"Jules Thornton didn’t come to Ocala to make friends. She came to make a name for herself. Young, determined, and tough as nails, she’s been swapping stable-work for saddle-time since she was a little kid - and it hasn’t always been a fun ride. Forever the struggling rider in a sport for the wealthy, all Jules has on her side is talent and ambition. She’s certain all she needs to succeed are good horses, but will the eventing world agree?
On her own at last, Jules is positive she’s poised to become eventing’s newest star, but soon finds she’s making more enemies than friends in the close-knit equestrian community. Little mistakes cost big -- her students are losing faith in her; her owners are starting to pull their horses. And then there’s the small matter of Peter Morrison, the handsome, on-the-rise event rider who keeps showing up when she least expects him.
Jules is convinced that all she needs is good horses -- not friends, not romance, not anyone’s nose in her business. But it’s just the beginning of the long, hot, Ocala summer, and as Jules tumbles through the highs and lows of a life with horses, she might find she’ll need help after all to weather the coming storm." ~Amazon Description
Brittney Joy's Review ~ I 100% understand why Reinert titled this book "Ambition." I couldn't think of a better word to describe the main character, Jules, who is a broke, insanely-hard-working horse trainer trying to make her mark on the eventing industry. Jules drinks Diet Coke like a fiend, has a working student that doesn't respect her, rides through lightning storms so she can get all her horses worked, and vows to never date a horse trainer because she's certain he'd just tell her how to ride her horses. Yet she's making it work. Well, kind of. Jules is hard-headed and set in her ways and sometimes I wanted to give her a little shake to let her know she was being an idiot, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching her story unfold (along with her antics). Actually, I loved watching her story unfold -- the good, the bad, and the ugly were highly entertaining.
Something that really surprised me about Ambition -- a major plot twist involves a hurricane and this was probably my favorite part of the story. Growing up in the Midwest and now living in the Northwest, I've never experienced a hurricane and, after reading Ambition, I hope I never have to. I cannot imagine the horrors of a hurricane as a horse owner, but Natalie does an amazing job of describing the preparations, the fears, the destruction, and the emotional rollercoaster before, during, and after the storm. I was choked up over and over, fearing for the characters (human & animal).
Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed the I-don't-want-to-like-him-but-I-really-do-like-him relationship between Jules and Peter and was delighted to have this weaved in as a major story line in the second half of the book. I was rooting for Peter all along. :)
By the end of the book, the stubborn Jules completely warmed my heart. She learned her lesson -- but you'll have to read the book to find out what that lesson is.
Looking forward to reading more of Natalie Keller Reinert’s books!
