Grand Theft Equine by Margo Moon

Horse trainer, Joan Caulder, is one of the best in the business. She’s had her fair share of failed relationships in the past. When Joan meets gallop girl Cailen Eagleton, she believes she’s finally met ‘the one’. The woman she could settle down with forever. But will Joan be able to charm Cailen and win her affections?

Cailen is not falling for Joan’s charms. She thinks all horse trainers are only out for their own prestige and care nothing for the horses in their charge and money is their only goal. Cailen is about to find out just how wrong she could be.

Joan and Cailen eventually come to an understanding, but not everything is running smoothly. Cailen’s got her past to sort out first.

When an obsessively jealous owner of a beautiful filly threatens to sell her for slaughter in order to gain Joan’s love and oust Cailen forever, Joan, Cailen and their two best friends form a desperate plan to rescue her. Getting a half ton, highly strung racehorse from the Ranier Farms with all their high tech security equipment will not be easy. Will they be successful?

This is Margo Moon’s debut novel and it is an exciting, excellent, well written story from start to finish. I say story and there is an overall story, but also two beautiful and tender romances all seamlessly entwined within the main story centered around the stables.

First there is Joan and Cailen, Joan is free, but Cailen has a failed relationship to sort out before she can commit to another relationship. She is torn between resolving her issues and her growing need to be with Joan.

Brie is Cailen’s friend from way back, she’s also Joan’s friend and employee too. When Brie meets Hannah, she fights hard against becoming involved with her. Brie has to be shown it is alright for her to give her heart to another. Hannah pulls out all stops to win Brie round and knows it is only understanding, time and a great deal of patience until Brie will finally get the message. The love between all these women radiates from the pages.

The settings are very descriptive and leave nothing to the  imagination, which enabled me to lose myself completely in the story and live it with the characters. All the characters are multidimensional and play well together. Even the ones I disliked. Namely Sassy and Lara.

I only had one small issue with this otherwise perfect book. I haven’t had any experience amongst horses or the racing world. Some of the technical jargon went right over my head and I ended up looking it up. Which in turn pulled me slightly out of the story at times.

Overall, I loved this book, Margo Moon is off to a flying start in her writing career. I can’t wait to see what she will publish next.