Horsefever

Description

Novel

Written by Lee Hope

Nikole Swensen has the drive and raw talent to compete in the rigorous sport of horse eventing—and win. But fear holds her back from realizing her full potential. So her husband, a wealthy Vermont landowner, hires Gabe, a gifted former eventer, half paralyzed from a jumping accident. Before long, a powerful spiritual and physical attraction develops between Nikki and Gabe amid the sensual world of horses and riding. As Nikki moves to higher levels of competition, their respective spouses, Cliff and Carla, grow jealous. The two couples become lost in a tangle of ambition and passion, lust and suspicion. Inspired by an actual murder case, Horsefever will penetrate the hearts of suspense lovers, horse lovers, athletes, and all those drawn to the connections between animals and humans.

“Lee Hope knows the world of horses as deeply and well as she knows the world of marriage, and this fine novel is about both. With prose that is wonderfully inventive, she probes the complexities of passion—passion for riding, for winning, and for another human being—and in the process she plumbs the spiritual and emotional depths of four characters that come alive on the page. Full of feeling without ever crossing the line into sentimentality, Horsefever shines a light on our love and our demons, our pettiness and our courage, our urges for both self-destruction and liberation. What a heartfelt, skilled, and beautiful debut!”
—Roland Merullo, author of Revere Beach Boulevard and Breakfast with Buddha