Coming In From the Cold Reviewed

a review of Coming In From the Cold by Chapparita

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book at NovelReviewers.com in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, and I can already tell that 1) I'll be reading more from books by Sarina Bowen, and 2) I'm going to devour every book in the Gravity series!

Bowen's writing is easy to digest and embrace, and escape into.

As main characters, Willow and Dane were easy to embrace. I didn't get annoyed with Willow, as I do with many romantic female leads. I didn't get frustrated with Dane like I do with many romantic male leads. Bowen wrote them as real people, dealing with real problems. They weren't too insecure or too cocky. They weren't too emotionally dense or too emotionally dramatic. They weren't too predictable, or too unbelievable. Given Willow's financial hardships and Dane's wealth, it could have been easy to write about a rich and overbearing, yet wounded man who seduces the impoverished damsel in distress, and/ or about said damsel saving him with her positive outlook and untarnished morals. Instead, Bowen wrote about two main characters with whom I could easily relate (flaws and all, and despite their financial hardships, wealth, fame, and family dysfunction), and for whom I could easily cheer (especially because I could relate to their mistakes). I wanted things to work out for Willow and Dane, and not just because I was eager for their story to be over, as is the case with some books I read and end up dreading but can't put down because of my compulsion to finish things (even if they're unpleasant).

In the case of "Coming In From the Cold", I wanted to know more about Willow and Dane. I actually cared about what happened to them. In Dane's case, I wanted to know more about his health (Did he have the same hereditary disease as his mom and brother? He was so close to his mom, but what about his father?), and about his career (Would he be able to ski again, and would the possibilities of a family and good health affect his daredevil approach to competitive skiing?). I was equally interested in Willow's life story (Did being a foster child impact her attraction to emotionally unavailable men? What does she really want to do with her life?).

I wanted to get to know them, watch them make believable and forgivable mistakes, and then watch them learn and grow from those experiences, without being too perfect or too dramatic, and that's what Bowen gave me. I also wanted a conclusion that provided some resolution and answered some of my questions, but still left me wanting more, and that's what Bowen gave me. Finally, I wanted an HEA, but I wanted the characters to have to work for it, and guess what? That's exactly what Bowen gave me.

If I have one complaint, it's that I think the depth of Willow's affection towards Dane was too premature to be believable. I don't think whirlwind romances are impossible or that physical attraction and sexual intimacy can't be emotionally intense. But, I felt like while I was reading about an emotional roller coaster one night stand (which could totally happen), Willow was carrying on as if she was already in the midst of serious affair. However, at a certain point, the trajectory of the relationship caught with her runaway feelings, and I was no longer shaking my head at Willow's inner dialogue.

The plot wasn't terribly complex or thought provoking. There aren't any nail biting or suspenseful moments, nor any heart wrenching emotional moments. This book won't haunt me for years to come, nor will it incite me to debate with other faceless bloggers. But...it was well written, entertaining, thoughtful, and memorable. After reading the entire series, I'll probably reread this book every couple of years to be reminded of how normal people, even those not living pedestrian lives, can fall into love.

I Never Knew Skiers Were So Sexy!