Jules has spent her adult life bouncing from one farm to another. Just once, she'd like to find a place she can call home. As she rekindles relationships with her family, her yearning has only grown stronger. But is there a home waiting for Jules and her horses? Or is she destined to live a nomadic life?
Join your favorite cast of characters as they come together for another round of stormy days, thrilling rides, and gut-checking fences on the way to find home at last.
Natalie Keller Reinert is the award-winning author of more than twenty books, including the Eventing series and Briar Hill Farm series. Drawing on her professional experience in three-day eventing, working with Thoroughbred racehorses and mounted patrol horses, therapeutic riding, and many other equine pursuits, Natalie brings her love of equestrian life into each of her titles. She also cohosts the award-winning equestrian humor podcast Adulting With Horses.
Natalie lives in north Florida with her family, horses, and cat.
What a wonderful full circle last instalment in the Eventing Series! When we were first introduced to Jules she was establishing her own farm and trying to build her eventing career without any help. She lost and mourned that home and others, but in her journey she has found home in her heart with Pete, her animals and the students she loves. She has grown so much in her eventing and life journeys and in this book you route for her and Pete to find their forever home where they can thrive personally and professionally, as they welcome their first child.
I am so happy that the author is planning another story arc for my favourite characters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What a great continuation and conclusion to this series. I can't wait to read the author's next series that continues with Jules and all the changes in her life with husband, farm and baby. I did love the inclusion of Carla toward the end of the story. Of course Jules couldn't own just one horse for too long.
Wow. This is the kind of suspense I expect in the thrillers I read. Natalie Reinert’s seventh—and final—book in the Eventing series is metaphorical dynamite. Caffeine-infused mad moms and outraged kids threaten to explode—and they do, leaving pregnant, perpetually exhausted Jules awash in uncertainty about her future at the Alachua Eventing Co-op.
She’s clueless as to what the blow-ups mean for her, Pete, the baby, and Mickey, the horse she’d planned to compete at eventing’s highest levels after the baby is born. There’s just one catch: Mickey belongs to the co-op, and the moms who control everything don’t want to wait. Their kids feel differently; they love Jules and will do anything they can to keep her as their coach and keep Jules and Mickey together.
Jules and Pete have been in this situation before—at the mercy of people who can deprive them of their home, barn, horses and livelihood on a whim. They haven’t forgotten the time they had to live in their horse trailer. They need a real home, a place that belongs to them. They need security for their new family and the horses that are a part of that family.
The drama builds in this page-turner as the author ratchets up the tension and uncertainty that is affecting so many of the characters. Things are changing not only for Jules and Pete and the kids (who are adorable, as are their horses), but also for the long-time barn manager and her flamboyant assistant, who is 18 now, and grappling with the responsibilities of adulthood. Even Clay, the wealthy rock star, is realizing that money will not bring back time lost when his son, Maddox, was growing up.
Decisions, decisions! There’s so much going on that there’s no way to put this book down until the final page. Fortunately, Reinert has promised readers that these great characters will live on in a new series. This is one of the author’s best books yet, easily five stars. Can’t wait for the new series—and the next installments in her other series. When does this woman find time to ride her own horses—or sleep?
From the joy of a sweaty trail ride by a pure stream to the agony of having to leave a barn ASAP within hours (contracts be damned), the full rainbow of emotions of the equestrian life is fully captured in the final installment of this wonderful series. I admit, childless hag that I am, I'm kind of squicked out about pregnancy, and I'm still not a big fan of Pete. But like some old friends, even if it's not what I'd choose for myself, I'm happy that Jules is happy.
This book was not what I expected. It was wonderful, of course. But, I really didn't want, need, or expect to have so many heart strings plucked in one book. However, things being what they are, I was primed for it all. I admit that I first thought that Jules' only redeeming quality was her love for her animals and her commitment to her friends. Other than that, she was pretty prickly and not very nice. However, as we do and as well-written characters do, she evolved. I always felt a grudging respect for her, for doing what she had to do. Now, I really adore the person she's become. The whole cast of characters have evolved and it has been a wonderful journey. And, best of all, it isn't the end. The author's note touched on every last thing that I felt with the story. While we've all been "alone" in our shelter-in-place, isolations, and quarantines...we weren't ever really alone. The whole friggen world was in it with us. Thank goodness for the internet and all the media platforms to link us together. And, also thank goodness, saints and demons for the writers (who really do have to work alone a good part of the time) who keep plugging away and helping us all grow up and learn, get outside ourselves for a moment. I look forward to every book by Ms. Reinert for the very good reason that she is a real writer, a teller of stories. Writers have always been my heroes. I've added animal rescuers to the list, but Writers have been a constant source of comfort throughout my life. Thank you NKR!!
What a great series. I fell in love with the characters and the horses. As always the horse details are spot on which makes all the difference if you are a horse person reading horse books. Absolutely true to life; an accurate and realistic view of life as a working horse professional. Jules has come full circle from being a horse crazy, ambition driven girl to her first farm that was destroyed in a hurricane, from living on Pete's family's awesome farm, then losing it, to living in her horse trailer and other less than desirable places, and the last couple of years finding a place at the riding co-op and security. Problems arise there with the board members that turn her life upside down. Being pregnant, not being able to event and qualify her horse Mickey for the big spring shows, fear of losing her job and home and the prospect of motherhood are really getting to her. She has a few options but doesn't know which way to turn. She has grown and matured so much over the series and now realizes how much the kids she coaches at the co-op mean to her, how much teaching them means to her. Pregnancy hasn't made her soft, exactly, but a tiny bit softer, with more introspective dimension. She's seeing her future and career in a different light, seeing what has to happen with her job at the co-op. Thanks to good friends and her co-op kids the problems get worked out the way they should. Highly recommend.
I cannot believe this series has come to an end. I vividly remember reading Ambition for the first time. Since then, I have been hooked by all of Natalie's series. Though, the Eventing Series holds a special place in my heart. Jules' transformation throughout the series is one of my favorite parts of Natalie's writing. She started as a character I loved to hate and, now I would love to be Jules' working student. Home is the perfect conclusion to a roller-coaster ride of a series. Though I am sad to see the Eventing Series go, I am wholeheartedly looking forward to the new Briar Hill Farm Series.
I have to agree with other reviewers that this time around, our fiery protagonist Jules has softened around the edges some! However, that's not a bad thing - she's obviously matured and with a baby on the way she's looking at the future through a different lens. This book had less horse-focused training and eventing pages and was more about the co-op and purchasing a farm of her/their own but was still engaging for me. Can't wait to start the next series!
This one meanders a tich (better than the last one!) but ultimately I just really enjoy these as quick horsie reads which are actually based in some reality.
She’s writing MORE with this series and these characters, and we all know I’m just going to read those too hahaha.
Her writing inspires me to write some horsie books of my own - it’s clear she’s writing about what she knows and it shows (in a good way).
Ahhhhhhh! Another installment of the adventures of Jules and Pete (and the rest of the gang). I laughed, I cried, I was frustrated, I took a break, rode my horse and came back to finish. I'm thrilled with the way this story ended and hope to see more of our favorite Fkorida friends soon!!!
I saved this book until today because I knew I would devour it. And I did! I love it when characters in book series change and grow - after all, real people do that. Jules has come a long way and I am very happy with the person she grew to be. Thank you, and looking forward to new adventures.
Now that I’ve read the whole start of Jules and her eventing life I never want it to be finished! My daughter & I are previous eventers and this is so close to our feelings & happenings that I just connected with Jules. Can’t wait to start her next series and the continuation of her life!
Every minute of this book was spectacular. I've enjoyed watching Jules grow, and this installment was brilliant. Natalie is such a brilliant writer, bringing real characters to life, and painting vivid realistic tropical scenes, you feel like you are alongside characters in beautiful Florida scenes. Such a treat to read her books
An amazing end to the Eventing series. Gah. The growth of Jules has been astounding and a fantastic ride. I am looking forward to the next chapter for Jules, Pete and family.
I love this author. All of her books have kept me wanting to keep reading, including this one. I can't wait so see what the future brings for Jules, Pete, Alex, and Mickey
I don't know how she does it but Natalie Keller Reinert can keep a series interesting and fabulous all the way through. My biggest disappointment on this book is that reading it didn't last until the next one comes out!
Natalie brought this series home to a most satisfying conclusion. We all have to grow up sometime, and Jules Thornton is no exception. Very enjoyable read!
In the final book, Jules is FINALLY able to get her happily ever after, but as always in full Jules style. It’s a great was for the story to come to a conclusion, with the slight possibility of future spin offs….? I certainly hope to see her again in some new adventures
Wow I loved this series. I really wasn’t sure when I read the first book but the growth of Jules character has been amazing. Really awesome conclusion to the series I loved it and I’m excited to continue reading the briar hill series that follows Jules and Pete and also other books by the author!
Excellent! She's done it again! This one brought tears and frustration as well as hope for Jules and everyone else. I'm so invested into the characters now! I'm dreading the fact that there's only one book left. Absolutely cannot say enough about this series. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!
I love the eventing series so much, I couldn’t put home down. It was so good to see what was next in store for Joules, Pete and the gang. Can’t wait for the next one.
I’ve loved this series and growing up with Jules and Pete and dynamo and Mickey and Jim dear I was getting ready to mourn and then with excitement saw a new series
3.5 rounded up. Omg I’m sorry but the pregnancy is so annoying in this book. But I absolutely am so happy with the ending!!! There was a lot of drama and mischief in this book, and I liked it a lot!