Following the big once-a-year Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming David Parsons' horse breaks loose during a storm and flees. Muddy is an ugly horse with an attitude to match, but also the fastest around, making David a lot of money. Searching and posting a $5,000 reward generates nothing. It takes four years without his champion horse to lose it all--- the championship--money-- everything, including his fiancé.

David has lost everything and at his lowest when his friend calls him after spotting Muddy at the Montana State High School Rodeo Finals in Kalispell, Montana. Kylan Runningbird, an 18-year-old Indian boy, is attempting to ride HIS horse. Kylan's aunt, Mary Steele, provides a bill of sale and heads home with the horse in tow without David's knowledge. Mary has guardianship of Kylan who is diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. David is forced to travel to Kalispell to negotiate possession of his ornery horse. Mary looks nothing like the rest of her family, being half white and half Indian. Trying to take possession of Muddy is definitely tangling up David's feelings when this this little slip of a special ed. teacher is thrown into the mix along with her nephew and his disabilities.

THE LONG RIDE HOME is the first I have had the pleasure of reading by the very talented Kari Lynn Dell. I really liked Mary's strong and committed character. The plot had just the right amount of emotion laced with romance. Including the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome issue made this story more interesting and educational for those not acquainted with this condition. Kari Lynn Dell is definitely a gifted author to follow in the future, as she knows how to keep things interesting and exciting.