Lorna Roth
June 28, 2021
Four men meet to challenge their prowess on motorbikes. Four women meet to enjoy their horses and ribald camaraderie. All are grounded by their horsepower – the touch, the smell, the speed of it. Confident men, strong women. When their paths collide, a chain of friendship and friction is set in motion.
Highly independent people, several are single, fifty-something and searching for that illusive factor … ‘chemistry’. For an ex-forces man, the strait-jacket of his own social prejudice is painful; for Judith, Luc and Lizzie, the internet provides a pick-n-mix selection but not always the dream person they envisage. The highs, the scares, the embarrassing lows, all told with pithy candour. Sometimes the only reaction can be laughter but is Judith’s intrinsic fear of meeting a total stranger justified and can Luc’s injured machismo survive the limitations of his lame leg? Can a human runner outwit a pack of bloodhounds?
Hope – of companionship or passion. It gets picked up, trodden on, dusted off, then slung in the hedge again. It can be a dangerous ally or a fickle friend. Will any of them brave a kick-start?
Chapter One
“Spill the beans, Lizzie. Which is more hazardous? A horse? Or online dating?”
Judith’s high-pitched question is shouted into the air, but the words are left behind as swiftly as they are thrown. They mingle and swirl with steam, in a vacuum of space through which three horses flash. No answer arrives above the rhythmic pounding of hooves. Each stride is gaining momentum, scattering frost, digging deep into a cushion of turf.
…
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Nicola Saxton
A refreshingly different and intriguing story of mid-life relationships, the equivalent of Bridget Jones a decade later, and on horseback. With thoughtful insights into human nature and the search for romance, the author combines the often conflicting worlds of motorsports and horse-riding in a humerous and down-to-earth glimpse of the challenges faced by online dating.
Lesley Morrison
Kick-Start is a well observed story about two groups of friends, one of ladies with a passion for horses and the other a group of men seeking petrol-fuelled thrills! They cross paths, quite literally, on a weekend jolly in Thetford Forest; the result of which takes them on an emotional roller coaster of a journey. The characters in this author’s first book are very real and the situations they encounter draw you in.
Kick-Start was compulsive reading and I was so intrigued with the people and their stories that when I came to the end, it made me want to know more. So please, Lorna get on with the next book !
Mary King - Olympic Eventing Medallist
Lorna Roth’s debut novel is a must for horse and motorbike lovers alike. This fast-moving story follows the lives of two sets of strangers, who are brought together by their love of outdoor, adrenalin-filled hobbies The book is pacey with highs and lows, happiness and heartaches in friendships and relationships. The story, as well as being exciting and absorbing, educates the reader on the hazards facing riders of both horses and motorbikes. It helps the reader to understand the camaraderie and thrill of the sports in which both sets of characters take part.
The dialogue is entertaining, interesting and witty with great characters … a fabulous debut!
Editor at Horse & Rider magazine
Ever wondered which is more hazardous – a horse, or online dating? Or, indeed, what life – and modern dating – looks like after 50? Well, Lorna Roth’s Kick-Start will certainly give you a thrilling insight!
From page one you’ll be transported into a realm that sees two parallel worlds collide – at high speed – and watch the tales unravel as their lives becoming increasingly entwined. Join Judith, Lizzie, Caroline and Emma as they meet Jeremy, Luc, Isaac and Robert – two disparate groups whose stars align when each decides on a weekend away to celebrate fast thrills and friendship. A battle of horsepower, as the world of four-legged and two-wheeled adventures combine, they rapidly learn they have more in common than they first think.
An equestrian tale like no other, you’ll enjoy follies and faux pas as the group navigates the minefield that's become the new normal of Internet dating. From singles lunches and dinners to country pursuits - mixed with a healthy dose of the everyday equestrian endeavours.
Flicking between the narratives of best friends Lizzie and Judith, with guest appearances from the intrinsic members of the group peppered in for good measure, its fast-paced narrative will keep you wondering what's next. Some surprises and some shocks along the way, but it's a read that'll be a sure-fire staple on your summer reading list.
Sometimes, all it takes is a heated argument to make you realise what you're looking for is right in front of your eyes, even if a little left or right of centre - all you need is a little kick-start.
Elaine Ramsey
"I was hooked by the humour and vivid imagery Lorna injects into her action-packed scenes. Kick-Start gives a light-hearted yet informative and authentic picture of both equestrian and roadster lives, without verging on the pedantic. Whilst I have little experience of the above two themes, I can certainly vouch for Lorna's truthful and raw depiction of online dating.
A good story and a very good read"
Rachel Lee
I am lucky to have seen an early copy of Kick-Start. It’s a lovely easy read. The kind of book that makes you laugh, smile and occasionally gasp. A single man and two equestrian women go in search of someone to fill the empty romantic space in their otherwise busy worlds.
Whether you ride either a horse or motorbikes (and there are more similarities than you’d first think), then this is the book for you. But even if you have never been besotted with either of these pastimes, I’m sure you will feel the adrenalin rush that propels you along with the story. What a fun read and an amazing achievement for this author’s first book.
Elaine Ramsey
"I was hooked by the humour and vivid imagery Lorna injects into her action-packed scenes. Kick-Start gives a light-hearted yet informative and authentic picture of both equestrian and roadster lives, without verging on the pedantic. Whilst I have little experience of the above two themes, I can certainly vouch for Lorna's truthful and raw depiction of online dating.
A good story and a very good read"
