Book Review – Flying Changes

I just completed the sequel to Sara Gruen’s first book called “Riding Lessons”. The story of Annemarie and her teenage daughter Eva Zimmer continues in “Flying Changes”. In her second installment, Eva has become more involved with horses and less involved with school. Annemarie, meanwhile, is focused on her own relationship with the family’s vet and a rescue horse farm owner. She has also started giving lessons to beginner’s at her family’s stable and continues to work with a horse she rescued in the previous book.

The drama between Annemarie and Eva continues into the second book. Annemarie struggles to find a balance between parent and friend with her daughter, who would rather spend time with anyone but her.  Things take a turn for the worse when a run-in with the law causes Eva to get expelled from her school. Despite the never-ending drama between mother and daughter, this book does have some good moments. The characters are mostly believable and I found myself easily identifying with both the mother and the daughter in this book. Growing up with two younger sisters does give me the authority to say that it is actually possible for girls to be that dramatic. It is not just something the author made up for the story! Gruen also does a great job at accurately portraying all things horsey and taps into a little bit of the fickle world of English show jumping.

I found myself rolling my eyes a bit at certain situations in this book. Either they were way too predictable or the cheese factor was just a little too high. That being said, I did appreciate some finality in the characters lives. If I’m going to read a book for my own pleasure, I do prefer that they end in a “happily ever after” kind of way rather than making me confused and frustrated at what could have happened. Not that I don’t appreciate those types of books, but I just prefer the happy ending! If you’ve read the first book, I would recommend reading the second – then give them both to one of your horsey friends and discuss! This book does include discussion questions in the back and would make a fun read for a group of equestrienne friends.