The Sweetheart Horse (Ocala Horse Girls: Book Two)

Great book !

I received an advanced copy of this book but received no compensation for my unbiased review. I love being part of the Arc team so I can “get my grubby little hands” on the author’s Ocala Girls books a little early to assuage my curiosity surrounding what has happened in the lives of the characters who I have began to care about.

In this second book we get a closer look at the next chapter in Kayla’s life as she strives to stand alone financially and advance her riding career without using her parents as a financial safety net. She is relieved to find out that her house and horse sitting gig is going to be extended after the owners of the mansion and horses announce that they are going on an extended vacation. Instead of paying her for her barn manager chores and cleaning up after a larger string of horses, the owners give her a 5 year old green broken horse in lieu of wages. Kayla is faced with finding a second job to support herself and the owners spring on her that she will now be sharing their home with Basil - an attractive, arrogant Grand Prix level Eventing rider who has been hired to exercise the owners Grand Prix level dressage horses.

Kayla has to decide wether to trust Basil as she suspects him of being a part of a pyramid horse selling scam. Basil may have secrets that drive him away from making friends and allowing himself to connect with people on a deeper level… but he has never met someone like Kayla!

As a horse-crazy gal (who never "grew" out of that phase), I love all of Natalie's books. The Sweetheart Horse is a bit quirkier than others I've read. Kayla's clumsy missteps (both physical and emotional), her observations about the craziness of the horse world, and the practices of the horse "cult" at the center of this book's plot often made me chuckle, and sometimes even laugh out loud.

Ms.Reinert provides us a new and excellent book highlighting another interesting aspect of the north-central Florida horsey community. If you see her name on the cover, I can guarantee you can be assured of an excellent read with accurate equine information.

Kayla has been barn-sitting the Ocala estate of wealthy horse enthusiasts Max & Stephen Slidell since the beginning of 'The Project Horse' almost a year ago. She cares for their retired horses while they are out of town showing horses in the southern part of Florida. It is a nice gig for a horse-girl, if you can get it; feed, water and turn out horses to pasture, muck out stalls, and generally maintain the property in exchange for room and board for her and her horse Crabby.

Kayla's comfortable routine is turned on its head when Max and Steven return with a new horse, (whose papers proclaim her as a 'Celestial Being') for Kayla and a professional Grand Prix show rider, Basil Han, to train and show the working horses in Ocala's winter show season.

Kayla is attracted to Basil, but is concerned that he will try to undermine her position with Max and Steven. And the "Celestial Being" paperwork raises a lot of questions that need answered. All the pull and tug of personal and professional growth is so true to the twenty-something young adult, as is the taking ownership of your choices and decisions, and learning to be intentional about your path through life.

I received an ARC copy of this story from the author via BookFunnel and voluntarily chose to share my review.

Natalie Keller Reinheart weaves another great plot! Intrigue with a religious horse cult (because c’mon we all know horse folks can be a little eccentric to put it nicely!), romance with the new literal boy next door (in the room next door!), a slightly accident prone main character (poor Kayla!), and a Florida hurricane to top it all off makes for a real page turner! A great read. Can’t wait for book 3!

Great book !

I received an advanced copy of this book but received no compensation for my unbiased review. I love being part of the Arc team so I can “get my grubby little hands” on the author’s Ocala Girls books a little early to assuage my curiosity surrounding what has happened in the lives of the characters who I have began to care about.

In this second book we get a closer look at the next chapter in Kayla’s life as she strives to stand alone financially and advance her riding career without using her parents as a financial safety net. She is relieved to find out that her house and horse sitting gig is going to be extended after the owners of the mansion and horses announce that they are going on an extended vacation. Instead of paying her for her barn manager chores and cleaning up after a larger string of horses, the owners give her a 5 year old green broken horse in lieu of wages. Kayla is faced with finding a second job to support herself and the owners spring on her that she will now be sharing their home with Basil - an attractive, arrogant Grand Prix level Eventing rider who has been hired to exercise the owners Grand Prix level dressage horses.

Kayla has to decide wether to trust Basil as she suspects him of being a part of a pyramid horse selling scam. Basil may have secrets that drive him away from making friends and allowing himself to connect with people on a deeper level… but he has never met someone like Kayla!

As a horse-crazy gal (who never "grew" out of that phase), I love all of Natalie's books. The Sweetheart Horse is a bit quirkier than others I've read. Kayla's clumsy missteps (both physical and emotional), her observations about the craziness of the horse world, and the practices of the horse "cult" at the center of this book's plot often made me chuckle, and sometimes even laugh out loud.

Ms.Reinert provides us a new and excellent book highlighting another interesting aspect of the north-central Florida horsey community. If you see her name on the cover, I can guarantee you can be assured of an excellent read with accurate equine information.

Kayla has been barn-sitting the Ocala estate of wealthy horse enthusiasts Max & Stephen Slidell since the beginning of 'The Project Horse' almost a year ago. She cares for their retired horses while they are out of town showing horses in the southern part of Florida. It is a nice gig for a horse-girl, if you can get it; feed, water and turn out horses to pasture, muck out stalls, and generally maintain the property in exchange for room and board for her and her horse Crabby.

Kayla's comfortable routine is turned on its head when Max and Steven return with a new horse, (whose papers proclaim her as a 'Celestial Being') for Kayla and a professional Grand Prix show rider, Basil Han, to train and show the working horses in Ocala's winter show season.

Kayla is attracted to Basil, but is concerned that he will try to undermine her position with Max and Steven. And the "Celestial Being" paperwork raises a lot of questions that need answered. All the pull and tug of personal and professional growth is so true to the twenty-something young adult, as is the taking ownership of your choices and decisions, and learning to be intentional about your path through life.

I received an ARC copy of this story from the author via BookFunnel and voluntarily chose to share my review.

Natalie Keller Reinheart weaves another great plot! Intrigue with a religious horse cult (because c’mon we all know horse folks can be a little eccentric to put it nicely!), romance with the new literal boy next door (in the room next door!), a slightly accident prone main character (poor Kayla!), and a Florida hurricane to top it all off makes for a real page turner! A great read. Can’t wait for book 3!