Title: Horsemen and Hot Chocolate

Series: The Haunted Brew #3 (standalone within the series)

Author: Ashley Evercott

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

The Cursed Rider’s Hoofbeats…

Katrina Van Tassel still mourns her brother, lost in the Revolutionary War, and seeks closure—not a husband. But as the last heir to her ancestral estate in Sleepy Hollow, marriage is the only way for her to keep her home. When a proposal from Ichabod Crane ends in disaster, Katrina finds herself in perilous danger, only to be rescued by a legendary specter.

The Headless Horseman has no memory of who he is or why he became a faceless ghost. But the woman he saves awakens something deep within. Surprisingly, Katrina seeks him out to offer hot chocolate and a if he escorts her to the battlefield where her brother fell, she’ll help him piece together his forgotten life. He agrees, even as something ominous lurks in his lost memories.

While sharing sweets, quiet laughter, and vulnerable conversation, an unexpected connection grows between the pair. But with a persistent suitor and treacherous secrets drawing closer, Katrina and the Horseman must confront a haunting past that’s determined to pull them apart. – summary from Goodreads

Horsemen and Hot Chocolate is a sweet retelling of the Headless Horsemen with historical elements!

I am not very familiar with the Headless Horsemen story, so I was excited to read this book. I follow the author on Instagram, and she has been sharing a lot of promotions for this book recently, which has made me really excited to read it.

This book took place after the Revolutionary War, and I really enjoyed the historical elements of this story. It wasn’t too historical, but enough to make me happy. There was some magic throughout, but it was very minor. This read more as a magical realism book, rather than a fantasy. It was really well done, and I enjoyed it.

There was grief representation throughout the book, and it was beautifully done. It was a little emotional, which I was not expecting. Both the Horseman’s and Katrina’s experiences with grief reminded me of my own, which was a little hard. It was still wonderfully done, and I loved the representation.

The romance in this book was subtle and not the main focus of the book. The main focus was the Horsemen uncovering his past and Katrina gaining closure on her brother’s death. I did love the relationship between the two characters, but I really liked that the main goal for both of them was to gain closure on their pasts. It was very moving!

Katrina was a nice character! She was very kind and caring for those around her, though she had a little bit of a mischievous side. She also was dealing with a lot of guilt and grief over her brother’s death. She was a well-rounded character and I really liked her.

I also enjoyed the Horsemen, though he was a mystery for most of the book. He was sweet and shy, and protective over Katrina, which was sweet. He also dealt with the anguish of not having his memories and wondering why he was the way he was. His backstory was sad when it was revealed, but I enjoyed how the author wrote the forgiveness and closure.

Again, romance was not the focus of the story, but I did love it! They were so sweet together and they grew from friends to lovers. The Horsemen and Katrina also helped heal each other and helped the other gain closure. I loved that aspect of the story!

Along with the other two books in this series, this book incorporates a beverage into the story. I love hot chocolate and I love the role this beverage plays in the story!

Horsemen and Hot Chocolate is a sweet retelling of the Headless Horsemen with historical elements, grief representation, and romance!