The Past by Sawyer Bennett
Bluegrass Empires #4
Release Date: June 3, 2025
🏇🏻Opposites Attract
💚Forbidden Love
🏇🏻Summer Love
💚First love
🏇🏻Parent’s story/origin story
Before ascending the throne of the Blackburn Empire in Kentucky horse country, they were just Tommy and Fiona, two teenagers from opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Young love bloomed during an Irish summer set amidst the rolling green hills and lush pastures of Tipperary County.
Fiona Conlan grew up sheltered by her overbearing parents and vibrating with the need for something more. In the summer of 1978, she found exactly what she needed. Ready to test the boundaries set for her, Fiona trained in the exhilarating and dangerous sport of steeplechase, and in an even more rebellious move, started secretly dating a young and brash American she knew her parents would never approve of.
Too much partying and not enough studying during his sophomore year of college had Tommy Blackburn’s parents desperate to get the future heir of the family business to take life a little more seriously. What better way to do that than to send him to Ireland to work at Glenhaven, a massive thoroughbred and breeding operation run by a family friend. But Tommy’s wild ways followed him across the pond and he couldn’t help but pursue the beautiful redhead with fire in her eyes and a wild spirit just waiting to break free.
Tommy and Fiona fell hard and fast, a secret love built from stolen moments. Rife with drama and disapproval, they overcame it all to set the stage for a new generation of Blackburns to run their American Empire. Their epically romantic journey was anything but easy, but you can’t get to the present without The Past.
The Past: A Blackburn Novel is an opposites attract, long distance love story within the Bluegrass Empires series. All books in the series can be enjoyed as standalones.
START READING TODAY: https://geni.us/SB-ThePast
The Past by Sawyer Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
🎧🎧AUDIOBOOK & EBOOK REVIEW🎧🎧
I cannot believe we are saying goodbye to this family saga! However, I’m beyond thrilled that Sawyer came full-circle and decided to tell the journey of Fiona & Tommy!
To say that my emotions ran high with this story is an understatement. This isn’t a “new” story by any stretch, it’s really as old as time, as they say. Two people from different sides of the “track” in an era were breaking the “chains” and marking your own path against your family, especially as a woman, was unfathomable and frankly, impossible. However, love doesn’t have “chains” or recognizes “tracks” and above all, it gives you the will to climb mountains you never knew possible, if you are willing. Fiona & Tommy had such a will, and they were willing. It wasn’t a smooth journey, a lot was lost, but so much more was gained! We knew the ending before the story began but we didn’t know the journey and I have to give Sawyer mad props for having me invested in every second of this story non-stop even though I already “knew” it. Feel me? Lol
🎧 Sean Masters and Kit Swann have been performing this series since the very beginning, and they have done an exceptional job! This time, Kit Swann deserves a 👏👏standing ovation👏👏 for her performance as a young Fiona. Her accent and the ease with which she performed was amazing. I am seriously lacking in words. It was just outstanding!
The Past by Sawyer Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Past delivers the origin story of how this or should i say where this series really started.
Tommy is a charming Texas cowboy, who gets shipped off to Ireland by his father to learn some life lessons. When he gets there he meets the feisty Fiona, a local woman who is fighting her family’s expectations. Their summer romance is intense, secretive, and had me rooted to my Kindle from start to finish.
I loved seeing how their love story began—natural, unforced, and filled with genuine chemistry. The added farm drama kept things interesting, and the ending was a great conclusion to an amazing series.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Meet Sawyer Bennett: New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
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Connect with Sawyer Bennett: https://geni.us/SawyerBennett
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