Alpine ski champion Dane "Danger" Hollister does not do relationships, though he has an excellent reason. No woman would ever say "I do" to a guy whose faulty DNA will eventually cost him everything: his spot on the U.S. ski team, his endorsements and the ability to fly downhill at ninety miles per hour.
While Willow Reade moved to rural Vermont to get back to the land, that wasn't meant to include a night stranded in her vehicle during a blizzard. Luckily, the hot ski racer she practically ran off the road has granola bars and a sleeping bag and is happy to share. Maybe it's the close quarters, maybe it's the snow, but soon the two are sharing a lot more than conversation.
Yet neither can guess how their spontaneous passion will uncork Dane's ugly secret and Willow's tentative peace with her own choices. Only their mutual trust and bravery can end the pain and give Willow and Dane a shot at hard-won happiness.
The Review:
Crashing her car in a snow storm could be worse, as Willow finds herself stranded with only a super hot ski racer to keep her company. Really, what's a girl to do? After the following night of passion, though, things become a little more complicated for this couple. Little does Willow know that Dane has a secret that's keeping him from even attempting to find happiness.
Willow is very easy to relate to. She's got the ex-boyfriend baggage, she's struggling to make ends meet with her multiple jobs and she wants more out of life. When her one night stand (or is that one-blizzard-stand?) results in pregnancy, she's got some tough decisions to make, and her baby daddy isn't going to make them easier.
Dane is pretty hard to like, but you have to love him all the same. He's got genuine issues, that's for sure, but he also needs a good slap in the face (in his case, a sedating injection in the butt cheek courtesy of Willow's best friend seems to suffice). Dane is a total misanthrope, but he's not your typical brooding hero. He doesn't really dislike other people, but instead avoids attachments due to the medical life sentence hanging over his head. He doesn't see the point in anything other than skiing until he meets Willow. Of course, she's just what he needs.
Sometimes I feel like a lot of the heroes in romance can become a bit the same, but Dane definitely breaks the mold. I honestly found him infuriating and often rude, but I also understood his dilemma and emotional crisis, believing he is destined to die like his mother and brother, and not wanting to pass that onto any future children. It is pretty freaking heartbreaking really. He's a hard-to-like hero at times, but like Willow, you want him to win in the end.
Together, Willow and Dane are very sexy. The sex scene in the car is totally steamy. I have never been in a blizzard, but if this book is anything to go by, they seem like very worthwhile weather events. Beyond this first scene Willow and Dane have a definite connection, so even when they aren't getting along, you are screaming at them to kiss already.
There are also some lovely little details in this story that made it extra endearing for me. I particularly enjoyed reading Dane's thoughts as he watched Willow feed her chickens. It was really sweet and real and a little bit adorable. One of those little touches that adds so much to a story.
Coming in from the Cold is a read-in-a-sitting romance with a relatable heroine, a hard-to-like/have-to-love hero, and one sexy snow storm.
Coming in from the Cold by Sarina Bowen is available from Amazon.
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