Review by Booklist Review
Spending the summer in her grandma's rural North Carolina town instead of her native New England isn't the worst thing Piper can imagine. Not only is horse-crazy Piper's riding instructor out of commission for the summer, but Piper's just been dumped, and her ex-girlfriend, Judith, is already blissfully happy with her perfect new boyfriend. So when Piper's grandmother sets her up with a job for a former Olympian dressage rider, Piper's happy to throw herself into work. Enter Kat, the local girl from a tight-knit family whom Piper's grandma hires to teach anxious Piper how to drive. Kat, who's been quietly questioning her own sexuality for a while, is immediately struck by Piper's out-and-proud approach to life. As the summer heats up and their connection grows, Piper fights to leave her past behind while Kat struggles to chart a new future. In a narrative alternating between both girls' perspectives, Brown (The Meaning of Birds, 2019) offers up a sweet slow-burn romance built on a foundation of friendship and self-discovery. Readers will love being swept along for the ride.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When white, openly queer Piper Kitt has her heart broken seven weeks prior to the start of the novel, the pining Olympic dressage hopeful decides to flee Massachusetts for a summer in Harmon, N.C., "a haven for retirees from colder places and the horse show elite," where her maternal grandmother can introduce her to "new trainers at a world-class facility." Meanwhile, Harmon local Kat Pearson, 18, also white, isn't one to experiment publicly, so she keeps her possible queerness quiet. Then Piper's grandmother insists Piper learn to drive, and Kat seizes the opportunity for a job. Their mutual attraction is apparent, but Piper is not over her ex-girlfriend, and Kat just wants someone to talk to about her sexuality. As different as the two rising seniors are, they are also clearly right for each other, enough that readers may initially be impatient with their hesitation. Brown focuses on a horse scene without explaining dressage, which may leave some readers confused about specifics, but witnessing the slow-burn relationship play out through alternately narrated chapters ends up working not only for the characters, but for readers, whose impatience will be replaced by satisfaction. Ages 14--up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM Partners. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Aspiring equestrian Piper is excited to spend the summer with her grandmother, training with a former Olympian and distancing herself from the ex-girlfriend who broke her heart. Kat is spending the summer before her senior year trying to make money to fix her car and help her sister achieve her dancing dreams while questioning whether she might be a lesbian. When Kat is hired to teach Piper to drive, she immediately feels a connection to Piper and sees an opportunity to test her interest in girls. Piper sees it as an opportunity to make her ex-girlfriend jealous and possibly win her back. Piper and Kat's romance is somewhat predictable. Piper is the out and proud lesbian willing to do anything to win back her ex-girlfriend, while Kat is very anxious about her feelings towards girls, though her friends and family are extremely supportive and have already guessed that she is gay. Readers may grow a little weary of the main characters' internal dialogue as they go back and forth questioning their feelings. Secondary characters are fun but are only explored at a surface level. Kat and Piper are cued as white. VERDICT An LGBTQIA romance that is sweet yet predictable. An additional purchase.--Ashley Leffel, Griffin M.S., Frisco, TX
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Piper is a queer equestrian from Massachusetts with her eye on the Olympics. When her girlfriend breaks up with her and her trainer is forced to take a break from riding and teaching for health reasons, Piper escapes to Harmon, North Carolina, for a summer of riding, working, and training at a competitive horse show barn while living with her maternal grandmother, MaMolly. MaMolly is wealthy, connected, and invested in Piper's equestrian dreams, but she sets one condition: that Piper overcome her fear of a childhood car accident and learn how to drive. MaMolly hires local teenager Kat, who is responsible and dependable and works odd jobs to help her single father and three younger siblings. Kat is also questioning her sexuality. When Piper and Kat meet, sparks fly, but the two are caught up in a net of misunderstanding. Piper is still hung up on her ex, and Kat isn't sure she's ready to come out yet. As the summer unfolds, the two realize they have a lot to learn, including how to trust themselves and each other, as Piper figures out how to let go and Kat discovers how to take risks. The story, told through alternating chapters narrated from each girl's first-person perspective, gracefully and generously engages with gender and sexuality. Main characters read as White; there is some diversity in the background cast. Readers will laugh, cry, and cheer. (Romance. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
