Nothing But Horses by Shannon Kennedy

RATED 4 STARS

Sierra works hard at Shamrock Stables that her family owns.  She carries a lot of responsibility and expects others to tow the line.  That is how she ended up in group therapy where she is trying to learn to deal with people who annoy her by being lazy or irresponsible or just plain stupid.  She has no time for the regular teenage things like a steady boyfriend or outside activities.

We meet Sierra at Christmas time where she is surrounded by a loving family and a great group of friends.  She has concerns about her mother who is dating Dave, the local animal protecting agent.  Dave is really good and kind but Sierra worries that her mom will break his heart and dump him for one of her usual young cowboy types.

During the break, Sierra’s grandfather helps her to transfer to Lincoln High where all her friends attend and she is able to get a full basketball scholarship.  The coach, who should be ecstatic to have a girl with her skills, finds her lacking and gives her a really hard time.

Sierra is generally happy at her new school though but gets thrown when her English teacher gives her an assignment to follow her passion and refuses to let her project take place at the farm.

Life is changing for Sierra but can she change with it?

I really like this series.  Sierra’s story was engaging and realistic.  She is not perfect nor is her family but they really try and support one another.  She has a wonderful relationship with her younger sister that I can never read enough about.

There is a lot of detail about riding and the care of horses that would captivate any young woman who loves horses.  It was a little too much for me.  I would have liked more story about Sierra and her group of friends.  That is just personal preference and the details certainly took nothing from the story.

If you have a horse lover in your life, I can’t say too much about this series.  It is enjoyable and instructional at the same time.