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29th out of 31 books
—
171 voters
Leaping Hearts
by
Jessica Bird
Her dreams are within reach—
All she has to do is learn to hold on . . .
A beautiful young woman with a defiant spirit, A. J. Sutherland spends a small fortune on a horse with a wild reputation, and is forced to sacrifice her position at her family’s stables to keep him. She plans to ride the magnificent stallion in the biggest event of the show jumping season—and she know...more
All she has to do is learn to hold on . . .
A beautiful young woman with a defiant spirit, A. J. Sutherland spends a small fortune on a horse with a wild reputation, and is forced to sacrifice her position at her family’s stables to keep him. She plans to ride the magnificent stallion in the biggest event of the show jumping season—and she know...more
Mass Market Paperback, 370 pages
Published
July 30th 2002
by Ivy Books
(first published July 2002)
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This my first book as JR ward writing as Jessica Bird. AJ Sutherland buys a very expensive and wild and untamed stallion to train. He's got a bad reputation and is extremely hard to handle and possibly dangerous. Her father owns Sutherland stables and until she buys the stallion it was run by her and her step brother. Her step brother is not a horseman doesn't enjoy the job but does well with the financial side. Problem is he's bossy and hateful to A.J. He tries to block her from buying the stal...more
A romantic tale of horses and the people who love them.
My Take
The primary theme is having faith in yourself but acknowledging your shortcomings. In other words, never lie to yourself.
This is a sweet romance that revolves around show jumping, an unthinking beauty, and a man who has retreated from life. It flows well and has some nice insight on A.J.'s part as she realizes just how good she had it and what her family has had to put up with as opposed to what she thought.
I thought the arrangeme...more
My Take
The primary theme is having faith in yourself but acknowledging your shortcomings. In other words, never lie to yourself.
This is a sweet romance that revolves around show jumping, an unthinking beauty, and a man who has retreated from life. It flows well and has some nice insight on A.J.'s part as she realizes just how good she had it and what her family has had to put up with as opposed to what she thought.
I thought the arrangeme...more
Meh. This is JR Ward's very first published book (writing as Jessica Bird) I think the most interesting thing about the book was her telling how the book came to be.
A.J. Sutherland buys a rogue stallion that's got a very bad attitude and everyone has given up on. Every one thinks she is crazy and her step-brother and father refuse to let her keep the horse on the family ranch.
Devlin McCloud was a world champion rider until he suffered a career ending tragedy that also ended up with him having...more
A.J. Sutherland buys a rogue stallion that's got a very bad attitude and everyone has given up on. Every one thinks she is crazy and her step-brother and father refuse to let her keep the horse on the family ranch.
Devlin McCloud was a world champion rider until he suffered a career ending tragedy that also ended up with him having...more
Author Jessica Bird's first published book - she is aka J.R. Ward, author of Black Dagger Brotherhood series (vampire warriors) ...
Leaping Hearts is a very good solid romance, set in the world of horses & horse competition. Excellent job developing characters, incl. supporting characters & sub-plots - this is a real nice read, a real page turner. Love all the info about horses :-)
I'll definitely be reading more of Jessica Bird, and soon!
Leaping Hearts is a very good solid romance, set in the world of horses & horse competition. Excellent job developing characters, incl. supporting characters & sub-plots - this is a real nice read, a real page turner. Love all the info about horses :-)
I'll definitely be reading more of Jessica Bird, and soon!
Jul 15, 2012
Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-2012
This review was posted at Under the Covers
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was when the audiobook for this started and there was a short intro from Jessica Bird aka JR Ward that talks about how this particular book came to be and what it means to her. It definitely gave me a different perspective before diving into the story and I was able to appreciate some things more. Especially knowing this was her FIRST EVER story, the fact that she got lucky to get some pointers from Sue Grafton,...more
I can't even begin to tell you how happy I was when the audiobook for this started and there was a short intro from Jessica Bird aka JR Ward that talks about how this particular book came to be and what it means to her. It definitely gave me a different perspective before diving into the story and I was able to appreciate some things more. Especially knowing this was her FIRST EVER story, the fact that she got lucky to get some pointers from Sue Grafton,...more
Listened on audio to JR Ward's first book, under the name Jessica Bird. This book was way different from the BDB series...same saucy female character portrayal though. The story was about a "finding yourself and Love at the same time" story about a young woman who went against family to follow her equestrian dreams and found love with her trainer. There was quite a bit written about the equestrian lifestyle and world, so if you are not into that, you may not like it. It was a fantastic love sto...more
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Read this one in March of 2010, but a bunch of my reviews somehow vanished. So I'm posting them again. Very strange. At least I had them all saved in one of my groups. Just a pain to repost.
So some of you are preparing for Lover Mine by reading some of the BDB books. I, however, am enjoying some of Ward's pre-BDB books. This one had it's steamy moments. I can't believe I read two books with horses in only a few days. I don't remember even reading one last year. This one dealt with woman who love...more
So some of you are preparing for Lover Mine by reading some of the BDB books. I, however, am enjoying some of Ward's pre-BDB books. This one had it's steamy moments. I can't believe I read two books with horses in only a few days. I don't remember even reading one last year. This one dealt with woman who love...more
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4 likes · like · see review
This was J.R. Ward’s first published book which has been re-released with a new cover. Leaping Hearts is a traditional contemporary romance with a cowboy, horses and a heroine in need of help in order to win a competition. Who doesn’t love a hunky cowboy? And the new cover, well, yummy!
The story is solid and flows smoothly. Both the Hero and Heroine have their flaws, each has their own journey to take but their roads intertwined and they must work together in order to be able to have their HEA....more
The story is solid and flows smoothly. Both the Hero and Heroine have their flaws, each has their own journey to take but their roads intertwined and they must work together in order to be able to have their HEA....more
I am so glad that they released the first of J.R. Ward's books. I loved her first book. As soon as I realized that she wrote a book about horses I ran out an got it and I wasn't disappointed. Devlin was a great leading man. I like that his injury wasn't an issue after the start of the book. I think it would have taken the story in a different direction if they would have made it more of an issue. Even though A.J. was ridiculously stubborn, I thought she was a great character. I loved how she han...more
I ❤ this story from the beginning to end. ❤ the characters (Devlin is my fav JR Ward Male character to date '12) and writing who were both realistic and solid. ❤ the setting.*sigh* I didn't want it to stop I wanted to live in the spare room, heck the barn. I needed to find a good book like this and JR Ward, as always, came through.
Having been a lover of JR Wards work since I first read the BDB years ago, I finally went looking for her first works. I never thought I would enjoy reading regular r...more
Having been a lover of JR Wards work since I first read the BDB years ago, I finally went looking for her first works. I never thought I would enjoy reading regular r...more
Well, I think if I read the preface/acknowledgements correctly, this is J.R. Ward's first book (that has been re-released, I think). If so, that explains the weakness (if you can call it that) of the book. The promise of the brilliant writer that she is is most certainly there but the voice, that magical recipe that every writer craves, has not taken full form. Where her writing now is seamless and fluid, the writing in this book is not. Great story but less character development than we are use...more
Book written by AKA JR Ward. Set in the horse country with AJ as the heroine who lives with her rich family. Her stepbrother runs the management of the horse business, while AJ takes care of the horses and rides them in competitions. When she decides to buy a surly horse with a bad reputation, her stepbrother puts her out. Of course, her father does not seem to worry to much about all this and seems removed from everything going on in the household/business. AJ turns up at Devlin's house and he...more
It was really good, really really funny, laughed out loud to many times to count. I liked the story...Ward really knows her horses, I had no idead that a horse could be so finicky. And I liked the characters well enough, A.J. and Devlin fit together perfectly, but my favorite characters were Sabbath and Chester. Between Sabbath's antics when he wasn't freaking out and Chester's everything, they way he talked especially around Margaret Mead (A.J.'s friend) to his eating habits, I haven't read som...more
I was really disappointed in this one. Everything else I have read by Ms. Ward has been fabulous, but this one missed the mark for me. Way too much detail, not enough plot in some ways, in other too much talking about this or that. I didn't understand how AJ and Devlin never met before when they are both in the same business and live just down the road from each other, I found that really hard to believe. Also, Devlin was kind of a baby, needed to act like a man not a teenager and pout when thin...more
The characters in this book are phenomenal. I loved A.J and Devlin's character.
A.J. is a strong character who is suddenly forced to live her life on her own.
Devlin is a man who's hurt. Hurt by a tragedy that set his life back on track. It made him see what's important and what's not. After agreeing to help A.J. train a horse who's thrown quite a few men, he tries to help A.J. see what he's been shown in his loss.
I've been a fan of JR Ward's since the Black Dagger Brotherhood books and this bo...more
A.J. is a strong character who is suddenly forced to live her life on her own.
Devlin is a man who's hurt. Hurt by a tragedy that set his life back on track. It made him see what's important and what's not. After agreeing to help A.J. train a horse who's thrown quite a few men, he tries to help A.J. see what he's been shown in his loss.
I've been a fan of JR Ward's since the Black Dagger Brotherhood books and this bo...more
what the heck is this one????
Love Sabbath. Black stallion with a bad attitude? Hard not love him. Hhmm, JR has come a long way since her debut. I found the romance hard and fast. And no. Not in a good way. One minute they're tacking up Sabbath, next, they're macking on each other! I actually had to go back to see if I missed something.
JR has learned to pace the romance and tease it out nice and slow. She still slips now and again, but she's only human, not a robot. Well so far as I know LOL. Point is? she learned a thing or...more
JR has learned to pace the romance and tease it out nice and slow. She still slips now and again, but she's only human, not a robot. Well so far as I know LOL. Point is? she learned a thing or...more
Has Its Ups and Downs
The moment A.J. Sutherland saw the sleek black stallion named Sabbath, she knew. She just knew he would be a champion jumper. The stallion's hellish reputation notwithstanding, she saw him as pure gold and bought him at auction over the strenuous objections of her stepbrother, the contentious pain in the hindquarters who runs the business side of her wealthy father's stables. A.J. was resolute, however, and with one signed check she committed herself to a whole new life. Her...more
The moment A.J. Sutherland saw the sleek black stallion named Sabbath, she knew. She just knew he would be a champion jumper. The stallion's hellish reputation notwithstanding, she saw him as pure gold and bought him at auction over the strenuous objections of her stepbrother, the contentious pain in the hindquarters who runs the business side of her wealthy father's stables. A.J. was resolute, however, and with one signed check she committed herself to a whole new life. Her...more
Aug 23, 2011
Julie (Mom2lnb)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of Contemporary Romance, Horses & Equestrian Sports
Shelves:
contemporary-romance,
read-2011
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Leaping Hearts is the first book written by Jessica Bird aka the fabulous J. R. Ward of Black Dagger Brotherhood fame. Sadly, it seems to have rather low ratings on some of the major book sites that I frequent, but I think this may be due to fans of her later work deciding to try her backlist titles only to be disappointed. Like many, I came to be a fan through the BDB, but was still able to view Leaping Hearts as a completely different entity. I also found it to be a fas...more
Leaping Hearts is the first book written by Jessica Bird aka the fabulous J. R. Ward of Black Dagger Brotherhood fame. Sadly, it seems to have rather low ratings on some of the major book sites that I frequent, but I think this may be due to fans of her later work deciding to try her backlist titles only to be disappointed. Like many, I came to be a fan through the BDB, but was still able to view Leaping Hearts as a completely different entity. I also found it to be a fas...more
2 likes · like · see review
The edition I read starts with a quick story by the author of how this, her first published story, came to be. The story is not as fine in quality as her later work so it was nice to hear her put it in context. It's worth reading just to get a sense of the author's evolution.
The characters are warm and likable if not very complex. The plot is fairly predictable but pleasant. The best parts are the glimpses of the writer to come, the development of her voice and confidence.
The characters are warm and likable if not very complex. The plot is fairly predictable but pleasant. The best parts are the glimpses of the writer to come, the development of her voice and confidence.
I would have liked this one better if it wasn't so heavy on the horse culture and all that it entailed. After a while it got boring and old. I also didn't care for the same basic argument that AJ and Devlin got into. Each time Devlin had the same reaction, to get pissed, yell some harsh words, then run away. For a man in his 30's that was childish. I did love Chester, he was such a great character, too bad he couldn't redeem the things that turned me off.
The book was okay. Nothing mind boggling or anything but the author (of whom I love) always does a great job of giving life to the characters. A look into their mind set and why they do what they do.
The story of a little rich girl who likes being a stable hand and a supposedly washed up cowboy. The trials of breaking a horse and competition were predictable but the characters made up for it. It's a good read for 'in-between series' reading.
The story of a little rich girl who likes being a stable hand and a supposedly washed up cowboy. The trials of breaking a horse and competition were predictable but the characters made up for it. It's a good read for 'in-between series' reading.
wow, I was not expecting to like this book at all, but I really did! I loved it. I read it very quickly and as soon as it was done I was looking for all of the other titles that JR Ward writes as Jessica Bird.
It is a good sweet romance about two people who have one common goal and make a lot of mistakes along the way to said goal.
Read this and fall in love with Devlin and A.J. and of course the start of the show, Sabboth.
Happy Reading :)
It is a good sweet romance about two people who have one common goal and make a lot of mistakes along the way to said goal.
Read this and fall in love with Devlin and A.J. and of course the start of the show, Sabboth.
Happy Reading :)
A pretty good read..especially if you were a little horse crazy as a teenager. I can tell this is one of Ward (as Bird's) first books. It wasn't quite as polished as others I've read - not that Ward is all that polished in general. I liked the characters, just thought the drama was a little over the top. And I seriously doubt that the brother relationship would have resolved quite as neatly in the real world.
Beautiful story where two people and one horse (^^) get to know and trust each other.
The relation between A.J and Devlin is sooo hot, you feel like your gonna get burn.
Chester is just a great and so sweet character you keep your fingers crossed so that nothing bad happens to him.
And Sabbah was so cute for such a demon horse.
The relation between A.J and Devlin is sooo hot, you feel like your gonna get burn.
Chester is just a great and so sweet character you keep your fingers crossed so that nothing bad happens to him.
And Sabbah was so cute for such a demon horse.
This is the first book written by this author that I have read. I thought it was good. The author uses great discriptions to bring the book to life. The only reason I did not give it a 5 is I thought toward the end it started to drag on a bit. But I certainly would read more by this author.
This is the first book that was released from this writer. It is a great book about an impossible love and a not to tamable horse. Or will it be tamed with the proper guidance?
It reads easily away and what woman has not as dreamed as a girl of having a horse? A good combination.
It reads easily away and what woman has not as dreamed as a girl of having a horse? A good combination.
I love J.R. Ward, so when I realized that she had several other novels written under another name I was thrilled. When I read the first I was sorely disappointed. Don't make the same mistake I did.
I enjoyed this book and I liked that the story's conclusion wasn't as I predicted, but having read all of jessica bird/j.r. ward's other books, I could tell this was one of her first. Good humor tho and the characters were well written. J.R. Ward shows a lot more passion in her later writings, but I still give this book a definite thumbs up -worth the read rating.
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Jessica Bird began writing as a child, but it wasn't until after she married that her husband encouraged her to submit her manuscripts to be published. In 2002, her first novel, Leaping Hearts, was published.
Bird is most known for her paranormal vampire series Black Dagger Brotherhood which is published under the name JR Ward.
More about Jessica Bird...
Bird is most known for her paranormal vampire series Black Dagger Brotherhood which is published under the name JR Ward.
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