Review: Great companion novel!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 15, 2014
Why I Picked It UpI adored the companion novel, Breaking the Reins, which tells the story of this main character’s brother and girlfriend. So of course I wanted to read all about Leo’s sister!PlotBreaking Fences follows Bea, sister of famous polo players, as she leaves home in California to attend college in Colorado despite her father’s wishes. Here, Bea is eventually labeled with a bad reputation due to her nationality. However, she finds solace in the riding ranch half an hour away where the brooding Garrett works. Attraction builds but Bea is facing extreme bullying and Garrett has secrets of his own, one that could blow everything up.I enjoyed this novel just as much as its companion, even though there weren’t any psychopaths in this one. This one was appealing in its own way. You have the main character facing a ton of crap at her new university where she is incapable of fitting in. You have the boy with burdensome secrets. It was a more emotional novel than Breaking the Reins and it was equally as entertaining.Leading LadyBea was a lot different from Hannah. Bea was strong and determined and loud and bold, even though she started losing some of those traits while away at university. Regardless, I admired her character for not taking the crap outwardly and reacting; instead, she internalized it. But she wouldn’t let them see how they affected her which I adored. She was a character who was struggling to find herself but one who would not be oppressed or scared away. She was determined, stubborn, and loving (to the horses, of course).Leading MaleGarrett had all types of problems of his own. He was solitary, brooding, and somewhat depressing. He dealt with a lot of stuff in his personal life that really made me sympathize with him. However, at times I disliked him because of the things he did. Regardless of that, he still wiggled his way into my good graces.RomanceBea and Garrett couldn’t have been more different characters. They made each other stronger. The romance was slow-building….really really slow. However, it worked for them. They had a lot of stuff to deal with and Bea was labeled as a slut so it was realistic the way that their relationship progressed.Other CharactersThis novel, like Breaking the Reins, heavily emphasized horses. In this case, the main one was Midnight Dream, a horse that was basically being abused by its owner, Garrett’s half-sister. I liked seeing the relationship between Midnight Dream and Bea. Even though I liked Garrett’s character, I often found myself rooting for the horse instead!ConclusionBreaking Fences was a great companion novel to Breaking the Fences. Filled with secrets, bullies, and adorable horse, it was the perfect mix for a great read.