As a professional in the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry, I was horrified at the inaccuracies and absurdities portrayed in this book. Ms. Michaels has the ability to tell a tale, but displays a serious lack of knowledge about racing and breeding. The story line is totally implausible from a racing perspective, and in fact violates the rules of racing in more than one aspect. True, this is a work of fiction, but more sophisticated readers expect real research on the part of the author, not Disneyesque fairy tales. More than once, scenes describing interactions between horses and humans were absurd and dangerous, particularly one where the heroine mounts a loose filly (a horse unknown to the rider) that is not wearing tack, and then proceeds to place a 2 year old child on the horse in front of her. Anyone in the horse business, racing or not, would have to cringe while reading this scene. There are numerous other scenes that display the author's lack of knowledge about the business. I have never read this author's work before,and was drawn to it because of its connections to the racing industry. I won't read any more of her work, because she obviously doesn't research her subjects.

This is my first Fern Michaels book and it won't be my last. Hailing originally from Baltimore, the home of the Preakness, I grew up loving the sport but from afar. I know nothing about the intracacies of training or racing a horse. What I do know is that Ms. Michaels captured the love an owner, trainer and jockey has for his horses and how that love is returned by the animal. Nealy Coleman Diamond and her daughter Emmie leave a disastrous home situation and are lovingly embraced and adopted by Maud and Jess Diamond. These 4 main characters share so much love, wealth and fame. The book evolves over a 30 year span and the later chapters reunite Nealy with her estranged family who once again triumph over much adversity and manipulation. The story is wholesome without much profanity, violence and sex, which is refreshing to say the least in this day and age. Pure race enthusiasts rate this low, but if the reader can forget the facts of racing and concentrate on the love emanating from the story, I think it will be a rewarding read. Kentucky Heat is on my book shelf beckoning.

I had read the Texas Series by Fern Michaels many years ago. I have to say that that series was better written. However, the Kentucky series is still entertaining. Some other reviews I read regarding the way the author portrays inaccuracies in thoroughbred breeding and racing are explained by the author at the beginning of the book. She did that to write the story the way she wanted to write it.

I didn't like Pot Of Gold at all! A single divorced hard working mom named Emma Goddard who is supposed to be so pratical and level-headed wins the lottery, she and her 17 year old daughter Emma are supposedly so close and Emma is supposed to be such a nice sweet girl. To me it seems that the money went to their heads and greed took over and Claire is going to blow all her money by buying too many expensive items too soon. They go on a cruise and meet two sleazebags, Quentin Eiger and his son Brix, soon Claire is involved with sleazy Quentin and Emma with equally sleazy Brix and she gets into drugs and becomes a nasty, rude obnoxious brat! Oh yeah, Clair later meets someone else, a nicer guy, but by that time I have lost all interest in this story and don't really care because I'm not enjoying the story and all the problems of the whiney characters, but I finish it anyway because I think maybe it will get better. I thought that both Claire and Emma were both airheads! I also didn't get the stranger Hannah who appeared at Claire and Emma's door claiming to be a long lost relative, why would she only appear with that claim after they won the lottery? She seemed like a con artist to me even if she seemed to be a sweet old lady. As for Judith Michael, I difinitely would have liked this husband and wife writing team to have explained this character, given an answer to who she was and what she wanted.

I'm glad to have discovered Judith Michael's books. I've read two and enjoyed both of them. There were a few parts in the book a little hard to believe! A virtual stranger, Hannah arrives at their doorstep shortly after Claire wins the lottery. She is welcomed into the home that same day and immediately becomes cook, counselor, and confidant for this mother and daughter. This was stretching it a bit... nowadays, would someone actually allow a stranger to become their housekeeper, caregiver, and confidant?? I don't think so!! But overlooking that, I thought the book was nicely written, with other characters quite believeable. Judith Michael is a good writer who keeps the story moving. It was an easy and enjoyable read. I find myself looking for other Judith Michael's books now. I would definately recommend this book to others.

Claire Goddard, a beautiful young divorcee, raising a teenaged daughter Emma, wins the lottery- a staggering $60 million! They both go slightly beserk,spending thousands on clothes and a huge amount for a beautiful house.From out of the blue appears an elderly woman,Hannah, claiming to be a distant cousin who appoints herself their housekeeper and gaurdian.When Claire and Emma take a cruise to Alaska, they meet father and son,Quentin and Brix Eiger who proceed to charm and seduce them. Emma becomes totally infatuated with Brix who introduces her to drink and drugs and suggests that she abandons her plans to go to college and becomes a model instead.Meanwhile Claire falls into a dangerous,subservient way of life with Quentin who dominates her sexually. Quentins laboratories are manufacturing a line of cosmetics which promises to be hugely lucrative but which in actuality, are extremely dangerous, to the point of causing blindness.I enjoyed the book as a good read but while I can understand a 17 year old being infatuated to the point of unquestioning obedience, I find it difficult to understand how a mature, intelligent woman who has her own huge financial security, could go along with this dominating monster,even for a while!Another point that wasn't explained was how they took a stranger into their lives, not even questioning the relationship--no one could be a trusting as that !

If you can imagine Sylverster Stalone and Steven Segal picking avacadoes, this books for you, otherwise don't bother.

Great plot idea, which is the only the reason I read it even though it was written badly. Some books flow nicely and just make sense. This didn't. It was like trying to read through mud. I not even sure what happened in the book the words were so poorly written. If it was written better, this book could have been absolutely wonderful. The idea about two people getting married, then getting seperated, changing theirs names and then finding each other, falling in love again and not knowing that they were who they were was really great. This is the only Fern Micheals book I have read, so it's possible that she's not a bad author, and that this is just the worst thing she ever wrote. Meaning, perhaps her other books are very good.

This book was very upliftig and light. It did not follow many of Fern Michaels Books which tend to be about disfunctional families. I found this to be very entertaining and refreshing and I truely enjoyed it. The perfect book for sitting around the lake!