| Title | : | Edge of Glory |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 330 |
| Publication | : | First published October 16, 2017 |
Edge of Glory Reviews
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**'Don't be intimidated by readers who harshly criticize your writings then tries to act like they are better educated in telling stories. You hold things of value inside your head, those things that no reader knows or has...'
3.5stars!
A nice entertaining story. Recommended book! -
I knew I had to get my hands on this book. I’m a huge Olympics fan. Winter, summer it doesn’t matter, I watch as much as humanly possible. Plus the fact this book was by Rachel Spangler, sure didn’t hurt either. I ended up really enjoying this read. This is the best sports-romance book I have read this year, and one of the better ones I have read in a long while.
This story follows two Olympic hopefuls. Corey is a snowboarder who competes in Boardercross (Snowboard-X). Corey is a two time Olympic medalist and knows at the age of 30, she must work hard to still compete at top level. Elise is an Alpine Ski racer who has come in 4th the past two Olympic races, just missing a medal. After a possible career ending knee injury, no one expects Elise to make the Olympic team again. She will do anything to prove them wrong. Can two people with so much to lose, have the time to be friends or maybe more?
I thought this book really was a good balance of the characters, romance and ski/snowboarding. And you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy this book. The good thing about Alpine Skiing and Boardercross, they are both really exciting. Both sports are high speed, and even dangerous. One wrong move down the ski slopes, at that speed, and you could be in the hospital. One wrong move in Boardercross and you could tangle up with another competitor and be out of the race in seconds. I remember one Boardercross race at the Olympics, where an American female was in the lead. She was so fast and far ahead of the other racers, the announcers were declaring her the winner already. On the last jump before the finish line, she decided to do a little trick to celebrate. She botched it and wiped-out feet from the line. She was not able to get back up in time and lost the Gold Medal. A small trick she probably did a million times made her to lose the gold. It really is a high speed race that anything can and does happen.
I would consider this a slow burn romance. There is no insta love here, which I always like. You could actually see the connection between the two characters forming. Elise is called the “Ice Queen” for a reason. If they would have been in a relationship instantly, it would not have been believable. I was really happy with the pace the romance progressed.
One other thing I have to mention, Spangler just writes really well. I was invested in all the characters, including the secondary ones. I also think she did a great job of showing not telling, which is not always easy in a sports book. I have been a big fan of hers since the book
Does She Love You? It’s nice that year after year, Spangler is still consistently great. -
Well, Rachel Spangler did it. What you ask, what did she do? Wrote the best damn book ever, that's what she did. In the past few weeks, I have read some of the best books all year. A year, quite frankly wasn't that impressive in the lesbian romance genre. Somehow fall became explosive with amazing tales with fabulous characters in dazzling plots. It seems like every book I have read since September has just been so fantastic they make you literally stop and swoon. Greatness, followed by greatness. This book is different though, it is absolutely is one of the best books of the year but more than that, it is easily one of the best romance books I have EVER read.
First off I love the Olympics and pretty much all sports in general. With that being said, what I don't want is ever read a how-to on playing said sport. Don't worry, Rachel Spangler isn't going to give you the ins and outs of downhill skiing or a dissertation on how to ride a snowboard. No way, she took me down the side of the mountain let me feel and see what the character does. You read this book you literally feel like your racing down the side of a mountain being pulled by G-forces as your stapped to two polycarbonate sticks. I was wrapped in those moments, spellbound. She doesn't just write the sports aspect amazing well, no that's not why we are here. The romance is the main attraction, and well, it's just magical.
Elise Brandeis is an ice queen and then some. She is all business and her business is being the best alpine ski racer that the US and the world have ever seen. She has missed the Olympic podium twice by two-tenths of a second. Talk about painful. Now she has new obstacle to overcome, her body. After blowing out her knee, and multiple surgeries later, Elise is finally cleared to make the comeback of all comebacks. Never one for niceties, no one is going to stand in her way, even if they are trying to help.
Elise is a high-strung prima donna whose unwilling to compromise ever. She wants complete and total control of both her own body and her environment. She never wants to compromise or seem weak and it's all to mask her vulnerability. She's a unique character, and one I really enjoyed.
Corey LaCroix at the age of 30 is at the end of her career. She has been the best at Boardercross since the sport got onto the main stage. Corey is hardworking, loyal and lives her life 100% in the moment. Happy go lucky to a tee. This year is an Olympic year and Corey is feeling like her legs don't have enough to fight off the competition. As hard as she works it may not be enough, but what she wants more than anything is another medal and a shot with the pricky Elise Brandis.
Time and time again Corey comes off as the loveable jock who takes all of the competitive pressure and Elise's venom in stride. She is also a world-class motivator when she can get her skiing counterpart to listen. Corey has her weakness too, her rise to fame got her plenty of attention from women and tabloids and that past is not something she wants to be repeated.
So what you have is an epic story of conquering all odds combined with an epic love story. These two magnetic forces push each other away until the magnet is finally flipped over and they see each other's true character. What Spangler does better than most is she creates these multi-faceted characters that jump off the page. Their individual back-stories are dynamic, their chemistry is palatable and you just can't help but root for them and their success. This book is everything you could ever want. I truly loved this one. This will easily stand at the top of my all-time favorites.
5 stars, hell all the stars. I love this book -
I know it’s going to sound weird because it’s such a privilege to get to read and review books before they’re released but a few days ago, I needed a break from ARCs (advanced review copies). My current list is long-ish, still manageable, but I felt like I was putting too much pressure on myself. As counterintuitive as it may seem, putting these books aside for a day or two (or four, as it happened) felt like the best thing to do. I used to excel under pressure, or at least pretend to. I don’t anymore – either excel or pretend.
So I needed a break. And I realised when I read
Modern English in February that there were quite a few books by Rachel Spangler I haven’t read, including most of their sports books. Edge of Glory sounded like the perfect solution to my problem. As most of Spangler’s books have delighted me so far, I was very much looking forward to finally reading this one.
Elise Brandeis was born to win. Injuries, however, don’t discriminate, and after months of pain and hard work, Elise finally is in a position to hope for a spot on the Olympic ski team. When her coach urges her to train with snowboard champion Corey LaCroix, Elise baulks. Corey’s take on life and training seems to be the polar opposite to hers and let’s be serious, Corey’s discipline – boardercross – is “a cross between BMX and a mountainside bar fight”, and what could she ever learn from it, and her? A lot, as it turns out.
Now, I never really cared about sports but I love sports stories. My wife used to be a sportswriter and I loved her articles. She has a gift with both people and writing, and writing about people really was – and still is – her forte. Honestly (I know I’m biased but trust me), her feature article on
Cathy Freeman at the Sydney Olympics is one of the best articles I’ve read. And I’ve read many because, you know, it was kind of my job. She’s an awesome storyteller, but also there are so many great stories in sports. It’s the closest we get to spectacular heroics in peacetime, there’s feelings and emotions and suspense and drama. So while I still don’t care much about sports, I care about the stories.
Funnily enough, skiing is one of the sports I know best, from a spectator point of view. My wife covered skiing for years and I travelled with her whenever I could (until I got a steady job in an office). I’ve watched loads of races, both on TV and IRL, even went to World Championships ages ago. Which definitely doesn’t make me an expert on anything except how much fun I had. And how anxious watching skiers rocketing downhill made me. That opening scene brought it all back and that’s exactly why I read. As I said, I’m not an expert on anything so I don’t know for sure how accurate Spangler’s descriptions of athletes’ training and work are (pretty accurate, I’d say, since the author did their research and talked to real experts), all I know is that I felt the adrenaline, I felt the work, I felt the effort and the pain, I almost felt the sweat. If that was all there was in this book, I would already be recommending it.
And I’ve not even touched on the romance yet (this review is getting out of hand, I apologise to the author and to whoever is reading this, I don’t seem to have a lot of control over my brain lately).
I loved watching Elise change progressively, go from grumpy and driven to happy and driven, fall in love without being aware of it. Her reluctance to opening up makes complete sense once Corey gets to know her, but Corey has her own issues to reckon with. I ached with Corey facing her insecurities about being both the best and the oldest. Joy is the best word to describe what I felt seeing her realise she had a lot more in her than she thought. I loved everything about Corey. I watched Zack Snyder’s Justice League this weekend, and I was reminded of Corey whenever Barry Allen, as played by Ezra Miller, was on screen. He’s having so much fun despite the pressure, he’s always sporting this huge grin, and that’s how I picture Corey, a cockier, more mature, more confident version of young Barry. So yeah, I loved her.
And don’t get me started on the chemistry… Wow. The thing with athletes, fictional ones at any rate, is that they’re very intense. They know what they want and they’re willing to do all sorts of extreme things to get there. It’s like their bodies know no boundaries (they do, see above, but it’s a mindset, they have to believe they can so they will), so imagine how that translates to chemistry. It’s like their skin is extra sensitive, their blood flows faster, everything is multiplied. Faster, higher, stronger, right?
I could keep going about all the little and not so little things I loved about this book and how they resonate but I need to end this rambling review. I could have said almost as much with way fewer words: this book has everything I love in a sports romance. Read it. -
My favorite by Spangler!
You know I'm actually not a big fan of books that have a heavy sports based theme. Though you would not think that after reading this review and my
previous one. I was actually hesitant to start this because there is no way I can read two fantastic books both about skiing/snowboarding/injuries right.. right? Wrong!
Normally I'm a total sucker for an ice queen but somehow in this book she wasn't my favorite. That spot goes to Corey. Goofy, adorkable, sweet, hilarious snowboarding Corey. Who better to melt the heart of frosty skier Elise, who is recovering from a major injury that caused her to miss the medals during the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi.
It took me a little while to warm up to Elise since she really does her nickname credit but Spangler does a great job with her backstory and slowly but surely I started to really like her. She really reminds me of the uber snobby Kate Moseley from The Cutting Edge. (I wonder if that's when my love for ice queens started?) Her slow burn relationship with Corey is very well written and their chemistry is definitely believable since it's starts off as animosity then morphs into respect/admiration and then gradually into attraction.
The other reason why this book is so good is because of the secondary characters. Every one of them brought something unique to the story. From the familiar relationship between Elise and her trainer Paolo to the banter between Corey, her trainer Nate and sister Holly, every one of them are integral to the story. And then there is Tigger who is such a sweet, oblivious and innocent soul, you can't help but love her. I actually hope we get to see more of her in perhaps her own book. *fingers crossed*
Sports fans will definitely like this as will romance fans. There is some angst in the book and I didn't really like the way it was handled since it involves the miscommunication trope but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is very well written. 4,5* rating for this one :) -
This book is about two very different women with opposite personalities who fall crazy in love. One of the things that I love most about this book is how the author builds two very different characters and how they develop throughout the story. They start out as one kind of person and at the end of the book are they very different. The author also does a good job describing winter sports and creating a very realistic atmosphere of the pressure that athletes are under during the olympic games.
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Starting off in a way I haven't in a while - I've read 6 of this author's 11 full length novels, and 7 of the 14 works (which includes at least 3 short stories). ETA: hmms, it's been almost exactly a year since I last read a book by this author.
There's already a good review, one that lead me to buy and read this book (plus some others I need to read now), so I'll just toss a few pros and cons into this box here.
Pros:
- characters (I rather liked the two mains, Elise and Corey; and, for the most part, liked the family/friends/trainers - Nate, Paolo, Holly, Nikki)
- characterization
- communication - there were several occasions wherein a 'misscommunication' might have occurred, but the two leads actually talked to each other and 'defused' the tension ()
- Romance
- Sports action/description/etc.
Cons:
- Communication issues - it is a rather common trope to use, probably because it occurs in real life relatively commonly, maybe not always in the nature seen in books, but some form of it; after seeming to handle the issue well in this book, it popped up again to derail things - though here it probably was both handled better than I might have expected (well, other than the part where it moved from misinformation to disinformation; moved from not talking/not opening self up to another; to actively conveying wrong information), and directly played upon the personalities of the characters, and had a natural negative/positive impact on the story-line (I suppose this would make this some kind of middle thing, between con-pro).
- characterization - one specific issue - Paolo is Argentinean. The horrors. Heh, no, that's not the issue. The issue is that his ability to speak coherent English seemed to fluctuate in this book, and at times he seemed to be edging towards caricature-zone.
Rating: 5+
October 23 2017 -
Wow, this book was good. Aside from a very few editing issues, this was practically perfect for me.
Elise is an elite Olympic skier that only has one goal. To win. Corey is an Olympic snowboarder with a sketchy past that enjoys her sport and has fun. When Corey sees Elise for the first time, she is immediately drawn to her, and becomes determined to form a friendship. But Elise is pretty cold. It is going to take a lot of Corey's charm to get past that icy exterior.
I love books that are not entirely focused on just the romance. This one was especially great because it was about the world of Olympics and winter sports. I was lost in the training and competition. The level of effort it takes these women to be ready to compete and qualify adds a layer of depth that draws you closer to the characters.
The themes of overcoming obstacles to achieve goals, realizing when your time is coming to an end, and discovering what makes happiness, were executed perfectly. I could feel the passion and contemplation Elise and Corey experienced throughout this story.
There was also a good cast of likable side characters. All were necessary and there to provide depth of characters and to construct plot points in a genuine way.
The romance was fairly slow burn and felt authentic. They had good chemistry. A lot of fun banter. Sex scenes were explicit and sprinkled with feelings. I really enjoyed the ride with them. To see how they both helped each other grow and become better people. The conflict they go through at times is believable and sometimes heart wrenching.
There were so many highlights of this book, but I have to say that the description of the races were fantastic. They didn't go overboard or last too long. They were just the right length and filled with anticipation and excitement. Sometimes I felt I was right on those slopes with them. Or wishing I knew how to ski/snowboard so that I could go out and experience similar things myself.
This one was straight to the favorites folder for me. -
Well hooray good goddamned this was great gobs of ass grabbin' fun.
I think I actually read this a few years back and for some reason wasn't a huge fan, and have NO idea why. Maybe it was just waiting for a re-read for a more appropriate time, like during the worst wave of the pandemic when my stress level is peaked. What better way to calm the waters than with SNOWBOARDING! (ok ok and skiing, which is second best). Mmmmm snowboarders....mountains....competition....muscles....
All the other reviewers summed up the story well. I loved the athleticism of the book, the details of both sports, all the emotional highs and lows, the insecurities, the passion and chemistry, and the two likeable/ice queen personalities played well together. Awesome read, Ms. Spangler. -
Sporty girl 1 meets other sporty girl 2. One cute and vivacious, the other aloof and cold. Girl 1 gets Girl 2. Girl 2 says stupid, mean things and loses Girl 1. Girl 2 makes huge public apology and gets Girl 1 back. The end. I've read it all before. To me...this one is forgettable. 3.5 stars.
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This book is in my list of recommended books of the month:
https://lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com/...
I'm not a fan of skiing or snowboarding, I'm not even interested in winter sports. Surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this book. Why? It's so well written that you don't need to have any previous knowledge of these sports to understand what's going on. The story presents two Olympic sportswomen with different degrees of success and at different periods of their careers. Elise is a 25 year old skier with a couple of Olympics participations that got her both times a frustrating fourth place. She's the typical ice queen, equally driven as demanding. However, a serious injury got her struggling to get back to her best form. Corey is a 30 year old snowboarder with a gold Olympic medal, a laid back attitude and the nagging feeling that her career might be over. Do opposites attract? Or maybe they are not so different after all.
The author describes realistically and accurately the world of Olympics sportspeople, their demanding training regimes, the pressure to perform at the highest level and the ethics of sponsorship. The sport scenes are fast paced and full of tension. Ms. Spangler submits the main characters to an incredible amount of turmoil and pressure that keeps the reader on their toes and turning pages. Additionally, the chemistry between Elise and Corey, their personalities and baggages give an extraordinary richness to their relationship that inevitably leaves us cheering for them. The cast of secondary characters support the story skillfully and realistically, specially Tigger, the rookie snowboarder, who evolves and matures as the story progresses. In short, the pace of the sport scenes and the chemistry of the romance makes 'Edge of glory' a very satisfying read.
Overall, an enjoyable read for both sports and romance fans. 5 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See all my reviews at
www.lezreviewbooks.wordpress.com -
I've enjoyed some of Spangler's books in the past.
However, I felt the pace of this book, kind of slow for the first 35%.
I love the mix of sports and romance.
The sport itself and what I would call the relevant interactions between characters, began at this 35%.
Then, it picked up the pace and I felt the real story was finally developing.
Enjoyable read from there.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 -
well... she's done it again. Don't think there is one book I've read of her's that I've not enjoyed.
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As a huge sports fan, I had to read this book. And I enjoyed it very much. Rachel Spangler did another fantastic work.
I loved the main characters very much but also the second ones, especially Tigger.
Corey and Elise are competitors for an Olympic spot on the US-Team in bordercross and downhill skiing. But there background couldn't be much more different. One, a two times Olympic medalist, in her maybe last season, with a huge loving family and the other one, coming in as 4th in the last two Olympic races, who sufferd a bad knee insury last season and with big money in the family but who don't now what love is.
Will Elise earn her spot in the Olympic team after her insury, who most of the peoples thinks, she will never come back, especially not that fast? Does she have the strength and power and luck to fulfill her bigest dream? The dream of a gold medal at the Olympics? And then she meets the always smiling, good looking Corey, the woman who is always annoyingly good-humored. But she doesn't need a distraction, she needs focus on her big dream, her only target, and get her body back in shape for the new season.
And there's Corey. Will this really be her last season, as every reporter asks her? She struggles with motivation and the new kid on the tour, who has great potential to climb the top position. But Tigger is such a innocent, lovely and funny young girl, she can't ignore her. So should she help her? And there is another distraction, Elise, the «Ice Queen» with the most captivating blue eyes she's ever seen. What is it with this determind ski racer with the cold demeanor, that draws her in so much? Can she break the ice to see what is behind?
I recommend this book for everyone, not only the sports fans. It's not so much about the sport, it's more about hard work and to fight for your dreams. The romance is slow burning, what fits perfect, otherwise it would not be beliveable. Spangler made a good job to show, what the characters are feeling and thinking. I also loved the second characters, they are good and important addition to the story.
My rating 4.5 stars. -
Loved it. Edge of Glory grabs the top of the podium as my favourite sports-themed romance novel. The chemistry is off the charts between charming if reckless snowboarder Corey LaCroix and alpine ski racer Elise Brandeis, a formidable ice queen made all the icier while she attempts a comeback post injury. It’s Olympic season and the knives are out as young talented athletes vie with the veterans for the few spots on the Alpine and Boarder-cross teams.
Great pacing, wonderful depth and insight into the minds and hearts of these top competitors. It takes more than training and and conditioning to win a race. It takes focus, confidence and courage. It takes learning to channel negative thoughts, doubts and worries into positive energy and as we see with Elise and Corey, it takes learning to open up to new ideas, new friends and new possibilities.
Edge of Glory gives us a beautiful slow-burn romance to savour along with the rush of hurtling down icy slopes at unimaginable speeds. Nobody said falling in love would be easy. We all know it’s worth the effort.
Excellent read for sports fans and anyone else who enjoys a well written and easy to visualize novel. -
I didn't like this book.
I know lots of readers probably won't understand this given the amount of positive reviews this book has gotten so far but hear me out:
My dislike has nothing to do with me not being a sports fan and I always had a curiosity for snowboarding. My interest sadly never went beyond me playing SSX and Steep on PlayStation over the years but that's how I came to know and like Boardercross (Snowboard Cross). It's a fun and thrilling sport to play and watch.
The sport scenes in this book (there are plenty) are rich in detail and compelling. They were my favorite part of the book.
Another positive aspect was Corey. She's a really likeable character, with her bubbly, funny and charming personality. She's also a rather positive person and I immediately connected with her.
What I didn't like was pretty much everything else. This book started with Elena being depicted as an unapproachable ice princess and that should've provided some conflict between Elena and Corey because they are so different. Unfortunately the conflict only lasted for a handful of pages and Elena and Corey soon became inseparable. So the needed tension for a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story was gone way too soon. The author constantly repeats that Elena is cold and distant but she never actually was. If you describe a character in a certain way you also need them to act accordingly otherwise you're talking about two different people.
Since the tension was gone so soon everything else felt unbelievably drawn-out and slow. The whole romance part was a drag. The chemistry between Corey and Elena is undeniable early on and it's clear that they both like each other, still the author creates unnecessary drama about them not wanting to admit that they love each other. Why? They have supporting friends and family and I see no reason why they're being so secretive about it.
They are both worrying if the other person wants a future together instead of just talking about said future. I mean seriously, they are both grown-up women, what's so hard about talking about their releationship? This went on for almost a hundred pages and it annoyed me to no end. And it wasn't written in a way that made a misunderstanding endearing or suspenseful because the setting wasn't right for that. (It might've worked if Elena were actually cold and distant.)
And the rest of the book just nothing happens. I know it's supposed to be realistic so I didn't expect something drastic like an accident or an avalanche but I expected SOMETHING. Not just over 330 pages of forced relationship drama and winning gold medals.
I'm sorry, this review got a bit out of hand. I'm just disappointed that a book with such a cool premise turned out to be hundreds of pages of boredom. Sadly this book was a waste of my time. -
Wow, this book was good. Aside from a very few editing issues, this was practically perfect for me.
Elise is an elite Olympic skier that only has one goal. To win. Corey is an Olympic snowboarder with a sketchy past that enjoys her sport and has fun. When Corey sees Elise for the first time, she is immediately drawn to her, and becomes determined to form a friendship. But Elise is pretty cold. It is going to take a lot of Corey's charm to get past that icy exterior.
I love books that are not entirely focused on just the romance. This one was especially great because it was about the world of Olympics and winter sports. I was lost in the training and competition. The level of effort it takes these women to be ready to compete and qualify adds a layer of depth that draws you closer to the characters.
The themes of overcoming obstacles to achieve goals, realizing when your time is coming to an end, and discovering what makes happiness, were executed perfectly. I could feel the passion and contemplation Elise and Corey experienced throughout this story.
There was also a good cast of likable side characters. All were necessary and there to provide depth of characters and to construct plot points in a genuine way.
The romance was fairly slow burn and felt authentic. They had good chemistry. A lot of fun banter. Sex scenes were explicit and sprinkled with feelings. I really enjoyed the ride with them. To see how they both helped each other grow and become better people. The conflict they go through at times is believable and sometimes heart wrenching.
There were so many highlights of this book, but I have to say that the description of the races were fantastic. They didn't go overboard or last too long. They were just the right length and filled with anticipation and excitement. Sometimes I felt I was right on those slopes with them. Or wishing I knew how to ski/snowboard so that I could go out and experience similar things myself.
This one was straight to the favorites folder for me. -
Guess no review when I read this one. 😬 This time I listened to it. Ann Etter did a great job narrating this one, especially portraying the urgency of the races. Loved this book, again. Easy 5 stars.
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This is definitely my favourite Rachel Spangler book to date… and I’ve read them all.
Corey is an Olympic medalist in Snow Boarding and for the first time she’s not on top of her game. She meets Elise who is trying to win a gold medal for the Olympic ski team after a bad injury has lost her a whole season. Elise is an ice queen and she’s only focused on one thing – winning. While Corey genuinely is there to live in the moment and have fun. When both these women begin to train together they find out that sometimes you have to change your strategy to win big… in the games and in their hearts!
I loved this book from the word go. Its not overly heavy on the sport side of the book which will be great for readers that don’t know much about the olympics but as I’m a big fan, the theme was a major tick for me. Also how awesome is the cover?… Yeah its Awesome!
Edge of Glory had fantastic plot and character development, especially for the two main protagonists, Corey and Elise. However, the secondary characters rocked just as much, especially Tigger who I hope ventures into a future book because she’s just helluva fun!
Corey and Elise have this unspoken gravitation to one another from the beginning. The chemistry between them was off the chart and I could feel it radiate off the page. I also want to say that this book didn’t have much angst (a little maybe but not much) and I think it was one of the major highlights for me.
Rachel Spangler is just awesome and she just keeps knocking them out of the park!
5 stars -
I went into this book expecting a fluffy romance that came about post 2018 Winter Olympics that would be a hell of a beach read, and what I read was a moving story about passion and motivation and never giving up on your dreams but allowing those dreams to transform over time.
This book centers on Boardercross Snowboarder Corey LaCroix and Skiier Elise Brandeis. In what I’m sure could be categorized as thawing the ice queen, or taming the player, you get a moving story about an athlete that balks tradition and rules and does what she wants and refuses to be the poster child for anything she doesn’t stand for despite the cost, and a driven since birth woman that will face down mountains and injuries to get what she wants, only to realize that what she needs cannot be won through feats of athleticism.
To go into more detail would spoil the ride, and it is a ride worth being savored. -
I never saw snow. But I can only imagine how cold it is to practice this type of sport.
I liked this book and I do love an Ice Queen love story. -
When I first saw there is a book about the winter Olympics I thought I just have to read it. I grew up in the mountains with skiers and free style snowboarders all around me, who actually happened to have competed in the winter Olympics. So this just seemed right up in my alley.
The story is a slow burning romance, which is suited for the characters. At first I had a hard time liking the ice princess but once her back story is explained it all clicked into place.The character development is also nicely done for her. Corey has a heart of gold, loves her sport and enjoys encouraging others to thrive into the best versions of themselves. The side characters are awesome and funny.
(btw. I realize probably just the german speaking readers might find this funny but I just have to point this out: the ice princess is named Elise Brandeis....I mean.... that's just very funny! 😂)
Regarding the scenarios and the pressure that accompanies the Olympics, I would say, it is very realistic. Some of my friends couldn't withstand it and others just excelled in the environment. Plus it's also all a matter of timing regarding the amount of support the trainers and officials from the associations can give to each athlete. And obviously the media also plays a huge role in all of this as well.
So I definitely enjoyed seeing all this reflected in the storyline.
The book left my heart full of love. Love for the sport, the games, the characters, the beautiful writing style.
Last thing I have to say is that Rachel Spangler did such a great job in taking the reader on to the slopes.100% showing not telling -> loved it! Just makes you feel like you are right there with them as a reader.
To sum this up:
Great characters + great story + great writing + great romance = Clear recommendation and worth a reread! -
I was on edge for most of this book and not far from a panic attack by the end. I know next to nothing about Winter Olympic sports and most of the terminology went over my head and in spite of that Edge of Glory held my attention. Elise, Olympic skier, is attempting a comeback having smashed up her knee a year previously and ends up at the same land training facility as Corey, Olympic snowboarder. Her coach encourages her to consider some of the snowboarding training methods instead of just using the skiing methods to strengthen her knee.
The differences between them make for dynamic repartee. Elise is cold and dismissive, Corey is fun, crazy and quick-witted. The characters around them add to the story and I expected so little from Tigger and she ended up a great supporting character.
This is my second Rachel Spangler novel and I'm pacing myself on the other ten so that I don't binge-read them. -
Decided to get into the Winter Olympic spirit and picked this book up. Wow! I am so happy I did. This is going on my favorites list because it is an excellent read. I am not typically a huge fan of sport romance novels, but this one was just a fun read. It wasn't pages and pages of just sport terms and overly technical information that you run into with sports novels. From the moment I started the book I knew I would lose sleep to finish. It was just that great. All of the characters in this book are likeable and worked well throughout the entire book. I was attached to them all and was super sad when this one ended. If you haven't done so already pick this one up. It really is a fantastic read.
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Despite the insta-attraction moment that made me hesitant, the romance is slow-burning so the relationship, that comes out of it, is perfect.
Both main characters have issues of their own, professional and personal, and in a beautiful example of love conquers all, they both go above all expectations to reach their goal, together.
I don't have a clue about Olympics, always enjoying a book on the couch or a walk outside to a TV, but the way it was written, I could almost feel their pain, sweat and snow.
It was a perfect read for a 4-hours drive while my other half was behind the heel. -
Ms.Spangler, you earned all the stars available in this universe with this book. If you're looking for a straightforward romance, then you should put that wish aside and read this because the romance was there, it was written beautifully, but the world of winter sport took center stage and mixed it up with an unlikely couple the result was E.P.I.C.!! I loved the main and secondary characters, nothing but serious fan crush. Worth rereads and recommendations. Thank you, Ms.Spangler.
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3.5 rounded to 4. This is a good story. I liked it. It wasn’t my favorite Rachel Spangler book but it’s still a good read.
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This book definetly goes to the top of my favourite books list. Yeah, it was that good for me!
I am a sports fan and anything with two lovely leading ladies and a sport makes a book worth reading for me but when it is combined with an interesting storyline, characters who come out of the pages, amazing secondary characters, olympics and two sports which are both thrilling and dangerous- then a book becomes 'the book', one whose characters and story would remain with me for a long time. -
High energy romance featuring a dude-bro energy snowboarder and ice queen skier.
The chemistry was pretty good, and it was nice to read a different type of sports book. I think there could have been more done to expand some of the feelings that contributed to the big grump and subsequently the makeup.
The one thing I will mention is that the reckless snowboarder was a little awkward at the beginning. Sometimes chaos is awkward to write naturally, but it did get there. After about 10 to 15 percent, the voice and character did become clearer and more consistent.
Otherwise, the foundation was set pretty well throughout the book, and most of the reasons and reactions made sense. If you're craving a thematic winter sport themed read, this might be for you. -
8/10
yes, i’ve been reading this book for over 8 months
no, that fact doesn’t mean the book’s bad
actually it’s pretty simple - wasn’t in the mood for a story about snow sports when the weather’s all warm irl
i finished the second half today and i loved it. it was dramatic but it was expected when it was nearing the end. maybe i wasn’t the biggest fan of the mcs (they were fine tho). i loved literally all the other characters tho.
nikki <3333333 my favourite character ever tbh
i think that i also stopped reading halfway half a year ago because the slowburn wasn’t to my liking. like maybe you expected more tension building before they got together i guess. the mcs were also quite annoying at some moments though i guess everyone has flaws so i can’t hold it against them too much. but i can the fact that it didn’t feel like they had a lot of chemistry
the story’s very captivating because you’re following a real sports adventure of extremely interesting people. can’t be bad that the sports are snowboarding and skiing - one of my favourites and i always love reading about them (can’t wait for the schuss from ej noyes + gonna reread gold).
will read more books of the author
+ will probably reread this as well and maybe i come up with better rating and clearer thoughts
