TRR: Riding for the Stars by Maggie Dana

Welcome back, my fellow readers!

It’s another bookish day here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and today we are delving into yet another ebook I recently read that you NEED to know about.  Why?  Because I said so…and because it’s the third installment in a GREAT children’s series perfect for the young (or young at heart) reader in your life…and if they just so happen to share a passion for horses, even better!  Word to the wise, if you have yet to embark on this series from the start, no worries!  This is one of those situations where you can pick up a series from any point and still not be completely lost…though you do get a more well rounded picture of everything if you read them in succession.  Readers choice though.  So, are you ready to read all about it?  Let’s do it then! 

Today’s book of choice is…

Timber Ridge Riders, book 3:

Riding for the Stars

by

Maggie Dana

About the book…

A movie is being filmed at Timber Ridge Stables, and one lucky girl is actually going to be in it. Of course, Angela Dean wants the spotlight, but Kate McGregor wants it even more. With the money she’d earn from the movie, Kate can make her special dream come true. She can buy a horse of her own.

What will Angela do to stop her? She’s tried all manner of dirty tricks in the past. But now a beloved horse is missing. Would Angela go that far?

We have a Twilight-esque situation here (but in a good way, not a cheesy way) with the film in progress, only in this story it goes by the name of “Moonlight”.  It’s THE BOOK right now, so naturally it’s being turned into a movie (sound familiar?  LOL.) and since it features a horse back riding heroine, I couldn’t think of a better locale to film it, can you?  Despite her love of all things horse related, Kate is not on the band wagon for the book (vampire horses and zombies and all that); but the movie is a horse of a different color.  With dreams of owning her own horse flashing before her eyes, is it any wonder that Kate is going for the role?  I think not.  But my goodness, it’ll be a miracle if she gets a fair shake!

Oh me oh my.  The lengths that some girls will go to JUST to secure their status in life…or please their lofty headed parents.  *shakes head*  The funny thing here is that more often than not, Angela’s ways still keep her from missing top honors. Sure, she may steal the spotlight a time or two…and shed a bad light on Kate, poor thing.  It’s true, she does create a very “hairy” situation for Kate with her “wigginess”…let’s just say that one should not attempt to change one’s hair color dramatically by oneself and leave it at that.  But all my sources tell me that trying to score the lead role by using the “in” you have with the producer/director (family relations and all) is frowned upon by EVERYONE, despite Angela’s protests to the contrary.  The ironic part of it all is if she just focused on herself instead of everyone else, things may just go her way…then again, maybe not. 

I gotta hand it to the author, with each installment this series just keeps getting better and better.  I’ve yet to be let down by any of the stories and for me to follow a series in ebook format no less, it’s gotta have something special.  The “special” in this case is characters you actually care about and stories filled with heart.  Kate has proven herself time and again and yet still meets opposition both from Angela as well as her own inner voice.  Holly, Kate’s best friend, is going through her own tough times as she makes her way back from an accident that nearly claimed her life and for a time, her ability to walk and yet she’s there by her side whenever she needs her.  Angela is the girl we love to…well, dislike STRONGLY and yet still hold out hope that one day she’ll see the light and end her wicked ways.  (Likely?  No….but wishes and stars were meant for dreamers like you and me.)  Even the horses like Magician and Buccaneer share the spotlight with their riders and create a name (and personality) for themselves once again.  Like I said, a work of art.

So, to all of you non-horse lovers out there, take note…this book has MORE to offer than just another horse story.  It has high stakes, heady competition, mysterious disappearances and everything in between.  It’s really a story about taking chances in life to achieve our dreams and seeing them through for better or worse.  Hey, if we never try then how on earth can we possibly expect to succeed? 

Ebook for review courtesy of author Maggie Dana.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the Timber Ridge series, be sure to check out the official site or like it on Facebook.  This title was released June of this year and should be available now at your favorite online outlets; here’s two to get you started…Amazon…Barnes & Noble.  Book 4 in the series, entitled A Horse of Her Own, is still listed as "coming soon"...I know I'll be staying tuned; how about you? 

If Children’s Fiction isn’t your cup of tea or perhaps you’re like me and your reading horizons can not be summed up as belonging to one genre or another, you may be interested to note that the author also has a Women’s Fiction title available for your reading pleasure.  To read more about it, be sure to stop by her site and of course follow along on Twitter.

Until next time…happy reading!