"Excellent Horse Story"

It was love at first sight. One look at the beautiful black stallion and A.J. was a goner.

A.J. Sutherland is the daughter of the owner of the Sutherland Stables and as soon as she sees the stunning stallion, Sabbath, she knows that she has to have him. She bids $30,000. for him at auction. Her brother, Peter, is furious and says she cannot bring him home. He claims Sabbath is too unpredictable and too aggressive. Her father backs up Peter so A.J. leaves with Sabbath.

A.J. visits her neighbor, Devlin McCloud, and asks him to be her trainer for the upcoming jumping competition in two months. Devlin is a champion but he had been seriously injured the year before and had to put his horse down. He is still grieving. He reluctantly agrees to become her trainer but is concerned that the attraction they have for each other could stand in the way of his effectiveness.

Sabbath is a beauty but he is stubborn and wants his own way. He does form a friendship with A.J. but she has trouble handling the huge feisty horse. He enjoys jumping but does not like to follow orders and definitely does not like jumping over water. It turns out that A.J. is not quite the pampered rich girl that Devlin had first thought as she doggedly pursues her dream of winning the Qualifier competition.

LEAPING HEARTS is a fascinating book from beginning to end. Jessica Bird writes realistically and well. I especially enjoyed the secondary character, Chester, best friend of Devlin who is always there for him. All of the characters are well drawn as A.J. and Devlin train Sabbath and fall in love. It is interesting, reading how hard the horse and rider work to become as one in the jumping competition. They form a strong friendship by coming to trust and love each other. A.J. and Devlin are believable and perfect for each other. Each is able to provide the healing and love needed by the other. LEAPING HEARTS is the first book I have read by Jessica Bird but I will be looking for more from this author.

Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
Posted October 14, 2002

Summary

Her dreams are within reach...

All she has to do is learn to hold on...

A beautiful young woman with a defiant spirit, A. J. Sutherland spends a small fortune on a horse with a wild reputation, and is forced to sacrifice her position at her family's stables to keep him. She plans to ride the magnificent stallion in the biggest event of the show jumping season and she knows she can win. But without the backing of Sutherland Stables, A. J. must rely on a stranger to help her: a man who makes her heart pound, her head spin . . . and who just happens to be a legend in equestrian circles.

When Devlin McCloud's career was cut short by a tragic accident, he never expected to get back in the ring. But when A. J. asks him to be her trainer, he finds he cannot resist the chance?or his stunning new employer. And what begins as a business arrangement soon becomes something deeper, as Devlin and A. J. learn that even in a sport full of hazards, sometimes the most dangerous thing to risk is one's heart. .