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Good Things Come #0
Bright, Broken Things
Welcome to Triple Stripe Stables, a farm in the heart of Canadian Thoroughbred horse country…
He’s racing cross-country, looking for a safe place to land.
She’s dreading a future that was never her choice.
They both want the same thing: to leave the past behind.
September means school, but this year, Nate’s not going back. He’s heading east, and while everyone at home thinks he’s pursuing a career as a jockey, he’s really just running away.
After always being a student, he lands a job as a teacher — of young Thoroughbreds, starting yearlings on a small but classy farm in Ontario. It’s the perfect place to hide, until a jockey’s agent comes along promising to give him everything he thought he ever wanted. How can he say no to a fast track to the career of his dreams? But can he go back on his commitment to the farm that gave him a break when his world had fallen apart?
Liv likes the new guy she hired to start the babies, but she kind of hates him too. He’s doing what she wants to do herself — dropping out to chase a future on the front lines of horse racing. She wishes she could be content, accepting the path vet school has firmly set her on. But a filly named Claire has captured her heart and ignited her real passion: riding racehorses. Does everyone get to follow their heart?
Meanwhile, a cherished mare on the farm carries a foal that will change both their lives and remind them… good things come to those who wait.
He’s racing cross-country, looking for a safe place to land.
She’s dreading a future that was never her choice.
They both want the same thing: to leave the past behind.
September means school, but this year, Nate’s not going back. He’s heading east, and while everyone at home thinks he’s pursuing a career as a jockey, he’s really just running away.
After always being a student, he lands a job as a teacher — of young Thoroughbreds, starting yearlings on a small but classy farm in Ontario. It’s the perfect place to hide, until a jockey’s agent comes along promising to give him everything he thought he ever wanted. How can he say no to a fast track to the career of his dreams? But can he go back on his commitment to the farm that gave him a break when his world had fallen apart?
Liv likes the new guy she hired to start the babies, but she kind of hates him too. He’s doing what she wants to do herself — dropping out to chase a future on the front lines of horse racing. She wishes she could be content, accepting the path vet school has firmly set her on. But a filly named Claire has captured her heart and ignited her real passion: riding racehorses. Does everyone get to follow their heart?
Meanwhile, a cherished mare on the farm carries a foal that will change both their lives and remind them… good things come to those who wait.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2022
189 people are currently reading
311 people want to read
About the author
Linda Shantz
17 books55 followersAfter many years of working at the racetrack, Linda now manages a small herd of retired racehorses, who usually give her enough time off to paint and write. She lives on a small farm in Southern Ontario with the horses and her Border Collie and is best known for her art, which can be seen at www.lindashantz.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 5, 2024
Rating: 4.5
Highlights:
⭐️ This was a fun introduction to the world and the characters of this series. Linda Shantz did a nice set up here that wants to make me keep reading more.
⭐️ Horse books written by horse people are always fun for me, I appreciate the accuracy and the feel that comes through the story. This books definitely had a great authenticity.
⭐️ I connected with both Liv and Nate, and also loved Emilie & Geai as well. Looking forward to continuing on with this series!
Highlights:
⭐️ This was a fun introduction to the world and the characters of this series. Linda Shantz did a nice set up here that wants to make me keep reading more.
⭐️ Horse books written by horse people are always fun for me, I appreciate the accuracy and the feel that comes through the story. This books definitely had a great authenticity.
⭐️ I connected with both Liv and Nate, and also loved Emilie & Geai as well. Looking forward to continuing on with this series!
November 14, 2022
Great read for horse lovers
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Characters are well developed and the plot moves well. Appreciate the details learning some about horse farms in Canada. Recommend this book.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Characters are well developed and the plot moves well. Appreciate the details learning some about horse farms in Canada. Recommend this book.
June 19, 2022
Had the privilege of reading this prequel , if you are an avid Linda Shantz reader you will appreciate how it all began and the complexity of our favorite characters if you are just discovering this amazing thoroughbred racing saga you will be hook ...enjoy the ride !
Highly recommended !
Highly recommended !
December 21, 2023
All the feels
This is exactly what my tired mind and heart needed. Loved it
This is exactly what my tired mind and heart needed. Loved it
June 30, 2022
The prequel, Bright Broken Things, is another gift from author, Linda Shantz. This novella provides a backstory to the series main human characters, Liv and Nate. In the first book of the series, Good Things Come, I found myself frustrated and baffled by Liv's thinking and actions with people. The prequel begins to shed light with hints about Liv's childhood that will help readers understand her reserved nature. Linda's beautiful writing pulls the reader in, and her story-telling ability makes this book hard to put down. Another one for the winner's circle!
June 11, 2023
Love of horses
Great story. Learned a lot about horse racing. Nate was working thru heartache and Liv was working thru her own things. Made you hope they would get together sooner or later
Great story. Learned a lot about horse racing. Nate was working thru heartache and Liv was working thru her own things. Made you hope they would get together sooner or later
May 16, 2024
Loved reading this! I miss working with horses so this was a nice catch up with all the familiar things! Good storyline! Definitely going to read all the others
June 20, 2022
Bright, Broken Things is a prequel in the Good Things Come series by award-winning author Linda Shantz and is my favorite in the series. The prequel sets up Nate's arrival at the farm and is a must read for lovers of good equestrian fiction! Linda Shantz is an expert on the Canadian Thoroughbred racing scene and writes about Thoroughbreds and the people that work with them in a way that is genuine, and full of vivid detail. Readers like me who loved the wealth of equestrian detail delivered with such satisfying accuracy in the first five books in the series will not be disappointed in this new one! I choked up at the end even knowing what was to come in subsequent books. I'd love another prequel 🐴
April 13, 2023
Two talented horse people meet as they face their similar internal struggles.
Great look into Canadian racing and a veterinarian’s 3rd out of 4 years of vet school. Lovely descriptions of farm, horses, and racetracks makes you want to go for a visit and a hack.
Great look into Canadian racing and a veterinarian’s 3rd out of 4 years of vet school. Lovely descriptions of farm, horses, and racetracks makes you want to go for a visit and a hack.
January 16, 2024
4:36
51%
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I love horses. When I was a child my father had a farm and there were several horses and the most beautiful one, I named him Prince. I wish I could have learned to ride like a pro but I was scared. I enjoyed reading this prequel and Imagined myself riding along with Liv.
51%
Share a review of Bright, Broken Things: A Good Things Come Horse Racing Novella
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I recommend this book
What did you like about this book?
Entertaining
Scary
Action-packed
Tragic
Unpredictable
Show More
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I love horses. When I was a child my father had a farm and there were several horses and the most beautiful one, I named him Prince. I wish I could have learned to ride like a pro but I was scared. I enjoyed reading this prequel and Imagined myself riding along with Liv.
April 1, 2023
I enjoyed this book so much. I am not a horse person at all but that did not stop me from reading it. It is easy to read, the story flows nicely and I now want to know what happens next that much that I've bought the next 3 books. Thank you Linda 🙂
June 26, 2025
This may be a book that is better read than listened to. The narrator of the audio version sounds artificially generated. It was so distracting that I had difficulty maintaining my focus on the story. Maybe in the future I'll read it myself and hope for a better impression.
July 31, 2022
This book sets the stage so beautifully for the series - but the neat thing? It can be read whenever you find it ... so if you've read the series you'll still enjoy this one. It was so nice to see the early characters in the series again - both horse and human.
Thank you for another great read Linda!! Can't wait for the next one - may have to go back and read them all in order this time!!
Thank you for another great read Linda!! Can't wait for the next one - may have to go back and read them all in order this time!!
Read
December 3, 2022Nate and Live are so interesting. They are caught in this tangled web called Chasing your Dreams, but can they make it out. I liked the setting of Ontario and enjoyed the world of thoroughbred racing. What a different world. I liked getting a glimpse into the starting spot for a foal and filly. Loved this book.
June 19, 2022
Love love loved it!!! I couldn’t put it down. Flowed well, and gave a great backstory character intro to ‘the crew’. I really enjoyed the character development and I’m going to go back and reread the rest of the series now knowing ‘how it all started’. Highly recommend
November 20, 2022
educational as well as entertaining
Although it is a prequel, this isn’t a short story you finish in a half hour. I appreciate that as well as the many details of race horse training. The characters and the story are interesting enough to lead me to want to read the next book.
Although it is a prequel, this isn’t a short story you finish in a half hour. I appreciate that as well as the many details of race horse training. The characters and the story are interesting enough to lead me to want to read the next book.
July 8, 2023
A good story for horse lovers
This is a good story with character who have lots of layers. By the time I was halfway through the first chapter my heart had broken for the hero. And it’s a pleasure to read a story written by a horse person with knowledge
This is a good story with character who have lots of layers. By the time I was halfway through the first chapter my heart had broken for the hero. And it’s a pleasure to read a story written by a horse person with knowledge
July 17, 2023
This is a good story with character who have lots of layers. By the time I was halfway through the first chapter my heart had broken for the hero. And it’s a pleasure to read a story written by a horse person with knowledge
October 3, 2022
A very well written book with lovely, interesting characters, serious undertones, a sweet romance and lots of horses: perfect! This book is not my cup of tea, it is my whole pot of tea!
August 1, 2023
A good horsey read.
March 10, 2024
Review to follow
December 30, 2023
i’ll convince you to read this book using one quote and one quote only…
“He didn’t know her well enough to speculate what was under her wall. On the surface, she seemed straightforward. It was simple: She liked her privacy. He could respect that, even relate to it. They might just be kindred spirits. A ghost of a good thing. That made him smile.”
okay this is a prequel to a whole series so basically i have minimal thoughts other than it reminds me of heartland, a TV show i watched over the summer about a horse ranch. and that show was so good so i have high hopes for this but this book was definitely pretty introductory.
i actually think maybe this would be better to read like several books in to like add to the story rather than before everything, since i don’t know anything that’s gonna happen.
i’m going to read the 1st book and either i am gonna get hooked or won’t be reading any other ones.
only time will tell!
“He didn’t know her well enough to speculate what was under her wall. On the surface, she seemed straightforward. It was simple: She liked her privacy. He could respect that, even relate to it. They might just be kindred spirits. A ghost of a good thing. That made him smile.”
okay this is a prequel to a whole series so basically i have minimal thoughts other than it reminds me of heartland, a TV show i watched over the summer about a horse ranch. and that show was so good so i have high hopes for this but this book was definitely pretty introductory.
i actually think maybe this would be better to read like several books in to like add to the story rather than before everything, since i don’t know anything that’s gonna happen.
i’m going to read the 1st book and either i am gonna get hooked or won’t be reading any other ones.
only time will tell!
April 1, 2025
I BORROWED THIS E-BOOK FROM AMAZON KINDLE UNLIMITED. I STARTED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 3/23/2025.
GOOD THINGS COME SERIES - BOOK 0.5 - BRIGHT, BROKEN THINGS - PREQUEL - LINDA SHANTZ - KINDLE EDITION = 214 PAGES
I FOUND THIS E-BOOK A LITTLE DRY, MORE LIKE A TEXT BOOK ON HORSE RACING, HORSE RACE TRACKS - HOW THEY OPERATE AND THEIR LANGUAGE, HORSE FARMS - HOW THEY OPERATE, AND SOME INFORMATION ON HOW VETERINARY SCHOOLS OPERATE. I REALLY LIKED THE CHARACTERS, AND THE STORY LINE OF THE CHARACTERS. I DID LIKE THE ENDING. FOR ME IT DEFINITELY WASN'T A PAGE TURNER, AND I REALLY LOVE HORSES, AND HORSE STORIES. I HAVE READ OTHER HORSE RACING STORIES IN THE PAST, THAT I LIKES SO MUCH BETTER. THIS IS THE PREQUEL TO THE SERIES, SO HOPEFULLY THE ACTUAL SERIES WILL BE BETTER. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 3/31/2025.
GOOD THINGS COME SERIES - BOOK 0.5 - BRIGHT, BROKEN THINGS - PREQUEL - LINDA SHANTZ - KINDLE EDITION = 214 PAGES
I FOUND THIS E-BOOK A LITTLE DRY, MORE LIKE A TEXT BOOK ON HORSE RACING, HORSE RACE TRACKS - HOW THEY OPERATE AND THEIR LANGUAGE, HORSE FARMS - HOW THEY OPERATE, AND SOME INFORMATION ON HOW VETERINARY SCHOOLS OPERATE. I REALLY LIKED THE CHARACTERS, AND THE STORY LINE OF THE CHARACTERS. I DID LIKE THE ENDING. FOR ME IT DEFINITELY WASN'T A PAGE TURNER, AND I REALLY LOVE HORSES, AND HORSE STORIES. I HAVE READ OTHER HORSE RACING STORIES IN THE PAST, THAT I LIKES SO MUCH BETTER. THIS IS THE PREQUEL TO THE SERIES, SO HOPEFULLY THE ACTUAL SERIES WILL BE BETTER. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 3/31/2025.
August 16, 2022
A good, clean read for those who are addicted to horses. While I admire the equine species, I am not a fan of racing. Why? Mainly because of the attitude that the horse is a commodity. You breed, train, hope for a winner, often race before their skeletal structure is fully mature, and think in terms of $$$. Yes, we saw this reflected. Do not become attached; this is business. I was relieved that while there was attraction between the two main characters, Liv and Nate, the story did not revolve around the usual tension/angst of a romance novel. This was a decent story of two people attempting to balance the "I want" with the "I should." I look forward to seeing into the future of these 2 young adults.
November 20, 2023
A nice start to a series set in the horse racing industry.
This is the first book of a series that take place in Canadian Thoroughbred horse country. This book has some highly technical items and takes a deep dive into the horse racing industry and behind the scenes. I found it fascinating and not too technical where it was hard to follow. The story is an introduction of a series and the family behind Triple Stripe Stables. It sets the stage for several story lines to develop but didn’t feel unfinished. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing where these characters go. It’s an entertaining, quick read with a glimpse of what’s to come.
This is the first book of a series that take place in Canadian Thoroughbred horse country. This book has some highly technical items and takes a deep dive into the horse racing industry and behind the scenes. I found it fascinating and not too technical where it was hard to follow. The story is an introduction of a series and the family behind Triple Stripe Stables. It sets the stage for several story lines to develop but didn’t feel unfinished. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing where these characters go. It’s an entertaining, quick read with a glimpse of what’s to come.
December 5, 2023
This is a full length prequel to this series. Liv and Nate's beginning. A slow burn with lots of horse rearing and horseracing info. Interesting, but a little overwhelming, too. I am not too drawn to these two characters yet, but I do need the next book to see how they apparently work things out. So far they are both independent and loners.
I was gifted an audio version of this book from the author through Story Origin. The narrator does an excellent job presenting this story. 5 stars for her.
I was gifted an audio version of this book from the author through Story Origin. The narrator does an excellent job presenting this story. 5 stars for her.
November 8, 2022
This author sure knows horses and people.
What fun to read about Canadian race horses and the people who care for them. There is something about the bond that can develop between horse and rider similar to the bond people share.
The start of a series that anyone who loves horses and good writing will enjoy.
What fun to read about Canadian race horses and the people who care for them. There is something about the bond that can develop between horse and rider similar to the bond people share.
The start of a series that anyone who loves horses and good writing will enjoy.
November 1, 2022
Tried really hard to be objective about this story and tried to stick with it until the end. Unfortunately it was difficult to follow the story and had a strange ending. Just my opinion, and I also want to add, I adore horses and find them to be such a magnificent animal.
August 17, 2025
Great Horse Book!
This book is perfect for those kids who grew up reading the Black Stallion and Thoroughbred books. Who like their horse books accurate! And it probably helps that I identify with Liv, who is quiet, smart and likes horses better than people.
This book is perfect for those kids who grew up reading the Black Stallion and Thoroughbred books. Who like their horse books accurate! And it probably helps that I identify with Liv, who is quiet, smart and likes horses better than people.
October 14, 2025
October 2025
Kindle edition
This seems like a series I'd continue. Slow burn on the romance if there is any, felt like it was all about the horses. It was sad when he made promises to be there and started flitting around with the agent. Pretty much just there for Nick and Arthur. All about the horses.
Kindle edition
This seems like a series I'd continue. Slow burn on the romance if there is any, felt like it was all about the horses. It was sad when he made promises to be there and started flitting around with the agent. Pretty much just there for Nick and Arthur. All about the horses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews