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A review by ashesbooksandbobs
Weightless by Kandi Steiner
4.0
See this review and many more at: 5171 Miles Book Blog.
I have had Weightless on my Kindle for over a year, and on my TBR even longer. Everyone raves about Kandi Steiner's books in the Romance world, and I knew it was time to get on board, especially after meeting her in person at Holidays with the Belles. Kandi was ridiculously awesome and gracious! After enjoying Weightless as much as I did, I'm eager to read A Love Letter to Whiskey (I got it signed!!) and Way to You as soon as possible. Too many books, not enough time, amiright?
I've never read a book that spoke to my interests quite like Weightless. It featured some of my first loves, photography and fitness, as some of the main themes in this story. Like many of us in the late 2000's, I dabbled in photography and loved the chance of being able to express myself creatively through this particular medium. I also jumped on the Crossfit train in 2010 and transformed my body over the course of a few years. With both of these topics making themselves present in this book, I was eager to read more.
“I guess I just love the power of being able to temporarily freeze a moment in time, even if it’s not as good as the real thing. I like being able to pick up a photo, close my eyes, and feel that place and time again.”
Natalie has recently graduated high school, she's been dumped by her boyfriend, and has no plans for the direction her life will take. Determined to change things over the course of the summer (and win her boyfriend back), she decides to start working with a personal trainer. Enter Rhodes. Hot, hunky, former high school bad boy, and current personal trainer. Of course, the first thing that happens between these two is every girl's nightmare when meeting a nice-looking hunk of man meat - "step on the scale". I wanted to die for Natalie! When the workouts commenced, however, I was loving every second of these two together.
“You’re weightless. The world hasn’t touched you yet. You’re not heavy with the weight of pain, and guilt, and selfishness.”
Rhodes is totally the strong silent type - read: my type! His ability to cut to the core of Natalie's issues and helping her overcome them to truly change her life was everything I hoped for. I loved the interactions between him and Natalie, the intensity they couldn't help but share, and Natalie's attitude towards breaking down Rhodes' barriers. In so many ways I felt like I was reading about myself, though I can't say I'd see myself pining after a guy like Mason. Her determination was inspiring, so much so that I was going to choose to relax and read one morning rather than do my own workout. As I read Kandi's description of Natalie's workout, I couldn't help but get off my butt and hit my garage gym. I craved feeling my muscles burn and the accomplishment of having completed a killer workout. I have to say that experience was a first for me, so thank you, Kandi, for motivating me to move!
I think my favorite thing about Weightless, besides the subject matter, was the depth of the story without feeling overly burdensome. There was a perfect balance of tough topics and light moments with the characters. My only real complaint was the misleading blurb. It absolutely doesn't fit this story whatsoever, and I ended up getting something entirely than I expected. In some ways, this book wasn't quite as exciting as I hoped it would be, but it was an overall enjoyable and fast-paced read. I'm anxious to pick up more of Kandi's books this year!
I have had Weightless on my Kindle for over a year, and on my TBR even longer. Everyone raves about Kandi Steiner's books in the Romance world, and I knew it was time to get on board, especially after meeting her in person at Holidays with the Belles. Kandi was ridiculously awesome and gracious! After enjoying Weightless as much as I did, I'm eager to read A Love Letter to Whiskey (I got it signed!!) and Way to You as soon as possible. Too many books, not enough time, amiright?
I've never read a book that spoke to my interests quite like Weightless. It featured some of my first loves, photography and fitness, as some of the main themes in this story. Like many of us in the late 2000's, I dabbled in photography and loved the chance of being able to express myself creatively through this particular medium. I also jumped on the Crossfit train in 2010 and transformed my body over the course of a few years. With both of these topics making themselves present in this book, I was eager to read more.
“I guess I just love the power of being able to temporarily freeze a moment in time, even if it’s not as good as the real thing. I like being able to pick up a photo, close my eyes, and feel that place and time again.”
Natalie has recently graduated high school, she's been dumped by her boyfriend, and has no plans for the direction her life will take. Determined to change things over the course of the summer (and win her boyfriend back), she decides to start working with a personal trainer. Enter Rhodes. Hot, hunky, former high school bad boy, and current personal trainer. Of course, the first thing that happens between these two is every girl's nightmare when meeting a nice-looking hunk of man meat - "step on the scale". I wanted to die for Natalie! When the workouts commenced, however, I was loving every second of these two together.
“You’re weightless. The world hasn’t touched you yet. You’re not heavy with the weight of pain, and guilt, and selfishness.”
Rhodes is totally the strong silent type - read: my type! His ability to cut to the core of Natalie's issues and helping her overcome them to truly change her life was everything I hoped for. I loved the interactions between him and Natalie, the intensity they couldn't help but share, and Natalie's attitude towards breaking down Rhodes' barriers. In so many ways I felt like I was reading about myself, though I can't say I'd see myself pining after a guy like Mason. Her determination was inspiring, so much so that I was going to choose to relax and read one morning rather than do my own workout. As I read Kandi's description of Natalie's workout, I couldn't help but get off my butt and hit my garage gym. I craved feeling my muscles burn and the accomplishment of having completed a killer workout. I have to say that experience was a first for me, so thank you, Kandi, for motivating me to move!
I think my favorite thing about Weightless, besides the subject matter, was the depth of the story without feeling overly burdensome. There was a perfect balance of tough topics and light moments with the characters. My only real complaint was the misleading blurb. It absolutely doesn't fit this story whatsoever, and I ended up getting something entirely than I expected. In some ways, this book wasn't quite as exciting as I hoped it would be, but it was an overall enjoyable and fast-paced read. I'm anxious to pick up more of Kandi's books this year!