Cleveland Examiner. A favorite pastime of mine is to snuggle into a large, comfy chair with a good book and forget about reality for an hour...or four. Recently I immersed myself in the novel Hearts Over Fences by Toni
Leland and I must say I enjoyed it.

I'm always a little skeptical when a book is described as a
romance, because many of the more recent romance novels I've read seem to be lacking an important component called a plot. However, in Hearts Over Fences Leland has created a believable world in which two people, who both have their own separate lives, problems, and goals, find each other and struggle to make their lives fit together.

I think one of the most commendable parts of this novel is the way Leland uses her characters to make her readers question their own lifestyles and personal goals. Leland's main characters both have their own tragedies to overcome; and yet they persevere not only to rise above their own hardship, but also to reflect on whether personal gain is really more important than compassion and helping others. Her characters go through many ups and downs in order to reflect, come to an understanding on what is truly important in life, and reach out to others.

Hearts Over Fences has depth, love, ambition, real life struggles, and, best of all, horses. This is not the simple, one layer romance that really only involves love and sex, but a novel that reaches farther to bring out serious emotions. A well written novel should be so believable that readers cannot help but to be swept along on the same emotional roller coaster as the main characters.
Leland's Hearts Over Fences had me crying along with the main character in the second chapter!

I think Leland's novel is unique and well written with a wealth of equestrian knowledge that makes it all the more believable. It is wonderful to read a novel by an author who also has a passion for horses and truly understands the best parts of having a horse.