Horse Crazy by Caitlin Ricci

Melody and her teenage daughter, Kristen, have moved to Colorado for a fresh start. She's still not 100% where she wants to be in terms of her body yet but she is finally comfortable with herself and is living completely as a woman for the first time in her life. To thank Kristen for being so wonderful she promises her daughter riding lessons, something her little girl has always dreamed of.

While waiting for the lesson to start, she's happy to see her daughter amidst the horses that she loves so much, but Melody does not expect the handsome man who sits down next to her—a man who proves to be Kristen's instructor and idol, to be interested in taking Melody out on a date…

This is a very short novella but still manages to show a bit of characterization and gives a satisfactory ending.  Many novellas are almost like a teaser to a full-length novel and it feels like you are missing out on some of the story.  Ms. Ricci manages to leave her readers feeling content and satisfied with the ending she gave.  I certainly would have loved to read more about the dating process between Derek and Melody but overall it was done well.

As far as the characters go this was a first for me.  The novels I have read containing transgender characters never had the characters undergo the sex change surgery.  Melody has started a new life as her true self and this book is about how she finds love in her new life.  I was very happy with the characterization of Melody and how nervous and yet excited she was to show her true self. I was especially proud of Melody’s daughter’s support for her mother throughout her whole ordeal and her continued love for her mother.  This is a very well done novella and I would be happy to read more from her.

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