I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Giving Chase (Aspen Valley, #2)
by Hannah Hooton
Series: Aspen Valley #2
Series Rating:
Published by Aspen Valley Books on April 1st 2013
Genres: Sports Romance
Pages: 344
Format: Kindle
Source: the Author
Goodreads
Also in this series: Keeping the Peace, Share and Share Alike, Chasing the Wind
WINNER OF THE SKoW AWARDS BEST INTERNATIONAL ROMANCE 2012
The highly anticipated follow-up to amazon Sports Fiction Bestseller, Keeping the Peace.
There has only ever been one man in Frankie’s life: her father, Doug Cooper. That is, until she takes the job of amateur jockey at Aspen Valley Racing Stables. Here, in the rolling countryside of southwest England, she crosses paths with star rider, Rhys Bradford. Her crush on him would be made so much simpler if they didn’t both have their hearts set on the same prize: the coveted ride on Grand National favourite, Peace Offering.
In the turbulent run-up to National Hunt’s biggest event, questions are raised. What exactly does Doug have against the Bradfords? Is Rhys playing games with her heart? Will Ta’ Qali show his true potential in time to warrant his place at Aspen Valley? Why do there have to be so many blasted calories in strawberry cheesecake? And lastly, who exactly is Francesca Cooper?
Frankie’s curiosity unearths some long-buried secrets which their keepers would rather remain buried, and on a journey of self-discovery that takes in Britain’s fiercest steeplechase courses, love will prove her costliest stumbling point.
My take on this book: I am so sorry that it took me a while to finish reading Giving Chase by Hannah Hooton and for doing this review. I am going to be giving this book five stars because it was so worth it. The beginning was a bit slow and I also had to get used to the fact that we are now getting to see with what the race part is like for a jockey.
Francesca (aka Frankie as she likes to be called) Cooper gets hired to work at Aspen Valley Racing Stables which is the same place her late brother used to work at before his death. The day before she went to work for Aspen Valley Racing Stables she had a race against Rhys Bradford and it went good overall. Rhys didn’t mind about her beating him in that one until he learned that she was going to work for the same stable as him. Let’s just say that there was pretty intense glare between the two of them.
Rhys and Frankie were doing okay. If they walked into each others way they would exchange a friendly work related greeting before going their separate ways. We still see Billy, Emmie, Pippa, and Tasha but not as regularly as we did in the first book since Billy and Emmie had their kid whereas Pippa and Tasha still had their jobs back in London or wherever Pippa is currently working at. Before Peace Offering had his first race as Grand National favorite Pippa and Frankie talked. Where Pippa liked Frankie’s reason for winning the Grand National. Rhys and Jack on the other hand didn’t agree, especially Rhys.
After that Rhys didn’t like Frankie very much as he would try to avoid Pippa as much as possible even if it was race day for the both of them. This went on for quite a while before the Christmas party where they got drunk and did some things. After that they’re pretty much a couple until she found out the reason for which he decided to do what he did at the Christmas party. She was quite upset and broke up with him. She was heartbroken after that but it lasted until the Grand National race where they patched things up. Especially in front of her father who didn’t exactly like Rhys and Rhys’s father was there who also didn’t like Frankie’s dad.
Giving Chase by Hannah Hooton is incredibly well-written and I loved every single bit of it. Ms. Hooton makes it where you fall in love with Frankie. You can see yourself as her going through these ups and downs as a jockey, while also falling in love with Rhys. You also see this different side to Rhys which makes you hate him for what he did to Frankie but then Ms. Hooton makes you fall again for him after his conversation with Frankie at the ending of the book.
Overall I would recommend reading Giving Chase by Hannah Hooton to everyone (at least adults to read it, it is a little much for the young adults).
Anyways until the next time enjoy this book review brought to you by
Baroness’ Book Trove.
**Where to find this book**
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About Hannah Hooton
Hannah Hooton is a multiple award-winning author and screenwriter based in UK.
After splitting with her literary agent to venture into indie-publishing, Hannah burst onto the contemporary romance scene in January 2012 with the release of her debut novel, At Long Odds. This was followed by the Amazon bestselling Aspen Valley series, which charts the lives, loves and dramas of a jump racing yard.
The inspiration for her novels came while combining her wanderlust with her love of horseracing when travelling around Australia and working from one racing stable to the next as a strapper (not to be confused with stripper) and the exuberant imagination of a girl with an empty purse and a passion for a very expensive sport.
Giving Chase was the winner of Best International Romance at the Some Kind of Wonderful Awards in 2012, one place better than Keeping the Peace finished the year before.
Share and Share Alike won the ARU Katy Price Prize 2014 and finished runner-up in the RWA Marlene Contest 2014.
Recently graduating from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge with First Class Honours, Hannah was also awarded the McCleod Prize for finishing top of her year.
Hannah balanced her time at university writing her novels and improving her craft, but also learning the art of screenwriting. To date, Hannah has completed three screenplays (one of which sparked her abrupt change in career to return to university as a mature student just so she could learn how to write it properly), all of which received critical praise and first class marks. The feature-length script, Incarnate, is a science fiction WW2 drama with romantic elements, a world – quite literally – away from Hannah’s comfort zone of horse racing romances.
