Early Review: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah was a pleasant surprise for me. I had read Catching Jordan earlier this year and I was eager to try out another book by Ms. Kenneally. I’ll admit that I know nothing about horses and horseracing yet I still enjoyed this book.
I think that what I liked best about this book was the main character, Savannah Barrow. Savannah is a spunky 17 year old high school senior who is quite gifted when dealing with purebred horses. Savannah has not had an easy life. Her mother died of breast cancer and her father’s current girlfriend is pregnant. Money is scarce and Savannah desperately wants a job at the Cedar Hills farm where her father works and where she and her family live.
The story is told from Savannah’s point of view. Her character feels so authentic. Savannah is strong and caring, and she puts the financial welfare of her family first. Savannah also knows what she wants, even though it may not be possible. I loved how she was able to “tame” a crotchety purebred horse and how she determined the source of that horse’s discomfort.
Savannah’s love interest Jack Goodwin came across as a real player at first. Jack’s family owned the farm but his father put him in charge so he could learn the business. Jack is good looking and his father warns him about consorting with staff. Needless to say, there is an attraction between Savannah and Jack. At first Jack wants Savannah to be with him in secret. I loved how Savannah rejected that idea outright. This is a girl who is strong and who doesn’t put up with crap.
The secondary characters were also interesting. I loved the camaraderie between Savannah, Rory and Vanessa. Rory was a hoot and he made me laugh especially when he told Savannah that he couldn’t possibly date her because she was too short.
Racing Savannah was a fun peek into the world of purebred horseracing. Even though I’m not a horseracing fan, I was able to enjoy this book. I’ll have to make sure that I find the other books in this series and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a review copy of this book.
Review posted at Badass Book Reviews
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