Ashes of Dreams — Ruth Ryan Langan

Amanda Jeffrey has not been dealt an easy hand in life. Widowed at a young age, she is left on her own to raise three small boys, tend to her ailing father-in-law, and maintain a languishing horse farm in 1880s Kentucky bluegrass country. Not one to let circumstances defeat her, Amanda faces each challenge as it comes. But when the roof above her head is literally about to cave in, she suddenly must rely on the assistance of strangers.

Irish immigrant Cole Donnelly and his son are seeking food and shelter in exchange for honest labor. His skills and hard work are exactly what the farm needs, but his rugged presence and quiet Irish charm stir emotions in Amanda that she never thought she'd feel again. As Amanda invites Cole and his child into home, and as they in turn reveal themselves to her, hopes and dreams that Amanda believed long vied in ashes begin to smolder and spark to life inside once again...