Reviewed by Jess
TITLE: Riding the Track 
AUTHOR: Kara Ripley
PUBLISHER: NineStar Press
LENGTH: 79 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2018
BLURB:
Herding cattle and drinking Australian beer aren’t pastimes that particularly appeal to an ‘indoor girl’ like Clara, but she’d be damned if she’d let her cheating ex-boyfriend have the vacation they were meant to share. So, to salvage some piece of her self-respect after a bad break-up, she finds herself riding a horse along the Oodnadatta Track for five days.
When Clara arrives, she can’t help but feel an intense attraction to Evelyn, the drover who guides their group through the immensely unique landscape between Coober Pedy and the Anna Creek Station. Clara’s never been one for a no-strings-attached fling, but cowgirl Evie becomes increasingly difficult to resist.
In combination with the exquisite outback, soulful horses, and overly cheerful tourists, Evie may just be exactly what Clara needs to escape her own pessimism.
REVIEW:
This is short, sweet, and just what you need for a fun summer read.
This is a generally drama-free story about a self-proclaimed “indoor girl” who heads out on her own for a riding vacation in the gorgeous Australian outback just to spite her cheating ex. She starts out sweaty, frustrated with chipper vacationers, and definitely not looking to have fun—but she soon finds that cowgirl (or “jillaroo,” as they’re called) Evie is bright enough to make her stop wallowing.
As a total indoor girl myself, I cracked up at some of poor Clara’s mishaps trying to get control of her horse or escape a huge spider. She’s braver than me, though—I definitely expected more deadly wildlife to make an appearance throughout the story. This is a good example of how Australia is beautiful and welcoming, not just full of killer animals like we see on TV.
If you’re in search of a summer vacation story with high tension and plot drama, this one isn’t for you. There’s no worrying about “will this last?”, no former partners coming back to stir things up. It ends a little abruptly, but we’re left feeling good about Clara and Evie’s relationship.
This is a good, tight little story. The pacing and progression was very smooth and I read it very quickly. In so few words, we get a great feel for the setting and for how Clara has to adapt to her new surroundings. It isn’t a super steamy read, but the building sexual tension and flirting between Clara and Evie is enough to make you smile. It’s also a nice example of positive bisexual representation. There are no intrusive or unnecessary M/F sex scenes like get in a lot of F/F romance with bisexual characters, Clara’s bisexuality is acknowledged with no drama, and her nervousness about being with a woman for the first time in many years is easy to relate to.
Definitely recommended for a light summer read outside in the sun!
RATING: 
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