Determined to make her racing stables the best in Kentucky, Nealy Coleman Diamond finds her life forever changed by the arrival of her ex-husband's law partner, Hatch Littletree, who helps her reconcile with her estranged children and opens her heart to the possibilities of newfound love and passion, but an unexpected tragedy threatens to destroy everything Nealy holds dear. 125,000 first printing. Continuing the saga begun in Kentucky Rich, Michaels rejoins Nealy Coleman Diamond Clay several years after her Triple Crown win. Though she is comfortable with her horses, Nealy struggles with personal relationships at all levels. At first, she appears so rigid and harsh that it is difficult to sympathize with her. Even a later explanation that she drove her adult children away out of love fails to counteract this first impression. For most of the book, Nealy works her way to self-understanding and real happiness, but just as it seems she has succeeded, Michaels inserts an almost unbelievable event to rip her life apart again. Nealy's sudden reversion to self-isolation and a subsequent return to happiness seem rushed, with little plot or character development. Stilted dialog, frequent encounters with the spirit of Nealy's dead husband, and the appearance of characters from the "Texas" and "Vegas" trilogies serve only to muddy the plot. These flaws do not seem to bother her fans, however. Public libraries where Kentucky Rich was popular will want to purchase. Barbara E. Kemp, Univ. of Houston Libs. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Michaels continues the family saga she began in Kentucky Rich [BKL Ag 01], which stars Nealy Coleman Diamond Clay, a teenage mother who ran away from home and ended up at Blue Diamond Farms in the heart of Kentucky raising and racing thoroughbreds. Now in her late forties and a widow, Nealy's life has always been a struggle, and she'll need all her strength for what lies ahead. She throws her daughter, Emmie, and her son, Nick, off the farm, then immerses herself in the training of one last contender for the coveted Triple Crown. Nealy realizes that this will be her last Derby horse and is ready to move on, which she does with the help of her husband's old college friend, Hatch Littletree. He's been acting as a mentor to her children, and, unbeknownst to them, becomes an important part of Nealy's life as their early antagonism changes to attraction. Her children start to develop their own lives, while Nealy searches out information about the mother she never knew. It turns out that learning about the past is the catharsis that helps put Nealy's demons to rest, allowing her to look toward the future. Michael's plot-driven story moves at a fast pace and will please her many fans, especially those who want to revisit the many characters from her previous novels. Patty Engelmann Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved