Cory Iverson finds it easy to quit many things. If something gets too hard, or it’s obvious that others are better at something than her, or find it easier, it is just as easy for her to walk out the door and stop trying.

In a family of three, with a perfect sister and a mother who doesn’t pay much attention, it is easy to go unnoticed and just continue taking the easy way out. It’s not until Cory unexpectedly lands a job at a local stable that she finds herself wanting to work for something. The horse show world is a competitive one however and there are people who are interested in making it difficult to succeed, particularly if it means them missing out on first place.

Vee, Cory’s boss, recognises her riding potential from previous riding lessons when her father was on the scene and quickly puts her to work riding. As Cory progresses through the ranks, she starts to question Vee’s background and why she no longer shows.

A search online delivers some disheartening news about her boss and one riding lesson when Vee is being particularly hard on Cory, Cory snaps and accuses Vee of having lost her nerve and being a coward. Suddenly it’s very easy to walk out the door of competing on horses.

As Cory struggles to make her way through school she is also trying to work out if her growing attraction to Kevin is likely to be reciprocated and whether her mother really is taking as many pills as it seems. And why is her sister Jess working so hard to get into a ballet company that appears to be eating her alive – literally?

A run in with the guidance counsellor and an unusual assignment about desire leaves Cory questioning what it is that truly makes people happy and why they work so hard to achieve things. It seems that many false gods promise to make one happy and successful, but to Cory it seems that many desires are unattainable and only create misery in your life.

As she works all this through, Cory knows she has to give the horse riding scene another go but isn’t sure how to apologise to Vee. False Gods is an interesting look at what drives people; how you can succeed in the horse world; some shady characters that exist in it and why you shouldn’t always believe what you read or hear. An interesting read.

Author – L.R. Trovillion
http://www.lrtrovillion.com/
Fiction – adult
In my library? – downloaded for free on Amazon 🙂
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“A horse is a think of beauty… none will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendor. – Xenophon”

Jessica Wyeth was new to me in reading the Troubles, even though she is undoubtedly the main character in this trilogy. Having not read the Charity, I was pleased to find that this did not detract from my reading experience of the Troubles.

Jessica is a horse trainer by nature and the beautiful American finds herself thrust in a harsh Irish political world after unwittingly getting involved in the affairs of Magnus Connaught and then heading to Ireland to trace her roots.

Triggered by Magnus’ death, events take place that once again draw Jessica into the limelight. Whilst hiding in Ireland with the help of Magnus’ son Michael, Jessica starts to question if she can truly trust the man she has fallen in love with.

Alongside this, Jessica is working to find out her true origins. Having found out that she wasn’t the blood daughter of the couple who raised her, she is questioning her identity and why she wasn’t wanted by her real parents.

The Troubles is a cleverly woven plot of mystery, murder, horses and politics. It takes an in depth look into the political world of the Republic of Ireland, the Catholic Church and the racing of horses in the United Kingdom.

Not one for the faint hearted, it has many dark twists and some unique but realistic characters. As the many characters’ lives become intertwined, you are left questioning just what will happen to the American horse trainer, her Irish born safe keeper, an incredibly loved bishop and the many members of The Charity, a strong force at work in Ireland.  An interesting and entertaining read.

Author – Connie Johnson Hambley
http://www.conniejohnsonhambley.com/
Fiction – adult
In my library? – it was sent as an eBook, so yes!
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

“There are other things that I could do, but there’s really nothing that I love as much as horse racing.” – Chantal Sutherland