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Unstable
Charlie Briarman's life is a contradiction-she is an avid reader of classic romance, but when encountering anything close to love in her own life, she tends to run for the hills. When she is forced to move to Newport, Rhode Island for the summer and live with her dad, Charlie has a few goals to make the downtime stockpile money for tuition, read through Jane Austen's entire literary collection, and avoid phone calls from her mother at all costs.
To work on her first and most important goal, Charlie finds herself a job at a horse barn where she is dropped into an unfamiliar social scene and introduced to new friends...and enemies. She meets James, an intriguing yet guarded equestrian who doesn't give her the time of day...not that she cares. She also meets Ren, a sweet veterinarian's assistant, who Charlie strikes up an immediate friendship with.
Charlie's complex relationship with her mother and the fallout of her parents' very recent divorce cause her to struggle with opening up, but as she gets closer to her friends at the stables and uncovers the truth about James, she begins to discover that romance might be worth a try after all, despite the inevitability of it all going wrong.
To work on her first and most important goal, Charlie finds herself a job at a horse barn where she is dropped into an unfamiliar social scene and introduced to new friends...and enemies. She meets James, an intriguing yet guarded equestrian who doesn't give her the time of day...not that she cares. She also meets Ren, a sweet veterinarian's assistant, who Charlie strikes up an immediate friendship with.
Charlie's complex relationship with her mother and the fallout of her parents' very recent divorce cause her to struggle with opening up, but as she gets closer to her friends at the stables and uncovers the truth about James, she begins to discover that romance might be worth a try after all, despite the inevitability of it all going wrong.
262 pages, Hardcover
First published June 20, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
December 11, 2025
2.5⭐️ 1..2..1 2 3 RELEASE ME.
There are a few books on my TBR that I added so long ago, and know that I probably won’t like them anymore, but for some reason I just can’t remove them from my list. This was one of them. And boy was I right.
This book lacked depth in every single area. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about any character. Charlie’s decision making was insufferable and there was no character growth whatsoever from her. Her issues with insecurity and relationships wasn’t even talked about or resolved. The book has a whole conflict regarding her mother, and that isn’t even touched let alone resolved by the end. The two main characters don’t even have a nice conversation until 50% of the book, and then the way it ended???? Are we deadass????
The writing felt like fanfiction to me. Just overall nothing in this book felt like a properly thought out book. That’s probably harsh but that my #truth
There are a few books on my TBR that I added so long ago, and know that I probably won’t like them anymore, but for some reason I just can’t remove them from my list. This was one of them. And boy was I right.
This book lacked depth in every single area. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about any character. Charlie’s decision making was insufferable and there was no character growth whatsoever from her. Her issues with insecurity and relationships wasn’t even talked about or resolved. The book has a whole conflict regarding her mother, and that isn’t even touched let alone resolved by the end. The two main characters don’t even have a nice conversation until 50% of the book, and then the way it ended???? Are we deadass????
The writing felt like fanfiction to me. Just overall nothing in this book felt like a properly thought out book. That’s probably harsh but that my #truth
July 23, 2023
A great beach read! East coast beach town, equestrian, book lover, horses but fancy, and a mini love triangle!
Unstable follows Charlie as she navigates a new beach town where she will live for the summer before heading back to university. When we first meet Charlie she’s neither happy or sad just merely existing. She starts working at a stable to help with her university finances before she heads back to school where she meets her two love interests Ren + James. I think the story focused more on Charlie finding her own path in life with romance as a subplot. The beach town aesthetic was everything in this book it made me feel summery and cozy.
Charlie is immediately drawn to broody equestrian rider James, and Ren the vet assistant is immediately drawn to her. For me it didn’t feel much like a love triangle since she seemed only interested in one of the guys. I however still found it enjoyable! The story felt like it was quickly wrapped up towards the end and I think I would’ve liked it to be a little longer. Through the course of the book Charlie is reading all of Jane Austen catalog and ends with Saditon Austen’s last and unfinished novel who Charlie is named after btw.
I thought it was super clever that Carrie wrapped up Charlie’s story similar to Sanditon where the story would keep going, but us as readers wouldn’t know the ending. While it was definitely a full circle moment I just wanted more closure for the characters. To me it felt like it ended on a cliff hanger.
Unstable follows Charlie as she navigates a new beach town where she will live for the summer before heading back to university. When we first meet Charlie she’s neither happy or sad just merely existing. She starts working at a stable to help with her university finances before she heads back to school where she meets her two love interests Ren + James. I think the story focused more on Charlie finding her own path in life with romance as a subplot. The beach town aesthetic was everything in this book it made me feel summery and cozy.
Charlie is immediately drawn to broody equestrian rider James, and Ren the vet assistant is immediately drawn to her. For me it didn’t feel much like a love triangle since she seemed only interested in one of the guys. I however still found it enjoyable! The story felt like it was quickly wrapped up towards the end and I think I would’ve liked it to be a little longer. Through the course of the book Charlie is reading all of Jane Austen catalog and ends with Saditon Austen’s last and unfinished novel who Charlie is named after btw.
I thought it was super clever that Carrie wrapped up Charlie’s story similar to Sanditon where the story would keep going, but us as readers wouldn’t know the ending. While it was definitely a full circle moment I just wanted more closure for the characters. To me it felt like it ended on a cliff hanger.
May 5, 2026
This book should have been 6 stars because the premise hit every single interest of mine. It's about a girl who lives by the coast, who rides horses, is an aspiring photographer, and who reads books all day ... and the cherry on top, her love interest is James. If this doesn't scream me I don't know what does. However this was SO poorly written and unfinished. The characters had no depth, I still don't know what the FMC looks like (I did learn she has green eyes 200 pages in --the book is 250 pages), and each chapter was filled with half thoughts. Also you know when a kid learns a new word and tries to insert it into every sentence,
well that's how I feel this author was with em dashes. I'm not kidding when I say there were at least 2 per paragraph on EVERY PAGE. I can't even blame AI because I'm pretty sure some were used wrong. It really took me out of the story and left no room for the reader to interpret anything for themselves. Between this and the constant use of similes and metaphors there was zero room for interpretation. And the annoying part was the things that needed to be explained weren't.
This read like a YA and honestly the actions of the characters would have made more sense if they were 14-15. Because what do you mean you didn't talk to your love interest for an entire week because he called you stubborn. THEN on top of that the bonus chapter made the story make less sense and wiped all of the FMCs progress and growth away.
Anyway's this frustrated me but to give some positive feedback, it had potential! And it says something that I finished it. It very much read like the cheesy horse shows I watch, which are my guilty pleasure. I don't think your average non-horsey reader would enjoy this though.
well that's how I feel this author was with em dashes. I'm not kidding when I say there were at least 2 per paragraph on EVERY PAGE. I can't even blame AI because I'm pretty sure some were used wrong. It really took me out of the story and left no room for the reader to interpret anything for themselves. Between this and the constant use of similes and metaphors there was zero room for interpretation. And the annoying part was the things that needed to be explained weren't.
This read like a YA and honestly the actions of the characters would have made more sense if they were 14-15. Because what do you mean you didn't talk to your love interest for an entire week because he called you stubborn. THEN on top of that the bonus chapter made the story make less sense and wiped all of the FMCs progress and growth away.
Anyway's this frustrated me but to give some positive feedback, it had potential! And it says something that I finished it. It very much read like the cheesy horse shows I watch, which are my guilty pleasure. I don't think your average non-horsey reader would enjoy this though.
June 22, 2024
5⭐
First of all at first i thought that this was going to be a simple summer read BUT ohh i was wrongg!!i finished this book in less than a day hehehe and i have to say that im really proud of that.( Not that the book had many pages but yeah) also this book had i small love triangle and I don't like that trope at all but for some reason i really liked it in this book it might be becaise it was small
-I really loved the characters, the summer vibes that this book gave me and the description of the places and some moments were iso majestic ✨
-i adored Charlie's character and personality and i loved that she did a jane Austen marathon for the summer and now u want to have one too hehe😆
-i really liked james and I felt really bad for him about his mother's accident but i loved the fact that he didn't quit riding and he kept going. And lastly i loved he's chemistry with charlie and that at first he teased her 😏 the bookstore scenes were my favourite ✨
First of all at first i thought that this was going to be a simple summer read BUT ohh i was wrongg!!i finished this book in less than a day hehehe and i have to say that im really proud of that.( Not that the book had many pages but yeah) also this book had i small love triangle and I don't like that trope at all but for some reason i really liked it in this book it might be becaise it was small
-I really loved the characters, the summer vibes that this book gave me and the description of the places and some moments were iso majestic ✨
-i adored Charlie's character and personality and i loved that she did a jane Austen marathon for the summer and now u want to have one too hehe😆
-i really liked james and I felt really bad for him about his mother's accident but i loved the fact that he didn't quit riding and he kept going. And lastly i loved he's chemistry with charlie and that at first he teased her 😏 the bookstore scenes were my favourite ✨
August 31, 2023
I REALLY enjoyed this book. The vibes of beach and horses were top tier. This read like a ya book and at times a lot of time passed that could have been explained better. I would love to see more time with Charlie learning to ride. I would have also loved a sequel.
June 4, 2023
This book was such a fun read! Highly recommend for your next beach trip, pool day, or just for a happy book that makes you fall in love with the characters. Amazing debut novel!!
Want to Read
August 31, 2023Horses and Jane Austen
What more do I need in life?
What more do I need in life?
September 24, 2025
Super quick, fun, easy read! The love for RI and Newport in general is super present and contagious. I wasn’t obsessed with the pacing or some of the character choices but otherwise a great debut!
January 22, 2026
I bought this book as a way to support a local bookstore and local author while in Newport. One it took me an embarrassing amount of time for me to realize this was about a horse girl and two I’ve never seen someone have so many red flags resolve none of them and then choose the guy that treated her like shit.
Want to Read
June 15, 2024Sampled the first couple of chapters — will return at a later date to read.
overview: definitely interested in reading more! FMC is a book girlie and I like her character so far. Set in the summer, ofc! Really liked the vibes and setting.
content: language (h*ll, used once) sexual (FMC mentions “hooking up in the back of cars” in passing)
overview: definitely interested in reading more! FMC is a book girlie and I like her character so far. Set in the summer, ofc! Really liked the vibes and setting.
content: language (h*ll, used once) sexual (FMC mentions “hooking up in the back of cars” in passing)
October 18, 2023
I was grabbing a coffee at a harbor side coffee shop in Newport this week when I overheard a customer in front of me point out this book asking about the local author sign next to it. I overheard the barista then mention that it was actually she who was the author! Immediately I knew I had to get this book and support a local author and I was very impressed with this being her first book! I don’t know much about equestrian and horses but Carrie wrote this book in a very entertaining way with some family and workplace drama along with some romance and big life moments to tie it all together. Carrie was also super nice and made a very good vanilla latte.
July 11, 2023
Congratulations Carrie King on your first novel!! The setting, the characters, the underlying message! Bravo! Now I need more James & Charlie 🧲🏇
March 10, 2025
This was such a great combination of everything I could ever ask for.
Horses? ✅
Newport?! ✅
CUTE ROMANCE? ✅
This was overwhelmingly deep, heartwarming and well written. The best book I've read this year so far.
Horses? ✅
Newport?! ✅
CUTE ROMANCE? ✅
This was overwhelmingly deep, heartwarming and well written. The best book I've read this year so far.
July 20, 2023
Such a fun book! Perfect quick read for your next road-trip or beach trip.
May 14, 2024
horse girl vibes.
July 25, 2024
2.5⭐️ Maybe I’m just used to more complex romances but to me, this book lacked depth.
November 14, 2024
this was so cute 🥺 loved the vibes so much!
this definitely had the potential to be much better than it was - however, i think that’s actually a not so horrible thing.
the vibes in this were immaculate like i said!! obviously this would make a great tv show because it’s genuinely so fun. it’s not super crazy or anything, but i feel like it would be a nice summer hit. either way, super fun and the addition of horses and the east coast is a perfect touch.
i found charlie cool and i believe pretty realistic to 19 year olds. she has family troubles, school troubles, life troubles, and before she knows it… boy troubles. who would’ve thought! her determination and grit were nice qualities and lowkey reminded me of myself lol.
james was the freaking star of the show!!! seriously, this dude reminded me of ‘free rein’ all over again but make it american. the fact that he has a chip on his shoulder for the first half of the book is fun. adds more dimension of course. and then he grew and let go of that facade to become the person he is. that’s growth!
ren felt like he was gonna be more present with the way things were holding up. to be honest i feel like charlie overreacted about how much she was really friends with ren. like do people just go around calling others their friends after like 3 interactions? that’s more acquaintance territory me thinks.
the writing in this definitely needed some polish— if only it didn’t, though, because it would’ve been a lot better. i think that’s what made it feel like it was dragging for the first 25% of the book. some more editing and honestly, this book would be elevated a few notches
another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was how quickly the romance went from 0 to 100 at the 50% mark. also, it felt like the author was tapping into the deep side of the characters and the story for a paragraph and then would switch it up to make it light and fluffy. like bestie!! i know you have it in you!! don’t hold back!! i think i would’ve liked this a lot more if king fully embraced the depth of this story she continuously hinted at.
the ending was satisfying-ish, leaving me wanting more but understanding such a realistic conclusion. gives me the space to explore the future of these characters and their lives!
overall, for a debut novel, this was good! definitely interested in king’s future works (:
💌🐎🌊
this definitely had the potential to be much better than it was - however, i think that’s actually a not so horrible thing.
the vibes in this were immaculate like i said!! obviously this would make a great tv show because it’s genuinely so fun. it’s not super crazy or anything, but i feel like it would be a nice summer hit. either way, super fun and the addition of horses and the east coast is a perfect touch.
i found charlie cool and i believe pretty realistic to 19 year olds. she has family troubles, school troubles, life troubles, and before she knows it… boy troubles. who would’ve thought! her determination and grit were nice qualities and lowkey reminded me of myself lol.
james was the freaking star of the show!!! seriously, this dude reminded me of ‘free rein’ all over again but make it american. the fact that he has a chip on his shoulder for the first half of the book is fun. adds more dimension of course. and then he grew and let go of that facade to become the person he is. that’s growth!
ren felt like he was gonna be more present with the way things were holding up. to be honest i feel like charlie overreacted about how much she was really friends with ren. like do people just go around calling others their friends after like 3 interactions? that’s more acquaintance territory me thinks.
the writing in this definitely needed some polish— if only it didn’t, though, because it would’ve been a lot better. i think that’s what made it feel like it was dragging for the first 25% of the book. some more editing and honestly, this book would be elevated a few notches
another thing that rubbed me the wrong way was how quickly the romance went from 0 to 100 at the 50% mark. also, it felt like the author was tapping into the deep side of the characters and the story for a paragraph and then would switch it up to make it light and fluffy. like bestie!! i know you have it in you!! don’t hold back!! i think i would’ve liked this a lot more if king fully embraced the depth of this story she continuously hinted at.
the ending was satisfying-ish, leaving me wanting more but understanding such a realistic conclusion. gives me the space to explore the future of these characters and their lives!
overall, for a debut novel, this was good! definitely interested in king’s future works (:
💌🐎🌊
December 2, 2023
3 ⭐️
Horses, a bookish main character and romance, what's not to like?
When I first started this book I was so excited because it has 3/6 of my hobbies, so it was off to a great start. The vibes of this book were great, and overall it was a quick, fun read.
However, the romance definitely fell flat for me. I think this book's detriment was that it was too short for how many characters and sub-plots it had going on. I felt let-down by the way the romance ended, rather than feeling bittersweet about it, which is how I think I was supposed to feel. I think I would’ve enjoyed the romance a lot more if there had been no love triangle, that way we could focus more on getting to know Charlie and James as a couple. But they were super cute, and a man who will both read and watch period dramas with you is literally the dream.
Also, as a rider myself, there were a few discrepancies with the way Charlie's riding progress was described that stuck out to me. At one point, she said in her inner monologue that she had *just* started learning how to post at the trot, and then the barn manager says that she's nearing intermediate level. Girl. WHAT. And two seconds later James goes and puts her on a 5-year old horse and says "you can handle it". Um. Hello. No, she cannot.
Anyway, if I wasn't an equestrian those things wouldn’t have annoyed me lol. I did actually enjoy reading this, as I said the vibes are great, 100% recommend for a cute summer read!
Horses, a bookish main character and romance, what's not to like?
When I first started this book I was so excited because it has 3/6 of my hobbies, so it was off to a great start. The vibes of this book were great, and overall it was a quick, fun read.
However, the romance definitely fell flat for me. I think this book's detriment was that it was too short for how many characters and sub-plots it had going on. I felt let-down by the way the romance ended, rather than feeling bittersweet about it, which is how I think I was supposed to feel. I think I would’ve enjoyed the romance a lot more if there had been no love triangle, that way we could focus more on getting to know Charlie and James as a couple. But they were super cute, and a man who will both read and watch period dramas with you is literally the dream.
Also, as a rider myself, there were a few discrepancies with the way Charlie's riding progress was described that stuck out to me. At one point, she said in her inner monologue that she had *just* started learning how to post at the trot, and then the barn manager says that she's nearing intermediate level. Girl. WHAT. And two seconds later James goes and puts her on a 5-year old horse and says "you can handle it". Um. Hello. No, she cannot.
Anyway, if I wasn't an equestrian those things wouldn’t have annoyed me lol. I did actually enjoy reading this, as I said the vibes are great, 100% recommend for a cute summer read!
May 10, 2026
I bought this book while I was in Newport last summer, based on a staff recommendation at an independent bookstore that I happened upon.
This book is only okay. It lacks any depth until the final few chapters but that depth feels insincere since it pops up out of the blue. There’s zero character growth for any character in the entire book except for Gwen’s mom.
And it should definitely be marketed to a YA audience, if it hasn’t been.
This book is only okay. It lacks any depth until the final few chapters but that depth feels insincere since it pops up out of the blue. There’s zero character growth for any character in the entire book except for Gwen’s mom.
And it should definitely be marketed to a YA audience, if it hasn’t been.
September 21, 2023
Last week I walked into a Newport coffee shop, saw this book on the counter and immediately downloaded it on my kindle (now I’m sad I didn’t get a physical copy). Let me just say that I ateee this book right up. The setting, the characters, the ending…I couldn’t get enough. The perfect east coast summer read 🌊🤍
December 27, 2023
3.5/5 - this was decent! I adore the cover of this book so much! I love a good YA romance book so it was sweet. I agree that I seems like it ends on a cliffhanger and we need a second book, but I can also understand taking inspiration from Austen and leaving it as is!
November 24, 2024
2.5⭐️ This was cozy, I loved everything about the horses in here. The author has definitely had experience with horses and it shows! Lots of quotable moments about barn life that I connected with. However, I didn’t connect much with the actual plot.
June 3, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ there really wasn’t anything wrong with this book, but I didn’t find too many things that worked for it either. Neither relationship felt fully developed, there wasn’t much resolution with her mom and there were a few too many mucking the stall scenes
August 18, 2023
If you want to experience a Miley Stewart summer (but not irl)...read this book. So fun and wholesome - perfect summer vibe 💛
October 9, 2023
Simple and cute. Not the most brilliant writing or the most interesting, detailed storyline but I really liked it. The perfect easy summer read - the ending was so sweet!
December 6, 2023
Great storyline with
January 22, 2024
3,5
This was such a cozy book, i read it in one sitting. It was simple and cute, not too complicated.
This was such a cozy book, i read it in one sitting. It was simple and cute, not too complicated.
June 6, 2024
Loved this book so much!! The author is such a talented human being.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews