There's this expression we have in German: "Nichts Halbes und nichts Ganzes" - nothing half and nothing whole, literally translated. Half-assed. Which is how I felt about this book most of the time.
There were so many genres, so many tropes combined in this one book, it felt like none of them had enough space to be satisfyingly developed. Romance, adventure, mystery, investigative thriller, even some historical stuff about (view spoiler).

I thought this book was going to be mostly set on the K2, which made me look forward to an epic survival adventure interspersed with some mystery and romance. Yet it was only about half the book that was actually spent on the mountain. And even then, scenes that would've been exciting to read about like the actual climbing, the fight against nature, and the eventual struggle to survive, were terribly rushed while other parts were so drawn out I had to muster up all my will power to keep going.

All in all, I was just bored.
There. I said it.

Farah and Tristan work to reach their goals while avoiding the hidden dangers they didn't suspect. New author for me to read and enjoyed this book .

Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

DNF @ 20%. Was completely bored with story and I'm giving up after several tries.

A copy was kindly provided by Lyrical Shine via Negalley in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many highlights in the story - the setting of the climb, and the different countries and experiences represented, the backgrounds of the characters. However, the mystery and adventure at the end of the story was a little bit unbelievable and hard to follow.

Tristan is on a mission to honor his brother, but can't get the clearance to climb the mountain. One he finally gets the clearance, he has to get a crew to agree to let him go along. The holdout is Farah. Once she finally ages to let him go with, they start the hike.
They get to know each other during the hike, but try to keep it as friends. Completing a very difficult hike, every step of the way, there are arguments, revelations (about every member of the team), and mysterious things that happen.
Just when you think they are safe and can see if they can be together in the future, something else happens. Dangerous hike up a mountain, saving a life, gunshot at a hospital, being followed all over the world and trying to figure out who is behind it all kept me on the edge of my seat.
I did figure out who was behind everything, but not why. Can Tristan and Farah figure it b out before it's too late? Or, will their relationship end before it really begins?
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Review by Amanda for Love Romance Books Blog

Rating: 5

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by M.K. Shilling and I really enjoyed it. I liked reading about the climbing trip as much as the developing romance. A large portion of it is set in an area of the world that I don't know much about (Kashmir). I would recommend this book to readers who like climbing, nature or stories that have more adventure scenes than love scenes.

4.5 stars

Okay, I can no longer have any doubts. M.K. Schiller is officially a top author for me. This is my third book by her and I absolutely love every one of them. One of the most wonderful things about her writing is the amount of research she seems to do for her stories. With Eight Days in the Sun she writes about a Marine, in The Scars Between Us it’s also a Marine but he also runs a dog rescue. Here we have mountain climbers. I’m not a Marine, a dog rescue worker, an MMA fighter, or a mountain climber, but her writing sure seems to be pretty accurate to me. I appreciate the time she puts into getting her stories as true to life as possible.

The beginning of this story is a meet-cute slow-build romance with a majestic backdrop to really make the characters come off the pages. Once the half-way mark hits, the action starts to pick up. While it takes the chemistry and light flirting between Farah and Tristan to the next level, it also starts adding danger and intrigue to the mix.

As this story moves along there are things the reader can deduce. Some of those thoughts may actually end up being correct. But other things don’t become apparent until the suspense part is already notched up. There are many layers to what is happening in this book but the romance and chemistry never seem to get lost. Instead, the bond between Tristan and Farah gets tighter and tighter.

I really cannot say enough good things about this author. I am thoroughly enamored with her work.

Interesting and not like what I expected. Thought it would be simply romance focused but it also had suspense plot to it. I enjoyed the characters. By the way, I thought it was pretty amusing that Tristan said an American should admit they were Canadian if asked by strangers *lol*

Unfortunately, I was unable to connect with this story. It was a DNF for me at about 30%. The writing was great, but the storyline moved a little slowly (and was bogged down in detail) for me. I may circle back around to it at some point because I suspect that there is payoff in the end, but for now - it's not holding my attention and I keep finding excuses not to read it, so it's time to walk away.

Wow ! That was adventurous !

So, the book's prologue hints that something is very wrong with Drew Sinclair and we have a strange doctor injecting him with something. He's been on a Summit to the Savage Mountain aka K2. And doesn't return alive.

The current day story begins with Tristan (Drew's brother) preparing for the summit to K2, in honor of his childhood promise made to his brother. His uncle who is his dad's best friend, Elliot, works in the US Embassy of Pakistan. Tristan takes his help to get the permission to climb the summit. While talking a walk in the local market, Tristan comes across Farah Nawaz, a local girl with violet eyes and a lovely voice, and he is mesmerized from the get go. Farah is a sweet character with a penchant for stories, history and folklore. Later Tristan finds that Farah is a fellow mountaineer who will be accompanying him on the summit. They are a part of the group consisting of Rana, the leader; Edelweiss, who is on a quest for his grandfather's remain stuck on the K2 since 1940; Malcolm, a rude and odd climber; 2 passionate mountaineers Lino and Bjorn and Ahmed another local mountaineer.

Together they begin their ascent to the top of k2, playing games, exchanging stories and surviving the harsh weather. All this while Tristan and Farah are resisting their attraction, stealing a few sweet and memorable moments together. Midway, they come to Edelweiss's grandfather's remains which sows some seeds of doubts with Tristan and Farah. Slowly yet steadily, they make it to the top. There are some wonderful moments like experiencing the Specter of Broken, getting to "Kiss the Sky" and Tristan spreading Drew's ashes on the top of K2. All is fine till this point, which makes the twist all the more unexpected.

I googled to see how the Specter looked and I loved the pictures and phenomenon !! Something new to learn in each book !

I enjoyed reading the geographical and nature related reference throughout the book. I think the author must have put quite a lot of effort into research. Tristan and Farah's chemistry was amazing, and their histories heart-breaking. Overall, I enjoyed this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for generously sharing the ARC in exchange for my honest review

What an interesting story! Tristan has a burning need to climb K2 with the ashes of his brother Drew. This is a climb they should've made together and regret runs deep through Tristan's soul. Farah is a woman determined not to be held back anymore. The society she lives in treats her as 'less than' but she's going to prove she is more than anyone gave her credit for. All they have to do is summit the mountain ... but they're taking the most treacherous route and the goddess of the mountain is a jealous mistress. The underlying suspense aspect of this story unfolds slowly in the first half and then takes off with the bang in the second half. I loved the underlying story, but I was luke-warm on the romance aspect. The stones they exchange? So sweet. Grandma? Hilarious. Don't ask. You'll have to read the story to find out.

I really didn't know what to expect when reading this one. But I was blown away with Kiss the Sky. Seriously this one had me on the edge of my seat. The twist and turns and the action was amazing. I so didn't see any of what happens with Tristan and Farah coming. I love the drive and the chemistry between them. MK. Schiller blew me away with this one. If you love action and a good mystery and are looking for different type of romance then take a look at this one. Mountaineer's are in a league of their own. Kiss the Sky will draw you in and not let you go until the very end.

Really nice book! I absolutely love books where the hero and heroine are from different countries...sort of dreamy that your perfect one is sitting in a different continent !! Also the premise of the story is quite uncommon and not the usual romance story...such a refreshing change ! Tristan was absolutely swoon worthy and Farah - an amazing heroine ! And what's more !! All the suspense adds a great twist to the story !! I read this book straight through without any break....Wish this could be turned into a series ! Need more of Tristan & Farah !