Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
Published: December 3, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire
Source: From from the publisher via netgalley - thank you!

They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack… [goodreads]

It becomes apparent that you're reading a well written book when the subject matter, such as horse racing, suddenly becomes very familiar and comfortable, when in reality you know nothing about it what so ever!  My hat goes off to Miranda Kenneally for producing a novel set in a world that I have no background knowledge on, yet she made me feel like I've been in this world for quite some time.  With that being said, I really enjoyed the setting of Racing Savannah, among the rolling green hills of Kentucky, littered with the still beauty of such a strong, intense sport such as horse racing.

Savannah lives with her father, and soon to be step mother, among the staff at Cedar Hills -- a very prestigious estate that houses some of the finest horses in the south.  She knows her place in society and understands that she must work hard for anything she wants, even if that means just barely getting by with what little savings they have.  She meets Jack, the heir to Cedar Hills, and also her boss (he's the same age, but he's taken on the farm for a year as a practice run for what's to come in his future).  There's a connection between these two and immediately it's obvious how difficult it will be for these young adults to resist what their hearts desire.  Savannah knows the boss is off limits and Jack knows he shouldn't have personal relationships with his staff, yet aren't rules made so they can be broken?

Savannah's growth as a character really stood out the most, out shining the obstacles in her path and surpassing what everyone expected.  The personal connection she makes with a horse in the story touched my heart.  Savannah's unconditional love bled through the pages and it was easy to understand how meaningful her relationship with the horse had become.  Though I was not always Jack's biggest fan, in the end I was pleased with his actions -- he just had a bumpy way of getting there.

Fans of Miranda Kennelly's previous novels (Catching Jordan, Stealing Parking, and Things I Can't Forget) will enjoy seeing some familiar faces in this fourth installment in the Hidden Oaks series.  It was fun to see what every one was up to and where their lives had taken them.  My favorite of the bunch belongs to Stealing Parker, so I was particularly pleased with an added bonus we get to see in this new novel.

After reading Racing Savannah I have now added Kentucky and its beautiful horse farms to places I must visit in this lifetime.  Miranda Kenneally described it in such a way that's left me feeling a bit of an absence in my life until its filled with a thrilling experience of seeing a horse race while having a hot dog, or two.