A heads up! Angharad Thompson Rees has a collection of six short stories for children that feature horses. The collection of tales from Magical Adventures & Pony tales will be free for download this month! Head along to Amazon on August 16th and 17th to acquire your free copy 🙂  Included in the six tales are The Painted Pony, The Girl and Her Pony, The Galloping Pony, The Runaway Pony, The Desert Pony and The Wooden Pony.

I have most recently read The Girl and Her Pony, which is the second tale in this collection. Young Franny is a poor labourer’s daughter. She delights in watching the royal procession as it parades through town. The horses are gorgeous – proud moving, shiny and sleek as they make their way past the commoners of the town.

One day Franny is out walking in a field with grass not much shorter than herself. Whilst out exploring, she stumbles across a pony running wild and free. Ever patient, Franny notices the pony’s timidity. She resolves to sit, waiting to see what the pony will do. In time – after a number of hours – the chestnut mare is standing before Franny, nuzzling her hair.

It is with delight that the young red headed girl runs home, knowing the day is at its end. Little does she realise that the red headed mare is following her.

Franny’s father desperately seeks the owner, knowing that as each day passes, the bond between his daughter and the beautiful pony strengthens. It is finally determined that the pony is of royal breeding, but was considered unrideable. In time however, the king’s daughter recognises the beautiful mare and Franny’s ease at riding her. She determines to have the pony for herself. It seems the King will not refuse her, either.

Franny is devastated to learn that her beloved mare Sonnet is to be renamed and rehomed – with the spoilt princess. When she learns the news, Franny races to the paddock where Sonnet is kept. She arrives in time to see the spoilt princess ordering the pony to be tacked up. But Franny has never ridden with a saddle or bridle! The ensuing battle between the proud young princess and the fiery chestnut mare results in the best possible outcome for all.

The Girl and Her Pony

The Girl and Her Pony is a delightful short tale for horse enthusiasts. It looks at the bond between a horse and their rider and how correct care and love can overrule prestige and money. A delightful read.

Author – Angharad Thompson Rees
Fiction – children
In my library – as an eBook it is.
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.

In The One (Wilde Brothers #1), Margaret Gorden has returned to her home town after losing her job as a surgeon.  She now just wants to lick her wounds and enjoy spending time with her horse. The Egyptian Arabian is the only honest thing in her life. However, it seems the bond with her horse is known in town. Margaret is amazed to find an old crush turn up on her doorstep, demanding that she look at his son’s unmanageable horse.

At one time Margaret may have convinced herself Joe was the one.  His looks and physique completely captured her attention as a teen. But his ruthless teasing of her left her feeling inadequate, embarrassed and a social loner.

It seems that fifteen years later, Joe hasn’t changed. And Margaret’s reaction to him hasn’t either. The fact that he is still able to manipulate situations to get what he wants is a frustration also. Margaret finds herself agreeing to assess the horse and even take it on. This is in spite of the fact that she doesn’t like the idea of being around the extremely attractive but bullying hulk of a man.

In time, Joe and Margaret discover that their attraction is mutual.  However, this doesn’t seem to change the way Joe speaks to Margaret. She learns to stand strong and get her point across in challenging situations and this seems to endear her further to him.

Although this story is an interesting romance, with a focus on horses and how they read people, it seems to be lacking a few things. Margaret’s childhood and incessant teasing from Joe are touched on a few times. And yet, this is not discussed or resolved as they are drawn together as adults. It seems too, that Joe’s gruff attitude toward her could be explained further, so that he doesn’t come across as an angry bully who takes what he wants.  Book one in the Wilde Brothers series was enjoyable, but with a few gaps.

Author – Lorrhaine Eckhart
Fiction – adult
In my library – Yes, as a Kindle version 🙂
Want it? Get it now on Amazon.