Good one!!!! :) :)
Definetely hooked in the series..:) ( )

Originally posted on These Pretty Words.

Kristin approached me awhile back about reading and reviewing Life on the Edge, the recent debut novel by Jennifer Comeaux. K is well aware that love stories about figure skating are very near and dear to my heart and let me tell you, this one has earned its place on my podium. I’ll admit that it took me a little time to catch the hook. The early chapters of the story set a good stage for the later plot to play out but while there’s good character development, there isn’t a lot of action until chapter four. All I can say is that I’m so glad I kept reading.

Life on the Edge follows 19-year-old competitive skater Emily Butler. While she’s not new to the sport, she is new to skating pairs. Despite that fact, she and partner Chris have a big dream: to compete at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. With their young Russian coach and retired skater, Sergei, assisting them, they appear to have a fighting chance at turning that dream into reality.

Sergei. Sigh. The man will swoon you. Yes, that’s right, Emily’s love interest is none other than her very handsome coach. Sound weird? That’s the point. Sergei is young, only six years older than Emily, having retired at 18 for mysterious reasons. Yet while not a hard and fast rule of the skating federation, coaches and skaters are highly discouraged from dating (for obvious reasons). We see their struggle right from the start when their growing friendship starts blooming into something more. They both know it’s wrong, they both know they shouldn’t, but how long can they fight their feelings?

The story opens in the summer of 2000, leading into the competitive season a year prior to the Olympics. Though the novel takes us through two full seasons and two years, the plot never drags or feels choppy. The author does a great job with pacing and flow, touching on what’s important and always moving the characters forward. I found myself always excited about the next competition just as much as I was aching for the next step in Emily and Sergei’s relationship.

And their love story? Total slow burn, just the way I like it. There are so many great facets to their relationship-their interactions as coach and skater, the sweetness of their friendship, the kindling attraction, the romance…the UST. Oh yeah, the UST is off the charts. For those unfamiliar with the acronym UST=unresolved sexual tension aka the period of time where you know it’s gonna happen but don’t know how or where or when. I was dying for these two to get together.

A great thing about this story is that it’s not just the protagonist or even her love interest that hold your attention; Comeaux builds a vast cast who only bring you further into Emily and Sergei’s world; from the adorable Courtney, a young pairs skater Emily and Sergei coach together, to slimy Viktor, one of the clubs other coaches, to Chris and Marley, Emily’s very swoony partner and the ice dancer he has a massive crush on, you’ll find yourself wanting more. I know I did. Seriously, Chris? I loved reading about his relationship and interactions with Emily almost as much as Sergei. Almost.

In the early stages of Emily’s attraction to Sergei and the beginnings of their relationship we see a variety of viewpoints and reactions from Emily’s family and friends ranging from accepting to downright hostile. It only goes to show that their choice to be together isn’t an easy one. There were a few times I wanted to reach through my screen and shake Emily’s mother or roommate Aubrey and say “Why can’t you just let them be all happy and adorable together?” But of course, their hesitations are valid. One of the great things about how Comeaux weaves the plot is that the conflicts are valid and realistic, not simply drama for drama’s sake. We get to see this couple through fighting their feelings to finally giving in, from the struggle of learning to separate their work from their relationship to learning to trust and love and support each other.

And let’s not forget, this is all happening with the constant pressure of competition in the background and a little event called the Olympics on the horizon. You don’t have to follow figure skating to love this book; Comeaux does a great job laying out the details and behind the scenes aspects of the world of competitive figure skating without bogging down the reader in technicalities. The way she writes about Emily and Chris out on the ice has you feeling everything they feel: nerves, excitement, disappointment, elation, and triumph. You’ll want to find the nearest sheet of ice and strap on some figure skates.

In a romance, my bottom line is always the couple. Do I want them to be together? Do I connect with them in a way that has me cheering for them, fighting for them, crying for them, swooning for them, on the edge of my seat waiting for them to kiss and skate off into the sunset? Emily and Sergei definitely did that for me in a way no other fictional couple has in quite some time. Give them a chance and I promise you’ll be cheering them on to their happily ever after, too. ( )

This was a complex story with plenty of romance and skating action. It did feel like it could have been split in two halfway through with the run up to the Olympics (which was very climatic) and the budding romance between skater and coach, and then the part with the controversy and Olympics. However, it was a good example of New Adult and a cute, sweet romance. ( )

This romance started out slowly for me. I really was not warming up to the characters and I wondered how the author was going fill so many pages. It did really capture my interest until the last 100 pages. This is a light romance and very chaste and clean and suitable for all readers. Enjoy ( )

Skating is Emily's life. Unless she can be on the ice every day, she isn't happy. Pairs skating is just a new way of skating and achieving her dream of being in the Olympics. More than that, both she and her partner Chris want to get gold while they're there. Their coach is Sergei, much younger than average and with a past he's not inclined to share. With his help Emily and Chris have the gold medal in sight, but then a problem starts to develop: the feelings between Sergei and Emily. Somehow the two must keep it a secret and work past the obstacles if either have any hope of achieving that goal or keeping their careers.

This was a really engrossing, entertaining read. I've only watched a couple of skating films; to be honest I'm really not a sports person in any shape or form, yet I enjoyed reading about the competitions, the rehearsals, this constant journey the characters are on to stay on top and live their dream. I wanted them to get high scores; I wanted them to get that gold medal. It also gave me a whole new appreciation for how difficult it is to be part of a sport as a career, and just how much it takes. I'm very admiring of people who can do something like skating, because it takes a lot of skill and practice. I know as I sat there the whole time reading it I was thinking that I could never do something like that; my awful hand-eye co-ordination wouldn't allow for it and I'd probably be too afraid of all the falls, both physical and metaphorical, I'd have to take.

Emily fights past that fear. Every time a competition comes up she becomes incredibly nervous and anxious, yet she does her best to get past that and let herself be the best that she can be when she's on the ice. Her passion and determination really comes through and that made her an admirable character; it made it easy to want good things for her. Even when she'd committed herself to a relationship with Sergei, she was still fiercely determined to get the medal - this girl always had her eye on the prize.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the two. I admit I did have a bit of a problem at the beginning. It wasn't insta-love - I just want to make that clear. It's more that Comeaux just relates it more generally rather than going into detail for a couple of scenes. Through Emily she stated that they met several times, had lengthier conversations, and then they came to realise they were growing to have feelings for each other. This wasn't exactly a major problem, though, and I was soon engrossed reading about the ups and downs in their relationship, scared on Emily's behalf about the trouble they might get into. Sergei is sweet and respects Emily's morals; at the same time he pushes her to do better when she's skating, knowing exactly what she's capable of. His past is a sad one, though perhaps not as different or shocking as you might hope.

Comeaux has created a wonderful set of characters here. Yes, Emily and Sergei are the main ones, but from Chris, who's funny and supportive and generally just really likeable, to Courtney, one of Em's students, who's like your adorable little sister, to Em's roommate, to her parents...all of the characters had their own personalities and voices. This is also not one of those stories where the author clearly has no idea what they're talking about. It's extremely obvious Comeaux has done her research, and it creates a very strong, believable story. Life on the Edge is a brilliant balance between skating and romance, between plot and characters, and I can definitely recommend it to anyone, regardless of whether or not you're a sports fan.

This review is also posted on my blog. ( )