Winning Ways: equestrian romantic suspense [Paperback]

Toni Leland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2004

Take one pretty young equine veterinarian, add five Arabian horses, sprinkle in some loneliness, and transplant to northern California. Blend in a few ornery cattle ranchers, stir with one hunky horse trainer, and let love boil. The delectable result is one hot story.

Still mourning the death of her father, Kentuckian Liz Barnett casts aside her usual practical and cautious nature, and moves to a new veterinary practice opportunity in the foothills around Placerville, California. Stunning horses, great credentials, and tons of self-confidence convince Liz that a new and exciting life awaits her, but she's met with resistance and hard scrutiny. Her salvation is her beautiful horses, and she throws herself into building a breeding program to equal that of her famous father's.

Along the way, her heart tangles with a handsome and intriguing horse trainer, Kurt DeVallio, and her life takes off on an emotional roller-coaster ride. In the glittering and sometimes treacherous world of show horses, Liz's personal and professional ideals are challenged, and she learns that winning has many meanings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

11/29/09 Cleveland Examiner. Toni Leland's main character in Winning Ways seems to have it all. Liz Barnett owns some of the
best Arabian Horses in the industry and has just accepted an invitation from a retiring California
veterinarian to join his practice. However, she quickly finds out the hard way that it isn't just her
horses that are being judged. She must also work to prove herself, not only in the show industry,
but also her new job. Working hard to rise above unexpected hurdles and prejudice, Liz, who seems
determined to be independent, finds a surprising ally and friend.
Winning Ways brings together an unlikely pair that soon come to realize they have more in common
than they ever could have foreseen. This novel is filled with beautiful Arabian Horses, devious
characters who will do anything to get what they want, and a romance seemingly doomed from the
start. Leland has readers despising a character in one chapter and sympathetic to their plight in the
next. Readers of Leland's Winning Ways will be reminded that people are not always what they
seem. Some people carry their hearts on their shirt sleeves while others will shield themselves
behind a facade in order to keep relationships at arms length.
I thoroughly enjoyed Winning Ways, and would certainly recommend it to another horse lover.
Leland's knowledge of so many different facets of the horse industry make the novel a believable
and enjoyable read from start to finish. --Ashley Rodenmeyer, Cleveland Examiner

From the Publisher

Romance author Toni Leland pits integrity against greed, and love against the past in this exciting new novel--one you won't forget. Leland's stories glow with realism, making them both enjoyable and educational--a real contribution to equestrian fiction.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 259 pages
• Publisher: Equine Graphics Pub; 1st edition (March 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887932232
• ISBN-13: 978-1887932233
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been writing for over 20 years. I write both fiction and non-fiction, and freelance for several magazines, a gardening website, and one newspaper. I am a professional editor and photographer. In my spare time, I love gardening, cooking (and eating!), reading, travel, horses, and cats.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The author's love of horses and horsemanship shows through, August 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Ways: equestrian romantic suspense (Paperback)

Winning Ways is a romantic novel set in the high-stakes world of showing prize Arabian Horses. A young female veterinarian seeking to make her plance among stubborn ranchers, and a horse trainer struggling to cope with the loss of his wife and infant son ten years ago, are thrown together by circumstance yet must work together to find their place in the show ring and among the many hurdles of their professional and personal lives. Winning Ways is a story of second chances; the author's love of horses and horsemanship shows through in this captivating saga of striving of and for one's heart.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read - great Beach Book, June 6, 2004

By 

B Jennings (Hemet, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winning Ways: equestrian romantic suspense (Paperback)

Winning Ways is a romance with a focus on the dark side of the Arabian (or any) horse show world - competitors that want to win at any cost. The story builds satisfactorily with a nicely rounded group of secondary characters and a very believeable villain.

Definitely a FUN READ.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, April 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Winning Ways: equestrian romantic suspense (Paperback)

I don't usually read romance novels. Picked a couple up at airports and just couldn't finish. This one was outstanding. It followed the romance format BUT, it had developed characters, and a real, keep you reading plot. In addition, the author knows her stuff. Her knowledge of the equine industry was clear. It was indeed a page turner. Easy to read, swiftly paced, and not a formula ending.