Sondra Rice Newman Silver Dreams

Silver Dreams

Sondra Rice Newman

Robert D. Reed, Jan 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 1931741565

Thirtyish Wildman & Wildman group Vice President Leigh Meredith feels good about her life. She likes her six figure paying job especially its side benefits like eating at the best dining spots and limo service, has a great Manhattan apartment and a wonderful boyfriend tax attorney Sven Anderson. She leaves the office to celebrate Christmas with Sven, who is coming direct to her from the airport after taking care of an elderly aunt in Green Bay. Instead of Yuletide joy, however Sven informs her that he loves his former girlfriend Deidre Nelson whom he ran into in Wisconsin.

Distraught, Leigh reassesses her world and finds it deficient leaving her to wonder if she lacks the capacity to be loved. She decides the time is now to start over before her thirty-fourth birthday. She obtains work at the Fox Creek Gazette in Virginia and makes friends with one-eyed thoroughbred Silver Dreams, who she wonders if he could successfully race. She asks retired acrimonious trainer Whit Riley for help with her dreams of the Breeders Cup. Her enthusiasm reaches inside the brooding Whit and they fall in love but an antagonist has plans to steal Leigh's horse and man.

SILVER DREAMS is an excellent contemporary tale that focuses on two people and a horse seeking second chances at life. The romance cleverly enhances the efforts of the trio to make it into the winner's circle, but not just that of racing. Though the rival's avaricious grab seems unnecessary added suspense to an awesome relationship drama, readers will take heart from this strong inspirational winner that showcases that there's a place for everyone if they take a chance, even on a longshot.

Harriet Klausner