Review: 4.5 Stars  What happens when a trophy wife finds herself replaced?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 3, 2014
This is my first book by Alexandrea Weis and I was very much looking forward to reading and reviewing it after seeing the cover and reading the synopsis. It was a wonderful story and I know that I will be picking up more of her books in the future. The way she wrote her characters, whether innocent, vindictive, selfish or otherwise, they felt very real. Her characters were believable not only as people but their issues seemed genuine as well. The level of description used in telling her story had me feeling like I was smack dab in the middle of TexasWhile the core of the story is wrapped around the riding stables that Rayne, the lead female character boards her horse, one need not feel concerned that the book holds narrow appeal. It is an important part of the plot, but only on part. This story holds something for everyone with a perfect balance of reluctance, tension, jealousy, angst and self-discovery.The synopsis at the beginning of this post gives you a nice indication of what this book is about. Preferring to allow you to enjoy the where and how of the story, I won’t go into great detail about the book overall, but will share with you the things I loved, liked etc.What happens when a trophy wife finds herself replaced?  After 8 years of marriage, Rayne finds herself in just that situation.  Her marriage to her much older ex has failed and left her emotionally scarred as a result.  But unlike others in her position, she is resigned not to go back to that life, Rayne Greer is no gold digger.She loses herself in her childhood love of riding with a thoroughbred named Bob, part of her divorce settlement. She spends her evenings and weekends riding Bob and teaching equestrian classes for children at the riding stables she moonlights at. Life is all very predictable until she meets the new riding master.The things I loved most about this book were Rayne’s inexperience and reluctance. Although she had been married, it was interesting to see her reaction to situations she had not had before. Trent’s patience and decisiveness with Rayne was endearing. The fact that they shared a common interest and valued work life balance helped to propel the story. My favorite part was Rayne’s relationship with Bob. He was her sounding board, her confidante, her therapist and her friend.Other aspects of the book I liked included some of the supporting characters. Rebecca, owner of Southland Stables, embraces her trophy wife status and fully admits that she was able to own the stables as a result of her failed marriages. Lindsey, Rayne’s day job co-worker, explains the benefits of romance novels as research for sexy time with her husband Casey. And Fred, the loveable snoring ox of a dog that greets Rayne when she arrives home each night.While many may not even notice it, what detracted from the story for me was the product placement details and repetitive descriptions of certain items in the story.