Brooke Haskell’s got big dreams . . . and she’s running out of time. The equestrian life Brooke craves has always been just outside her reach, but, like every horse girl, she believes that pluck, heart, and hard work can catapult anyone into greatness. Unfortunately, her horse Roxie doesn’t seem to agree. After her most disappointing horse show to date and with only one more year before graduation and real life take over, Brooke is finally upset enough to do something rash. She decides to ditch her college plans and her parents’ wishes, risking everything to apprentice with one of the country’s most famous equestrians, Eddie O’Neill.
As she plunges headfirst into the breakneck pace of a top training stable, Brooke finally feels like she belongs. Her fellow working student might be a trust-fund Instagram star, but they bond over their shared love of horses. And sparks fly with a colleague who seems to love this version of Brooke. But when Roxie goes from steady improvement to angry rebellion, Brooke realizes Eddie’s reputation for training winners may come at a steep price. Brooke is finally poised to have the life she always wanted—but at what cost? Will she discover an uncomfortable truth about her idol, and what is she willing to give up in order to defend the sport she loves?
Against the riveting high-stakes backdrop of the equestrian world, Reinert explores the passions that drive us, the love affairs that fuel us, and the partnerships—both animal and human—that help us thrive and find ourselves.
