Rating: 
Summary: Not a romance, not a mystery
Review: ...but has elements of both. The opening chapter made me cry in Taco Bell and I stayed up all night to finish the book. Though a busy stable provides the setting, it's not just a story for horse lovers; this is really about what happens when grief and depression go unaddressed for twenty years. There were a few plot points that nagged at me, but overall an enjoyably absorbing read.
Rating: 
Summary: Jump into a Great Book!
Review: Although this is Sara's first novel, I feel that she has outdone herself. She has written an impressive novel that combines romance with very real life drama, intrigue, mystery family dynamics and the harsh realities that life sometimes dishes out. She has also addressed two very important issues; the role of equine rescue groups and the controversial subject of a person's right to choose to die.The main character in this book is very courageous and endures many hardships throughout her life. Because she endured these hardships, she goes on to become a more powerful and stronger woman. This book will give anyone who reads it a powerful hope, that no matter how hard life is and how many tragedies a person may endure, there is still hope and happiness to be had! I could not put this book down. Sara went flawlessly from one subject to the next smoothly and it was so well written I felt like I was there. Whether you are an experienced rider, a horse lover or someone who just likes a great read- I highly recommend you JUMP into this book, you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Jump into a Great Book!
Review: Although this is Sara's first novel, I feel that she has outdone herself. She has written an impressive novel that combines romance with very real life drama, intrigue, mystery family dynamics and the harsh realities that life sometimes dishes out. She has also addressed two very important issues; the role of equine rescue groups and the controversial subject of a person's right to choose to die. The main character in this book is very courageous and endures many hardships throughout her life. Because she endured these hardships, she goes on to become a more powerful and stronger woman. This book will give anyone who reads it a powerful hope, that no matter how hard life is and how many tragedies a person may endure, there is still hope and happiness to be had! I could not put this book down. Sara went flawlessly from one subject to the next smoothly and it was so well written I felt like I was there. Whether you are an experienced rider, a horse lover or someone who just likes a great read- I highly recommend you JUMP into this book, you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful story of life, love, hardship, and healing.
Review: Annemarie Zimmer was an Olympic contender at the young age of 18 when a tragic riding accident left her severely injured and emotionally shaken. Her extremely rare brindled horse, a Hanoverian named Highland Harry, was killed in the fall. Twenty years later, when this story picks up, she hasn't ridden since. But then her new life comes unraveled in almost every place - she loses her job, her teenage daughter drops out of school, her husband leaves her, and her father is diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / Lou Gehrig's disease) - and Annemarie returns to her parents' farm and is forced to confront her past. And when a new horse unexpectedly enters her life, one whose unusual markings bring back painful memories of the deceased Harry, Annemarie's obsession with discovering the horse's identity leads her down a path that is both intriguing and frightening at the same time. The story sucked me in immediately. This, Gruen's first novel, is an absolute masterpiece. The story is narrated by the main character, Annemarie, and also told in present tense. This combination lends the book a liveliness and immediacy that fully engages the reader. In fact, I read the whole book in one day, staying up very late at night to finish it because I was so fascinated with the story. It is fast-paced and to-the-point, but contains all the little details that make the whole book seem real. It also helps immensely that the author is obviously a true horseperson herself. I am frequently disappointed by authors that write about horses when it is plain that they know nothing about them, but Gruen clearly knows her stuff. I also liked the fact that the heroine here is a very real person. She is not a perfect woman beset by circumstances entirely beyond her control, but has her own faults as well. As the story progresses Annemarie discovers the ways in which she herself has contributed to her current misfortunes, and this acceptance of her own responsibility makes her even more likeable. She is a character we can all identify with because she is so very human. There are times when she is peevish, or overly protective of her daughter, or emotionally irrational. Despite all her best intentions she nearly ruins her parents' family business. But she also has moments of dry wit in reference to herself that are refreshing and funny. In addition, the author does an excellent job of developing the relationships between all the characters of the story. I was startled by many of the parallels between Annemarie's family and my own. Each character is multi-dimensional, and has both strengths and weaknesses. The struggles between Annemarie and her mother, daughter, and the man whose love she spurned so many years before are all poignant and wonderfully realistic. We also see Annemarie's inner turmoil over how to face her father's illness. Sara Gruen is clearly a very talented writer, and has woven a beautiful story here. It bares the basic essence of life and lets us inspect it from all angles. I sincerely hope to see more books like this in the near future, and would recommend this novel to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Unique Affinity
Review: As well as the honest portrayal of two mother-daughter relationships, the unique affinity between a horse and owner is also richly expressed in Sara Gruen's RIDING LESSONS. A less-than-perfect protagonist learns about life's lessons too. Wonderful opening chapter, delicious imagery!
Rating:
Summary: An exciting character study
Review: Eighteen year old Olympic hopeful, Annemarie Zimmer and her beloved steed Highland Harry run the equestrian course so effortlessly they seem more like a centaur. As they finish the last jump Annemarie senses something is wrong. Three weeks later, a physically broken Annemarie learns that a bone in Harry's hoof shattered leading to Harry humanely shot dead right there. Annemarie recovers from a broken neck and other major injuries with only the drugs keeping her out of depression. Twenty years later, Annemarie has lived in Minnesota so she will not be pushed to ride for Harry was her "significant other". She loses her job documenting software, her spouse Roger leaves her, and she learns that her father is dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. Though returning to the family's New Hampshire Maple Brook Riding Academy means reliving her nightmare Annemarie knows she must as she was her dad's greatest hope and his greatest disappointment. Accompanied by her obdurate know it all teenage daughter she needs to see her dad before he dies. However, the shocker at home is the striped horse that looks like the reincarnation of Harry. RIDING LESSONS is an exciting character study that uses the equestrian world as a backdrop to a family drama. The vivid story line focuses on the trials and tribulations of Annemarie, a world caliber athlete in hiding from life, her family, and her sport until three strikes make her return to the fold. The secondary cast including her recalcitrant daughter, other family members, the vet she loved as a teen, an attractive trainer, and of course the striped horse provide insight into the heroine who remains the center of a powerful tale of redemption. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: not bad
Review: First, the three stars because I grade on a tougher curve than most Amazon reviewers, and there are just so many better horse novels out there. BUT, they are also quite sentimental and cliched, so this book in some ways outclasses them.
Perhaps the fact that I have read so many books where the abused horse and rider heal together and then win the blue or the Olympic gold made me less receptive to this book - as others have said, I had trouble figuring out where the story was going, as it did not fit your typical "National Velvet" plot. I also wished sometimes the main character would start to get her life in gear sooner, but then maybe that was due to all the terminally plucky and tough horse heroines I have been exposed to since childhood.
But the horse is intriguing, and the fact that he and the owner DON'T beat all the snobs at the county show is worth the price of the book alone.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific read!
Review: Full disclosure: Sara Gruen is a friend of mine--but I'd give RIDING LESSONS five stars even if I didn't know her. Add me to the list of people who read the book in one sitting. I simply couldn't put it down. I knew all would turn out well in the end, but I wasn't *quite* sure how Gruen would get us there. Her dissection of mother/daughter relations is dead on, as is her portrayal of a woman's journey of self-discovery. Exceptional prose and a well-constructed plot make this one a keeper. (And this is only her first book. I can't wait to read her next!)
Rating:
Summary: Very engaging first novel
Review: I am a Chicago writer who came to know the author via a writers' group, which led me to buy the novel. I would not ordinarily be interested in a horse novel, but RIDING LESSONS is a terrific read. The writing is very accessible and honest---the heroine is a flawed and neurotic, but likeable. You can't help rooting for her even when her irrational behavior drives you nuts. Also an interesting look inside the world of horses rescued from abusive situations. I'll definitely want to read Sara Gruen's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointment
Review: I bought this book strictly on the jacket synopsis. It appealed to me because I used to ride competitively and love fiction. Boy was I disappointed. Annemarie is such a broken character that I found her unpalatable. At 38, she sneaks out of the house in the morning so she doesn't have to face the father that she knows is dying? Shallow should be this woman's middle name. It is very difficult to root for her or find satisfaction with the novel when she discovers what she thinks is contentment in the last few pages. The equine stuff is fairly believable, although the constant references to the "stablehands" like they were second class citizens wore thin. The people that keep a barn running and successful are the people that Annemarie shuns and is revolted that her daughter associates with. I find this inconsistent with my experience. There are several questions left unanswered (why is Dan, the veterinarian living in a condemned-sounding trailer?). This is a book that makes you think that you, too, can be a novelist if this is where the bar is set.
| 
