It's been a while since I read one of the Heartland books, and so I had kind of forgotten that the main character, Amy, is fifteen, and yet this book would very much appeal to 12-year-olds. Her budding romance with Ty was fairly obvious but pretty well done, considering everything else that was going on in the book - her grandfather's failing health, her sister's search for their estranged father, her best friend Matt dating the snobby Ashley, a headstrong foal... but it works, and I like this series because there are serious issues being addressed and not just a simple, silly plotline (a la The Saddle Club).