Review: Made Me Smile!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 18, 2013
Lately, I seem to be on a roll reading books whose locales I'm familiar with. This one is set in Colorado, primarily. And it centers around skiing and snowboarding. :) Carry Your Heart is a thrilling and emotional read. I think the characters are engaging and I like that the story seems to have a message.Pippa Baker is struggling to find herself after losing her boyfriend, Danny, and their best friend, Ryan, in an avalanche. She hasn't been on skis since that day, a year ago, and since skiing has been her life for years, it's hard to figure out which way to go. Then her former coach shows up at her kitchen table and manages to talk her into doing just one more race.Hunter Dawson is a sexy, champion snowboarder. He's the son of a famous skier and he also happens to be fearful of airplanes. Hunter is also a complete playboy who somehow manages to balance his time between competitions, his string of girls, and his little brother.Pippa and Hunter meet while flying out to Utah for the competition Pippa has agreed to do. They seem to have a real connection. But Pippa's broken and she's not sure she can be fixed. And Hunter isn't sure he's man enough to stick it out.I really enjoyed the way Ms. Bell allowed the relationship between Pippa and Hunter to progress. Did I want to smack them both on occasion? Yes! But they both have their issues to work through and I was so proud of them both in the end. Pippa is a strong girl but realizes she has to let people in if she doesn't want to be lonely. Hunter has this whole tender side that is a shock considering the persona he's perfected. It was poignant watching the walls both had built begin to crumble and fall.I also liked the racing/competition element of the story. Ms. Bell might know a thing or two about being a competitive skier or she did some in depth research. Her descriptions of the feelings a skier has, both when skiing and when having to deal with competitors feels very realistic. I feel as though I know have some insight into this world and the competitive nature of those in it.Ms. Bell created a great supporting cast as well. Joe and Parker, friends of Pippa, Danny, and Ryan, are still struggling with the loss of their friends. And they seem to struggle even more so with the thought of Pippa moving on. Lottie, once one of Pippa's best friends on the team, has a difficult time coping with Pippa's return to being a competitor. Even Danny and Ryan, whom we only meet through memories, play integral roles in the story.I'm kinda hoping we get to see more from these characters, as I grew attached to them. I loved the message of the story, which, in my opinion, is to live life to the fullest...none of us knows how long we have. Carry Your Heart made me smile, it made me cry, and it made my heart pound and melt. And in the end, it made me sigh.