Disclaimer up front: one of the rare books I did. It finish. Perhaps it gets better but I couldn't get into it and I am reading it at a time when I don't have time to read books just because I can't leave a page unread. It felt like a book aimed at my daughter but seemed to have adult tones. Maybe I am prejudiced against books about horses after having to read so many pink-backed, cute "stories for girls" but sadly I was instantly turned off this one. I'm sure if you enjoy stories about horses this one will be a good read, but not for me (note to self when reading blurbs in future).

Abby Malone, a sixteen-year-old horse lover, is no stranger to a challenge. Growing up with horses, and dedicating much time to growing her skills and relationships with them, Abby has become a capable rider.

When Abby is noticed for her talent, she is chosen to ride Dancer, a "retired" show-jumper stallion to ride at the upcoming Grand Invitational. Taking on Dancer as her new project, Abby didn't realize she also took on a new, ruthless enemy.

Alongside her preparation for the jumping event, some people in the community decide to reopen an old theater and put on a play. Juggling time between horses and the play, Abby begins to realize her love for the stage, with the help of an unlikely friend.

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For not having read the previous two books in this series, I didn't feel lost coming into this installment. Peterson's writing style makes it easy to jump into the series by giving concise explanations of past events that set up, and contribute to the plot in Stagestruck.

Although the plot was easy to understand, there were certain elements that didn't have enough justification. The main antagonist, Samuel Owens, absolutely hates Dancer, the main horse character---so much so, that he repeatedly tries to kill him. It's a bit...extreme.

Every book needs to have an antagonist, but I think that Owens was too strong of a character for not only this plot, but his counter-characters.

I thought this was a unique mix of horses and paranormal. Plots that include horses, whether they are movies, books, stories, etc., are always easy for me to internalize. I grew up reading exclusively horse books, so I tend to eat them up...even if they are under my designated "reading level."

I felt that the paranormal aspect of the story could have been explored more than it was. I felt that it didn't give enough for the reader to really react to the fact that there is a ghost haunting the theater. Furthermore, I found his reason for sticking around to be cheesy.

As I've said, there could have been more explanation in certain aspects. Some characters were underdeveloped, and their motives weren't always clear or had enough reasoning behind them. However, I appreciated that Peterson knew about what she was writing about when it came to horses. It was clear to me that she has experience and knowledge in equine affairs, and that is a MUST when writing about this topic!

Since the story had some holes, I'm only granting it 3 stars. I thought it was creative, but needed more detail throughout.

Vulgarity: Minimal.
Sexual content: Kissing.
Violence: Minimal.

3 stars.

A big thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

I haven't read the first two books in this series, but I still rather enjoyed this, although naturally there were a few things that didn't make complete sense... Samuel Owens' psychotic hatred of Dancer (a horse!) for one thing... what the hell... he was the most insanely over the top cartoon villain ever! Made for exciting stuff though. The play was also fun, but some parts were bogged down by way too much description/simple retelling of the story. (Also the wedding at the end was described in way too much intricate detail for my liking, and the Dancer interruption just seemed silly.)

Lots of characters, a bit hard to keep track of them all, but that's my fault for not having read the first two. The ghost aspect was interesting too at first, but then when Ambrose became an actual character it just turned the book a lot more juvenile than I think was intended.

I've always had a soft spot for horse stories and I missed this series as a child. This is the end of the series so I'll have to look out for the earlier books. I still really enjoyed it. An enchanting couple of hours, delving back into my childhood mindset and a very pleasing mystery to boot.

Not my thing. Can appreciate the story, but I wasn't that invested in the characters.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.