B E T W E E N the lines by Laurie Berglie
Equestrian Romance HONEYMOON READS
All books available in paperback and Kindle editions at amazon.com
Weddings are wonderful, but as anyone who’s ever planned one knows, they are stressful. We want our day to be picture perfect, but with a million moving parts, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. I thoroughly enjoyed my wedding, but after a year’s worth of preparation, the part I was looking forward to the most was actually the honeymoon!
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y husband and I flew off to Riviera Maya, Mexico, and enjoyed lots of sun, sand, and tropical drinks, and we relished this time to relax after the anxiety of our big day. Of course, no tropical vacation is complete without a few beach reads. Whether you’re lounging by the pool or lying in a cabana by the beach, you’ll enjoy reading about a hunky cowboy, a star polo player, and some feisty, fiery jockeys! First up is In The Reins by author Carly Kade, and this one has it all: new beginnings, fun characters, beautiful horses, and plenty of enticing, steamy scenes at the stable! Devon Brooke, journalist and freelance writer,
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makes a break for it when she leaves her fiancé and the big city in one fell swoop. She follows her heart and finds herself back where she belongs, out in the country with a new horse to love. When she moves Faith, her Paint mare, to Green Briar Farm, she is just looking for some peace and quiet, a chance to rejuvenate and focus on herself. But peace and quiet isn’t in the cards, because she soon meets McKennon Kelly, the resident handsome cowboy horse trainer. McKennon gives riding lessons to Devon and Faith, so their relationship is strictly platonic. But Devon would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit she wished McKennon would take things to the next level – yet something from his past, a secret no one wants to share, is stopping him. In The Reins is a page-turner, and Kade knows how to spin a tale. And good news – Kade is working on a sequel, so Devon and McKennon’s story will continue! Look for it in Fall of 2017. In her latest equestrian romance, Millionaire’s Shot, Bev Pettersen brings us Cassie Edwards and Alex Sutherland, polo players with a long and storied past. Cassie was raised by her grandfather, a horse trainer who’s worked hard yet barely made ends meet. Alex, their neighbor, comes from the wealthiest family in town. But their differences fade when Alex visits their farm for riding lessons, and the two kids become fast friends. It’s not surprising then that years later Cassie and Alex finally engage in a night of long overdue passion. Alex is the man of her dreams, so Cassie is shocked when she learns shortly thereafter that he’s marrying another woman. Unable to see the man she loves in the arms of another, Cassie flees her grandfather’s farm.
Years later Cassie is forced to return to help care for her ailing grandfather, and when she does, she is confronted by the demons she left behind. Alex, now a dad and a divorcee, has never stopped loving Cassie, and sparks fly when he finally lays eyes on her again after nine years. But life has gotten complicated for Alex and his daughter, Grace, and forces beyond his control make it impossible for him pursue Cassie the way he’d like. Hannah Hooton’s specialty is horseracing romances, and her “Aspen Valley Series” consists of five titles to date. All the novels are set at the same jump yard, Aspen Valley, and feature a variety of characters, including head trainer, Jack Carmichael. While the same cast shows up repeatedly, the main characters of each book rotate, so it’s not absolutely necessary to read these in order. I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two, Keeping the Peace and Giving Chase. In Keeping the Peace, we meet Pippa Taylor, a London waitress who inherits her late uncle’s racehorse, Peace Offering. Shortly thereafter, she leaves London, moves to the country, and takes a job at Aspen Valley working under the handsome, yet difficult, Jack Carmichael. In Giving Chase, you’ll root for female jockey, Frankie Cooper, as she goes head-to-head with the men in her profession, including heartthrob, Rhys Bradford. Book 3, Share and Share Alike, has already been downloaded to my Kindle, and I can’t wait to see what the Aspen Valley team is up to now! Now that you have some equestrian romance recommendations, all you need is a tropical island, a warm breeze, a cool drink, and your new spouse by your side. Congratulations and enjoy!