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readerpants's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
inkstndfngrs's review against another edition
1.0
I stopped reading on page 9 with the line “She was a hot little thing with golden skin as if she worked outside.”
Some people may not be bothered by this objectifying sort of language but frankly I find it unrealistic and gross. No thanks.
Some people may not be bothered by this objectifying sort of language but frankly I find it unrealistic and gross. No thanks.
olix's review
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
angieinbooks's review
4.0
I’ve mentioned I have a thing for Western-themed stories, right? Well, Prize Money, set around the Idaho rodeo circuit, was well within that Western wheelhouse and I really liked it. Prize Money also has the advantage of featuring a main character who is indigenous and another who is Mexican-American.
Toma is a successful stunt woman in some of Hollywood’s biggest projects, but when her dad has a serious injury, she returns home to help her brothers run the family business—they’re bullfighters.
Eva is the reigning two-time barrel riding champion and she’s poised to take her third title, which she desperately wants so that she can take the prize money and finally open the wild horse sanctuary she’s been dreaming about.
Toma and Eva meet when Toma comes to Eva’s rescue after a rogue bull threatens to injure Eva and her horse, but it turns out it wasn’t their first meeting, which was a moment that bonded them together in inexplicable ways, even though no names were exchanged. It’s that bond that continues to draw them together. But Toma’s time in Idaho is temporary and Eva has to stay focused on winning another championship.
I loved so much about this. I loved the rodeo setting. I loved that this centered around working class women. I loved the diversity of the characters. I loved the way Toma and Eva’s families were portrayed. I loved how their romance developed.
The only thing that felt a little weird was it seemed the author was going to turn this into a mystery—a string of bulls escaping and wreaking havoc on the rodeo, Toma, or Eva, but then that whole storyline just disappears. I didn’t need it to be there but I thought it odd that it was set up and then just dropped. But this is a fairly minor complaint.
I highly recommend this book.
Toma is a successful stunt woman in some of Hollywood’s biggest projects, but when her dad has a serious injury, she returns home to help her brothers run the family business—they’re bullfighters.
Eva is the reigning two-time barrel riding champion and she’s poised to take her third title, which she desperately wants so that she can take the prize money and finally open the wild horse sanctuary she’s been dreaming about.
Toma and Eva meet when Toma comes to Eva’s rescue after a rogue bull threatens to injure Eva and her horse, but it turns out it wasn’t their first meeting, which was a moment that bonded them together in inexplicable ways, even though no names were exchanged. It’s that bond that continues to draw them together. But Toma’s time in Idaho is temporary and Eva has to stay focused on winning another championship.
I loved so much about this. I loved the rodeo setting. I loved that this centered around working class women. I loved the diversity of the characters. I loved the way Toma and Eva’s families were portrayed. I loved how their romance developed.
The only thing that felt a little weird was it seemed the author was going to turn this into a mystery—a string of bulls escaping and wreaking havoc on the rodeo, Toma, or Eva, but then that whole storyline just disappears. I didn’t need it to be there but I thought it odd that it was set up and then just dropped. But this is a fairly minor complaint.
I highly recommend this book.
emberjay's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
moonyreadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Prize Money presents a very interesting western setting, featuring the rodeo world, barrel racing and bullfighting. It was a new kind of atmosphere for me, which intrigued me a lot and made me want to read this book in the first plase. The slow burn romance is between the two main characters - Toma, a equestrian stuntwoman, and Eva, champion of barrel-racing - and I found it very sweet.
The writing style is quite pleasant and smooth, which made me read the novel rather quickly. All in all, though, I think it lacks a solid depth of the characters from the psychological point of view, which made them all look pretty flat and none of them particularly impressed or excited me.
It was my first time reading a book by Celeste Castro, and while I didn't appreciate everything from this novel to the point of giving it a rating higher than 3 stars, I have to say it intrigued me enough to make me want to read more from the author.
(Thank you to NetGalley and Interlude Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
The writing style is quite pleasant and smooth, which made me read the novel rather quickly. All in all, though, I think it lacks a solid depth of the characters from the psychological point of view, which made them all look pretty flat and none of them particularly impressed or excited me.
It was my first time reading a book by Celeste Castro, and while I didn't appreciate everything from this novel to the point of giving it a rating higher than 3 stars, I have to say it intrigued me enough to make me want to read more from the author.
(Thank you to NetGalley and Interlude Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
mooneyreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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