Samantha has a passion for horses. Her dream is to get selected for the international dressage team. This seems possible as she is spending a week at the Elite Equine Training Academy.  Can a dream come true?

Samantha is nervous going into her first qualifying  ride on her promising horse, Felix. However, an unexpected blast from the past showing up after a painful fall at the event does not bode well for Samantha.

A Dream Come True

As she tries to deal with the pain and bruising from the fall and work out if her horse is able to be ridden for the rest of the event, Samantha battles with the fact that the man who broke her heart in university is unexpectedly on the scene. Why would a world famous vet with his own television show be on the Mornington Peninsula in Australia? And at a dressage event no less?

It’s always nice to discover new horse book authors and to pick up a new novel to read.  Although it took me a little time to focus and get stuck into this book (life is hectic currently!), I really enjoyed the read and that it was set just down the road from where I grew up!  A Dream Come True was an enjoyable read with some good horse aspects.

The only issue I had with the vet was his horse/foal knowledge that seemed less than it should have been.  Otherwise this was a good read and it was nice to get both characters take on past events and their view of each other.

Author: Adele Morè
Fiction – adult – contemporary romance
In My Library? As an eBook.

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.” – William Shakespeare

I have really enjoyed the Angela Dorsey books I have read so far.  So naturally I was pleased to find another of her books available as a free download recently!  Abandoned is the title of the recent download.

Although the first part of this story has no sign of horses, this changes as young Lauren is encouraged to spend the summer with her two cousins. The nearly thirteen year old feels that someone may be following her. When she confides in her father, Lauren finds herself anticipating a boring summer in the country. Lauren’s father wants her safely away until the issue is resolved.

An unexpected surprise awaits her and suddenly Lauren’s summer is looking up.  With the opportunity to learn to ride and care for a horse, Lauren enjoys her new equine journey. Her cousins are keen to share what they know about horses. As Lauren’s confidence in riding grows, she is keen to exercise some independence on horseback.

A ride by herself results in Lauren finding an abandoned property.  As she investigates, it seems the derelict place has a history that is worth knowing.  Abandoned is a good title for this novel that focuses on a middle grade young girl and her sense of abandonment that started in an earlier generation.

Author: Angela Dorsey
Fiction – children – middle grade
In My Library? As an eBook.

Recently I downloaded a new horse book to read and review.  It’s titled A Warrior In Training: A Unicorn’s Courage and Confidence To Face Any Challenge (The Last Unicorn). In this short story by Jaclyn Dee, Albion the last unicorn is struggling to recognise his worth as an individual.

Luckily Albion has a wonderful best friend – Mira the mermaid. Mira encourages Albion every opportunity she gets. As Albion puts faith in himself and his abilities, he discovers just how much a unicorn can do.

A Warrior In Training: A Unicorn’s Courage and Confidence To Face Any Challenge (The Last Unicorn) is a short story with a valuable lesson for children. The cover illustration helps readers to visualise Albion and his world.

Whilst this story has a good message – and features a unicorn! – there were many, many changes of tense. These occurred within a paragraph and even mid sentence which I found to be rather distracting. Assuming the book is aimed at young readers I would be concerned that while they may be learning a good lesson, they would also be learning incorrect grammar.  Otherwise, this story is a good one for young readers and unicorn fans.

Author: Jaclyn Dee
Fiction – children
In My Library? As an eBook.

“He moved like a dancer, which is not surprising; a horse is a beautiful animal, but it is perhaps most remarkable because it moves as if it always hears music. – Mark Helprin