Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

What an experience spending the summer in Italy with her aunt and uncle will be for Angela. The Tuscany countryside is beautiful as Uncle Giorgio takes Angela to the farm.

She notices a dapple gray horse running in a distant field, and is immediately entranced by him. Then she finds out that he is to be euthanized. They can't race him, or even ride him because he is too unpredictable, and has been the cause of serious injury to Catarina.

Angela, who is an experienced jumper, is enthralled with the beautiful horse, and discovers that he is blind in one eye. When she suggests that they try a blinder on that side, they delay the horse's fate to see if it works.

The big race of the year is coming up, and it would be a great accomplishment if they could enter a winning horse this year...and Tempesta could win, he runs like the wind. Then there is Tony, the handsome jockey that works on the farm. He seems interested in Angela, and she may be falling for him - but everyone warns her that he is bad news.

This is an exciting, action-filled story of fast horses, handsome jockeys, skullduggery, and suspense in captivating Siena, Italy. Angela and Catarina are compelling characters, battling the odds of winning a centuries-old horse racing competition.

SIENA SUMMER is a wonderfully entertaining story filled with characters you will long remember. ( )