It takes someone who really understands horses to write a story like this. Kat Jordan not only offers terrifyingly graphic descriptions of how stallions behave in the presence of pheromones, be they equine or human, she also lets us in on some of the devious politics and scurrilous practices that litter the horse breeding and showing world. Her story line is deceptively simple, but it contains a lot of nuances, with a variety of lessons for would be horse lovers the world over. To achieve all this in only about seven thousand words shows that Jordan is also an excellent wordsmith.
Impressive Bravado presents us with an equine love triangle. We find a professional veterinarian who, although newly qualified, has seen it all before. On another axis is a gaggle of horse besotted teenage girls who have managed to persuade unaware parents to buy them stallion colts from the Impressive bloodline. The third side of the triangle is populated by those who would make money out of the horses, some of them at all costs. These include a charlatan horse whisperer, the secret pockets of her flamboyant robes full of treats to bribe the horses into doing what she wants and unscrupulous breeders who casually ignore the risks posed by dangerous blood lines. To complicate matters these are opposed by equally ruthless horse trainers, prepared to maim or kill to protect their reputations whilst attempting to stamp out a dangerous genetic line.
To this volatile mix Jordan adds the merest suspicion of romance in the form of a handsome city bred law enforcement officer whose eye for a pretty lady picks out Kate, the veterinarian, despite the layer of foul substances the dramatic events at the Dusty Boots horse fair have covered her in that morning.
This is a well rounded story, a delight to read and one which should be required reading for all youngsters who long to own a horse of their own. It should also be read by the parents who would buy them those horses, to bring them face to face with the sometimes brutal realities of what they could be letting themselves and their children in for.
Expect a lot more good writing from this author.
