Just After Midnight by Catherine Ryan Hyde

☆☆☆
Kindle Edition, 416 pages
Expected publication: March 12th 2019 by Lake Union Publishing 
About the Book:
No longer tolerating her husband’s borderline abuse, Faith escapes to her parents’ California beach house to plan her next move. She never dreamed her new chapter would involve befriending Sarah, a fourteen-year-old on the run from her father and reeling from her mother’s sudden and suspicious death. While Sarah’s grandmother scrambles to get custody, Faith is charged with spiriting the girl away on a journey that will restore her hope: Sarah implores Faith to take her to Falkner’s Midnight Sun, the prized black mare that her father sold out from under her. Sarah shares an unbreakable bond with Midnight and can’t bear to be apart from her. Throughout the sweltering summer, as they follow Midnight from show to show, Sarah comes to terms with what she witnessed on the terrible night her mother died. But the journey is far from over. Faith must learn the value of trusting her instincts—and realize that the key to her future, and Sarah’s, is in her hands.

Just After Midnight is one of those stories that make you cry both tears of sorrow and of joy. It tells a story about two people who struggle in this world and are still able to touch others. Faith and Sarah’s relationship is just one that you want to have. I really liked the way the book told the story from just one point of view. I love the message this novel relays to its readers. That there is hope. That given time, there can be change. That ultimately, love reigns. And that often, doing what’s right can be the hardest thing you ever have to do, but it’s the only thing worth fighting for.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a masterful story teller. I have read most of her books, and I have loved them all, I get excited every time she has a new release. Some books are fun to read, but a few days later recede into one's memory. This story is unforgettable. I really loved this book and would recommend it to anyone. It is unusual and very touching. A lot of Ryan Hyde's books involve animals in their plots. This one is no different, but the involvement of the animals brings out the courage of the characters.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is a most discerning and gifted writer. She writes quietly yet powerfully, with words chosen and placed carefully, words that enfold and pull the reader deeply into her story. As I read, I forgot that her characters weren’t actually living, breathing people. CRH is an exceptional author.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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