Comet in Summer

by Grace Wilkinson

The moment Rio sees the skinny black gelding standing in the local meat man’s field, she resolves to save him. Gentle and exceptionally bred, Comet is the kind of horse Rio has always dreamed of owning - a horse to take on hacks through the vines, ride bareback at sunset, and maybe even compete in an event or two. Comet seems too good to be true, and Rio soon suspects that his past involved more than standing around in a field… But Rio has more to worry about than Comet. With five sisters to deal with - including Clemmie the bestselling romance novelist, Lia the ten-year-old taxidermist, and carefree Susannah who came back from her gap year with more than could fit in a suitcase - and a summer of renovating an old house complicated by the arrival of numerous guests, her family isn’t as perfect as her mum’s blog about their life in rural France suggests. And there’s Comet, a horse with his own story, and Rio soon discovers he could change her life in ways she’d never imagined. Except she’s not so sure she wants it to…

Genres: Horses

342 pages, Paperback

Published May 22, 2017

About the author

Rider by day, writer by night.

https://www.facebook.com/GraceWilkins...

Reviews

[Carmel Ann Sperti]

This book was a delight! From the quirky, but lovable family to the well-developed, compassionate, competent protagonist, this is a book I'd recommend to all young-and young at heart equestrians. Ms. Wilkinson, with incomparable British aplomb, spins a page-turner with lots of physical and emotional action, yet devoid of sleaze. I look forward to more of her work!

[Mary Pagones · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is at the end of this book that the author really finds her stride, with her descriptions of eventing in France. The impressive breadth and depth of Grace Wilkinson's experiences with horses really shines through as she explains how to "read" a horse's temperament and experience level when a rider gets on for the first time or "reads" the questions of a cross-country or stadium course.

[Kersten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a sucker for a good horse story and have suffered through many a poorly written or poorly imagined story just because: horses! Imagine my happiness at finding these absolutely delightful set of books that are not only horse horse horse, but also highly entertaining with wonderful characters. Having just powered through the author's complete set, i must say that this one is my favorite. Set in France, it follows the adventures of an English family, particularly horsie Rio. Rescuing a horse from a meat dealer, Rio jump starts her eventing career. What she learns along the way is arguably more valuable than the riding skills she gains, however. I love Rio, I love Comet, and i love her family. More than anything, i want to some how be a part of her life. And i guess, thanks to the author, I was. Thank you for sharing and please write more!!!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant moments smooth a rough start

I started off rather hesitantly with this book, partially due to the change in location compared to Wilkinson's other books, but mostly due to the large character list. The family felt overly large and many of the characters blurred together, but Wilkinson really finds Rio's voice a third of the way through and everything else comes into clarity around her. I wished for more details in her events, but having finished it I feel it's fitting that she didn't really fill them out to the sane degree as she does in her other books. One nagging crituque is that I felt like there was lots of setup for a confrontation over Comet's past. My favorite part, though, were all the beautiful little moments and scenes throughout the book.

[Genevieve Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic horse book. Hilarious, engaging characters and a beautiful setting. Five stars!

[Chrissi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

I loved the plot. I loved the characters. It is set in France which is lovely, yet uncommon for me. The story is fulfilling.

[SHERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Grace Wilkinson.