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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
My heart is still weeping with joy after experiencing this beautiful, endearing, and cozy romance! From the very first page, I was completely captivated by the tender emotions that flowed effortlessly through the story. It's a slow burn romance that weaves a mesmerizing tapestry of themes, including second chances at love, starting over, redemption, loss, healing, friendships, family, bravery, and forgiveness.
The book brims with poignant angst, witty banter, and adorable heartfelt moments that tug at your heartstrings. The chemistry between the characters, written in a wonderfully engaging way, ignites the pages with a steamy spark that leaves you yearning for more. Moreover, the wide cast of relatable characters feels like a warm embrace you never want to let go.
At its core, the story revolves around Ashely, who battles to preserve her family's cherished ski mountain, despite constant threats from her ex-husband to buy her out. Her mother's ingenious idea to save the lodge by partnering with a sober living facility brings her face-to-face with Madigan, the facility's owner. Their instant chemistry sparks a journey of love and growth through a transformative ski season, where Ashley, Madigan, the men from the facility, and her family learn the value of trust, forgiveness, and self-confidence.
The novel handles themes of addiction and therapy in a refreshingly healthy and positive manner, making it a truly beautiful portrayal. The male character's sensitivity and openness about his insecurities and fears, coupled with the characters' ages and their open communication, breathe a breath of fresh air into the romance genre.
Throughout the book, I found myself alternately laughing, crying, and swooning as I immersed myself in the tender and heartfelt emotions that enveloped each page. The emotional journey is expertly crafted, leaving you with a lasting impression of hope and love.
This book is an absolute gem that will undoubtedly touch your soul. If you're seeking a romance that will make you feel every emotion imaginable, then look no further. With its heartwarming moments and soul-stirring narrative, this book will leave you enchanted long after you've turned the final page.
The book brims with poignant angst, witty banter, and adorable heartfelt moments that tug at your heartstrings. The chemistry between the characters, written in a wonderfully engaging way, ignites the pages with a steamy spark that leaves you yearning for more. Moreover, the wide cast of relatable characters feels like a warm embrace you never want to let go.
At its core, the story revolves around Ashely, who battles to preserve her family's cherished ski mountain, despite constant threats from her ex-husband to buy her out. Her mother's ingenious idea to save the lodge by partnering with a sober living facility brings her face-to-face with Madigan, the facility's owner. Their instant chemistry sparks a journey of love and growth through a transformative ski season, where Ashley, Madigan, the men from the facility, and her family learn the value of trust, forgiveness, and self-confidence.
The novel handles themes of addiction and therapy in a refreshingly healthy and positive manner, making it a truly beautiful portrayal. The male character's sensitivity and openness about his insecurities and fears, coupled with the characters' ages and their open communication, breathe a breath of fresh air into the romance genre.
Throughout the book, I found myself alternately laughing, crying, and swooning as I immersed myself in the tender and heartfelt emotions that enveloped each page. The emotional journey is expertly crafted, leaving you with a lasting impression of hope and love.
This book is an absolute gem that will undoubtedly touch your soul. If you're seeking a romance that will make you feel every emotion imaginable, then look no further. With its heartwarming moments and soul-stirring narrative, this book will leave you enchanted long after you've turned the final page.
3.5 stars overall rounded up.
Ashley Cooke is a divorced mother who runs her family's rapidly failing ski hill. Her mother, in an attempt to help cut costs, hires men from Little Timber, a local sober living home, to work for the winter. It's good for the men to get outdoors, do meaningful work, learn new skills and stay away from temptation. It's good for Bluebird mountain because Ashley needs the help. Ashley isn't prepared for Matthew Madigan, the owner and director of Little Timber, and his open, honest, forthright way of working.
I liked the characters, and the way the author dealt with addicts in recovery and their very real desire to get their lives on track. I did like the fact that Madigan was in his early 50's and Ashley in her mid-forties. The things they worried about, their dates and conversations were definitely reflective of an older couple trying to find a way into a relationship after being single for so long. Sometimes they read a little younger at times. Was hoping for something more mature and heartfelt. Sometimes the story got a little convoluted, but overall it was a good read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ashley Cooke is a divorced mother who runs her family's rapidly failing ski hill. Her mother, in an attempt to help cut costs, hires men from Little Timber, a local sober living home, to work for the winter. It's good for the men to get outdoors, do meaningful work, learn new skills and stay away from temptation. It's good for Bluebird mountain because Ashley needs the help. Ashley isn't prepared for Matthew Madigan, the owner and director of Little Timber, and his open, honest, forthright way of working.
I liked the characters, and the way the author dealt with addicts in recovery and their very real desire to get their lives on track. I did like the fact that Madigan was in his early 50's and Ashley in her mid-forties. The things they worried about, their dates and conversations were definitely reflective of an older couple trying to find a way into a relationship after being single for so long. Sometimes they read a little younger at times. Was hoping for something more mature and heartfelt. Sometimes the story got a little convoluted, but overall it was a good read.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was so fun! I went for a late spring skiing trip so this matched the vibes I was going for. I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional resonance of this; I enjoy a romance between two individuals who have dealt with life’s challenges in a healthy way and are able to overcome their own fears in relationships. It felt authentic and real, which was different than the lighthearted premise I was expecting.
I would happily recommend this, with age comes maturity and I enjoyed this compared to the teen or 20-something characters in romance I typically see!
I would happily recommend this, with age comes maturity and I enjoyed this compared to the teen or 20-something characters in romance I typically see!
This was a very unique storyline that I really enjoyed! The writing voice is great, good character development, and very cute couple
This is such a wholesome read with lovable characters and a great storyline, as well as some fantastic spicy scenes.
If you are into skiing or boarding, cute lodges with fireplaces, hunks, spice, and jealous exes, this is totally your read!
I would have given this 5 stars if not for the fact that i thought the ex might have been made into more of an ass than he could have been for the story to still be effective. Otherwise, i absolutely loved this!
Thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with this amazing arc in exchange for an honest review!
If you are into skiing or boarding, cute lodges with fireplaces, hunks, spice, and jealous exes, this is totally your read!
I would have given this 5 stars if not for the fact that i thought the ex might have been made into more of an ass than he could have been for the story to still be effective. Otherwise, i absolutely loved this!
Thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with this amazing arc in exchange for an honest review!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced reader copy.
This was a good book. (I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about leaving my review at just that).
This book has a lot of unique elements: Ex cons, love interests in their 40’s and 50’s, former rockstars, and living and working on a family owned ski resort. These are lots of things you don’t find everyday when picking up a romance from Barnes and Noble so I was really excited to see how this was going to all work out.
The Good: I enjoyed the cast of Ex cons characters the very most. They were unique, had distinct personalities, and I felt love toward each and every one of the them.
The Bad: I just never clicked with Ashley. I was all in on Madigan but I never felt like the author sold us on what Ashley has that makes her so desirable. I could have used a lot more character work to fully appreciate everything this couple has to offer. Of course though, there’s a myriad of other reviews that say this is wrong so take it with a grain of salt.
The Ugly: The one dimensional antagonists. Chuck was written in a way that reminded me of a mustache twirling villain. Maude Alice (while not the “villain”) definitely didn’t work for me at all. Her behavior is just pushed under the rug and everyone excuses her really traumatizing behavior. I didn’t care for her resolution at all.
This book for me was a solid three star read and I definitely would recommend it for people looking for something a little more out of the box that’s a fun winter read for the holiday season. It might not be everything I was looking for but it was still well written and enjoyable.
This was a good book. (I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about leaving my review at just that).
This book has a lot of unique elements: Ex cons, love interests in their 40’s and 50’s, former rockstars, and living and working on a family owned ski resort. These are lots of things you don’t find everyday when picking up a romance from Barnes and Noble so I was really excited to see how this was going to all work out.
The Good: I enjoyed the cast of Ex cons characters the very most. They were unique, had distinct personalities, and I felt love toward each and every one of the them.
The Bad: I just never clicked with Ashley. I was all in on Madigan but I never felt like the author sold us on what Ashley has that makes her so desirable. I could have used a lot more character work to fully appreciate everything this couple has to offer. Of course though, there’s a myriad of other reviews that say this is wrong so take it with a grain of salt.
The Ugly: The one dimensional antagonists. Chuck was written in a way that reminded me of a mustache twirling villain. Maude Alice (while not the “villain”) definitely didn’t work for me at all. Her behavior is just pushed under the rug and everyone excuses her really traumatizing behavior. I didn’t care for her resolution at all.
This book for me was a solid three star read and I definitely would recommend it for people looking for something a little more out of the box that’s a fun winter read for the holiday season. It might not be everything I was looking for but it was still well written and enjoyable.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a cute and entertaining read. It was also fun and sexy, but please note that there are some serious topics discussed. Please check CW’s.
Things to look forward to:
- older main characters (the FMC is 46 and the MMC is 53)
- Tropes like: forced proximity, workplace romance, single parent, rockstar, dirty talk, etc
- a wonderful found family
- slow burn build up and delicious edging
- wintery holiday setting
- an adorable (but maybe hard to train) St. Bernard
- relatable main characters who have made mistakes and poor decisions, but are working so hard to change and find happiness
There is some ex drama and some push away towards the end, but I appreciated that it was resolved pretty much as quickly as it appeared. Overall, this was a great feel good read!
Things to look forward to:
- older main characters (the FMC is 46 and the MMC is 53)
- Tropes like: forced proximity, workplace romance, single parent, rockstar, dirty talk, etc
- a wonderful found family
- slow burn build up and delicious edging
- wintery holiday setting
- an adorable (but maybe hard to train) St. Bernard
- relatable main characters who have made mistakes and poor decisions, but are working so hard to change and find happiness
There is some ex drama and some push away towards the end, but I appreciated that it was resolved pretty much as quickly as it appeared. Overall, this was a great feel good read!
Content Warnings
CW: financial problems, death of parent (past), grief, divorce, cheating ex, life threatening situation and rescue (on page), discussion and mention of: addiction, drug and alcohol use, drug testing, incarceration and parole, destructive behavior and habits
Bored. Cannot stay focused because I'm not interested.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes