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Finding Daylight
Georgie Quinn and the filly Sweet Bells are an unbeatable team. When they win the Breeders' Cup Classic against colts, the world can't seem to get enough. Overnight, Georgie becomes the face of horse racing, and Sweet Bells becomes its queen.
Although they're the morning line favorites, Georgie feels like she's barely keeping her head above water. Her parents' farm is a crumbling has-been, her jockey career consumes her time, and Harris Armstrong, heir to Tupelo Stud and grandson of Sweet Bells' owner, won't forgive her for telling a lie that kept her family together as the truth ripped his apart.
Georgie refuses to apologize, so she's stunned when Harris asks her to ride his new colt. The most tenuous partnership in racing has begun. One that threatens to swallow Georgie whole.
Although they're the morning line favorites, Georgie feels like she's barely keeping her head above water. Her parents' farm is a crumbling has-been, her jockey career consumes her time, and Harris Armstrong, heir to Tupelo Stud and grandson of Sweet Bells' owner, won't forgive her for telling a lie that kept her family together as the truth ripped his apart.
Georgie refuses to apologize, so she's stunned when Harris asks her to ride his new colt. The most tenuous partnership in racing has begun. One that threatens to swallow Georgie whole.
Audible Audio
First published January 15, 2016
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About the author
Mara Dabrishus
9 books76 followersMara Dabrishus is an author and librarian at a small college in Northeast Ohio. Horse racing is her first great love, but for the past several years she's ridden dressage, learning how to spiral in, half halt, and perform the perfect figure eight. For more information, please visit www.maradabrishus.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 7, 2016
AHHHH, LOVED IT. (And there's a giveaway for it on my blog right now: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2016... )
4.5/5
I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I thought when I had a hard time getting into it, but once I did, I loved it. I've become a fan of Mara's writing a while ago, when I read Stay the Distance and then Whirlaway, and I think it's going to stick with me for a long while.
Once again, I found myself surrounded by a realistic and amazing horse world in which I fit more than I ever do in books. It's full of details, well researched and it feels like you're the one riding the horses or taking care of them. While the atmosphere in the stables of this one isn't as heartwarming as in Mara's other books (for obvious reasons: it's pretty much the most important part of the plot), there's something reassuring as soon as there are horses in a story. I loved Sweet Bells dearly, especially since she reminded me a lot of my own horse of a few years ago, which I had to sell and it broke my heart. I could relate a lot to Georgie because of that, since I experienced having to let a horse you love go without having a say in it. I also loved learning about horse racing, since it's always been quite foreign to me, seeing as I'm an English saddle rider who lives in Canada (where there aren't any races, at least in my province). The fact that Georgie is a jockey taught me a lot about this profession and its ups and downs, which I loved. I would never be able to ride racing horses because of my paranoia and my obsession with control, but I can see how some people can love it.
The relationship in this novel is even more complex than the one in Stay the Distance, but so is the whole story. I think that might be the reason why I couldn't get into the story at first, since I wasn't sure I understood what I was reading. Don't get discouraged if that happens to you, because you'd miss such a good story! I loved both Harris and Georgie and I shipped them pretty much from the beginning, because there's something about them that tells you they care for each other even when they're both convinced they hate each other. Seeing them learn to be around each other again and try to protect the other one was really touching and it made me swoon more than once.
This is a fantastic story that is about horses, but also about much more than that. It can be pretty heartbreaking at times and it's definitely not light-hearted, but it did leave me with a good feeling. I thought it was confusing at first, but I would recommend it to everyone.
Thank you Mara for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I did an interview with the author, which you can find here: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015... .
4.5/5
I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I thought when I had a hard time getting into it, but once I did, I loved it. I've become a fan of Mara's writing a while ago, when I read Stay the Distance and then Whirlaway, and I think it's going to stick with me for a long while.
Once again, I found myself surrounded by a realistic and amazing horse world in which I fit more than I ever do in books. It's full of details, well researched and it feels like you're the one riding the horses or taking care of them. While the atmosphere in the stables of this one isn't as heartwarming as in Mara's other books (for obvious reasons: it's pretty much the most important part of the plot), there's something reassuring as soon as there are horses in a story. I loved Sweet Bells dearly, especially since she reminded me a lot of my own horse of a few years ago, which I had to sell and it broke my heart. I could relate a lot to Georgie because of that, since I experienced having to let a horse you love go without having a say in it. I also loved learning about horse racing, since it's always been quite foreign to me, seeing as I'm an English saddle rider who lives in Canada (where there aren't any races, at least in my province). The fact that Georgie is a jockey taught me a lot about this profession and its ups and downs, which I loved. I would never be able to ride racing horses because of my paranoia and my obsession with control, but I can see how some people can love it.
The relationship in this novel is even more complex than the one in Stay the Distance, but so is the whole story. I think that might be the reason why I couldn't get into the story at first, since I wasn't sure I understood what I was reading. Don't get discouraged if that happens to you, because you'd miss such a good story! I loved both Harris and Georgie and I shipped them pretty much from the beginning, because there's something about them that tells you they care for each other even when they're both convinced they hate each other. Seeing them learn to be around each other again and try to protect the other one was really touching and it made me swoon more than once.
This is a fantastic story that is about horses, but also about much more than that. It can be pretty heartbreaking at times and it's definitely not light-hearted, but it did leave me with a good feeling. I thought it was confusing at first, but I would recommend it to everyone.
Thank you Mara for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I did an interview with the author, which you can find here: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015... .
February 5, 2016
This is a sweet, clean young adult romance and family drama with a heavy background in horse racing. Georgina Quinn is a 17 year old from a family with a racing pedigree that has unfortunately not survived - her families horses and home are under threat by financial problems, and her last hope is Sweet Bells, a filly who has astounded the racing world. Georgina battles with trying to finish high school, racing as a full time career and serious family problems. A family feud is ongoing between the Tuledo racing family, but this is very complicated, as before the feud she was incredibly close to Harris, now a horse trainer. Sweet Bells is half owned by her family and Harris' family, and she rides their horses to try and help her family stay afloat - and of course, because she loves riding, and can't imagine anything better than riding Sweet Bells. There is a lot of horse racing jargon and descriptions, and as a lover of equestrianism, this really appealed to me. The romance ramps up slowly, and there is a lot of conflict to be dealt with, but it's dealt with maturely and realistically, with the voices of the characters ringing true. The only part I didn't like, was the attitude of Georgina to high school and I'm not sure that she made a good role model in this respect to any teenagers reading this!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the read and thought it was a sweet romance story, with some intricate family drama and a message to impart about pursuing your passions and building a career out of your dreams that will appeal especially to lovers of horses or racing.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the read and thought it was a sweet romance story, with some intricate family drama and a message to impart about pursuing your passions and building a career out of your dreams that will appeal especially to lovers of horses or racing.
January 27, 2016
This new release by Mara Dabrishus is sure to be an adult horse story that is enjoyed by racing and horse fans alike.
Georgiana Quinn (Georgie) is riding her way to the top as an apprentice jockey on Sweet Bells, the great thoroughbred mare that is half owned by her family, the other half belonging to the great Tupelo stud and racing farm. Georgie’s history is intricately entwined with that of the farm across the road and their owners, the Armstrong family... read more at http://equus-blog.com/finding-dayligh...
Georgiana Quinn (Georgie) is riding her way to the top as an apprentice jockey on Sweet Bells, the great thoroughbred mare that is half owned by her family, the other half belonging to the great Tupelo stud and racing farm. Georgie’s history is intricately entwined with that of the farm across the road and their owners, the Armstrong family... read more at http://equus-blog.com/finding-dayligh...
January 31, 2016
Hooves pounding, jockeys riding, relationships crashing and burning then reigniting…what a delightful book! It had me from the first page and did not let me go. On the last page I wanted more even though the story had concluded in a very satisfying way.
The writing was excellent! I felt I knew the characters and what they were experiencing whether on the top of a horse or dealing with their daily lives. I liked Georgie and Harris and Linsey and Nick and understood their parents, too. Georgie and Harris had a lot to go through and learn from but both became stronger and better people by the end of the book.
When I saw this book on NetGalley I hoped to receive and ARC because I so enjoyed Mara’s book, Stay the Distance. The author writes with authority, intelligence and skill. I am sure YA readers will enjoy Finding Daylight but believe adults will, too, I know I did! I loved this book and hope there will be more books written by Mara Dabrishus in the future for me to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and MCC Books for the ARC to read and review.
The writing was excellent! I felt I knew the characters and what they were experiencing whether on the top of a horse or dealing with their daily lives. I liked Georgie and Harris and Linsey and Nick and understood their parents, too. Georgie and Harris had a lot to go through and learn from but both became stronger and better people by the end of the book.
When I saw this book on NetGalley I hoped to receive and ARC because I so enjoyed Mara’s book, Stay the Distance. The author writes with authority, intelligence and skill. I am sure YA readers will enjoy Finding Daylight but believe adults will, too, I know I did! I loved this book and hope there will be more books written by Mara Dabrishus in the future for me to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and MCC Books for the ARC to read and review.
April 4, 2016
*I received an ARC of this novel from the author. Thank you, Mara!*
I loved this book from the first page. Mara is able to weave horses and racing with family drama into a beautiful tale of growth and self diacovery.
The horse racing made me feel like I was there, in the saddle, urging the horses onward. I loved Sweet Bells and Roman.
The drama with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers was exceptionally well done and true to life. Georgie has a lot to deal with. She makes mistakes along the way, learns new lessons, and begins to grow into her own person.
I really enjoyed Harris and his relationship with Georgie, even if it was rocky. This was a compelling and beautiful read.
Full review will be live January 15th: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/20...
I loved this book from the first page. Mara is able to weave horses and racing with family drama into a beautiful tale of growth and self diacovery.
The horse racing made me feel like I was there, in the saddle, urging the horses onward. I loved Sweet Bells and Roman.
The drama with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers was exceptionally well done and true to life. Georgie has a lot to deal with. She makes mistakes along the way, learns new lessons, and begins to grow into her own person.
I really enjoyed Harris and his relationship with Georgie, even if it was rocky. This was a compelling and beautiful read.
Full review will be live January 15th: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/20...
May 19, 2019
Hard to put down
The characters are well written, and the plot moved smoothly. I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to her next books.
The characters are well written, and the plot moved smoothly. I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to her next books.
May 31, 2016
*I received a free audio copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
This was my second time through this book. This time on audio. While I still really loved the story and characters, there were certain things about the narration that I didn't enjoy.
Firstly though, the story is detailed, drama filled, romance infused, and beautifully horse centered. The balance is wonderful. I loved all of the horses that Georgie rode (of course Sweet Bells and Roman are great, but Little War was pretty amazing as well). The drama of racing life and the associated corruption and backstabbing that go along with it was very nicely depicted. And of course Georgie and Harris were great.
The narration didn't satisfy me as much as I hoped. At times it seemed a bit disjointed, like the sentences were broken up. The voices for the individual characters also didn't seem entirely consistent. Sometimes characters had southern accents, other times not. It was kind of hard to follow when they switched.
Although the narration wasn't my favorite, I thought that overall it was enjoyable to listen to. Despite my few dislikes, I would listen to this again easily.
This was my second time through this book. This time on audio. While I still really loved the story and characters, there were certain things about the narration that I didn't enjoy.
Firstly though, the story is detailed, drama filled, romance infused, and beautifully horse centered. The balance is wonderful. I loved all of the horses that Georgie rode (of course Sweet Bells and Roman are great, but Little War was pretty amazing as well). The drama of racing life and the associated corruption and backstabbing that go along with it was very nicely depicted. And of course Georgie and Harris were great.
The narration didn't satisfy me as much as I hoped. At times it seemed a bit disjointed, like the sentences were broken up. The voices for the individual characters also didn't seem entirely consistent. Sometimes characters had southern accents, other times not. It was kind of hard to follow when they switched.
Although the narration wasn't my favorite, I thought that overall it was enjoyable to listen to. Despite my few dislikes, I would listen to this again easily.
June 28, 2016
3.5 stars
Audible has this listed as Sport/Other which is wrong. It's a Young Adult/Teen book.
It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story, but I ended up really enjoying it.
This is a well written good, clean, sometimes sweet HEA story of young love set in the world of high stakes horse racing. This book has family drama, secrets, lies, heartbreak, hope, dreams, romance and more all combined and woven into a really good, enjoyable and entertaining story.
Great characters especially of coarse Georgie and Harris.
Pleasant voice but narration does not always flow smoothly. While she does have a nice voice, Georgie is 17 at the start of the book, her voice is too old for the story. Some of the characters also seem to have different accents at times. I would listen to her narration again but it needs to be a book that fits the maturity of her voice.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of audiobook boom.com
Audible has this listed as Sport/Other which is wrong. It's a Young Adult/Teen book.
It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story, but I ended up really enjoying it.
This is a well written good, clean, sometimes sweet HEA story of young love set in the world of high stakes horse racing. This book has family drama, secrets, lies, heartbreak, hope, dreams, romance and more all combined and woven into a really good, enjoyable and entertaining story.
Great characters especially of coarse Georgie and Harris.
Pleasant voice but narration does not always flow smoothly. While she does have a nice voice, Georgie is 17 at the start of the book, her voice is too old for the story. Some of the characters also seem to have different accents at times. I would listen to her narration again but it needs to be a book that fits the maturity of her voice.
This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of audiobook boom.com
February 11, 2016
I have to say this is the first book I've read by Mara Dabrishus and I really enjoyed her writing style the story was a perfect balance of horse racing, family drama and a sweet romance. This is definitely one of those books that I get lost in and just keep reading, then want more when I reach the end even though I liked how the story ended. Georgie is sweet and sassy and still trying to find her place in the racing world and when everything starts to crumble she digs deep to keep herself going and doesn't let go of her dreams. Harris and Georgie have both been through alot together which left a strain on their relationship but they both started to move forward from it, slowly coming together in the process and realising their feelings for each other. This story is truely captivating and there's so much going on it just draws you in and leaves you unable to put it down. Find my reviews at https://lostinsweetwords.wordpress.com/
September 1, 2016
This sequel to Stay The Distance isn’t quite as good. It takes such a long time to get going, and there are extraordinarily long sections that seem to just describe a given race. However, the second half of the book, where things start to go wrong for protagonist Georgie, really starts to pick up the pace, even though the pure amount of bad things that happen seem far too melodramatic. Fans of horses and horse riding will love this, but unlike the fire book there isn’t as much going on for those who don’t want to read an entire chapter focussing on some horses racing.
June 1, 2016
“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”
If you are a fan of horse racing this is a book for you. The tale of complicated family dynamics, blended with young love and love of horse racing follows two families as they live their lives.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
If you are a fan of horse racing this is a book for you. The tale of complicated family dynamics, blended with young love and love of horse racing follows two families as they live their lives.
The narration was well done. The characters were excellently portrayed.
December 21, 2016
Engaging story with plenty of action and excitement.
As a horse person myself, I enjoyed the real life racing action and the constant emotional energy from the characters. Left me turning pages to see what happens next! And of course, I want to know what happens next with Georgie and Sweet Bells!
As a horse person myself, I enjoyed the real life racing action and the constant emotional energy from the characters. Left me turning pages to see what happens next! And of course, I want to know what happens next with Georgie and Sweet Bells!
March 26, 2016
Beautifully written. I loved the characters. Mara is very knowledgeable about racing and I felt like I was there at the track!
April 5, 2016
Great title for this book.
Like a Phoenix Georgi and Harris come out of a dark tunnel once again burning bright together. Great romance story.
Like a Phoenix Georgi and Harris come out of a dark tunnel once again burning bright together. Great romance story.
June 7, 2016
Read in one sitting. The sexual tension! The horses! The nostalgia! Really recommend this for those wanting a more mature horsey read.
Want to read
February 5, 2016 **I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews