Recommended as highly as possible for any breathing human being with empathy.
October 29, 2015
Noch besser als das Erste. Mehr bitte.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews