As in most books by Reinert, there are a lot of moving parts—settings AND characters. For those of us who have read books in the Alex & Alexander (racing), Eventing and Show Barn Blues series, the Briar Hill Farm books are easy to follow because we’ve come to know the characters from their starring roles in previous series. Each chapter in the three Briar Hill Farm books--Foaling Season, Friends With Horses and Outside Rein--is from the point of view of a different character (clearly labeled). It’s great fun seeing them interacting on each other’s turf. Just imagine a fantasy reunion that brings together friends from different periods of your life. In Outside Rein several major characters are at crisis points in their lives, which makes for great plot twists.
That said, I don’t advise new readers to start out reading Reinert’s Briar Hill Farm series, not when you have the option to binge read some or all of the 20+ books that form this incredible community of characters, equine and human.Read those books and then delight in seeing where the characters are now in the Briar Hill Farm series, and how they’ve grown. It’s satisfying, and worth the lost sleep.
Jules, star of the Eventing series, is a complex character who was so driven in early books she was hard to like, especially compared to Pete, the sweetheart of a guy who was initially her rival. Okay, I’m not going to spoil that saga for new readers. Nor am I going to spoil the love story of Alex and Alexander, which plays out against a background of U.S. racing. Or Show Barn Blues, which finds Grace, a consummate hunter-jumper professional, trying to save her farm from encroaching Orlando development.
All of Reinert’s books are entertaining and unfailingly accurate in the disciplines in which they take place. They are also “clean,” with no bad language or graphic sex, so they’re suitable for younger readers. Hey, there’s plenty of drama, enough to keep adult readers up past their bedtime. After a dose of national news on TV, I find that a little time with a Reinert book helps me sleep and dream of horses, horse people and solvable problems.
Reinert doesn’t leave any of her characters on the fringes for long. We all met Amanda, the Hunter Princess, early on in the Eventing series, when she was more or less stalking Pete, who was only interested in Jules. We see another side of this rich, talented and lonely hunter rider in Outside Rein. She has it all – a farm, nice horses, great skills – but she is miserable. She is definitely in a “Is this all there is?” place. Oddly enough, she decides to participate in a TV riding reality show for a change of pace! Go figure. Fortunately, the competition is being held at Grace’s Seabreeze Equestrian Center in Orlando, where great school horses are enlisted to participate in several disciplines to test the skills of their riders. Interesting. Unfortunately, Grace is in a bit of a life crisis of her own, trying to see what her future holds.
Meanwhile, Alex, who has a wonderful life working with Thoroughbreds at Cotswald Farm, which she shares with husband Alexander, is disturbed by the breakdowns and negative publicity in racing and is questioning her role in it going forward. It’s a dilemma cut from the headlines, and it’s interesting how Alex approaches it with help from some new friends.
Jules and Pete are helping the losers in the riding challenge lick their wounds and have some fun at Briar Hill, which takes some unexpected turns.
So, there’s a lot going on in the third and last (?) book in the Briar Hill Farm series. Natalie, say it isn’t so! This book is a winner—and it sets characters off on new tracks we’d like to follow.
This review only mentions three of Reinert’s series. There are three more, along with award-winning stand-alone books. Which makes readers in search of accurate and well written horse sport books very lucky indeed.
