10 years since readers were introduced to Sasha Silver and Lauren Towers, and we are back! But not to the colonial greens of Canterwood Crest.

Instead we head a few hours away to the rolling lawns of Saddlehill Academy where a new horse girl aspires to live up to her idols while facing drama at every turn.

Abby St. Clair has already adjusted to her Foxbury boarding school but she is haunted by a shady secret that will surely set mean girl, Selly Hollis, on her sights. Ontop of that, she is adjusting to her new family which includes a superstar equistrian stepsister that is now attending Saddlehill with her.

Abby is a nice combination of Sasha’s insecurity and Lauren’s maturity, making her a rootable protagonist. She has a clear love for horse-riding and her stallion, Beau (short for Beau of Mine) with a preference for jumping and cross-country. Her weakness comes from drassage and Beau’s shyness with water which she works to overcome, as well as her own anxiety.

It’s not just typical tween insecurity. Abby’s mother left her out of the blue when she was 7, and the subsequent abandonment gives her major anxiety. Like worst-case scenario where she withdraws, blaming herself like when she was a kid. I felt for her because even though she has moments of self-awareness, her anxiety kicks in and she retreats from communication, sure that her friends will leave her out of the blue just like her mother had.

I liked this backstory because not only does it keep the miscommunication and secret-keeping from going into idiotic/stalling for drama territory but it adds to the drama between her and her stepsister, Emery. There’s obvious internal conflict as Abby at heart is a nice girl, but her unease with this instant new family and seeing Emery’s happy relationship with her mother adds to the sting. Especially when Emery gets caught in the web of Selly and Nina.

But I must admit, the mean girls in this book are possibly more vicious than the original series. Maybe it’s been awhile so I’m glossing over the original, but Nina and Selly are cruel in a pyschological way that is hard to triumph since they rarely leave proof of their misdeeds. And when they do get a rightful verbal smackdown, it backfires on all the girls.

And that’s not getting into the new mean girls popping in book 4 that is remiscent of the original series when Jasmine King comes to town, forcing a truce among Abby, her friends and Selly, and Nina.

While this is one major beat that reminds me of the original series, Burkhart doesn’t retread old ground when she brings up Fall Fest or having a drama-focused friend. All the cast and cozy treat cafes feel distinct to the series, and doesn’t overlap too much with the original series.

Like the romance is surprisingly drama-free. Abby’s quick crush on Mila, a new rider, is sweet and funny as she babbles intially in that embarassing crush fashion before getting herself together and asking her out. And so far, nothing has come in between them yet so that’s nice. It adds levity among all the chaos in the stables.

I know, I mention the original a lot but when a series is set in the same universe and has several fun cameos, it’s hard not to compare. However, Burkhart manages to balance it by not introducing cameos until the #3-4, allowing readers to get to know the newbies without being overshadowed by nostalgic squeeing like I did at seeing Eric, Callie, Lauren and Sasha again.

Because with these cameos, it just makes me wonder who will come next. Like what happened to Paige, did she continue cooking? And Britt who was also a rising star on the circut? And Cole, and Khloe and so on.
Which I have to get this off my chest but Sasha and Heather are girlfriends now? I mean, I can understand the appeal by young gays with the rivals to lovers, reformed jerk with a heart of gold but Heather?

Maybe I’m forgetting how much Heather reformed over the series, but she was so intense and harsh to Sasha . . . Sasha can do better. Like maybe Allison, she was nicer. Maybe it’s me, I hold grudges. Even against fictional characters apparently.

Okay, now I’m out of the crazy opinionated shipping place.

Now if I have any nitpicks, it would be that Abby, and Emery get a lot of focus that Thea, Vivi (Abby’s friends), Mila and others fall to the wayside. Like Vivi’s crush gets dropped quickly. Nina, the second antagonist hints at potential backstabbery nature towards Selly but she gets overshadowed by bigger threats. There was a third girl, Joss, who seemed posied to make up a new trio but she is promptly forgotten.

It’s very much the Abby show which makes sense but it does seem like her anxiety and worries over school, and riding makes her block out other things like encouraging her friends’ dating life or theater aspirations. I remember there had been equal weight given to Lauren/Sasha’s friends’ lives and worries which made it feel fuller. Also a little more flaws or insight from Mila who seems like a lovely girl and love interest but. . . I want more. So far, Abby’s getting a bulk of the character development while others have flashes of insight.

Also Abby wins a lot. I mean, I root for her especially when it comes to getting into riding clinic and after 3 books of almost getting first place, she wins. But her also getting to be YE covergirl picked by Callie felt a bit too much. Like give the win to Keir or Thea so it doesn’t feel too wish fulfillment if that makes sense.

Beyond that, it was a delight to return to this world and with the major cliffhanger left at the end of #4, I hope it gets picked up for another quartet of books soon!