Schuss, is probably one of the most anticipated books of the year... And it wasn't half bad either. I enjoyed it....ill admit, no nothing about skiing, but didn't put me off. The book is engaging, with a great storyline, Slowburn and great characters.

I've given Schuss a 4 out of 5

I might be in the minority here, but I didn't love this book as much as other Noyes books. The characters were younger and the pacing was so slow. I didn't really like either of them all that much. I admit, I struggled a bit to finish this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF'd at 46%.

I really tried to push through, but I was not enjoying this at all.

I felt like none of the characters had any substance, the plot was a back and forth repetition that felt too simple, and the dialogue and info dumping were clunky and choppy.

Also found myself cringing quite a lot at the inner monologues and I kept getting confused who was who because both the main characters had very similar voices.

Overall, not for me.

Schuss is the follow up book to E.J. Noyes' book Gold. Characters from Gold appear, but are absolutely secondary characters. Don't go in expecting to spend a lot of time with Aspen and Cate. That's fine, because this book is about Gemma and Stacie.

Schuss is the first lesbian book I've read that deals with this age group - late teens, early 20's. It definitely has more of a YA feel than an adult romance even though they're technically adults. As with most people that age, things that aren't a very big deal blow up dramatically. The conflict was minor, a bump on the bunny hill, for a skiing analogy. Stacie and Gemma got over it pretty fast, too. Don't expect the avalanche of emotions found in Gold.

It's an enjoyable book, but I prefer Noyes' take on adult women's relationships better. Had I had access to a book like this when I was 18-20, I would have been thrilled.

As I opened this book and nestled into the story of Gemma and Stacey, it struck me that E.J. Noyes is a fearless writer. Why do I say that? Well, she sees a story and she goes after it with gusto. Most importantly, she serves her stories well by using literary devices and techniques that make her storytelling impressionable. No one can pigeonhole her. Her themes are wide ranged, dipping into story worlds filled with lovely ladies from the paranormal to army surgeons, airline pilots and equestrians. Her novels demonstrate that her creative mind has no limits or restraints. She lets the story lead her to make solid choices for the benefit of her characters and their arcs, even when it enters challenging territory and takes her away from her beloved first person POV comfort zone.

Besides understanding her craft well, one of Noyes’s biggest strengths is her ability to conduct relevant and reliable research for story development. She does her homework when building her story worlds. The payoff is big; it makes for a believable and relatable storyline. This book is no different. Schuss is captivating because Noyes puts the reader there. They understand the nuances of being a professional skier. The story world and world building is spot-on. Readers shouldn’t be surprised; she did the same in Gold, the springboard novel for Schuss. Her attention to detail gives the the setting, as well as the characters, texture and dimension.

Another strength is her ability to get to the foundation of a character’s emotion. We see it here with Gemma and Stacey. Readers understand each woman’s POV because Noyes shows readers why they feel the way they do. In fact, she’s a master of the “show, don’t tell” rule of writing. She uses scenes and dialogue effectively, giving readers a window to the minds and hearts of these characters. It’s the catalyst for why readers care about Gemma and Stacey. Noyes makes their story matter and readers are all-in.

Final remarks…

I appreciate so much about Gemma and Stacey’s story. This is technically a young adult romance but because of Noyes’s skill level as a writer, she brings an element of maturity to it that makes it appealing for all. It’s solidly written and a great sister book to Gold. I’d encourage fans of contemporary sapphic fiction to plop it into their TBR pile ASAP. It won’t disappoint.

Strengths…

Well-developed storyline
Likable characters
Touching and tender romance
Interesting story world with great world building

Schuss by E.J. Noyes is a novel I’ve been looking forward to. First, it’s written by one of my favorite authors. Second, it’s a continuation of another book by the same writer called Gold. I enjoy revisiting characters that I’ve come to love, and see their stories continue, and Schuss does exactly that.

The story takes place about four years after Gold ends. Gemma (Gem) Archer is now eighteen and a senior in high school. She also has a secret (or maybe not so secret) crush on her best friend Stacey Evens. Twenty-year-old Stacey is a professional alpine ski racer and a world cup and Olympic medalist. Her coach, Aspen Archer is Gemma’s stepmom. Stacey has a full life with training, skiing and the occasional girlfriend to keep her company off the skis. Maybe that girlfriend is also a way to keep her mind off the secret crush she has on her best friend Gemma. After all, falling in love with your coach’s daughter could cause huge problems professionally and personally.

This is an absolutely charming first-love, new-adult romance between characters that I had already bonded with. Seeing how they have grown and matured in the four years is a treat, and watching the two struggle with their feelings for each other just melted my heart. The setting of the novel is described perfectly. I know the author is an avid skier themselves, and I’m sure this helped with the setting. It feels very real to me, especially since we just got several inches of snow where I live, and the ski hill down the road is rapidly making snow so they can open early this season.

Schuss could be read as a standalone novel, but honestly, I think you should read both books together. They are wonderful stories, and I highly recommend them.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

I adored [book:Gold|37800894] when I read it earlier this year and was super excited to read this companion novel featuring Stacey and Gemma. Although there are some adorable aspects in this, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped.

Stacey and Gemma are best friends who are both crushing on each other. Stacey is 21, whereas Gemma is 18 and just about to graduate high school. Although termed as New Adult, I would say this straddles the line with YA. Especially in regard to the high emotions, big feelings and not quite logical reactions to things that pop up during the novel. This was one aspect that I found a tad hard to reconcile, as they felt like really young people but in a very adult relationship. It boggled my brain a tiny bit and I think it's why I didn't connect with it as much as I would've liked.

I adored Aspen in Gold and it was lovely seeing her in a wonderful parenting role with Gemma. It was also great being in the world of ski racing, which is something I didn't realised I enjoyed until reading this. 🙃

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bella Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

EJ Noyes

Arc

Bella Books



  “There was so much trust and love between us. And I wanted to screw that up by admitting that I loved her as more than just a friend? Good one, Stacey. That's the best way to risk everything. Guaranteed.”



Stacey and Gemma's relationship felt easy. They just clicked from the very beginning.  Stacey is a successful skier, trying to be an adult,  living on her own for her first time. Aspen is trying to help her to take it easy and find more to like than just the sport she loves so much.



Stacey's life was skiing. She won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, her first one, and she has done extremely well on the circuit this year, so Aspen wanted her to take a break to relax and reset.



Gemma was given her first camera by her stepmom, Aspen. She fell in love, but after speaking to a  person at a career fair, she realized it was her passion. She was gearing up to get ready for college and trying to keep control of the raging pressure she had on Stacey, her best friend.



Side note : Gold is in my top Five favorite books of all time, so when I found out the author was writing a book for Stacy and Gemma I was over the moon.



Gemma was very grateful to her parents. She wanted to love just like theirs.  Be with someone that she loved and respected, and actually had a friendship with.





This book was so beautiful I could just cry. It’s so uplifting to read a story about a family that has healthy relationships but also a spectacular representation of a queer family.



Stacey had not felt complete enough to share her body with anyone. She had never been in love with any of the girlfriends she had, so she was still waiting to have that feeling that she was never the same to grab.  



This is a story about two individuals that were very young and still going through the early stages of life. Stacy was all about skiing, but I felt like she still wanted to have love. She did not want to be away from Gemma, but she also did not want to ruin their relationship.





Side note : I have to say that I am sad to see all these characters go. Gemma and Stacey's story just touched my heart. Their love was pure and they only wanted the best for one another. They supported each other and wanted to treat each other with kindness, love and respect.





The relationship between Stacy and Gemma was just so effortless, it was just beautiful the way they were able to be open and honest with each other, to let down their guards.





Their relationship went on with its natural ups and downs. They had to talk about what would work between them. They are both young and just beginning lives, but I did enjoy that they were each other's first real love and first real relationship where they had to consider the others' feelings. Stacey loved Gemma and was willing to do the work to make her happy.



They were able to talk and work out their differences. It was very well written. In my opinion, EJ Noyes is hands down one of my favorite authors. I was sad to see the story end.



I would like to thank Bella Books and NetGalley for the Arc! The book is available on November 17, 2022! Five Stars.

Sweet, low angst, new adult sports romance
Noyes is an accomplished writer with lots of accolades. Now she explores for the first time a romance at the intersection of young and new adult. I admit I was intrigued. At the start where we as readers get to know very quickly that the friends Stacey and Gemma are crushing (secretly of course) on each other, I wondered what the heck would unfold, since albeit the secrecy-trope everything was clear, the parents (we get a full dose of the couple of „Gold" - another wonderful romance) were great, school is fine. Hmm.
I should not have worried, because with Noyes (an Australian!) it should have been clear: no worries. A sweet, low angst sports romance unfolds. I surprisingly loved as a firm non-skier the splendid on and off-snow sports scenes, the insights in an athletes life and l loved as well to see how Gemma begins to make her own mark. The interactions between the main characters and Gemma’s parents / Stacey’s trainer were well done and completely natural (there was a scene with a lot of mirth - you will see when you read it, wink). However, Erin, Gemma’s friend, and her difficult home situation, Bree and minor accidents serve as a smoothly done counterpoint to all that sweetness. And there is a point when the transition from friendship to lovers needs a bit of adulting.
And this is where Noyes shows the masterful level of her craft: „sweet, low angst" is in my opinion one of the most difficult types of romance to write. It can get too syrupy, the story arc can get lost very easily and the story peters out to inane exchanges of „I love you“s, it may get too boring, the characters are sweet but totally flat, etc. Schuss excels where a lesser writer might stumble: The stories is an easy, smooth, engaging read which appeals as well to readers of new adult romances and with the side story about the parents to more mature readers.
I was in need of something without drama and angst. So Schuss hooked me from the start and then I had a wonderful ride down a blue piste with lots of wonderful vistas, glittering skies, fresh tracks without too difficult or uncomfortable turns and twists, some bumps near the bottom and with nice companions (waving to Aspen) on the way to the finish.

Thanks to netgalley and Bella Books for the ARC. The review is left voluntarily.

This author’s first attempt into the YA genre is with two secondary characters from a previous, and rather steamy novel. Stacy and Gemma are now young adults with Gemma just finishing up high school. We get both their first person POV and the author does a wonderful job giving them very unique and different personalities. Their story feels authentic to their age group and their inexperience in handling relationships, but they also glean as much knowledge from observing Cate and Aspen in their ups and downs as a couple. The result is a sweet friends to lovers story with support and sometimes funny interventions from Cate and Aspen. I enjoyed getting to know these youngsters and seeing their HEA while revisiting some much loved characters. Thanks to the author, Bella Books, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of this author so I had high expectations of this book. As always it was a well written read and the author normally has a rare talent for creating sizzling chemistry but I couldn’t feel that as much in this book - maybe because the two leads are so young and this is essentially a young adult novel. Very little happened almost until the final third of the book. It was a good read but not my favourite book by an otherwise excellent author.

Schuss featured twenty-year-old alpine ski racer, Stacey Evans, who is at the end of race season but training in Colorado. She is joined by her best friend, Gemma ("Gemmy Gem") Archer, who is in her senior year of high school. Gemma is the stepdaughter of Aspen Archer who is also Stacey's ski coach.

With both characters in the eighteen to twenty-year-old range, this is a young adult novel that focuses on the importance of communication. Along with Stacey and Gemma, Stacey's self-absorbed Instagram girlfriend of three months adds drama to the relationship mix.

This story had alternating points of view chapters for Stacey and Gemma. We learn a lot about the emotions involved about the characters at this stage of their lives when change is a norm versus the exception. The way the book ended I was certainly thinking there might be a sequel down the road. 4 stars
'
I received an ARC from Bella Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Schuss” by E. J. Noyes is a YA/NA sequel to “Gold”. It follows Cate’s daughter Gemma, on her journey from best friends to girlfriends with Stacey. I would definitely recommend reading “Gold” beforehand just to get a feel for everyone, however it isn’t required and you won’t miss anything with this romance.

This is a sports romance along with best friends to lovers. While neither of those are my favorite, Noyes makes it work, per usual. Stacey has recently won an Olympic medal and Gemma is about to graduate high school and is preparing for college. They are in love with each other and have been for years but are afraid to admit it to each other. They both fear what it could mean for their friendship if things don’t work out and it’s even more complicated as Stacey skiing coach is Gemma’s stepmom.

I’ll be honest and say I almost didn’t finish this. Stacey is such an unlikable character to me for more than half that I was rooting against her being with Gemma. She has a girlfriend when this starts and she’s such a selfish asshole to her that I thought Gemma deserved better. It was later explained away as she was in love with Gemma and wasn’t invested in her relationship, but it just didn’t work for me. Luckily, once that relationship ended, she got better but it was almost too little too late for me.

Other than that, this was a pretty typical YA book. There was very mild angst even with a bunch of teenage drama thrown in. Not only are Gemma and Stacey having to navigate a new and different relationship but because of Stacey’s recent Olympic win, they have her celebrity status and social media to deal with. There are a lot of cute moments between them before and after they get together and I enjoyed those scenes quite a bit. However, my favorite scenes were the ones that included Aspen. I just love her and loved to see how she’s matured and taken to motherhood. I also loved the little updates about her relationship with Cate.

I’d be interested to read a sequel to this set after a few years when Gemma is done with college to see how their relationship plays out.

I received an ARC from Bella Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first time I'm read anything by EJ Noyes and I truly enjoyed this novel. It would be a great read for a young adult... I wish I would have come across something similar in my formative years.

3.7 stars
if this book were a Taylor Swift song: You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)

I loved Gold. This is no secret because I comment on every Gold review that pops up on my updates page. Gold started me on a journey of reading through all of E. J. Noyes's work and I am constantly amazed by their ability to adapt to new styles and weave intricate stories.

This was a fun YA novel! Gemma and Stacey were cute and it was fun to watch them be kids and admit their feelings. I felt like we were missing something that would've pushed this over the 4 star mark for me. Maybe it was a lack of pining between the two characters or maybe it just lacked the angst I'm used to from Noyes. I still really enjoyed it and loved getting to see more of Aspen and Cate as parents and a couple.

Four and a half stars.

E. J. Noyes' writing was impeccable as always, and it was lovely to revisit the Gold universe. Schuss is a wonderful, light-hearted read, and I enjoyed every page. However, it loses half a star because I felt that it was missing a bit of Noyes' usual magic, possibly because angst is where she really shines, and that was lacking in this book.

The age category of the book sets it apart from Noyes' usual work. I'm hesitant to call this new adult, despite it being the technically correct fit based on Gemma and Stacey’s ages. The sex scenes are graphic enough to ward off the YA label, and yet, the theme of the book was more in line with what one expects from YA than NA. I’ve mentioned the lack of angst, which is even more strange when considering the age category, because I find that new adult books tend to have a distinct flavour of angst that comes with people figuring out how to exist in society. I expect that this won’t prove a marketing problem, since Schuss will probably end up in the hands of Noyes’ usual adult audience, but it would be a little confusing if the goal was to draw in NA readers.

I found that there wasn't really an underlying sense of tension building up to the climax, since again, there was an intentional lightheartedness infusing the story. But that made the ending fall just a tad flat. Noyes didn’t go for a dramatic breakup as the crisis, which was much appreciated, but there also just wasn’t very much going on at that point. And while I liked that Stacey and Gemma had parents come in and offer guidance, because even the most mature young adults don't have communication all figured out, I didn't like that the parents crucial to the resolution were mostly silent through the rest of the book. Aspen had a strong presence throughout, since she's Stacey and Gemma's closest mutual, but Cate and Stacey's mom made only a few insignificant appearances before they stepped up and advised their respective daughters on how to work through the relationship issue.

Still, Schuss is easy to love, and hasn’t dropped the ball with Noyes’ fantastic character development, witty narration and dialogue, and overall mastery of craft. Other than getting more time with Aspen and Cate, and seeing Gemma finally get her own happily-ever-after, what I relished most was the humour. Those who have read Noyes before will have noticed that she does enjoy adding a couple drops of goofy to most of her stories, but when better to increase the dosage than with young characters? Stacey’s narration was especially fun: I cracked up at random moments like when, in a relatively serious conversation, she drops in a mention of the “glorious little potato puffs” she’s cooking for dinner. While I’m excited for Noyes’ next book to be back in the world of actual adult characters, if I’m ever needing a comfort or pick-me-up read, I might just find myself running—or, you know, insert bad pun here—right back to Schuss.

First of all, thank you so much Bella Books and NetGalley for an ARC for this one. It was the read I was most looking forward to before the end of 2022 and I was not disapppointed!

I've read all the 'Ask, tell' series by Noyes and a couple of her standalone novels and Gold is still one of my favorite WLW romances ever. I did really like Stacey in the book (couldn't remember Gemma as much, to be honest), and I was happy the author decided to give their own story.

I think the major difference between this book and other novels by E. J. Noyes is the characters age, for sure. While her other books deal with major adult problems, because the couple are 18 and 20, their problems just seem very... not a big deal. So I suggest you read this with that in mind, because it is much lighter than Noyes usual topics.

Anyhow, I'm a sucker for friends-to-lovers romance. I loved their pinning and the tension while they were still just being friends. Their relationship with each other is so sweet and it's refreshing to see young adults being represented in such a mature, grown-up way. Their relationship with their family is also really sweet and caring. It's pretty nice reading an LGBTQIA+ book, specially with younger characters, that doesn't have to deal with their parents prejudice for once. I love that homophobia was not a challenge they had to face in being together.

I also really loved the participation of Aspen and Cate. While you don't need to have read Gold to read this one, I would suggest you do because it's amazing to see how far they've come in some years since the last book. I love Aspen to bits!

You can't go wrong with E. J. Noyes and I really like that she risked writing a younger relationship. She depicted the characters really well and in a credible way. They were both really mature for their age, but I guess that makes sense giving their family relationship and the mature themes they have to deal with, with Stacey being a pro-athlete and all. I believed in them!

This is a fell good read with a bit of a slow-burn (I couldn't go through the pages fast enough until they finally kissed). I loved it!

Definitely a "New Adult" love story that went on and on. Very repetitive, not much story here. Just best friends to lovers. And the 2 main characters seemed more like children which made the love scenes awkward to me. Noyes is one of my favorite author's but this one missed the mark for me. It was nice to see Cate and Aspen again from the book Gold. I reread it to renew my love for Noyes.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stacy Evans is determined to be the best alpine skier in the world. Her life revolves around training with her coach, Aspen Archer and spending time with her best friend, Gemma Archer. Oh, and hanging out with her girlfriend, Bree. Although, if she's honest with herself, Bree is not the first person she thinks of as she begins her day and she is absolutely not the person she closes her eyes and dreams about. Keeping her feelings under control is what's best to not risk losing the best friend she's ever had.

Gemma Archer is a senior in high school. She's preparing for graduation and then looking forward to film school. She lives with her mom, Cate and stepmother, Aspen. The two have the kind of relationship she wants for herself. If only she could find the courage to tell Stacy she wanted to be more than her best friend.

E.J. Noyes is one of my favorite authors. One of the many things I love about her writing is how effortlessly she moves between genres so I shouldn't have been surprised that she gave us a YA/NA novel that I became totally invested in. Gold is one of my favorite books and I loved getting to see Cate and Aspen again and seeing how happy they still are. It's clear to both of them how deep Gemma and Stacy's feelings go and they are there for the girls as they try to navigate all of the feelings they have swirling around.

E.J's books are usually incredibly hot but I enjoyed this book that was much more about the emotions that two young women feel and the fear that comes from those feelings. Schuss is sweet and filled with so much heart and I absolutely adored it.

An ARC was received from Bella Books via NetGalley for an honest review.

4 stars
Because of this book, I read Gold first and was delighted - 5 perfect stars. Schuss is a very good follow-up, although for me a little less compelling. Not so unputdownable like the brilliant preceding story. The younger leads in this one just didn't measure up to the older couple from Gold. Regardless of that this is a very good book with a nice plot and setting, which can easily be recommended to all fans of romance novels, especially YA/NA ones.
All in all I'm very happy with E.J. Noyes and am looking forward to read all other books written by her.