Horses in Wonderland

Show Barn Blues #2

by Natalie Keller Reinert

There's trouble brewing in the neighborhood . . . and possibly romance, as well?Grace, Kennedy, and the rest of the Seabreeze Equestrian Center crew have their work cut out for them. Keeping their horses and riders happy while noisy development takes over next door is a challenge. And just keeping the business from going under as the neighborhood changes is another. When Kennedy brings a trainer of parade horses into the mix, Grace finally meets their biggest the equine manager of the nearby theme park resort. With trail rides, hay rides, and pony rides, Mark's elaborately themed stable has been bringing in big bucks for the resort over the years - and he's not about to cede any of those tourist dollars to Grace's new ideas.

But Grace thinks she can beat Mark at his own game . . . which gets complicated when she realizes she might just be falling for him. Suddenly, she's balancing a barn full of boarders, aggressive new neighbors, a troublesome staff, and a relationship with a man whose business model is in her crosshairs isn't easy. Grace has been in the horse business a long time... but it's never looked like this before!

Take a deep dive into a world of parades, fireworks, and themed entertainment with Horses in Wonderland, an entirely new take on the horse industry in fiction.

Praise for Horses in Wonderland"This is a fun read, a peek behind the curtain of a real-life entertainment juggernaut which shall not be named, but you can certainly guess." - Amazon review

"LOVED this book! I really loved the first one too but this one was just as great a read and even made me more curious about Disney and those famous horses they have in their parades!" - Amazon review

"As always, a brilliant story, well written and absorbing. This didn't head in the direction I was expecting, but was even better than I hoped it would be!" - Amazon review

Horses in Wonderland is part of the Florida Equestrian Collection, which

The Eventing SeriesThe Alex & Alexander SeriesThe Grabbing Mane SeriesOcala Horse GirlsThe Sea Horse Ranch SeriesThe Briar Hill Farm SeriesThese novels include overlapping characters, events, and locales which create a community of equestrians you'll love recognizing and catching up with in each book!

Genres: Horses

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 26, 2018

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Mary Pagones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reinert's a wonderful writer in general, but her books are full of details that only true horse people seem to spot, not just about horses but about the people who love and work with them. I was only just talking yesterday about how many Crazy Horse People seem quite normal when you first encounter them. Then once they've gotten their foot in the door, their horses in the barn, and the trailer stationed in the parking lot, they start to let the crazy flag fly. Crazy Horse People feature notably in this novel, but perhaps nothing is crazier than the contrast between people in the horse show world and the attempt by neighboring Disney World to create an equine paradise that isolates non-horsey tourists from all of the messy, behavioral nonsense that real horses (versus cartoon horses) exhibit.

Only someone with Reinert's experience could create a paradoxical character like the protagonist Grace--a successful hunter-jumper trainer with more than thirty grain-fed show horses in her barn, tack worth thousands and thousands of dollars, and no idea of how she's going to stay financially afloat in the coming months. In lesser horse books, there's often a poor versus rich divide, but in the real horse world, the economics, ethics, and lifestyles of horse people are often far more messy and complicated.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

A book by Natalie Keller Reinert never disappoints! I had loved the first book in the series, Show Barn Blues, and hadn't known there was a second book being released until about a week before it released. I downloaded it ASAP as soon as it was available. I really enjoyed reading more about the characters and seeing some new ones enter the story.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the wait!

I wish I could clone Natalie multiple times - so one could work at her day job, and three more could work on her three different series of horse books for adults. Grace, Jules, and Alex (as well as their ancillary casts) have become old friends over the past few years - but I can’t get enough of any of them.

With my withdrawal pangs briefly sated, I just have one question - when can we expect the next book?

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hugely enjoyable read! Readers who don't consider themselves "horse people," fear not: the author's latest has something for everyone, whether your particular cup of tea is later-in-life romances, complex female relationships, settings as powerful as any character, or Disney World. Readers who are horse people: immerse yourselves in detail-perfect show-barn worldbuilding, ponies with personality, and the true-to-life evolution of protagonist Grace's business as her barn triumphantly changes with the times, rather than retiring to pasture.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have spent my summer reading the eventing series and now the show barn duo. I've loved all of them both for the simplicity of the wiring style and the story line and characters. Horses in Wonderland had another piece of my heart in it, Disney in Florida. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I could literally visualize the settings and really connected. Wishing there were more in each series... both lead characters (Jules and Grace) are living their lives and I truly want to keep up their stories!

[Pam Mahony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting horse book

I have liked all of the books by this author. And I do like this book; however it seemed a bit disjointed. Weaving through the main story were characters and subplots. Several of them caught my interest but then the author took us off in a different direction, never to return to the suggestion of an interesting relationship. Perhaps fewer suggestions of subplots and more focus on the main story would have led to a more cohesive book.

[Anne-Marie Webster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy horses and reading about them. The author knows her subject and is a talented writer. I would love to give her a higher rating, but refrain from doing so as I object to the use of the Lord’s name being used irreverently and also sexual activity outside of marriage. The latter was implied rather than explicitly stated. I would not recommend this book for these reasons. There is enough heartache in this world relating to the portrayal of this behavior as normal and acceptable.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Natalie and her three horse ladies, Alex, Jules, and Grace. This second book about the smart business oriented owner of Seabreeze was just as good as the first. I love how the well established Grace is always testing her own boundaries to keep her farm in business and I'm really happy she finally got a dog.

[Chrissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the venue

I liked the theme park venue and felt like I learned something new. The characters, as always, were well-developed. The story was a bit predictable, a bit back and forth with nothing really happening. Overall, interesting, well-written, but I can’t find the excitement as in some of her other works.

[Nancy Cupp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot went missing for a while

I enjoy barn life so I can appreciate MS Reinert's story,but for a great read there has to be a strong plot. This book has a very linear plot with few (if any) side plots.. Still a good read, but lacking depth.

[Charlie A Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. Both the Eventing Series and Show Barn Rules series are great. As a 60 y/o reader and former adult eventer, it is difficult to find equestrian reads that are not geared towards teens. Reinhart really knows her horses. And like many others wrote, I want more!

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and the first one in the series, _Show Barn Blues_ because while it featured horses, it featured another aspect of the horse industry I had not considered--horses in entertainment. The problem of the urban expansion encroaching on rural areas is also addressed, and it was very interesting to me to see how it is in other states. I recommend this book highly.

[Taylor Segen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up on horseback I like these books but this has been my least favorite. Mostly because the exploitation of the horses is pretty extreme but also because I never understand the need to saddle (Pardon the pun) an independent woman with a man. No, I am definitely not a romance fan.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like this one as much as the first one in the series because it didn't seem to have as much about the horses. But it was OK and did give a good peek into what Florida is like for the locals/natives.

[SHERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Natalie Reinert.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

More!

Another wonderful book and more about Grace and even romance. Well written and thoughtful, was sorry when it ended so I want more.

[Frances P. Haws · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

This book has a little bit of everything in it including some romance. A sequel to it would be nice!

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Upset with how this series has progressed. Characters acted so different and it didn’t feel like there was a real plot. The first book is by far better.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Not what I expected. Several twists and turns. Love horse stories. Very much true and meamingful. Relationships truly. Great read

[Tamera Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never got into it.