Book Review: Horseplay, by Judy Renee Singer

I finished this book yesterday. It is a nice, light read about a 30-something woman who runs away from her manipulative, philandering husband in New York to become a working student at a dressage barn in North Carolina. It is written with a wry sense of humor (the ubiquitous Jack Russell terriers were hysterical) and the characters are spot on – for almost each and every one, I thought "I've met/know that person." Her portrayal of life on a horse farm was also dead on. Since she states in her biography that she's divorced, and her protagonist's name is also Judy, I wondered how much was autobiographical. Although the author touches on themes of family (her relationship with her sister and various mother-daughter relationships) and friendship bonds between women, the book is first and foremost a romance novel. Judy has to find herself before she can find her man (which is a good thing). There are some risqué parts, but nothing explicit. Readers younger than 30 will likely enjoy the horsey backdrop and the foreign working students at the dressage barn, but may lack the life experience to really get the rest of it. If you're looking for a light, "beach read" book in a horsey setting, this is a good one. You can find out more about the author at her website.