Review ‘Appaloosa Summer’ by Tudor Robins

Jared Strickland has been living with loss ever since his father died in a
tragic farming accident. 

Meg escapes from her grief by changing everything about her life; moving away
from home to spend her summer living on an island in the St. Lawrence River,
scrubbing toilets and waiting on guests at a B&B.

Once there, she meets Jared; doing his best to keep anything else in his life
from changing.

When Jared offers Meg a scruffy appaloosa mare out of a friend’s back field,
it’s the beginning of a journey that will change both of them by the end of the
summer. 

I
received a copy of ‘Appaloosa Summer’ by Tudor Robins after I requested a copy
on Netgalley. What immediately caught my eye when I was looking on Netgalley
was the beautiful cover. I just loved it. After I read the description I decided
to ask for a review copy and I’m so happy that I did.

In ‘Appaloosa
Summer’ we meet Meg. Meg is a sixteen year old horse fanatic. When her own
horse dies unexpectedly in the show ring, Meg is devastated. When Meg got asked
to work in a beautiful B&B on the Island where she used to come with her
parents, it seemed to be the perfect way to escape her grieve. Soon after Meg
leaves home everything changes.

Jared
has been living on the Island all his life. When Jared’s dad dies suddenly,
Jared is the one to take care of his dads farm. When Meg and Jason meet they
immediately feel a connection with each other. Both are grieving and both are
trying to find a way to life with their pain. When an offer comes around to get
a Appaloosa mare for free, Jared decides to accept. And soon Meg and Jared are
at the start of new journey.

This
book was definitely something else for me. I haven’t read many books about
horses and the farm life. At least not for a long time. When I was younger I read
a lot of children’s books about horses. I loved everything about horses. I had horse-riding
lessons and I spent many days in the stables. Unfortunately some stuff happened
and I never went horse riding again. This book definitely made me think about
the old times and me horse-riding. But although not all memories are ones I
want to remember I loved this book.

Although
I thought the beginning of this book was a little long I really enjoyed it from
the start. I loved reading about Meg working in the B&B and her life in the
country. I also really loved the moment Meg and Jared met for the first time.
It was just so innocent and fleeting that it felt really real to me.

I really
enjoyed this book. From the first page you kind of know that this book is about
a life lesson/ journey Meg has to take. And it was just so fun to read. I read
this book in just one day because it was just a nice and easy read. Not bad
easy but very enjoyable easy. For example: I was half way through this book
when I was sitting in a railway station in a big city here in the Netherlands
waiting for my train to arrive. It was very busy because people were going home
after work but I wasn’t noticing anything because I was reading ‘Appaloosa
Summer’ with a smile on my face. This book just pulls you into the country
life. And I loved it.

The character
I loved the most was definitely Meg. For a sixteen year old she was very
strong. Meg had her own ideas about her life and she stood up for herself. She even
stood up to her mom who was very strict.

What I also
really liked in this book where the text messages between Meg and her best
friend Slate. They were just so funny and I really loved reading them. 

So if you ask me ‘Appaloosa Summer’ is definitely a book
you should read if you are in need of a relaxing, nice and funny book. And all
the talk about horses definitely makes you want to take a nice summer ride. 

Tudor is the author of Objects in Mirror and Appaloosa
Summer – young adult novels set in Eastern Ontario that tell coming-of-age
stories of young women set against a backdrop of the world of horse shows.

Her degrees in English Literature and Journalism have
shaped Tudor’s writing philosophy and style, and her work as a freelance
magazine and newspaper writer established her commitment to accuracy and
deadlines.

Sharing her experience and love of writing with others is
something Tudor enjoys, and she has been fortunate to have the opportunity to
do so through the continuing education workshops she offers for the Ottawa
Catholic School Board and other writing organizations. She has also developed
and delivered a creative writing workshop for junior and intermediate students.

Tudor lives in Ottawa with her husband and two sons. They
spend much of their summers on Wolfe Island, Ontario. (Source: http://tudorrobins.ca/media/) 

For more information about ‘Appaloosa Summer’ and Tudor
Robins please visit her website, Goodreads and Amazon. Or look for Tudor Robins
on Pinterest and Facebook.