Chosen as a Borders Original Voices selection, BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY earned a national buzz with rave reviews in Parade Magazine, People, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Sacramento Bee, Minneapolis Star, St. Petersburg Times, Nashvillian, Knoxville News Sentinel, on NPR, and in numerous media outlets. The book was a major draw at several literary festivals, went into multiple printings, and has a feature film in the works. A small sample of the ongoing praise:

“A Charming story about an Equine Superstar… A winsome tale.” — Chicago Tribune (Editor’s Choice)

“Fascinating…. Beautiful Jim Key will appeal to an audience beyond those who love horses... Fascinating. . . . Appeals to an audience beyond those who love horses.” — Nashville Tennessean

“For years, many thought the story of Beautiful Jim Key and his trainer, Dr. William Key, was a tall tale. . . . Rivas weaves these stories of horse and trainer together while placing them in the context of their times, offering a narrative that is even more exciting than a tall tale because every word is true." — St. Petersburg Times

"Compelling... Provides a vivid slice of Americana." — Parade

“Powerful and provocative.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

“A classic . . . Beautiful Jim Key is a window into a lost world” — Nashville Scene

“Seabiscuit had nothing on Beautiful Jim Key” — Sacramento Bee

“Wonderful . . . A fascinating and touching book... Beautiful Jim Key may be the biggest celebrity you’ve never heard of -- until now.” — Winston-Salem Journal

"A captivating literary excavation of lost Americana” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Rivas performs an important service by bringing this story to light and reminding us how it was almost lost.”
— Knoxville News-Sentinel

“A wonderful slice of America. . . Rivas deserves praise.” — Contra Costa Times

“A wonderful true story of an extraordinary horse and an equally extraordinary man.” — Berry Gordy

“This brilliantly recreated history of Beautiful Jim Key is destined to become a classic.” — David Geffen

"Truth is stranger than fiction in the case of Jim Key. My father, a former governor of Tennessee, actually saw the horse perform and always said that Jim and Dr. Key were miraculous. This is a well-told story of the untapped potential of both horses and humans." — Rep. Jim Cooper, U.S. Congressman (TN)