Author: Colette Auclair
Publication: Pocket Star (December 16, 2013)
Description: In this lighthearted and sexy romance, a young woman must choose between winning a competition—and the man who has won her heart.
Professional horse trainer Amanda Vogel dreams of riding jumpers in the Olympics, but after seeing her best friend die in a riding accident, she’s so traumatized she can’t compete. Broke and desperate, she takes a summer job in Aspen teaching some big-shot widowed movie star’s spoiled daughters to ride—and braces herself for three miserable months. But the movie star is funny, down-to-earth, and gorgeous—and his spoiled daughters are just desperate for a mother figure. By Labor Day, she has to choose between capturing a gold medal…and the man who has captured her heart.
My Thoughts: This was a really nice contemporary romance. Grady is a famous movie star who finds himself raising daughters he doesn't know very well after his wife's accidental death. He spent too much time away building his career and is now over-compensating by giving them all kinds of things. One of the things he gives them is a famous, Olympics-bound rider to be their riding instructor for the summer in Aspen.
Amanda was looking for a change of pace after watching a good friend die in a fall and suffering PTSD herself which has kept her from jumping. She wasn't expecting to like her young pupils and she certainly wasn't expecting to fall for the movie star. Grady and Amanda butt heads a number of times over their different approaches to child-rearing. They also have to deal with Grady's over-protective nature regarding his children.
The two of them have lots of conflicts to overcome including Amanda's determination to get to the Olympics and fear that love will derail her plans. It doesn't help when the studio pressures Grady to enter into a pretend engagement with a former lover who would really like to have him back. Grady's mother is another obstacle since she wants him to rekindle the romance with the old lover.
I enjoyed all the parts of the book that were about riding and jumping. I loved Amanda's friendship with Grady's friend Harris. Harris is Grady's best friend, chef, and is gay besides. He had some wonderful insights into Grady that let Amanda get to know him better.
Fans of romances will enjoy this great story.
Favorite Quote:
He slid her a look. "If that ever happens, you must promise I get to watch. And give me a little credit. How shallow do you think I am?"I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.
She squinted as though deep in thought. "Puddle?"
He grinned. "That was rhetorical. Yes, she's gorgeous, but we didn't work out. I know this will shock you, but I need more than a pretty face."
Thanks, Kathy, for reviewing this one! I loved it, and it's nice to see it get the attention it deserves.
ReplyDeleteAuclair has two other books out, "Branded" and "Jumped," and they're terrific, too!