Shiloh, Toni. A Run at Love. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2024.
ISBN-13: 978-0764241512 | $17.99 USD | 352 pages | Contemporary Romance/Christian Fiction
Blurb
A CONTENDER RUNNING FOR THE ROSES
As a Black woman in a field with little diversity, Piper McKinney is determined to make her mark on the horse-racing world. Raised on a Thoroughbred farm in Kentucky, Piper’s dream is for her horse to win the prestigious Kentucky Derby. With the help of her best friend and trainer, Tucker Hale, she gains national attention but must grapple with the complications that arise when a journalist delves into her past as a transracial adoptee.
A BEST FRIEND RACING FOR LOVE
In an effort to win Piper’s heart, Tucker formulates a plan to train Piper’s horse to victory, hoping to prove himself to her, her parents, and his own self-doubts. Then a shocking scandal hits the media, implicating both Piper and her parents, and she and Tucker will have to survive the onslaught to find their way to the winner’s circle–and each other.
A ROMANCE WORTH THE CHALLENGE
“Readers are going to be delighted by this endearing and adorable romance.”–Sarah Monzon, author of the Sewing in SoCal series on The Love Script
In the series
Review
4 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
A Run at Love is the second in Toni Shiloh’s Love in the Spotlight series. It can be read as a standalone, although I do recommend the first book as well. While I’ve read myriad celebrity romances at this point, the equestrian world, especially related to horse-racing and the Kentucky Derby, were much less familiar. But Shiloh conveys a knowledge for the sport in a way that is digestible for newbies to the sport, conveying the characters’ passion for it, while not going overboard with the technical aspects that could sometimes bog down the narrative.
Piper is an incredible female lead, and I particularly liked how she handled issues with her Black identity in both her professional and personal lives. She’s a Black woman in the horse-racing world, dominated by white men, but she’s also a Black transracial adoptee. I respect how her story highlights the complex feelings someone like her can have, being grateful for the opportunities she has due to the family who raised her, but also being unsettled by the situation, and especially the public’s perception of her.
Tucker is a generally solid guy, and I loved how his romance with Piper developed. They’ve known each other pretty much all their lives, and I love how he’s as passionate about her winning the Kentucky Derby as she is, even making elaborate plans in an attempt to make it happen. They had great chemistry and it was sweet seeing things develop from platonic to something more. I did feel like the marriage proposal came a little too soon, but given how long they knew each other, and how it came rather late in the story, I can accept that it makes sense. And the wedding isn’t necessarily something they’re rushing into by the end, anyway.
This was another heartfelt romance from Toni Shiloh, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in a Christian or sweet (no-sex) romance with a Black lead.
Author Bio
Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior.
She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys.
When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, watching K-dramas, and spending time with her family.
Toni is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and of the Virginia Chapter.
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