Taking Chances

Timber Ridge Riders #7

by Maggie Dana

Series: Timber Ridge Riders—Book Seven
Ages: 9-13

Kate McGregor and her best friend, Holly Chapman, have swapped horses until Kate qualifies for the big show in April. But just as Kate is getting to really know Holly’s gelding, Magician, a flashy new horse shows up at the barn. He captures the heart of everyone except his owner and sends Kate’s plans tumbling into free fall. So does Brad Piretti, the local snowboarding star. He invites Kate to go skiing, and Kate takes yet another unexpected tumble.

Meanwhile Holly has set her sights on getting her mom and Kate’s dad together, as in Holly’s favorite movie, The Parent Trap. But the unwelcome involvement of their high school principal turns those plans upside down as well.

In the middle of all this, Kate’s biggest rival, Angela Dean, returns from winter vacation. Angela is coping with demons of her own and ends up turning the tables on Kate in a way that nobody expects.

Genres: Horses, Childrens

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2013

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continues to surprise. Just when you think it's about to drift into predictably there's another twist. After several plots involving Angela being one step away from a serial killer this time things are different. Angela is gone for about half the book. It's Christmas and while our villain is off on a luxury skiing trip in Aspen, Kate and Holly are back at home. Kate is excited about the upcoming Festival of Horses qualifying coming up. A new horse arrives at the barn. Poor Skywalker is sent packing replaced by the glorious Ragtime. Kate is certain any efforts to make the riding team are doomed. To add to their troubles Miss Gordon the school principal is moving in on Kate's dad and thwarting their plans to marry their parents and become sisters. Then Kate is involved in a weird skiing accident and her hopes of making the show are in jeopardy. Angela returns from her trip and we learn her mother sold Skywalker without telling her and she's hurt. She also hired a personal trainer just for Angela. We soon learn Ragtime is a great horse but hates the smell of perfume. There's also a hint of mystery that goes nowhere as Kate is certain she knows the new trainer Lockie Malone, but we never learn any backstory, just that he won a few awards and vanished for years. Maybe the next book? There's more confusion for Kate concerning Nathan and Ben and who she likes. Not sure how long this will drag on for but the next book sounds promising for a resolution. But overall still a very enjoyable addition to the series.

[Alex Koss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good love this series

[Lin]

Originally posted at: https://lindeay.wordpress.com/2015/04...

This is the third book in the series I review, and they have all been rather enjoyable. All the small adventures Kate and her friend Holly get up to are varied and realistic. They are both love horses and the storyline is neatly tied up to the barn Timber Ridge. Up until this book the story has mostly been focused on the girls and their horses, as well as trouble cast in by the antagonist Angela. In Taking Chances, it started to be more about Kate and boys. In earlier books the “normal teenage life with school and boys and drama has been featured but in “Taking Chances” it seemed to be more prolific than the horses and the story going on there.
The story was again lighthearted and easy to follow. It was a short story and a very quick read, but a good length for a Middle Grade novel. The girls again was faced with some horse related trouble when Kate hurt her knee skiing, which might result in her being unable to qualify for a big horse show. Due to the injury, Kate has been banned for riding until the February, but the horse show she need to compete in is in late January. Holly is convinced that Kate will be well enough to ride by the time the horse show takes place, and together the two girls tries to find out how Kate can compete without Holly’s mother finding out. Also the antagonist, Angela shows a more three-dimensional character in this book when Kate helps her with a problem with her new horse.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Dana has penned another winner in the Timber Ridge Riders series. Fans of this series will recognize many of the same characters, but this book introduces not only a fabulous new Warmblood named Ragtime, but a new trainer named Lockie Malone, borrowed from equine author Barbara Morgenroth's Bittersweet Farm series. What an amazing way for authors to collaborate! Lockie appears at a crucial time for Kate, who has injured her knee, and his advice sets up another showdown between Kate and Angela, as well as forcing Kate to decide whether to take a big risk in life. There is not only plenty of horse action in this short novel, but plenty of boyfriend drama, too, as well as "The Parent Trap" plot. Keep writing them, Maggie Dana. And I'll keep reading them!

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number 7 in the Timber Ridge Riders series and I still love it. It hasn't gotten old yet, and I doubt it ever will. Each book is fresh with new plot lines, without compromising the overall story lines or characters.

There are mean girls again, and there are crushes and sparks between some of the kids. There are horses and shows, riding and other activities. The larger story, about Kate and Holly, their parents, friends and horses continues smoothly, which makes this a series worth reading. It would work as a standalone as well, but there's so much more enjoyment to be had from reading the whole series.

I look forward to the next one.

[Destiny Padfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THE ENTIRE SERIES

Your books are amazing. I love your books. I hate reading and I always have hated reading but with your books I love to read!