• • Jock by CM Foss • Review Tour • •

Title: Jock

Author: CM Foss

Release Date: Nov 2, 2015

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CLICHES
She can’t stand them.
Hates them.
Refuses to be one.
But…

Tessa Brooks is strong-willed, sassy, and determined, on the brink of dominating in the testosterone-fueled sport of horse racing. She’s spent her life avoiding the norm, staying true to herself to achieve her ultimate goals.

Her relationship with Jace Hitchen, her brother’s best friend, just might be the biggest cliche of all. Over the years, he’s been her protector, her annoyance, her confidante, her crush. But giving in to what she’s really wanted for the last ten years could be the very thing that destroys everything she’s worked for and wanted. Can Tessa achieve her dreams for the future, but still hold on to the past?

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“Life is dirty. It’s messy and unfair and painful. And the most beautiful things come out of it.”

When I saw that C.M. Foss was releasing a female jockey story, I was 100% on board. Truth be told, my family used to own a percentage of a race horse (that ran in the Belmont Stakes). So this story, especially about the side of racing that most don’t see, was something I couldn’t wait to read.

Tessa and Jace have known each other since her birth. He is older than her and best friends with one of her brothers. It only seemed natural that he took on the role of her protector. Being the youngest in a large family means that Tessa was always trying to make a name for herself. After a life changing event, Tessa decides to go after her dream of being a jockey. She knows it’ll be a tough road, but Tessa is even tougher.

I really enjoyed this story because it was just ‘easy’. There wasn’t any crazy conflict, no super dark secrets that make you want to throw your Kindle, it was just the story of Tessa coming into her own and finding love along the way. It gave great insight into the behind the scenes of being a female jockey in a profession ruled by men. Tessa broke down barriers and proved that she was doing exactly what she was meant to do.

I think my only small complaint (not really a complaint) would be that I wish there was more of a build up with Jace and Tessa. They went from being young and almost like brother and sister to all of a sudden they had a thing for each other.

I did love Jace and his easy going, flip flop wearing attitude. He helped ground Tessa and keep her from unraveling when her career got to be too much.

4 out of 5 stars

CM Foss is a hopeless romantic with a love for the written word. When she was little, her mom would ration her books so she wouldn’t go through them too quickly. It didn’t matter, she would just re-read. She’s always been an avid equestrian, competing in the top levels of Three Day Eventing by age seventeen. CM now resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and kids where they own and operate their own equestrian business, as well as raising grass-fed, sustainable meats. She doesn’t have this thing people call “free time”, but she does spend a weird amount of time writing, reading, playing with her kids, milking goats, and drinking wine, while avoiding bananas at all costs. Other books by CM Foss include Shiver, Swoon, and City Beautiful.

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