Anna Rashbrook was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to read the next of her horse novels.  This one is titled Chaos and further delves into the complicated lives of Molly and Chris. The two are no longer in a compromise of living together but instead are trying to find themselves out in the world with some horses thrown in.

Chris is still determining who he is and how he feels about his gender identity and finds himself unwillingly involved in helping out in a stable while he is away getting a break from the family farm.  As he comes to get to know the people, the stables and the work they do, he finds himself intrigued by the art of vaulting on horseback and the disabled students that take joy in standing up on a horse’s back whilst it circles around an arena.

Molly is back at the farm and has found herself suddenly the short term carer for some turbulent teens.  They are from the same school where she was educated. After their visit, Molly is surprised to find an unexpected visitor in the form of one of the nun’s from the same education facility.  Throw in dealing with the loss of her father and a very difficult mother and Molly’s life appears to be in chaos.  So what’s one more horse to deal with?

Contacted about taking on a neglected and abandoned horse, Molly is surprised to find herself the new carer for a horse that truly comes across as pink in colour.  The unusual roan is a rangy heavy horse and Molly finds herself drawn to the colt.  So it seems is the cantankerous stallion Keith.

Chaos by Anna Rashbrook

As Molly tries to work out her views on the Christian faith, spend time with the man she is drawn to and work out where she fits in the scheme of life, Chris too is trying to work out what he wants or more specifically, what he doesn’t. Chaos once again explores the difficulties that many go through as they try to work out their way in life, their value and ultimately what on earth they are here for.  I really enjoyed the way this story wrapped up, especially considering the various different events that occurred throughout.

Author – Anna Rashbrook
Fiction – adult
In my library – as a digital copy.

I recently downloaded Danni Roan’s Carousel Horse Christmas for free on Kindle.  This novella is a sweet, romantic read with horses featuring throughout.  Party planner Audrey Alberton is surprised but pleased to find she has received an anonymous gift for Christmas.  The beautiful horse figurine is stunning and beautifully crafted.  It brings a smile to Audrey’s lips.

What’s surprising about the gift is that Audrey has a run in with her friend Lisa with a horse that looks exactly like the gift she has received.  The owner of the horse – an attractive cowboy named Holden Bays – ends up chasing up Audrey to make sure she wasn’t hurt by the car accident.

In time, Holden is the only person that Audrey knows to be able to help a client with a horse party request.  As Audrey explores the attraction that seems to be mutual, she questions whether a relationship with a cowboy that lives hours away is something she could feasibly fit into her life.

Carousel Horse Christmas is an entertaining read that has a nice horse element to it. Although there is minimal horse information, there are plenty of horse scenes with the two main characters.  The interest between the two main characters also builds nicely although the happy ending to the story occurs over a very short timeframe.  For those looking for an enjoyable, quick read with a Christmas focus, Danni Roan’s novella will do the trick.

Author – Danni Roan
Fiction – adult / romance
In my library – on Kindle

“A horse which stops dead just before a jump and thus propels its rider into a graceful arc provides a splendid excuse for general merriment.” ― H.R.H. Prince Philip

I downloaded this novella recently on Amazon after a search for some more horse reads.    The main characters of Alissa Callen’s The Purple Hills are an audiologist returned to her country town due to an ailing father and a single father, horse chiropractor.  I enjoy reads set in the country, I guess quite often because that’s where the horse stories are.  And of course, reading stories about people who have horse careers always interests me!  Then add in the promise of romance and I’m sold on the idea of the book in question.

The Purple Hills

The Purple Hills had all of these appealing qualities and was an enjoyable, short read.  Horses did feature in the story, but not in quite enough detail for me.  I loved how the first chapter started with a miniature pony streaking past a window.

But although this pony Jelly Bean was a constant in the story, there didn’t appear to be a lot of horse focused moments.  And even though the main female character has a horse Cloud, he only really features in one scene.  Add to this the fact that the main male who is a horse chiropractor, I think this story had a lot of potential to feature horses in a way that wasn’t just a reference to them.  As a horse fanatic, unfortunately I cannot say that this was the case!

That said, the story is an enjoyable read and the characters realistic and easy to come to like.  The Purple Hills is a novella worth reading and I believe could have only been built on by making the horse aspect a descriptive part of the story, rather than a simple addition.  The story focused more on the human relationships – which were enjoyable to read – but I would have enjoyed additional information in the story about the horses, especially from the side of Hugh whose profession was that of horse chiropractor.

Author – Alissa Callen
Fiction – adult / romance
In my library – as an eBook it is.

I recently downloaded a copy of the short story Saving Grace by Amanda Wills.  This story features Poppy McKeever of the Lost Pony of Riverdale series.  In this novel, Poppy finds a black and white cob filly on the side of the road, hit by a car and left for dead.

Poppy is relieved when the vet comes to tend to the filly but this relief soon turns to dismay.  The vet will not treat the filly unless she knows that someone will cover the bill – and it won’t be a cheap bill.  How can a teenager raise thousands of pounds to help save a young horse?

Saving Grace is a great story that is wrapped up nicely.  Poppy works with the whole community to try to save the horse.  She learns about setting up and running an event and the novel highlights all that is involved in running a horse show.  It also focuses on the issue of equine flu and how an infectious horse disease can impact a whole community where horses are kept.

Poppy’s best friend Scarlett features in the novel as well as Poppy’s family and other friends.  For those familiar with the Lost Pony of Riverdale series, they’ll enjoy this short story that encompasses the usual characters.  Saving Grace is an enjoyable read that is also factual about horses and horse care.  Highly recommended.

Author: Amanda Wills
Fiction – teen
In My Library? As an eBook!

Pony books for horse crazy girls are an incredible genre.  I write within this genre in the twenty first century, having both a series for middle grade readers as well as one for young adult readers.  I also write various novels for adult horse book fans and find that all of these books are read, though the middle grade series is the most read.  And it seems this has been the case for many young girls since the 1930s, as Jean Halley’s book Horse Crazy explores.

How the horse-girl relationship can empower children, young adults and even adults is explored throughout the chapters of Halley’s book.  What I found alarming – and cannot say that I relate to here in Australia – is the large amount of women that appear to struggle in the US and find their freedom often in horses.  Horses are an incredible animal that provide freedom to those who struggle with disability, a lack of social skills, language barriers or other issues.

I was surprised to find that Halley was referencing or quoting texts that put women as more likely to fall into poverty than men in the US.  There was reference to them earning 79 cents for every dollar than men earned.  And for the single mother, life was harder as she worked to earn for, support and keep the family functioning.

I’m not sure if it’s my ignorance in these areas in Australia, or if this is a more wide-spread issue in the US.  But one thing is certain; horses can provide a freedom from these responsibilities and problems like no other thing can.  That was the theme throughout this book.

This book explores the frailties of humanity and shows how horses can be an escape from that.

Halley pulls examples from her own life where her childhood was filled with fear and violence and her pony was her only escape.  In the latter chapters of her book, the devastating world of slaughterhouses and the process involved is explored.  This was an eye opener for me with regards to the process carried out… the book is perhaps lightened well in the final thoughts focusing on men who love ponies and a group of adult men known as ‘bronies’ who love My Little Pony.

Horse Crazy is a topic that has horses well and truly at the heart of peoples’ lives and things that they hold dear.  It is a book that appears to address a lot of issues that many may not be willing to think or talk about.  I feel very blessed – and perhaps sheltered – as a tomboy who grew up loving horses to not have felt like a minority or someone who was being pushed to conform to what society considered ‘acceptable.’  To me, a love of horses has been a gift from God and one that was encouraged throughout my childhood, became my career and is something I am now involved in teaching others who have the same passion.  Horse Crazy is an interesting, somewhat controversial and enlightening read.

Author – Jean O’Malley Halley
Non Fiction – sociology
In my library – as an eBook