"run for the roses" by rachel schieffelbein

About the book (from Goodreads): Abigail Conrad has spent her whole life training for one goal: to win the roses at the Arabian Youth Nationals. She’s given up friends, a social life, and doesn’t have time to even think about guys—much less date!

Now that she’s headed off to college in the fall, it’s her last chance to be a Youth National Champion, and she won’t let anything distract her from that dream. Except maybe Chase, the older brother of Abigail's biggest rival. He’s charming, funny, and possibly Abigail's biggest problem. How can she focus on riding when her mind keeps wandering to Chase’s green eyes and confident smile?

With her dream on the line, Abigail had better learn to fight her growing attraction to Chase, or she might end up losing the roses and the guy.

My take: Run for the Roses is a sweet, romantic novella. It can be read in about an hour. Though it's short, the characters are well developed, and the plot is enjoyable. The one thing that keeps me from heartily recommending it is the language. The main character swears quite frequently, and while I know this won't be an issue for much of the target audience, I found the profanity to be needless and distracting.

My rating: 3 stars

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About the author: Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

Connect with Rachel on her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free via YA Bound Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."