Book Review: Fillies and Females
First review! Are you ready for it?
Title: Fillies and Females
Author: Bev Pettersen
Type: Fiction
Series: Dangerous Odds Romantic Mystery - Book 3
Genre: Romance/Contemporary Romance
Acquisition: Purchased Kindle Version
Pages: 362
Premise/Plot: The tenacity of a compassionate live-in nurse, Becky, is put to the test when a series of events threatens the stables of the woman she's carrying for. Is it a string of bad luck, or is it sabotage? The more time Becky spends in the barn, the more she gets to know the trainers and staff, but could one of them really be behind all of this or is it a family member jilted by the estate owner's love for the horses?
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: Becky is a nurse who is taking care of a widowed woman living on a racehorse breeder estate. She is quiet, reserved, and somewhat shy in the beginning of the book. As her relationship with the elderly woman grows, she too becomes more emotionally invested in the horse racing business. She meets Dino, racehorse trainer and all-around player, who doesn't seem too interested in the plain-looking nurse. As the book goes on strange events keep happening, horses getting loose and act of treachery at the track. With Becky and Dino working to find out who is behind these devious acts, their affections for each other seem to grow. But with any cowboy, there's a lot of ladies throwing themselves at him, and some healthy competition working at the stables! Including Shane, who is described as a younger Brad Pitt...um yes, please! Stephanie, a taught rider who exercises the racehorses, and spends ample time with Dino. There are some emotional moments but the romance really took a back seat to the mystery and suspense, part of the appeal to me really.
Quote: Becky: "That's a nice bright star beneath the moon." He slipped his arm around her.
"Not a star. That's a planet."
"Oh." And she didn't feel stupid, only reassured by the natural way he tucked her against him.
Ok, come on Becky is a bright woman, she's educated as a nurse, kind of disappointed that she didn't know that. Then again she is kind of oblivious in piecing some of the clues together too. Her back story growing up would lead me to believe she is a little more keen to real-world and street smarts. So this annoyed me a little bit.
Quote: Stephanie: "Of course. That's part of my job. besides, Dino is fun but not the keeping kind. Girl, I'm not a complete fool."
Amen, go on girl! Like legit was cheering for Stephanie. She is smart, no-nonsense type of woman, I genuinely like this character. So strong-willed and not afraid to speak her mind. She knows Dino is a player, and she still draws respect in her field as a strong rider and not some arm charm.
Quote: "He lifted his head, covering her mouth in a deep kiss that seemed to stroke her soul."
Um, yes, please! Soul adequately stroked...along with other things. Bev through some nice spice in here! It's not overly graphic, but tasteful, steamy sex scenes that will have you turning the pages for more.
Quote: Martha: "Of course they care for you. But men are like stallions. At breeding time, the mare standing in front of them is the most important thing in the world."
Oh Martha, even at 74 years old, post-heart attack, she's still as feisty as ever, and dishing advice like a sorority sister. I love Martha, she speaks her mind, doesn't sugar coat anything. I hope I have that much spunk at 74!
Quote: 'He'd never noticed before, but Becky looked a lot like his ex-wife'
Dino, come on buddy, don't compare Becky to your monster of an ex-wife...ever! She's nothing like her, you idiot. Such a boneheaded moment, it made me question why this sudden comparison was even relevant to the story, it was unnecessary and made me dislike Dino.
Overall the book was good, little predictable, but I REALLY liked how the book ended. Everything wrapped up nicely and not in a cheesy way. Props to Bev Pettersen on that, it was concluded with a pleasant and unexpected outcome. I enjoyed the balance of suspense, mystery, and romance. It made the book relatable in the sense that people don't just fall into love, and a romance novel can be so much more than hot sex scenes, even though I did appreciate the few scenes along the way in this one. Very well written, not over the top. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
What did you think? Your feedback will help me bring you the content you enjoy. Comments are welcome, you can use the 'Contact Me' page if you would like to submit some feedback that way as well!
Author: Bev Pettersen
Type: Fiction
Series: Dangerous Odds Romantic Mystery - Book 3
Genre: Romance/Contemporary Romance
Acquisition: Purchased Kindle Version
Pages: 362
Premise/Plot: The tenacity of a compassionate live-in nurse, Becky, is put to the test when a series of events threatens the stables of the woman she's carrying for. Is it a string of bad luck, or is it sabotage? The more time Becky spends in the barn, the more she gets to know the trainers and staff, but could one of them really be behind all of this or is it a family member jilted by the estate owner's love for the horses?
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: Becky is a nurse who is taking care of a widowed woman living on a racehorse breeder estate. She is quiet, reserved, and somewhat shy in the beginning of the book. As her relationship with the elderly woman grows, she too becomes more emotionally invested in the horse racing business. She meets Dino, racehorse trainer and all-around player, who doesn't seem too interested in the plain-looking nurse. As the book goes on strange events keep happening, horses getting loose and act of treachery at the track. With Becky and Dino working to find out who is behind these devious acts, their affections for each other seem to grow. But with any cowboy, there's a lot of ladies throwing themselves at him, and some healthy competition working at the stables! Including Shane, who is described as a younger Brad Pitt...um yes, please! Stephanie, a taught rider who exercises the racehorses, and spends ample time with Dino. There are some emotional moments but the romance really took a back seat to the mystery and suspense, part of the appeal to me really.
Quote: Becky: "That's a nice bright star beneath the moon." He slipped his arm around her.
"Not a star. That's a planet."
"Oh." And she didn't feel stupid, only reassured by the natural way he tucked her against him.
Ok, come on Becky is a bright woman, she's educated as a nurse, kind of disappointed that she didn't know that. Then again she is kind of oblivious in piecing some of the clues together too. Her back story growing up would lead me to believe she is a little more keen to real-world and street smarts. So this annoyed me a little bit.
Quote: Stephanie: "Of course. That's part of my job. besides, Dino is fun but not the keeping kind. Girl, I'm not a complete fool."
Amen, go on girl! Like legit was cheering for Stephanie. She is smart, no-nonsense type of woman, I genuinely like this character. So strong-willed and not afraid to speak her mind. She knows Dino is a player, and she still draws respect in her field as a strong rider and not some arm charm.
Quote: "He lifted his head, covering her mouth in a deep kiss that seemed to stroke her soul."
Um, yes, please! Soul adequately stroked...along with other things. Bev through some nice spice in here! It's not overly graphic, but tasteful, steamy sex scenes that will have you turning the pages for more.
Quote: Martha: "Of course they care for you. But men are like stallions. At breeding time, the mare standing in front of them is the most important thing in the world."
Oh Martha, even at 74 years old, post-heart attack, she's still as feisty as ever, and dishing advice like a sorority sister. I love Martha, she speaks her mind, doesn't sugar coat anything. I hope I have that much spunk at 74!
Quote: 'He'd never noticed before, but Becky looked a lot like his ex-wife'
Dino, come on buddy, don't compare Becky to your monster of an ex-wife...ever! She's nothing like her, you idiot. Such a boneheaded moment, it made me question why this sudden comparison was even relevant to the story, it was unnecessary and made me dislike Dino.
Overall the book was good, little predictable, but I REALLY liked how the book ended. Everything wrapped up nicely and not in a cheesy way. Props to Bev Pettersen on that, it was concluded with a pleasant and unexpected outcome. I enjoyed the balance of suspense, mystery, and romance. It made the book relatable in the sense that people don't just fall into love, and a romance novel can be so much more than hot sex scenes, even though I did appreciate the few scenes along the way in this one. Very well written, not over the top. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
What did you think? Your feedback will help me bring you the content you enjoy. Comments are welcome, you can use the 'Contact Me' page if you would like to submit some feedback that way as well!
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