Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Book Tour for Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux (Review & GIVEAWAY)


As a fan of sports-themed romances I'm thrilled to introduce you to this romance of rivals becoming more amidst the high stakes world of Olympic ice skating.  Keep reading to get a glimpse of Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux, along with my impressions of it, and learn even more about it by visiting the other sites hosting this tour.  To celebrate the release of this first book in the Ice series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $20 Amazon GC too!

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?

FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a fan of sports-themed romances, and the movie The Cutting Edge, this romance captivated me from the first page to the last with its realistic characters and its charming friends to lovers romance.  The ice skating world is vividly depicted with twists and turns regarding which team would go to the Olympics keeping me on the edge of my seat and conflicted as to which team to root for.

Courtney came from a middle-class family and had to work to be able to pay for her coaches and costumes.  Her family was emotionally supportive and only concerned about her happiness but it was on her to reach her dream.  With college on the horizon, this was her last chance to make the Olympics with her long-term partner Mark.  Though they work hard they've never achieved the success that was expected of them. To push them to victory, their biggest rivals are made their teammates with fireworks resulting due to personality conflicts, jealousy, and unexpected attraction.  Courtney once had an awkward encounter with Josh, but it's one she's never forgotten.  Facing him every day, and finding a kindred spirit, has them becoming friends and slowly something more. Expectations on the ice, and those off the ice, put pressure on a relationship that's already destined to end with the culmination of their skating careers but if they let it love might win out over familial obligations.  Courtney's immensely likable with her relationship with Mark one of siblings with little hiccups from time to time.  She's a hard worker too and loyal to those she loves.  Her relationship with Josh starts out subtly as she's always seen him as the enemy in their pair's world but quickly finds much to like.  Their romantic journey of friends to lovers is charming to see evolve as both found quiet support in the other, particularly Josh whose family is radically different than him in their beliefs and actions.  Courtney's wise beyond her years with actions that were understandable and mature with each roadblock thrown at her and I was cheering her on every step of the way.

Josh comes from a family of wealth with a life planned out since birth.  In every way he's the opposite of Courtney but once they get around each other they start discovering lots of similarities.  He too remembers his teenage encounter with her and has been consumed by "what if" ever since which fuels the fire of their burgeoning relationship.  Josh is extremely likable, talented, and oozes charm.  Though others can't understand why these two opposites are attracted, Josh finds her to be his inspiration and his times with her the only bright spot in a life of severe expectations and judgments that might keep him from his HEA. Josh is sweet and sexy and his interactions with Courtney showed a man of deep convictions and emotions he's not afraid to show and I totally fell in love with him.

Ms. Comeaux crafted a compelling story full of charm and angst.  Though the pace was a bit slow, and the story went on a bit too long, I was still kept on the edge of my seat through the twists and turns of competition.  The world of ice skating from practice to competitions was vividly depicted and brought out different sides to the characters, the reality behind the glitz of being on the stage, which made the characters even more intriguing.  The main characters of Courtney and Josh were an entertaining couple with a relationship that kept a smile on my face while I cheered them both on to living the lives they wanted. Equally engaging were the glimpses of Mark along with Josh's sister and skating partner Stephanie. These two skaters were opposites too, but identical in their anger over their partner's relationship, with their interactions crackling and full of sexual tension that I'd love to see dealt with in the next installment.  Throw in issues involving family dynamics and you have a story full of emotional highs and lows that affect these characters on the ice and when it comes to their futures off the ice.  I applaud the author for not taking the expected path when it came to which pair would win as it made for a richer, more believable story. All in all this new to me author crafted a story that pulled at my heartstrings while keeping me on the edge of my seat and I recommend it to those wanting a romance full of charm, sweetness, and believability from the first page to the last.

My rating for this is a B+

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

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 traveling 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.


**********GIVEAWAY**********

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10 comments:

  1. I love a good sports romance I find the whole competition and intensity of it all so addicting! I also suck at sports IRL so maybe I like to live vicariously through them haha! Great review, Jody!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and letting me be a part of this tour. I agree that the competitive aspect adds to the overall tension, makes the romance more valuable. These kinds of books are ones I just gobble up....

      The Scarf Princess

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  2. Thank you so much for the awesome review and for being part of the tour, Jody!!

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    1. Thank YOU for stopping by and for your kind words! Great story with delightful characters. Was hoping for some deets on the next installment too....pretty please!!!

      The Scarf Princess

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    2. I guess I should say the next TWO books....

      The Scarf Princess

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    3. Both books, which are novellas, are out now! :) Losing the Ice (Book #2) delves into Courtney and Josh's new partnership and an unexpected roadblock they have to deal with. They learn a lot more about each other as they handle this crisis :)

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  3. Would love to read the whole story

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  4. I liked the review and can't wait to read it.

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  5. I like to watch ice skating, so I am sure to enjoy reading it too.

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