Really enjoyed this free read. Got the feel of the sport even though I've never so much as slapped on a pair of skis. Could have done with a little more time with our MCs together in the friendship zone. ( )

Really enjoyed this free read. Got the feel of the sport even though I've never so much as slapped on a pair of skis. Could have done with a little more time with our MCs together in the friendship zone. ( )

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5...because I can! ;)

This story just worked for me... the setup of races over several years, Nordic skiing, character development and last but certainly not least, writing that just glides the story along so smoothly! My one and only real niggle was that it ended a little too abruptly. Could be that I just wanted to keep reading about them! ( )

From enemies who don't really know why they hate each other, to friends and then to lovers, this story covers several years of Cory and Teag's lives. Much like an endurance race in skiing, there are no quick solutions, nor are there any huge surprises. But one of the things I really liked was the fact that, like in real life, they sort of fell into their relationship as enemies due to lack of information and a ton of assumptions, then came out of it because they'd done a little growing up, started to talk, and figured out that all the other stuff in their lives wasn't half as important as what they ended up feeling for each other.

Cory is a fighter. He isn’t rich, can barely afford the training, but wants to ski and win so badly he can taste it. Competition is in his blood, and seeing Teag, one of his key competitors, have everything handed to him on a silver platter, so to speak, just gets to him. But when they end up on the same team for the world cup, things change. Suddenly they have to work together in the relay race, and Cory begins to learn a few facts that make him reconsider the truth of what he always thought he knew about Teag.

Teag may be the "rich kid", but he has a damned difficult life. An overbearing father, who doesn’t think he should be skiing, a health condition that makes every race even more of a challenge than it would be anyway, and the need to hide who he really is make everything a challenge. Add to that the fact his father sponsors other skiers, rather than his own son (saying he wants to avoid being accused of nepotism), one of them his arch-rival, Cory, and Teag doesn’t have it easy either. He, too, ends up making assumptions and has a lot to learn.

If you like testosterone-fueled men who are all about the competition until being teammates becomes more important, if you enjoy reading about athletes and the tough training they put themselves through to win, and if you're looking for a read that is as filled with intense, understated emotion as it is with heat and passion, you will probably like this free short story.
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Enjoyed the slow build up to a budding romance. Great kiss at the end. The information about skiing enhances the story without it being overwhelming. ( )