FORWARD by Natalie Keller Reinert

Central Park Horse Show is a vibrant new setting in the series about Jules Thornton the event rider and her boyfriend Pete Morrison. The pair are moving FORWARD – or rather, one of them is moving. The other, not so much. And that creates difficulties.

Jules had loaned Pete her top horse Dynamo for competitive eventing in Florida. I’m not sure I would have. Pete’s mare was injured through his inattention, and if a driver crashes their car, would you lend them your car? Jules had to placate their sponsors. But now she’s got Dynamo back, and Danger Mouse has been bought for her to ride by a syndicate of pony moms. Jules is giving lessons each day to a gaggle of teenagers. This was supposed to be a joint task, but Pete is opting out.

Jules isn’t happy with the way Pete is training his latest ride, Rogue. The pair aren’t speaking about their concerns, and have no time to take a night off to go dancing or see a movie. Life is work. Then something major happens, and Pete resents that Jules is moving ahead as a competitor and he is not.

During some earlier books of the Eventing series, Pete was a gentleman, raised well, putting their partnership first. But living poor has soured him, and made him insecure. I’ve gone right off him. I’m also surprised by the lack of a social atmosphere. When I competed, riding club parties, Christmas dinners and hunt balls provided a balance, bringing people together in suits and dresses for once.

I would like more description of competition rounds and less angst. Having said that, the episode set in New York is sparkling, with an arena-based event surrounded by skyscrapers. Jules had to work hard to get there, and she deserved to experience the city. Some familiar faces return, and some new characters arrive. The book is packed with activity, usual for a riding stable, horse care, continual training, and concerns over soundness. And taking a dozen students to compete for the first time. Oh, the nerves. It all sounds so true.

Natalie Keller Reinert is not going easy on Jules for one minute, but FORWARD does see our hero meeting some of her goals and setting her sights higher. Who knows where she’ll go next? We’ll have to keep reading.

In Natalie Keller Reinert’s beloved eight-book Eventing Series, we follow Jules and her friends through the joys and heartbreaks of the competitive eventing circuit, as they work their way into elite echelons—and into one another’s lives and hearts. Utterly immersive and propulsive, this series is an unforgettable journey for anyone who has ever fallen in love with horses, or humans.

If Jules was sure about one thing, it was that she would never become a riding instructor. But suddenly she is the lead instructor at the Alachua Eventing Co-Op, in charge of the hopes and dreams of a dozen young riders. Her beloved working student, Lacey, is back; her star student, Lindsay, is becoming a devoted horsewoman; and though Jules never thought she’d be so sentimental, she loves training up a new generation of riders. Her own riding has never been better, and Jules will be able to afford a promising new horse to bring up through the levels if she and Dynamo can win at the Central Park Horse Show in the fall.

But cracks start to show as summer sets in. Pete’s overbearing new owner is pressuring him to push his horse too fast. Dynamo is suddenly showing his age on the cross-country course. And sparks are flying between Jules and her new coach, Evan Folkes. As mounting tension threatens her relationship with Pete, and the lights of New York City beckon, will Jules decide to chase new dreams? Or can she choose Pete and the life they’ve built together, and still move forward?