Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful romance
Review: In Florida, horse trainer Alec MacKenna informs owner Douglas Wellesley that his thoroughbred Lady Justice should not run today. Douglas forces the issue and the steed is injured in what will turn out to be the last race for this champion horse. Alec's concern for the horse's best interest costs him his thriving career as a leading trainer as the industry blames him for the accident and for his angry behavior towards the obstinate owner. Alec gets a second chance when he is asked to work miracles with talented LEGENDS LAKE, a horse that is lightning fast, but tends to jump the oval fence. He takes his new charge to Kate O'Sullivan's horse farm in Ireland so that the original breeder can help him understand the horse. As they work together, Alec and Kate begin to fall in love although her use of Druid magic to help her horses confuses him. However, he has a hurting stepdaughter still in mourning for the death of her mother (his wife) and she is legally married to a nasty sort making a relationship between them impossible. LEGENDS LAKE is an entertaining contemporary romance with a bit of magic and plenty of relationship drama to include the title hero. The story line is fun though the horse racing saga of LEGENDS LAKE asks the reader to run quite a stretch. Still, the interpersonal relationships are well designed so that the audience obtains insight into the feelings of several players. More than just the $2 better or the casual Derby follower will enjoy JoAnn Ross' Triple Crown winner. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Magic.
Review: Magic. It's in the smile of a little girl and under the flying feet of a champion racehorse. It's in the hands of Kate O'Sullivan. And, readers, it's in this book.
Kate O'Sullivan is a practicing Druid, a horse breeder, and a mother of two. She has finally found peace and joy in life after too many years with an abusive drunk of a husband. But she senses change coming, and it blows into her life in the person of Alec MacKenna.
Alec trains horses for a living, but that living is in jeopardy after he left his last job and was blacklisted in the racing community as a result. His last chance is a tall, awkward-looking horse named Legends Lake. This horse can run like the wind, but something is spooking him with dangerous consequences. Alec takes the horse back to Ireland to Legends
Lake's breeder in hopes of getting to the bottom of his bad behavior.
In a memorable first encounter, he meets Kate as she is rescuing a hawthorn tree from a bulldozer. His beliefs change slowly as he watches her bond with the horse--and also with his troubled stepdaughter. At first, he's testy and contentious, but his abrasiveness softens, and he begins to believe in magic. Kate's husband may have left, but he is still her husband. Divorce takes years to
go through in Catholic Ireland. And one day, Kate's husband decides to come
back....
The magic of Ireland is on full display in this marvel of
exquisitely crafted prose. Two wonderful people are able to overcome deeply scarring events in their pasts to be together.
Rating:
Summary: Magic.
Review: Magic. It's in the smile of a little girl and under the flying feet of a champion racehorse. It's in the hands of Kate O'Sullivan. And, readers, it's in this book.
Kate O'Sullivan is a practicing Druid, a horse breeder, and a mother of two. She has finally found peace and joy in life after too many years with an abusive drunk of a husband. But she senses change coming, and it blows into her life in the person of Alec MacKenna.
Alec trains horses for a living, but that living is in jeopardy after he left his last job and was blacklisted in the racing community as a result. His last chance is a tall, awkward-looking horse named Legends Lake. This horse can run like the wind, but something is spooking him with dangerous consequences. Alec takes the horse back to Ireland to Legends
Lake's breeder in hopes of getting to the bottom of his bad behavior.
In a memorable first encounter, he meets Kate as she is rescuing a hawthorn tree from a bulldozer. His beliefs change slowly as he watches her bond with the horse--and also with his troubled stepdaughter. At first, he's testy and contentious, but his abrasiveness softens, and he begins to believe in magic. Kate's husband may have left, but he is still her husband. Divorce takes years to
go through in Catholic Ireland. And one day, Kate's husband decides to come
back....
The magic of Ireland is on full display in this marvel of
exquisitely crafted prose. Two wonderful people are able to overcome deeply scarring events in their pasts to be together.
Rating:
Summary: Magic.
Review: Magic. It's in the smile of a little girl and under the flying feet of a champion racehorse. It's in the hands of Kate O'Sullivan. And, readers, it's in this book.
Kate O'Sullivan is a practicing Druid, a horse breeder, and a mother of two. She has finally found peace and joy in life after too many years with an abusive drunk of a husband. But she senses change coming, and it blows into her life in the person of Alec MacKenna.
Alec trains horses for a living, but that living is in jeopardy after he left his last job and was blacklisted in the racing community as a result. His last chance is a tall, awkward-looking horse named Legends Lake. This horse can run like the wind, but something is spooking him with dangerous consequences. Alec takes the horse back to Ireland to Legends
Lake's breeder in hopes of getting to the bottom of his bad behavior.
In a memorable first encounter, he meets Kate as she is rescuing a hawthorn tree from a bulldozer. His beliefs change slowly as he watches her bond with the horse--and also with his troubled stepdaughter. At first, he's testy and contentious, but his abrasiveness softens, and he begins to believe in magic. Kate's husband may have left, but he is still her husband. Divorce takes years to
go through in Catholic Ireland. And one day, Kate's husband decides to come
back....
The magic of Ireland is on full display in this marvel of
exquisitely crafted prose. Two wonderful people are able to overcome deeply scarring events in their pasts to be together.
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: The reason I gave this book five stars is because it spoke of the feelings that both Kate and Alec's felt for each. How Kate was scared of getting into another bad relationship with another man, it spoke of their good times and bed all and all I really like this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Beach Book
Review: This is the type of luscious, non-taxing book you want to eat with a spoon. It is that good. It has everything: A black stallion. A rugged, sexy, troubled but ultra-honorable hunk of a horse-training hero. A beautiful, fey, Irish heroine who may or may not be a witch. A sulky teenaged girl who has to learn a few lessons about life. A vile ogre rapist of an ex-husband. Are you still with me? Add in gorgeous descriptions of the Ireland coast, incredibly erotic and tender love scenes, wonderful descriptions of horse racing, a supernatural sea creature, a crumbling castle, a love affair of legendary proportions...and you will forget all your troubles. The only problem I had while reading this divine book was having to stop to refill my iced tea. This is JoAnn Ross at her absolute best, and I thank her. The pleasure was all mine!!
Rating: 
Summary: Cute, but not spectacular.
Review: While I'll admit this book caught my attention enough to force me to finish it, right now I'm wishing I hadn't wasted my money on it. The writing was frequently awkward and curt, leaving descriptive gaps that I felt really shouldn't have been left to the reader's imagination. Normally I don't have a problem with fantasy in my fiction either, but the way it was used in this novel was just distracting, and a bit hard to indulge. And by far and away my greatest complaint was the equine component. Or should I say lack thereof? Admittedly the author did a good enough job of introducing Legends Lake and his problem, but not only was the problem and it's cause a complete stretch (in my opinion, and I'm not a professional horseperson), but the resolution was enough to make my eyes roll until I felt like an old shirt just sent through the spin cycle. And did I forget to mention the stepdaughter's miraculous transformation from teen rebel to loving daughter? It was hinted at, but definately not developed enough to be believable. Another spot where entirely too much was left to the reader's imagination for my comfort. My bottom line is this: save your money, and your time! Get it from your library if you must, but I would not put out good money for this novel. I give it 2 stars only because I managed to fight through it.
Rating:
Summary: Cute, but not spectacular.
Review: While I'll admit this book caught my attention enough to force me to finish it, right now I'm wishing I hadn't wasted my money on it. The writing was frequently awkward and curt, leaving descriptive gaps that I felt really shouldn't have been left to the reader's imagination. Normally I don't have a problem with fantasy in my fiction either, but the way it was used in this novel was just distracting, and a bit hard to indulge. And by far and away my greatest complaint was the equine component. Or should I say lack thereof? Admittedly the author did a good enough job of introducing Legends Lake and his problem, but not only was the problem and it's cause a complete stretch (in my opinion, and I'm not a professional horseperson), but the resolution was enough to make my eyes roll until I felt like an old shirt just sent through the spin cycle. And did I forget to mention the stepdaughter's miraculous transformation from teen rebel to loving daughter? It was hinted at, but definately not developed enough to be believable. Another spot where entirely too much was left to the reader's imagination for my comfort. My bottom line is this: save your money, and your time! Get it from your library if you must, but I would not put out good money for this novel. I give it 2 stars only because I managed to fight through it.
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