Soon to be a major new TELEVISION SERIES! Recommended on the USA TODAY website. Last year, I had it all. Two jumpers on the show circuit, a lot of wins, and a lot of attention - the good kind. But now I have nothing. My life is circling the drain. The only spark of light that exists for me is my new, forbidden passion. If my stepfather finds out, he will kill me. My twin brother, my only blood relative in the world, has already begged me not to. But I can't help myself. If it can't be horses, it has to be this.
Blaze of Glory
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Product Description
About the Author
M. Garzon rode horses professionally for ten years, until an injury prompted a career change. She returned to school and completed a BSc; then, for good measure, an MBA. After several years of toiling as a business consultant, she turned to writing in a desperate bid to regain her sanity. A mom of two fabulous children, she lives in St Lazare, QC and is currently working on the sequel to Blaze of Glory. Her website is www.mgarzon.ca.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
By MJ
Format:Kindle Edition
This is a coming of age drama about a seventeen year old girl, her dreams of becoming a show jumper and her first, and very passionate, love. Tea and her twin brother Seth live with their step-father Declan, their mother had died some years earlier and while overall the relationship between the three is generally good, Declan is quite strict and this sometimes causes tension especially between him and Tea. Tea's life takes an unexpected downward turn after she and her friend are involved in a car accident and Tea has to come to terms with the changes it brings.
The chemistry between Jaden and Tea is palpable from the start, the fact that legally they are cousins is a little controversial but as they are not actually related by blood I didn't have an issue with it, I was more concerned about the age difference.........later in life it is not so important but if my 17 year old daughter was in a relationship with a 23 year old man I would be concerned!!
I felt a variety of emotions while reading, anger at Dec's physical punishment and at the fact that he banned Tea from the show she had been training for years to attend...... it was way too harsh, the injustice of it made me really mad at him for her I actually wanted her to go behind his back and do it anyway........so not a good thought to have as a mum!!! I totally felt Tea's sadness after the accident, the descriptions of her feelings were so well written I was there living it all with her. Finally I felt happy with the outcome. The book ended how it should despite my earlier misgivings!
The story reads slow like a well narrated film and has a `lazy' feel to it, begging not to be rushed but savoured and enjoyed. The writing style intrigues me because it reads like an experienced and established author has written it and certainly not like a first time writer or a self published piece of work. I am not familiar with all things equine but M Garzon has a unique way of integrating the explanations of `horsey' terminology nicely into the story without it seeming like she was `explaining the terminology' which I found quite interesting! The characters were well developed and the dialogue was believable. I think Blaze of Glory is a must read for all ages not just YA or horse lovers and I will follow with interest the career of this exciting new writer.
Copy supplied for review.
The chemistry between Jaden and Tea is palpable from the start, the fact that legally they are cousins is a little controversial but as they are not actually related by blood I didn't have an issue with it, I was more concerned about the age difference.........later in life it is not so important but if my 17 year old daughter was in a relationship with a 23 year old man I would be concerned!!
I felt a variety of emotions while reading, anger at Dec's physical punishment and at the fact that he banned Tea from the show she had been training for years to attend...... it was way too harsh, the injustice of it made me really mad at him for her I actually wanted her to go behind his back and do it anyway........so not a good thought to have as a mum!!! I totally felt Tea's sadness after the accident, the descriptions of her feelings were so well written I was there living it all with her. Finally I felt happy with the outcome. The book ended how it should despite my earlier misgivings!
The story reads slow like a well narrated film and has a `lazy' feel to it, begging not to be rushed but savoured and enjoyed. The writing style intrigues me because it reads like an experienced and established author has written it and certainly not like a first time writer or a self published piece of work. I am not familiar with all things equine but M Garzon has a unique way of integrating the explanations of `horsey' terminology nicely into the story without it seeming like she was `explaining the terminology' which I found quite interesting! The characters were well developed and the dialogue was believable. I think Blaze of Glory is a must read for all ages not just YA or horse lovers and I will follow with interest the career of this exciting new writer.
Copy supplied for review.
By Catrina T.
Format:Paperback
I loved the details and explanations about horse riding, training and grooming. A lot of it was based off of the author's personal experiences. I appreciate that the author took bits and pieces from her background as a rider so it all of it felt very authentic. Some of my favorite parts of the book were the ones where Tea was dealing with Schweppes and Cameo. Tea's relationship with the horses made me understand them more.
The writing was consistently good throughout the book. It was easy to read, easy to follow. The plot was solid and well-constructed. I loved the characters and found myself rooting for each and every one of them. Even the horses had their own distinct and endearing personalities. And the dialogue was so realistic. Seth was just the most adorable brother. Dec, as flawed as he is, was a great character. You could feel his frustration and confusion very well and it made me feel sorry for him. Tea was very relatable and it was easy to empathize with her even though she sometimes had lapses in judgment. But hey, we all have our moments, right?
I must admit, I had trouble reconciling Tea and Jaden's relationship. As sweet (and frustrating) as they were, I was a little bit uncomfortable. I keep an open mind but to each her own, I guess. But they were still very cute. They bickered a lot, which got a little old towards the end, but it made for a great story. Jaden was very "knight in shining armor" even though Tea was far from being a "damsel in distress". It took me a while to follow some parts of the time line but over all, it was such a lovely read. The ending was very fulfilling and I am very much looking forward to a sequel.
Rating: 4/5.
Recommendation: This will very much appeal to those familiar with the world of horse training and equine sports. For those of us not familiar with this area, this book gives a fascinating peek into what work goes into horse jumping and polo. And you will just fall in love with the story!
The writing was consistently good throughout the book. It was easy to read, easy to follow. The plot was solid and well-constructed. I loved the characters and found myself rooting for each and every one of them. Even the horses had their own distinct and endearing personalities. And the dialogue was so realistic. Seth was just the most adorable brother. Dec, as flawed as he is, was a great character. You could feel his frustration and confusion very well and it made me feel sorry for him. Tea was very relatable and it was easy to empathize with her even though she sometimes had lapses in judgment. But hey, we all have our moments, right?
I must admit, I had trouble reconciling Tea and Jaden's relationship. As sweet (and frustrating) as they were, I was a little bit uncomfortable. I keep an open mind but to each her own, I guess. But they were still very cute. They bickered a lot, which got a little old towards the end, but it made for a great story. Jaden was very "knight in shining armor" even though Tea was far from being a "damsel in distress". It took me a while to follow some parts of the time line but over all, it was such a lovely read. The ending was very fulfilling and I am very much looking forward to a sequel.
Rating: 4/5.
Recommendation: This will very much appeal to those familiar with the world of horse training and equine sports. For those of us not familiar with this area, this book gives a fascinating peek into what work goes into horse jumping and polo. And you will just fall in love with the story!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars
84 reviews
23 of 29 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Wanted to give it a good review
21 Nov 2011
By Playful Professional
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
**Spoiler alert**
Have you ever read a book you want to love but just can't? Blaze of Glory is one of those books for me.
Tea is seventeen and on her way to a promising career in horse jumping (not sure that's the right term). Her life revolves around her family, friends, and horses until one day she gets into an accident and her career is put on hold as she struggles to find her way back. While she's struggling, her hot, 23-year old, polo playing cousin Jaden steps in to play her protector from the bad choices she makes in her life. And through their experiences together, they develop a very strong bond, platonic at first and then more than platonic in Tea's mind. The first half of the book is centered around Tea's love for horses and the second is centered around Tea's love for Jaden.
This review is hard to write because I really liked the story and I loved the characters, but throughout the book I was pretending and creating a plot of my own to get over some fundamental flaws I had with the book, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. But there are a few things that I just can't get over personally, which also means I can't recommend this book to anyone.
First, this book is written for a young adult audience. The main character is a 17-year old girl, meaning the ideal audience for this would probably be teenage girls. The last quarter of the book is about Tea and her sexual relationship with a 23-year old man. The author, through Tea, treated sex like it wasn't a big deal and was just something that other people were doing so she should too. I completely disagree with this and wouldn't want my teenage daughter to read it. If this book were written for an adult audience and dealt with an adult relationship, I would be much more lenient on the author. And I know sex is everywhere right now and teens are out there having sex, but it doesn't mean that we need to write or read more books where it's just something that you do.
And second, I had a huge problem with the Tea and Jaden having a relationship when they are actual first cousins. I tried over and over again to convince myself that it didn't matter because they weren't related by blood, but they were related by adoption making them legal 1st cousins. It does matter and completely jaded my opinion of the storyline. I'm not sure why Jaden couldn't have been just like a cousin or just like a brother (someone's best friend, etc.), not an actual relative.
If you can get over those two fundamental flaws, this book may for you. Like I said, when I imagined Tea and Jaden as just a man and a woman (not a teenage girl and her cousin), I loved this story and found it hard to put down. I also loved the characters and the way they were so well-developed. But for me, the two things above ruined the book for me and I really can't recommend it. I will probably read something by M. Garzon in the future because I enjoyed the writing, but only if the storyline is one I can get behind. 2 stars.
Have you ever read a book you want to love but just can't? Blaze of Glory is one of those books for me.
Tea is seventeen and on her way to a promising career in horse jumping (not sure that's the right term). Her life revolves around her family, friends, and horses until one day she gets into an accident and her career is put on hold as she struggles to find her way back. While she's struggling, her hot, 23-year old, polo playing cousin Jaden steps in to play her protector from the bad choices she makes in her life. And through their experiences together, they develop a very strong bond, platonic at first and then more than platonic in Tea's mind. The first half of the book is centered around Tea's love for horses and the second is centered around Tea's love for Jaden.
This review is hard to write because I really liked the story and I loved the characters, but throughout the book I was pretending and creating a plot of my own to get over some fundamental flaws I had with the book, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. But there are a few things that I just can't get over personally, which also means I can't recommend this book to anyone.
First, this book is written for a young adult audience. The main character is a 17-year old girl, meaning the ideal audience for this would probably be teenage girls. The last quarter of the book is about Tea and her sexual relationship with a 23-year old man. The author, through Tea, treated sex like it wasn't a big deal and was just something that other people were doing so she should too. I completely disagree with this and wouldn't want my teenage daughter to read it. If this book were written for an adult audience and dealt with an adult relationship, I would be much more lenient on the author. And I know sex is everywhere right now and teens are out there having sex, but it doesn't mean that we need to write or read more books where it's just something that you do.
And second, I had a huge problem with the Tea and Jaden having a relationship when they are actual first cousins. I tried over and over again to convince myself that it didn't matter because they weren't related by blood, but they were related by adoption making them legal 1st cousins. It does matter and completely jaded my opinion of the storyline. I'm not sure why Jaden couldn't have been just like a cousin or just like a brother (someone's best friend, etc.), not an actual relative.
If you can get over those two fundamental flaws, this book may for you. Like I said, when I imagined Tea and Jaden as just a man and a woman (not a teenage girl and her cousin), I loved this story and found it hard to put down. I also loved the characters and the way they were so well-developed. But for me, the two things above ruined the book for me and I really can't recommend it. I will probably read something by M. Garzon in the future because I enjoyed the writing, but only if the storyline is one I can get behind. 2 stars.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing story!
28 Aug 2011
By jewel fan
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I loved this book! I couldnt stay away once I started reading it.I found myself thinking about the story when I wasnt reading it.You get to know the characters very intimately to the point where you truly feel their emotions.This story has so many ineresting aspects.I loved the horses and their personalities and Tea's love for them.But most of all the relationships in this book are the most drawing quality.I love the whole star crossed lovers and also the relationships between Tea and her brother and how Tea and her stepdad's relationship grows throughout the story.This book will make you cry,laugh,and cheer.It has all the amazing things I look for in a great book.I would definately put this book at the top of my favorites list.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic read!
1 Oct 2011
By Sharleen Banning
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Im not the target audience for his book at all, but I stayed up late and then finished it during a play date, lol. I love that the author trusts her teenage audience as this book is written in a way that doesn't dumb stuff down on their account. Her main character is what I would consider a strong ethical role model and when the time comes I'll absolutely let my girls read this. I was taking far steamier books out of the library during my teens than this and I think it's great that it's sort of a romance novel made for teens. As far as some people being uncomfortable with the cousin aspect of this book all I have to say is that "clueless" was WAY worse (Cher dating her step brother) and I loved that movie as a teen! Pick this book up, I promise you won't be able to put it down! Sequel FTW! I'll be reading it for sure <3
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4.6 out of 5 stars
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