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ezwolf's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to like this so very much. It’s one of the first books I bought when I was getting back in to reading a couple years ago. I love horses and I am queer so I thought this was going to be so cool.
If you’re looking for something fairly low stakes with a small town sapphic romance (sort of), then this would be a good book for you.
I also liked that Piper struggled with learning to drive. There’s a lot of people, teenagers to adults, who don’t know how to drive for a variety of reasons and it is scary! Piper learning how to overcome her fear of driving was the best plot point for me.
So. Okay. There was very little horse-ing for a book that was advertised to me as a horse girl book. I think Piper gets on a horse maybe three or four times and the scenes are very brief. Piper’s story focuses on her dream to be in the Olympics but for a girl who claims to be so obsessed with horses and not girls, she’s way more focused on Judith and Kat than the horses.
There was an underlying tone of biphobia where Piper would question whether her ex liked girls at all, and I was never sure whether Piper actually learned to not be biphobic or if it was just brushed off once she and Judith were flirting again.
And I think I must just be too old for YA romance anymore. Both Kat and Piper were shy and unsure in their own right when reading from their own POV but when reading about the opposite girl, they both came off mean and brusque. Piper also spends 90% of the book trying to get Judith back and Kat spends about 60% unsure if she’s gay and 20% lying to an older woman about her age in order to sleep with her. Kat is the only one I can conceivably see having a crush and it felt very speed run at the end to get them together.
If you’re looking for something fairly low stakes with a small town sapphic romance (sort of), then this would be a good book for you.
I also liked that Piper struggled with learning to drive. There’s a lot of people, teenagers to adults, who don’t know how to drive for a variety of reasons and it is scary! Piper learning how to overcome her fear of driving was the best plot point for me.
So. Okay. There was very little horse-ing for a book that was advertised to me as a horse girl book. I think Piper gets on a horse maybe three or four times and the scenes are very brief. Piper’s story focuses on her dream to be in the Olympics but for a girl who claims to be so obsessed with horses and not girls, she’s way more focused on Judith and Kat than the horses.
There was an underlying tone of biphobia where Piper would question whether her ex liked girls at all, and I was never sure whether Piper actually learned to not be biphobic or if it was just brushed off once she and Judith were flirting again.
And I think I must just be too old for YA romance anymore. Both Kat and Piper were shy and unsure in their own right when reading from their own POV but when reading about the opposite girl, they both came off mean and brusque. Piper also spends 90% of the book trying to get Judith back and Kat spends about 60% unsure if she’s gay and 20% lying to an older woman about her age in order to sleep with her. Kat is the only one I can conceivably see having a crush and it felt very speed run at the end to get them together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment, Biphobia, Homophobia, Car accident, and Infidelity
melaniereadsbooks's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book was a pretty average YA contemporary romance. I liked the characters fine, and the writing was good. The plot was rather predictable and I didn't love it or hate it. I didn't like the themes around coming out in this book. I felt like Kat was being pressured by her family to come out when she wasn't ready, and nothing about that was every addressed. You never have to come out before you're ready, and no one is entitled to your sexuality, folx.
Anyway, this was fine, but not great.
Anyway, this was fine, but not great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Abandonment, Homophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Biphobia
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