August 3, 2014
narrator: Emily Stokes
9 hours, 5 minutes
audio: add to Goodreads/buy from Audible/or iTunes
also available:
print: buy from Book Depo/B&N/or Amazon
ebook: from Amazon
/B&N/Kobo/or iBooks
Falling hard never felt so good.
Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.
The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though...
The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross?
As much as I love being able to read and review a book I have been really looking forward to, I also really love doing tours for books I otherwise might not have read. Crossing the Ice is one of those books.
I may not have read it if the tour hadn't brought it to my attention and I, almost definitely, wouldn't have listened to it. Both would have been a mistake.
Jennifer Comeaux's Crossing the Ice is the first in the series, but set in the same world, with some of the same characters as her previous Edge series that began with Life on the Edge. It takes place several years later, though, and you don't have to read that series to begin this one. (I didn't know they overlapped until after I'd finished Crossing the Ice.)
This New Adult romance manages to somehow be sweet and grown-up at the same time.
The characters in Crossing the Ice are well done. Courtney (along with her skating partner Mark) hopes to skate in the Olympics, it's her dream and her goal. When Josh (and his skating partner and sister, Stephanie) move into her life, Courtney knows she needs to keep her distance. They are, after all, her competition.
That's easy enough to do when it comes to mean girl Stephanie.
Not so much with Josh. The more she gets to know him, the more Courtney finds herself drawn to him, despite all the reasons to keep her distance.
Readers will definitely feel the pull between Courtney and Josh, but also understand all that is keeping them apart. Each has their own ambition, their own dreams and Comeaux writes it so that both the things pulling them together and those pulling them apart are realistic and believable.
There is no easy answer for Josh and Courtney.
As potential Olympic figure skaters, skating is a very large part of the characters' lives and thus the story. No, I didn't know all of the terms the characters used, all of the skating techniques, but I liked that they were used. Skating is so much a part of who they are and what they do that to have it glossed over or vaguely mentioned would have been a disservice to the characters and the book.
The different layers of the characters we see in Crossing the Ice make for well developed characters and a full, engrossing story. It is not all about skating, all about the Olympics or even all about Courtney and Josh. They have full lives - including all of the problems. questions, heartbreak and joy that brings - and by the end of the book you'll be sorry to see them go. (Even if it just until Losing the Ice.)
Emily Stokes' narration of Crossing the Ice is very enjoyable. She fits Courtney perfectly. She definitely sounds the right age and does a great job matching her tone to the characters' emotions. We can feel Courtney's insecurities, her excitement, her questions.
The other main characters, Mark, Josh, Stephanie, etc are easily identifiable, without their names needing to be used or mentioned. Each character seems to keep a voice and personality.
There were a few minor characters, in one instance in particular - who sounded too similar for me to quickly distinguish them from each other.
Crossing the Ice is an enjoyable story with great characters and fun, unique storyline. The audio book is well done and a great listen.
About the Author
Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is travelling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. Jennifer loves to hear from readers! Visit jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com for contact information and to learn more about her books.
author's website
Giveaway:
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Part of YA Bound Book Tours tour
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tour thanks to YA Bound Book Tours and review copy provided by the author
Thank you so much for the amazing review and for being part of the tour!!
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