Breaking free A novel

This horse-centered romance by inspirational novelist Snelling (A Promise for Ellie) is tedious and not the author's best work. As it opens, Maggie Roberts is serving time in prison for an unnamed crime; although the details aren't spelled out until the end of the novel, most readers will put the pieces together long before. Maggie is enrolled in a new, experimental program that offers prisoners the chance to work with retired racehorses. Before she knows it, Maggie has helped rehabilitate a horse (not so subtly named Breaking Free), and she might be fast-tracked for parole, if only she can secure a job on the outside. Enter Gil Winters. Abandoned by his ex-wife, he's heroically raising a precocious son, Eddie, who, despite suffering from spina bifida, has learned to ride. Gil would buy Eddie his own horse, but he'd need to hire a caretaker for the animal as well. Throw in that Maggie's divorced and Gil is lonely, and the plot isn't hard to predict. Still, the characters have a bit of depth, and the tale of faith, forgiveness and starting over may find a readership with Snelling's many diehard fans. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved