REVIEW: Coming in from the Cold by Sarina Bowen

6:00 pm 17 February 2014

Late 20s heroine doesn’t understand why 29yo Olympic alpine skier Hero will only limit themselves to a 1-night stand when she can sense that he wants more with her.

Seeing him again in the Vermont small town she lives in confirms how he feels for her. But he pushes her away again. He does so more forcefully this time when she confesses something personal. And breaks her heart in the process. What chance does he have of her trusting him again?

I liked this book. It had steam, angst, grovel, and a good resolution. We have 2 imperfect people who want to be together but have barriers that prevent them from doing so. What made it angsty was the barriers were mostly internal with Hero. He didn’t do relationships, including close friendships, because of his fatalistic view of his life.** He was used to it until heroine made him wish for things he couldn’t have. The push and pull between their desires and fears made this an emotionally engaging read. How he deliberately hurt heroine pushed the angst. And his shock at later finding out that life was not what he expected it to be pushed it even more. His grovel wasn’t dramatic but it was genuine and meaningful to heroine. He showed that he was sorry and I think made up for the wrongs he did to her.** Heroine was a hopeful person but sometimes a pushover. I did like how she didn’t quickly let him back in her life and took some time to really think things through.

Recommended.