2020 Maxy Awards Runner-Up – Romance Rayna thought she knew what she was doing when she spontaneously married Ethan and left the city to live on a secluded ranch. It was supposed to be the answer that finally gave her life direction and got her away from her parent’s toxic relationship, but nothing is like she fantasized. Her few attempts at helping on the ranch are disastrous, she stands out … are disastrous, she stands out like a sore thumb in the small town of Silver Heights, and her conservative mother-in-law, Carol, is convinced Rayna is ruining her son’s life. Worst of all, Rayna can’t seem to stop pushing Ethan away and sabotaging her own marriage.
Through keeping the ranch afloat and navigating the ups and downs of life, Rayna and those around her must learn how to finally let go of the past and find peace in life’s messy, yet beautiful moments.
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This book had me spellbound from the first word to the last. I have not read a book that has gotten me so deep in to the story in a long time.
Rayna and Ethan were meant to be together even with so many people thinking that this was not he best thing for them.
The author did a remarkable job of making me feel so much for the characters in the story as I was reading it.
Silver Heights is the authors debut novel and I can not wait to read more book written by her.
Silver Heights by J.L. Cole is a true-to-life story about a young woman named Rayna who struggles to overcome the abusive and dysfunctional childhood that has shaped her. Angry and a bit sassy, she soon learns that, if she wants to succeed at life and be a happy person, she is going to have to work at it. She has left college and a life in the city to marry Ethan, a man committed to being a rancher on his family’s farm in Alberta. She worries she has made the wrong choice when times get tough on the ranch and, especially, when Ethan’s determined mother attempts to sabotage their relationship for the more favorable, ex-girlfriend, Mila. But it is through difficult times that Rayna grows and matures into a much stronger woman and partner. She learns about the consequences of the important choices we all must make as we maneuver our way through life.
The book is a bit slow to get going, but it soon builds as the story develops. Then, it becomes very compelling and hard to set aside. It has an authenticity to it that tugs on the heart and makes the reader want to know what will become of Rayna and Ethan. Rayna’s decisions to become a writer like her beloved grandmother, to try keeping her alcoholic and very toxic parents in her life, to no avail, and to want more children after her first ends in a miscarriage, makes this an emotional story.
I became thoroughly engrossed in this very well-written tale and found myself caring about the characters and becoming emotionally involved, even crying at times. It was easily relatable, realistic, and down-to-earth. The love scenes between Rayna and Ethan are tender and beautiful. You can really feel their love and want them to succeed as a couple and as individuals. Rayna’s mother spews such vitriol, you’ll want to step in and drag her to into rehab. All in all, I highly recommend Silver Heights to anyone who’s looking for a good book to curl up with that brings their heart into play, yet tells a serious, true-to-life story.
A delightful debut, perfect for a summer read. Slip the novel into your beach bag with some sunscreen and travel to ranch life in western Canada in this feel-good story.
This is a light-hearted read about a family who own and run a ranch and how they grow over the years, learning to lean on each other through the trials and tribulations.
Rayna is the female lead in the book. When she meets Ethan on a college break with her friend , who also happens to be Ethan’s sister, she falls hard, as does Ethan. She is not only attracted to him, but she sees a better life for herself. Ethan’s mom isn’t thrilled and makes that clear from the start. Poor Rayna can’t seem to fit in with Ethan & his family on the farm, either. It takes her some time to adjust to her new life and all that comes with it.
Silver Heights had me feeling the feels! I laughed, I swooned, I got angry, and I completely ugly cried. ( I ugly cried a lot lol)
I completely fell for these characters, I was so invested in their story.
This was an amazing debut novel by J.L Cole!
Captivating.
In #SilverHeights, our heroine, Rayna, comes from a rough home life. When she meets Ethan on a college break with her friend , who also happens to be Ethan’s sister, she falls hard, as does Ethan. She is not only attracted to him, but she sees a better life for herself. Ethan’s mom isn’t thrilled and makes that clear from the start. Poor Rayna can’t seem to fit in with Ethan & his family on the farm, either. It takes her some time to adjust to her new life and all that comes with it.
I read this in one sitting. I was enticed from the start with how Cole introduced Rayna & how she came to be a part of Ethan’s world in Silver Heights. I identified with & felt compassion for her. I’ve been in a situation where I was not comfortable and didn’t feel as though I fit in, experiencing judgement.
This debut novel was released in August of this year & I’m so glad to have it in this crazy time. This book brought me such a feeling of calmness. Though there’s drama, I completely loved Rayna & the surrounding characters that have their own perspectives in chapters throughout the book. I give #SilverHeightsNovel & JLCole – 5 s!
@blackrosewriting
An emotional KEEPER!
Wow! This story hit me right in the gut. Silver Heights had me feeling all the feels! I laughed, I swooned, I got angry, and I completely ugly cried. J.L. Cole gives us an emotional read that hits all the right places.
I completely fell for these characters, I was so invested in their story. These are characters that will stick with me, well after the story. I COMPLETELY LOVE THEM! J.L. Cole hooked me right away and I couldn’t stop. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! I am such a fan!
This was a sweet story about the ups and downs of life after marriage. Learning to live together, growing together, becoming part of a family, and creating your own family. I liked that it was written from the couple’s viewpoints, and also his parents. It gave the story more depth and really conveyed the challenges of how a marriage changes lives and requires work all around. It’s a faith based novel and that was interesting to read too. I really enjoyed learning more about life on a farm and the difficulties and demands that can place on a relationship. This is a well-written story and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author!
Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book is way more than a typical boy meets girl and they live happily ever after book. This is a book about living in a totally new and unwelcome environment while you learn more about your husband and his family including the new mother in law who makes no secret of the fact that she feels you are not the right wife for her son.
Rayna had a horrible childhood. With both of her parents alcoholics, she often had to act like the parent and take care of them. When she meets Ethan on a trip to the ranch owned by her friend’s family, they are drawn to each other and end up getting married very spontaneously. Rayna has so much to learn – she’s never been a wife or a daughter in law, she has no idea of the work that is involved in keeping a ranch running and she has no friends in the community to help her find her way. She begins to wonder if she made a mistake by marrying Ethan and moving to such an alien environment as Ethan is wondering if he made a mistake. Will the trials that they face bring them closer together or end their marriage?
This is a debut novel for J L Cole and I see a lot of potential in her writing. Her characters were so well written that I was hoping that they would make the right decisions with their lives. She does an excellent job with writing the environment of ranch life and the work involved. After reading Silver Heights, I look forward to her next book.
Silver Heights is a novel about the love between husbands and wives but also the love between parents and children. It’s about learning to adjust and being accepted into a new environment. It’s about the rocky road to achieving a good marriage. Most importantly – it’s a book about LOVE.