efcraig's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is Thoroughbred meets General Hospital: you've got the female jockey phenom and her beloved filly, and a hell of a lot of family drama. And it's totally awesome.
Admittedly, at first I had a difficult time getting into this novel. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what it was (real-life interruptions certainly didn't help), but it started a bit slow and I kind of had to work my way through the first few chapters before the story really began to flow. It was an interesting change of pace (ha) to have the barn environment much less warm and friendly than in Mara's other novel, [b:Stay the Distance|25247133|Stay the Distance|Mara Dabrishus|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1427677127s/25247133.jpg|44711147]. In fact, the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Harris and Georgie's relationship is as complicated as it gets, with so much back-and-forth that when you think they've gotten it right, it goes horribly, horribly wrong. I've been in one such relationship before, and it can be absolute hell before you figure out how the hell to love each other...or how you can't. Same goes for their parents; the adults' behavior directly affects Georgie and Harris' actions towards each other and their horses, and you can understand why these two have such a horrible time trying to connect when their families are continually being ripped apart.
I also loved Georgie's relationships with "her" racehorses, especially Sweet Bells and Roman. She is not a perfect jockey and they are not perfect horses; there's few fairy-tale race endings here because for the most part, that's just not how racing works day in and day out. Especially with stakes as high as these.
Also, DAT ENDING THO. It was the perfect way to end such a dramatic and intense novel. I'm looking forward to Mara's next novel, but I have plenty of her wonderful writing to keep me completely occupied until then!
Admittedly, at first I had a difficult time getting into this novel. I wish I could pinpoint exactly what it was (real-life interruptions certainly didn't help), but it started a bit slow and I kind of had to work my way through the first few chapters before the story really began to flow. It was an interesting change of pace (ha) to have the barn environment much less warm and friendly than in Mara's other novel, [b:Stay the Distance|25247133|Stay the Distance|Mara Dabrishus|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1427677127s/25247133.jpg|44711147]. In fact, the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Harris and Georgie's relationship is as complicated as it gets, with so much back-and-forth that when you think they've gotten it right, it goes horribly, horribly wrong. I've been in one such relationship before, and it can be absolute hell before you figure out how the hell to love each other...or how you can't. Same goes for their parents; the adults' behavior directly affects Georgie and Harris' actions towards each other and their horses, and you can understand why these two have such a horrible time trying to connect when their families are continually being ripped apart.
I also loved Georgie's relationships with "her" racehorses, especially Sweet Bells and Roman. She is not a perfect jockey and they are not perfect horses; there's few fairy-tale race endings here because for the most part, that's just not how racing works day in and day out. Especially with stakes as high as these.
Also, DAT ENDING THO. It was the perfect way to end such a dramatic and intense novel. I'm looking forward to Mara's next novel, but I have plenty of her wonderful writing to keep me completely occupied until then!
lauroberge's review against another edition
5.0
AHHHH, LOVED IT. (And there's a giveaway for it on my blog right now: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2016/04/giveaway-finding-daylight-by-mara.html )
4.5/5
I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I thought when I had a hard time getting into it, but once I did, I loved it. I've become a fan of Mara's writing a while ago, when I read Stay the Distance and then Whirlaway, and I think it's going to stick with me for a long while.
Once again, I found myself surrounded by a realistic and amazing horse world in which I fit more than I ever do in books. It's full of details, well researched and it feels like you're the one riding the horses or taking care of them. While the atmosphere in the stables of this one isn't as heartwarming as in Mara's other books (for obvious reasons: it's pretty much the most important part of the plot), there's something reassuring as soon as there are horses in a story. I loved Sweet Bells dearly, especially since she reminded me a lot of my own horse of a few years ago, which I had to sell and it broke my heart. I could relate a lot to Georgie because of that, since I experienced having to let a horse you love go without having a say in it. I also loved learning about horse racing, since it's always been quite foreign to me, seeing as I'm an English saddle rider who lives in Canada (where there aren't any races, at least in my province). The fact that Georgie is a jockey taught me a lot about this profession and its ups and downs, which I loved. I would never be able to ride racing horses because of my paranoia and my obsession with control, but I can see how some people can love it.
The relationship in this novel is even more complex than the one in Stay the Distance, but so is the whole story. I think that might be the reason why I couldn't get into the story at first, since I wasn't sure I understood what I was reading. Don't get discouraged if that happens to you, because you'd miss such a good story! I loved both Harris and Georgie and I shipped them pretty much from the beginning, because there's something about them that tells you they care for each other even when they're both convinced they hate each other. Seeing them learn to be around each other again and try to protect the other one was really touching and it made me swoon more than once.
This is a fantastic story that is about horses, but also about much more than that. It can be pretty heartbreaking at times and it's definitely not light-hearted, but it did leave me with a good feeling. I thought it was confusing at first, but I would recommend it to everyone.
Thank you Mara for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I did an interview with the author, which you can find here: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015/08/interview-mara-dabrishus.html .
4.5/5
I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much as I thought when I had a hard time getting into it, but once I did, I loved it. I've become a fan of Mara's writing a while ago, when I read Stay the Distance and then Whirlaway, and I think it's going to stick with me for a long while.
Once again, I found myself surrounded by a realistic and amazing horse world in which I fit more than I ever do in books. It's full of details, well researched and it feels like you're the one riding the horses or taking care of them. While the atmosphere in the stables of this one isn't as heartwarming as in Mara's other books (for obvious reasons: it's pretty much the most important part of the plot), there's something reassuring as soon as there are horses in a story. I loved Sweet Bells dearly, especially since she reminded me a lot of my own horse of a few years ago, which I had to sell and it broke my heart. I could relate a lot to Georgie because of that, since I experienced having to let a horse you love go without having a say in it. I also loved learning about horse racing, since it's always been quite foreign to me, seeing as I'm an English saddle rider who lives in Canada (where there aren't any races, at least in my province). The fact that Georgie is a jockey taught me a lot about this profession and its ups and downs, which I loved. I would never be able to ride racing horses because of my paranoia and my obsession with control, but I can see how some people can love it.
The relationship in this novel is even more complex than the one in Stay the Distance, but so is the whole story. I think that might be the reason why I couldn't get into the story at first, since I wasn't sure I understood what I was reading. Don't get discouraged if that happens to you, because you'd miss such a good story! I loved both Harris and Georgie and I shipped them pretty much from the beginning, because there's something about them that tells you they care for each other even when they're both convinced they hate each other. Seeing them learn to be around each other again and try to protect the other one was really touching and it made me swoon more than once.
This is a fantastic story that is about horses, but also about much more than that. It can be pretty heartbreaking at times and it's definitely not light-hearted, but it did leave me with a good feeling. I thought it was confusing at first, but I would recommend it to everyone.
Thank you Mara for sending me a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I did an interview with the author, which you can find here: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015/08/interview-mara-dabrishus.html .
athravan's review against another edition
4.0
This is a sweet, clean young adult romance and family drama with a heavy background in horse racing. Georgina Quinn is a 17 year old from a family with a racing pedigree that has unfortunately not survived - her families horses and home are under threat by financial problems, and her last hope is Sweet Bells, a filly who has astounded the racing world. Georgina battles with trying to finish high school, racing as a full time career and serious family problems. A family feud is ongoing between the Tuledo racing family, but this is very complicated, as before the feud she was incredibly close to Harris, now a horse trainer. Sweet Bells is half owned by her family and Harris' family, and she rides their horses to try and help her family stay afloat - and of course, because she loves riding, and can't imagine anything better than riding Sweet Bells. There is a lot of horse racing jargon and descriptions, and as a lover of equestrianism, this really appealed to me. The romance ramps up slowly, and there is a lot of conflict to be dealt with, but it's dealt with maturely and realistically, with the voices of the characters ringing true. The only part I didn't like, was the attitude of Georgina to high school and I'm not sure that she made a good role model in this respect to any teenagers reading this!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the read and thought it was a sweet romance story, with some intricate family drama and a message to impart about pursuing your passions and building a career out of your dreams that will appeal especially to lovers of horses or racing.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the read and thought it was a sweet romance story, with some intricate family drama and a message to impart about pursuing your passions and building a career out of your dreams that will appeal especially to lovers of horses or racing.
cpcabaniss's review against another edition
5.0
*I received an ARC of this novel from the author. Thank you, Mara!*
I loved this book from the first page. Mara is able to weave horses and racing with family drama into a beautiful tale of growth and self diacovery.
The horse racing made me feel like I was there, in the saddle, urging the horses onward. I loved Sweet Bells and Roman.
The drama with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers was exceptionally well done and true to life. Georgie has a lot to deal with. She makes mistakes along the way, learns new lessons, and begins to grow into her own person.
I really enjoyed Harris and his relationship with Georgie, even if it was rocky. This was a compelling and beautiful read.
Full review will be live January 15th: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/2016/01/finding-daylightmara-dabrishus-review.html
I loved this book from the first page. Mara is able to weave horses and racing with family drama into a beautiful tale of growth and self diacovery.
The horse racing made me feel like I was there, in the saddle, urging the horses onward. I loved Sweet Bells and Roman.
The drama with family, friends, neighbors, and strangers was exceptionally well done and true to life. Georgie has a lot to deal with. She makes mistakes along the way, learns new lessons, and begins to grow into her own person.
I really enjoyed Harris and his relationship with Georgie, even if it was rocky. This was a compelling and beautiful read.
Full review will be live January 15th: http://courtneysreads.blogspot.com/2016/01/finding-daylightmara-dabrishus-review.html
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