Heather Parker uproots her new-money family once her husband’s earned wealth grows large enough, and moves from Texas to Southern California. Having lost ponies in her youth, from poverty, the first thing she does is sign up her daughters to ride at Rancho Santa Fe Equestrian Centre. GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES mean big money in this novel. The first chapter foreshadows an unexplained death.

Jeff Parker is too busy managing his investments to notice, but Heather excels at spending his funds. There’s more than a whiff of Jackie Collins’ Hollywood Wives about the plush stables with snobby, entitled "barn moms" noting what everyone is wearing and how much it cost, while expecting big results from little versions of themselves. Piper and Maple Parker are not thrilled with these developments. Piper, the elder, loves horses and is a competent rider, but hates her mom’s pushy manner so she pretends she doesn’t want to take lessons. Maple is shy from being bullied and afraid of big horses. She should have been given a gentle mature horse, but the machinations of the staff decide otherwise. Local woman Pamela and her daughter, Vida, who have used up their trust fund, are instructed by trainer Kieran Flynn to treat Heather and her girls well. The Parker family is a golden goose. Kieran is determined to ensure they buy the most expensive horses. Upcoming young rider Douglas Dunn wants this too, because he gets to compete on good showjumping mounts until the pupils are able to ride in classes. Nobody actually wants the girls to be a success.

With many underlying tensions and spites, strong language, drink, and more, GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES by Eliza Jane Brazer isn’t a YA story as the title might suggest, but it could be considered a new adult or women’s fiction. As someone who reads a lot of crime novels, the frequent reminders throughout this book that someone unknown has come off badly and there is a dead body were a bit annoying, but perhaps this was done to emphasize the suspense element. However, I did disagree with one point; you do not sit down in a stable with a loose horse.

Like a recent young adult tale I read, Topanga Canyon: Fire Season, GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES is a deftly woven tale of families and horses, money and betrayals, emphasizes the constant abuse of young people and horses by those who seek money, fame, and power. In this case, we see emotional abuse rather than physical cruelty, but harm is caused in several ways, and the young people have no control over their lives. I started wondering if this is a universal situation, with hard work being done for free by eager kids who gain precious little benefit and – in GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES - stand to lose a great deal. Read the cautionary tale, don’t be a helicopter mom, and don’t get taken for a ride.