Review: fab, fun read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 12, 2014
Thrown, Book One of The Aspen Valley Series, Colette Auclair.Review from jeannie zelos book reviewsSo, anything with horses catches my eye and this one drew me in. I've been a horse nut since a child – astonished my parents, and bewildered them when I spent time sitting ( and trotting!) on the brick wall with a blanket and string stirrups and braidle tied round the lamp post. In the book colette has the girls making a jumping course rtound the garden – yep, I too did that and jumped it with my imaginary horse...so much of how she's written the girls playing is really familiar to me and probaly ost horse mad children. This book reminds me very much in style of the great books I loved by Bev Pettersen.I loved Amanda, and could understand her PTSD and panic attacks. I've never been in the situation she was, but have had some nasty falls that made it hard to continue, and easy to stress and panic about. She was great with the girls too – very natural and gave them the structure to their life they needed. The kids at the end are nothing like the horrors we first meet. Then neither is Grady, Hottie film star but loving dad. He wants to be their friend though and as Amanda says – they don't need that, they need a leader, someone to set boundaries. It's a common scenario with divorce so prevalent and families separated. In this case their mother has died so that something else he feels they need leeway for. I liked Grady's humour when we first met him, and its clear he was attracted to Amanda but at times he was a jerk, a real pushover for the kids, and just not looking for what was really best for them in his overprotective, let them have whatever they want way. His PA Jaqueline was lovely – she knew the family really well, and ran his and their lives perfectly. Then there's his long time friend and chef  Harris, and I enjoyed reading about him. Full of love and humour, he saw more than he let on and steered things to where he thought people would benefit. He was a sounding board for both Amanda – who became a real friend – and Grady, and a great addition to the book. I'd love cocktails withn him!So there they all are, a great cast, a terrific story from the obnoxious children and overprotective father, and Amanda is there for three months to teach the kids to ride. She slides into all their lives so easily – they soon love and respect her and it's as if she's been there years. Grady gets closer to her, and they fall in love, though neither will admit to it. Then when things go wrong – Grady was so emotionally cruel, though I sort of understood it he was really OTT, and it took Harris to show him what he'd done and why. Poor Amanda – I was heartbroken with her, but all romance stories need this sort of downside. It counteracts and enhances IMO the romance, and makes the drama and upsides so much better. I like it too when the sad parts are strung out over a period, and not just dealt with quickly – I like to wallow...What will happen when the three months are up? Dream ambition or give it up for love? Amanda has a real quandary to work out.Stars: Loved it – full five. BTW Colette, in UK we don't call it a headstall, but a halter as in US, or more often a headcollar. The yard/stall/barn defintion is a bit off too.... :-) I often thing of UK/US as the famous quote “divided by a common language” read a book recently where the girl asked if the guy knew how to Shag...US its a film/dance but here in UK is a slang term for sex....ARC supplied by publishers andNetgalleyNB: Thrown, the first ebook in The Aspen Valley Series, will be on sale July 21st – August 4th for $1.99!( about 1.49 I think). Jumped, the second ebook in The Aspen Valley Series, is out soon, Branded, the third ebook in The Aspen Valley Series, will publish December 2014. Each book is a standalone, although the characters are vconnected. I've book two to read next and am looking forward to that.