Clara Early loves adventure. But when her outlaw uncle reappears after four years’ absence and threatens to kill her, Clara embarks by stagecoach on her wildest adventure yet… and unexpectedly finds love along the way. Seeking fortune to prove his worth, Hal Horner buys a silver mine in the Owyhee Mountains, feeling the solemn darkness of the underground mine reflects perfectly the emptiness in … emptiness in his own heart. He succeeds in finding treasure, though it’s not the shiny type he intended.
Both Hal and Clara know her nefarious uncle will find her eventually, but can their love stand strong when he does?
“I enjoyed myself in this world, and really isn’t that why we read?” Marsha, Keeper Bookshelf
“The story makes for a good comfort read as it combines mystery, adventure, romance, and history all in one story. Evil has a means of finding its victim. But so does love.” Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
“The story is the first in the Heart of a Miner series and was a page-turner. I liked the characters and their interaction. It will take on a life and death situation and show how far a man is willing to go for a woman he loves. The story is a clean historical western, including action, and adventure, that ends on a happily ever after.” Kathy, RedRabbitt’s Reviews
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I was excited to read this book, having loved others in the series. This book was a little faster paced and keep me up half the night to finish it. Thinking I would read a couple of chapters before bed, didn’t work out so well. I love the characters of Joan and Mac. They just seemed to mesh so well together. There were twists and turns, that were so captivating, you were on the edge of your seat. It brought other characters from the previous books, but it could be read as a standalone novel. I really enjoy learning about the history of the area in Idaho and how rich the mining was. I especially loved hearing about city of rocks. I grew up in Utah and we used to go there camping, as a family, when I was a child. We spent many hours climbing over those rocks and finding awesome hiding places. Now, it is a rock climbers heaven. Thank you, to the author, for the memory back into my childhood and writing a wonderful wholesome historical story!
HONESTY—INTEGRITY—AND DUTY
What an adventurous tale of family, fortune, greed, and new beginnings. The story is the first in the Heart of a Miner series and was a page-turner. I liked the characters and their interaction. The two main characters, Clara Early and Hal Horner are both living lives with heartache and disappointment. One is running for their life; the other is escaping their past. What happens when they are on the same stagecoach that takes them to Silver City? Hal is searching for a treasure and finds one better than silver or gold.
Clara Early lost her mother during childbirth, and her father was murdered for his wealth. Being a wise man he had a will and left his fortune to his only child, Clara, that she can access upon her eighteenth birthday which is fast approaching. Clara has lived with her Aunt and cousin since the death of her father, but now trouble has shown up with demands and threats.
Harold “Hal” Horner was the second son, one who idealized his older brother, Mark. When Mark dies, Hal is lost in his family’s grief, with a father who drinks heavily and berates him, and a mother who is in depression. Even trying to appease his parents, going to law school and getting a degree doesn’t matter, so he leaves Philadelphia and travels to Idaho and starts mining, eventually buying his own mine.
The plot will have Clara and Hal on the same stagecoach traveling to Silver City, Idaho. Clara is fleeing for her life from her evil uncle, and Hal has purchased a silver mine, seeking treasures. Two people with a troubled past, trying to start over. Clara is lucky to find work at the hotel, with room and board and stays busy, enjoying her job and the people she works with. Hal must find a team of men that are willing to work and help him get the mine producing.
What happens when Hal finds a wanted posted with Clara’s picture? He knows she is hiding something, but he can’t just ask her. Hal is dealing with issues with his own family. The story will take on two people learning to confide and trust each other with problems. The more time that Clara and Hal spend together, they both realize they have developed strong feelings. But Hal is away working the mine and only comes to Silver City when bringing ore and picking up supplies.
“Pull up your socks, Hal. You trust her—she’s just obviously knee-deep in some kind of muck.”
Hal lets Clara see the wanted poster, and she will confide in him about her uncle, how her aunt and cousin told her to leave and not even write. She knows how slippery Lester is, and that he is coming for her, wanting her inheritance. Will Hal be able to keep her safe? Can he get past his family issues and finally acknowledge his love for her?
“It’s past time I move on with my life and prioritize what truly makes a life worth living.”
The story will take on a life and death situation and show how far a man is willing to go for a woman he loves. The story is a clean historical western, including action, and adventure, that ends on a happily ever after.
I love the way author Krystal Anderson immerses me in the era and location of her books, and Silver is no different. Through dialogue and description, she evokes the sights, sounds, and smells of the mining town of Silver City in the Owyhee Mountains of Idaho. I didn’t know that Idaho was the location of rich silver mining, so I enjoyed learning about the history. The first line of the book is one of the best I’ve ever read, and it drew me in immediately. Then the story kept me turning pages. Clara is spunky and tough, yet not unfeminine or unlikable. Hal is a wonderful hero, and I loved watching him become his best self as he sheds the damage and heartache from his youth. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
This is a good story set in the old west. I enjoyed it very much & recommend it.
Krystal is a new author to me, and I find her books to be amazing. Cant wait to read more from her and any sequels of this book.
This was a wonderful book. I would call it a wholesome historical western romance. The characters of Clara and Hal were so sweet and fun, it makes you want to fall in love again. They both have a lot of excess baggage from their past, and a lot of fear and regret to overcome. The story was very fast-paced and I didn’t want to put it down. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I am anxiously anticipating the second book in the series.
What’s not to like about this book. I was a captive audience from start to finish. Krystal is a new author to me and I absolutely loved this adventure in Silver City. Can’t wait to read Gold next.