Eventing Series

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.

Horses aren't cheap, and competing event horses is a tough way to make a living. Jules Thornton is settled at Briar Hill Farm with fellow trainer Pete Morrison, eyes focused on a successful future in eventing, but money is tight and opportunities are dwindling. When a potential sponsor offers Pete a stellar deal, Jules is ready for her big break-but it's not what she was hoping for. She'll have to make hard choices if she wants a future in eventing-and with Pete. There are fireworks on the horizon as Jules heads south to Florida's vacation-land to meet her new trainer, Grace Carter. The star of "Show Barn Blues" is back to put Jules through her paces and bring her attitude down a notch or two. Can Jules stick out a summer of dressage lessons and high-dollar clients?

For three-day event rider Jules Thornton, courage means riding her horses forward through the most daunting cross-country courses in the sport. She's already proven she's willing to do whatever it takes to make her name as an eventer, even spending the summer in an intense dressage program. Now she's back in Ocala and ready to tackle the winter eventing with her usual bravado, but neither she nor her partner, Pete, is ready for the next struggle the eventing gods have cooked up. Their farm is locked in a legal battle, their income depends on galloping racehorses, and Amanda the Hunter Princess is way too friendly with Pete for Jules's tastes. This fall, Jules has to learn courage goes deeper than kicking on through sticky situations. Courage means hanging on for dear life, and knowing when to let go.

Jules is used to starting over. With her horses, her dreams, and Pete by her side, they're making a new go of eventing life in an unlikely setting. After years of riding for trainers and owners, their isolated little farm feels like a luxury to her. Unfortunately, not everyone in the business agrees that less is more. Jules has never thought of herself as lucky, but now she'll need all the luck-and hard work-in the world to hang on to the horses she loves. The fourth installment in the bestselling Eventing series continues the story of Jules and Pete, two equestrians trying to make their names in Florida's famous Three-Day Eventing community.