Reviewed by Katherine Williams for Readers' Favorite

The first in its series, Foxglove Hearts is a romance novel by Suzette Kramer. The story stars Mallari, a headstrong woman who takes over her family’s thoroughbred farm after her parents die. She keeps up with it for a while, but unfortunately cannot take care of it herself due to bad economic times and she is forced to sell. Not knowing what to do with herself, she is soon offered a job as a breeding manager at the highly regarded Foxglove Acres. She takes the job and they offer her and her little sister, Staci, their own place to stay on the acres. When Mallari and Staci arrive at their new home, Mallari feels that she is prepared for it all. Little does she know that Bryce, the owner’s handsome and womanizing son, has his eye on her. Bryce is always on the move, always looking for a new girl to take advantage of. But as soon as Bryce and Mallari start to get to know each other, he realizes that she’s different than all the others. He wants to get to know her better and realizes that he’s never felt this way about a woman before. Will Bryce be able to give up his womanizing ways in order to be with Mallari? Add young Staci into the mix, who is constantly throwing herself at Bryce. Will he be able to resist the temptation? Does Mallari even want to be with a player like him or just focus on horses like she usually does? The ultimate question is, are two people as different as Mallari and Bryce even meant to be together?

Although the storyline in Foxglove Hearts is somewhat predictable, Suzette Kramer adds her own unique details which make the novel interesting. She writes her characters very well as I loved reading about Mallari the most. She is a stubborn and independent young woman who knows what she wants in life and goes for it. Sometimes it was hard to read about Mallari because of the decisions she makes due to her stubbornness, but these are the times when she felt real to me. The other characters such as Staci and Bryce seem like people you have met at least once in your life. They both have distinct personalities and behaviors that you can get frustrated with but also enjoy at the same time.

I think my favorite part about this novel was being able to come across so much equine information. Kramer incorporates so many real facts about horses within the plot, imagery and dialogue. I don’t think I’ve ever read a fiction novel with so many facts about an animal incorporated into the story, so I thought that was unique. I know practically nothing about horses, and I really enjoyed getting to know and appreciate them more through Mallari’s story. Overall, I thought Foxglove Hearts was an enjoyable read and will be reading the next book in its series. I recommend this book to anyone who has a soft spot for a good romance story or horses.