FictionZeal

Do you know what ‘join up’ is in equestrian terms?  I’d not heard this before, but it is when, through body language, the horse bonds with their handler.  In this novel, Lacey Strickland bonded with Night, a horse she met at Julianne Hills Riding Academy & Camp.  She’d stop walking; he’d stop walking.  She’d take a step forward; he’d take a step forward.  She’s a riding instructor this year.  But, there’s more going on that just horse / handler rapport.  Lacey is still pining for Cade who broke her heart and chose to be with her friend, Carly.  What’s worse is that Carly is at camp with her and seems not to consider Lacey’s feelings about her relationship with Cade.  Then, Lacey meets Fitch, the owner’s son.  At first, she’s not even sure she likes him, but he keeps popping up everywhere she is.  Eventually, he wins her over.

I liked a lot about this novel.  The exchanges between Lacey and Fitch were cute.  How they related to the children at the camp was very heart-warming and entertaining.  However, I kept waiting for something more dramatic to happen and it fell a bit flat for me.  Meg, Lacey’s friend, had been the protagonist in the past two novels.  She and Jared did make appearances in this one.  I did see some character growth in Lacey; I loved the closeness of her family; and I loved the gratifying ending to this trilogy.  Rating: 3 out of 5.