The Sport of Baronets/ Theresa Romain / 100 pgs

This is a novella that kicks off a new series about horse racing in Regency England. I like horses but racing, not so much. However, I like Romain's writing so I dove in. This book was far too short for me to believe in the romance. Ostensibly the two main characters have known each other all their lives, but I didn't get the impression they knew each other all that well as adults so when they went from first kiss to home run in the space of a few pages, it threw me for a loop. I liked both characters, but there just weren't enough pages for me to invest in their relationship.

The Scorpio Races / Maggie Stiefvater / 409 pgs.

"Nineteen-year-old returning champion Sean Kendrick competes against Puck Connolly, the first girl ever to ride in the annual Scorpio Races, both trying to keep hold of their dangerous water horses long enough to make it to the finish line."

A great book for teens as it has a strong female character, discusses topics such as life & death, struggle and survival, poverty / wealth and personal happiness.  This is a also a great book for horse-lovers since the care and training of the horses as well as the exciting annual race is central to the story.   There is a romance in the story but it is very chaste the fighting against the Water Horses can get a tad intense and gory. 

Dead Heat / Dick Francis and Felix Francis 342 p.

Max Moreton, chef and owner of the Hay Net in Newmarket, caters the meal for private event at the racetrack where practically everyone gets food poisoning including himself. The next day, at an exclusive luncheon for forty at the sky boxes at the 2000 Guineas race, a bomb explodes killing and injuring many. Soon many of his customers cancel their reservations, the health department closes his restaurant, and violist Caroline Aston files a lawsuit. With his reputation at stake, Max starts asking questions. As his sleuthing uncovers more, attempts to kill him escalate. Francis incorporates rich details about the restaurant business in this fast-paced, intricately plotted suspense.