Ambition

The Eventing series, Book 1

By: Natalie Keller Reinert

Narrated by: Piper Goodeve

Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Jules Thornton didn't come to Ocala to make friends. She came to make a name for herself. Young, determined, and tough as nails, she's been swapping stable-work for saddle-time since she was a little kid - and it hasn't always been a fun ride.

Forever the struggling rider in a sport for the wealthy, all Jules has on her side is talent and ambition. She's certain all she needs to succeed are good horses, but will the eventing world agree? On her own at last, Jules is positive she's poised to become eventing's newest star, but soon finds she's making more enemies than friends in the close-knit equestrian community.

Little mistakes cost big - her students are losing faith in her; her owners are starting to pull their horses. And then there's the small matter of Peter Morrison, the handsome, on-the-rise event rider who keeps showing up when she least expects him. Jules is convinced that all she needs is good horses - not friends, not romance, not anyone's nose in her business. But it's just the beginning of the long, hot, Ocala summer, and as Jules tumbles through the highs and lows of a life with horses, she might find she'll need help after all to weather the coming storm.

©2014 Natalie Keller Reinert (P)2018 Tantor

Fun! Well written!

A great horse story!
The characters were believable and the narrator was easy to listen to.

Enjoyed the story

Thank you for taking us inside Ocala horse country and a look into eventing Looking forward to more

A really entertaining book.

I enjoyed listening to each part of this audiobook. It gave a deep insight to the world of the real horse people.

I love this author, being an equestrian herself, she has a good knowledge of what she is writing

I love this book, and rhe whole Eventing series, I think I’ve re read it six or seven times so far. With everything that’s going on in the world right now it’s so comforting to go back to read. I grew up eventing, so the series is very close to home. The narrator of this book is perfect too.

hold out, it gets so much better!

Jules is such a great example of character growth throughout this series. Surely she starts off totally unbearable, but stick it out and you will grow to love her!!

Great read for horse girls

Loved all the real understanding of the sport & the event world. New friends I want to keep up with.

Jules

I really liked this story and finished pretty fast while I was grooming my two mares. Easy to listen and kept we intrigued. I just thought it ended in a hard way and wished the ending wasnt as fast.

I love horse stories but was put off a few times in this book.

I trained show horses professionally for 15 years so I wanted to help the heroine not be so naïve. A flip over backwards horse is never one to stand and watch. Then who shanks a horse over the nose or under the chin that rears up and flips over backwards? Then is this young trainer so naïve that she can’t even see the horses feet are too wide or not angled right and does not sit there and micromanage her farrier? Yes if the Farrier does a fantastic job you leave them alone if they leave them a little long or a little wide you hold the horse and tell them what you want. Get hoof xrays to prove your moving towards getting that horse in balance with his coffin bones. Oh well 10-14 yr old girls should love the book.

Love it!

I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series! Excited to see how the character of the protagonist develops over time and grows up. I think the whole thing is just wonderful all the characters have depth. And it kind of mirrors what I'm going through right now in a different discipline with the feet. I just think this is a delightful story about horses and their people who compete for a living while they would do it for free.

And yes, I will add that Jules is hard to like. She has a chip on her shoulder. But she's so young. I find myself saying oh please don't let that have been me! I'm thinking she is going to develop over time... already in Book 2 she is gaining awareness about her patterns and attitudes. I'm still enjoying it as she is struggling towards a lofty goal, and I love watching that unfold with all its ups and downs.

One of the first pretty accurate eventing novels

I have always loved to read horse stories but am usually disappointed in the complete lack of reality. This book is well written; has good characters and fabulous on audio book so I can listen while doing my own barn work. I will definitely be downloading book 2.