I do have to be careful reviewing this one. The reason it is so good is a massive spoiler, but just let me tell you all is not as it seems and there are some serious issues underneath Lucy’s fabulous, entertaining writing. It’s partly about how we appear on the outside isn’t always our real selves. As I started to read, it seemed a perfectly pleasant romantic story, with two storylines I couldn’t quite fit together, other than the two women were friends. All I can say is, keep reading!

We are introduced to two women; Kate who has escaped her life physically, by running away to a remote eventing stable in Exmoor, and Annie who has been trying to escape her life since she was seven and her mother died. Annie suffers from severe anxiety which hampers her everyday life and makes it hard for her to form relationships. As the story progresses, we learn in short flashbacks what happened on her seventh birthday to make her this way.

Being a horse person, I also loved Kate being on the farm and the star of the show is undoubtedly Stumpy, Mark’s star event horse. Where would any of them be without the love of Stumpy? The book is well-researched, enough that Kate’s complete ignorance of horses does not go un-noticed and she confides in someone early on. This makes it so much more believable that she wouldn’t be outed, although there is more to this than just that.

And oh I cried! I also laughed, Lucy’s books being that wonderful combination that get all your emotions going. There’s tension, there’s a dash of fear, but all-in-all wonderful, real feeling characters. And when they don’t quite feel real enough, maybe there’s a good reason for that…

Review copy provided by publisher.