Taking the Ice: Book Review

Synopsis 

Olympic rings and an engagement ring.

Courtney Carlton is ready for both.

She and her boyfriend Josh have skated together and dated for four years, and they’ve reached a critical point in their partnership both on and off the ice. With the Winter Games coming up and their career nearing an end, they are fighting to win a spot on the Olympic team, something Courtney has dreamed of since she was ten years old. 

She also has another wish she hopes comes true soon. She’s waiting for a marriage proposal from Josh that she expected to happen by now. Will she realize either dream or will her heart be broken from disappointment?

Series: Ice #3

Release date: August 17th 2015

Purchase: Amazon

My review:

This is the third installment of Ms. Comeaux's Taking the Ice trilogy. You could read just this book if you like, but I'd suggest you start at the beginning with the first book.

I'd describe this book as a sports romance. The sport is figure skating, and the romance is between two skaters, Courtney and Josh. They're fighting for a spot on the Olympic team which has been Courtney's dream for a long time. She's also in hopes that Josh will give her an engagement ring.

In the first two books, Josh and Courtney are younger, but in this book they're older and have more freedom to do what they want. This gives Taking the Ice a little more depth.

If you love figure skating and romance, you'll really enjoy the book.

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 die-hard 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.

http://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com/ | facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor | twitter.com/LadyWave4

The author is giving away a $20 Amazon gift certificate. Use the link below to enter.

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Losing the Ice

TOUR SCHEDULE: http://www.itchingforbooks.com/2015/03/blog-tourlosing-ice-by-jennifer-comeaux.html

Series: Ice #2
Release date: February 23rd 2015

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Courtney and Josh are in love and excited to finally compete as skating partners. When they take the ice for their first competition, they want to show everyone, especially Josh's family, they are the perfect pair. 

But ice is slippery, and one misstep puts all their dreams in jeopardy. Now they must show each other both their love and their partnership are strong enough to survive.


A Word From the Author

I’d like to thank Elaine for having me as a guest on her blog! She asked me to share what inspired me to write about figure skating in my new release, Losing the Ice.

I started watching figure skating on TV when I was a little girl, and even though I never actually skated, I was fascinated by the sport. It was so glamorous yet so athletic at the same time. When I got older, I started travelling to competitions as a fan, and my love for the sport grew even more. Seeing the programs live and feeling the energy of the performances was so thrilling. And the skaters were all around me at the hotel, on the bus, and at the arena. It made me feel like I was part of their world. That’s when I first got the idea for a story set in the skating world – a romance between a skater and her coach. This idea became the basis of my first book, Life on the Edge, and two other books soon followed – Edge of the Past and Fighting for the Edge.

I wanted to keep writing stories set in the skating world, so I decided to do a spin-off from the Edge series. Crossing the Ice was the first book in the Ice series and it tells the story of Courtney, a pair skater, who wants nothing more than to make the Olympic team. She doesn’t expect to fall for one of her biggest competitors, but her feelings for irresistibly sweet Josh can’t be denied. Their love story continues in my new release, Losing the Ice. Courtney and Josh have now become skating partners, and they face an unexpected challenge that tests their relationship both on and off the ice.

I love writing about figure skaters because they are fierce competitors while also making the sport look so beautiful. They have to be both strong and soft. I also love writing about the Olympic dream because the stakes are so high. The skaters work tirelessly for one chance that only comes every four years. The emotions and the tension are off the charts during the Olympic season.

If you want to experience all these emotions and more, check out Courtney and Josh’s story in Losing the Ice!

About the Author

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 die-hard 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! 

jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Use the link below to enter a drawing for a $20 gift certificate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crossing The Ice

Blurb:

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?

Excerpt:

I turned to Josh with my arms folded and my head cocked to the side. “So, you’re an athlete, a dancer and a musician? If you tell me you’re a skilled artist, I’m gonna have to hate you.”

He laughed. “I can barely draw a stick figure.”

“Whew.” I swiped my hand across my forehead.

“Even if I was the next Picasso, though, I wouldn’t have told you.” He paused and held my gaze. “I don’t like the idea of you hating me.”

My stomach fluttered. Josh didn’t often make extended eye contact, but whenever he locked those sinfully blue eyes on mine, I became a mesmerized puddle of swoon.

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. 

jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com 

twitter.com/LadyWave4 

facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor

My Review

From the first page, it was obvious that Ms. Comeaux loves competitive skating. She immerses the reader in a world that many of us never experience. It's full of glitz and glamour, but at the same time there's a lot of cut throat competition behind the scenes. I liked the way her characters struggled to achieve their dreams of going to the Olympics. Young adults should set high goals for themselves. 

At the same time, the author gives the readers a glimpse of the personal lives of her characters. Except for a couple of them, they're all sympathetic, and the bad ones are the ones the author painted that way.  And of course there's the romance between Courtney and Josh.

The romance is well handled, and to me it sounded realistic. It isn't graphic at all which pleases me because it sets a good example for young readers. It isn't preachy, though.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves skating or other competitive sports.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Ice-Jennifer-Comeaux-ebook/dp/B00MDXMQIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407772511&sr=8-1&keywords=Crossing+the+Ice

Tour Schedule:

TOUR SCHEDULE: http://www.itchingforbooks.com/2014/07/blog-tour-sign-upcrossing-ice-by.html


The author is giving away a $10 gift certificate and three signed Crossing the Ice bookmarks. Use the following link to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway