Non-equestrians may grow rather tired of a novel in which the horses are, in the main, more intelligent than the people...
Arriving with a thunderous clatter of hoofs and a hearty "Hi-ho!" is this lengthy but cheerfully cheeky British best-seller--supposedly "adapted" for American audiences--about the behind-the-scenes goings-on of lusty British equestrians intent on Olympic gold.
Jake Lovell is an archetypical British orphan who pulls himself up by his bootstraps (partly by marrying fat, rich, and faithful Tory Maxwell) to become a figure to be reckoned with in the classy, highly competitive world of international show-jumping. Together, he and Fenella Maxwell (Tory's sister, and a brilliant show-jumper in her own right) travel to World Cup Championships all over Europe, vying with their countrymen for a ticket to Los Angeles in 1984. lake's bitter rival is also the best character in the book--the delightfully caddish Rupert Campbell-Black, who is always twitting lake on his humble origins and short stature: "The only thing I'd use you for is to measure my tennis net." Rupert is married to a lovely, high-strung American girl named Helen, an Anglophile who quickly becomes disenchanted when Rupert does typically Rupert things like selling her favorite horse to an Arab sheik (the animal is put to work in a stone quarry) and attempting to force her into an orgy--so naturally, she falls into the comforting embrace of lake. In the meantime, sister-in-law Fenella falls in love with American rider Dino Ferrenti, who like a good Yankee doesn't waste any time ("Quite frankly, if I don't unzip my fly and climb inside you soon I'm going to end up in the funny farm") but leaves in a huff when Fenella has an ill-advised one-night stand with an Italian race-car driver. Where will it all end? Why, in L.A., of course, in front of millions of onlookers (including Prince Philip and Princess Anne). While Fenella patches things up with Dino, lake wins a silver medal in the individual competition and runs off with Helen--to the consternation of all of England--when Rupert discovers their affair. But (in a stunning and quite unsatisfying turnabout) Rupert turns hero and--with a dislocated shoulder, no less--leads the dazed Brits to the team gold.
Non-equestrians may grow rather tired of a novel in which the horses are, in the main, more intelligent than the people ("Suddenly there was an expression of deep responsibility on Rocky's handsome, golden face"), but this is basically funny and sexy enough to make for a smooth and enjoyable canter, despite the thrown shoe at the finish.Pub Date: July 1, 1986
ISBN: 9780743297004
Page Count: 912
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1986
BOOK REVIEW
IN THE NEWS
A book about revenge that’s more punishing than purposeful.
A woman from a matriarchal society kidnaps a prince from a neighboring kingdom, planning to force him into marriage.
Five hundred years ago, the wife of the abusive king of Amarra prayed to her goddess for mercy; in return, the goddess granted every woman in the country the ability to rule over men. Amarra’s queens have governed with vengeance ever since, creating a fiercely violent matriarchy. Now, 21-year-old Olerra Corasene, a gifted military strategist and powerful general, is competing with her cunning and devious cousin, Glenaerys, to be the next queen. Since Glen is trying to secure the throne by currying favor with the wealthy nobles, Olerra decides on a different tactic, the time-honored Amarran tradition of kidnapping a husband. Her target is a good-looking younger prince from the neighboring country of Brutus, but she accidentally and unknowingly nabs Sanos, the king’s eldest son and heir to the throne. She drags Sanos back to Amarra, where he’s treated with all the contempt for men that is normal in her society: He’s dressed as a sexual plaything, forced to shave his beard and body hair, leashed and restrained for bad behavior. Olerra can’t understand Sanos’ objections to this treatment, and the ensuing power struggle makes up most of the plot. Marketed as romantasy, Levenseller’s first adult novel falls flat as both romance and fantasy. There is little connection or chemistry between Olerra and Sanos, and since both are more caricature than character, neither experiences the kind of growth that creates challenging or interesting romantic relationships. In addition, the worldbuilding is paper thin. Amarra is a world built on reverse misogyny, but the motifs, imagery, and scenes often read more like a brainstormed list (a penis guillotine!) than a fully realized attempt to say something meaningful about women’s rage.
A book about revenge that’s more punishing than purposeful.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9781250379375
Page Count: 368
Publisher: FEIWEL
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Bailey hits it out of the park with her latest spicy romance.
Two ambitious athletes plus one fake-dating arrangement—what could go wrong?
Though it’s only his first season for the Boston Bearcats hockey team, Robbie Corrigan has a well-established reputation as a playboy. He’s got major skills on the ice, and he’s also much more likely to love ’em and leave ’em than he is to build any long, meaningful relationships. Naturally, he’s just met the one woman who seems completely resistant to his charm: Skylar Page, a Boston University softball pitcher. When they meet over a friendly Saturday morning baseball game, Robbie instantly makes a poor impression by bragging to his teammates about his latest conquest within Skylar’s hearing. He thinks she’s gorgeous, though, and when he sets his sights on her, he’s surprised that she doesn’t seem to know it. Despite her initial distaste for Robbie, Skylar grudgingly confesses that she could use his help. If they pretend to date, maybe her current crush—her brother’s best friend—will finally sit up and take notice of her in a romantic way. The timing is less than ideal, since Robbie will have to team up with Skylar in the Page family’s latest wilderness competition, but it turns out that Robbie’s willingness to play fake boyfriend stems from some very real feelings. He wants to prove to her that he’s a changed man, and redeeming himself in her eyes starts with making sure she knows that she can really trust him. The latest addition to Bailey’s Big Shots series is a sexy, feel-good romance brimming over with the author’s trademark humor and dirty talk. While Skylar and Robbie’s dynamic doesn’t quite reach the level of enemies-to-lovers—he’s so head-over-heels for her that there’s no room for any real mean-spiritedness—their playful snark doubles as a welcome dash of foreplay in the lead-up to some seriously steamy scenes. Robbie’s efforts to show Skylar that he’s turned over a new leaf also result in some of the book’s best moments, emphasizing his commitment to becoming the type of man he knows she deserves.
Bailey hits it out of the park with her latest spicy romance.Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9780063380837
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2025
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