I loved They Never Learn by this author so much that it's my top thriller of all time! That meant my expectations for this book were pretty darn high. I had SUCH a good reading experience and I truly couldn't put it down, BUT it didn't hit me quite as hard as They Never Learn.

That said, it is a totally different book with a totally different goal.

I was captivated by Katarina and the drama of this story set in the elite ice dancing world, and if you liked Carrie Soto is Back, you will LOVE this!

“Today is the tenth anniversary of the worst day of my life.”

I was hooked from the moment I read that first line! I love how Kat is unapologetic and strong, a truly amazing character that you admired yet wanted to hate sometimes lol I truly loved this book and I love how Kat and Heath got their happy ending despite everything. The documentary bits were super fun to read and I honestly wanted more in the end because it was just an amazing and entertaining book!

✨ friends to lovers then enemies the back to lovers
🌷 found family
👑 strong unapologetic female characters

I was entertained reading this story from the first page. The book is set up in a way that kept me invested in the outcome of the characters. There’s a mix of interviews within each chapter. Reading about such driven people was intense at times but the story is worth it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'd love to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read before publication.

The Favorites ... I will be shocked if this book doesn't get a movie pitch or turn out being like Daisy Jones and the Six.

The book has a first person narrative of Katherine. It also has this narrative sandwiched between a documentary that is being aired in present day, with interviews from supporting and minor characters that help propel the story along. This story is based off Wuthering Heights, so, it can be a bonus if you have read the book or it could be a flaw if you haven't. While I am familiar with the plot of Wuthering Heights, I haven't read it (it's part of a list of books I plan on reading, along with another Bronte sister and her Jane Eyre.) So for me, this was one hell of a ride.

As in the story of Wuthering Heights, Cathy is strong minded and Heathcliffe falls in love with her seductive and brash attitude, which then leads them down an interesting path of jealousy, betrayal, destruction, and end. In this, Kathy and Heath are teens who were lured into the seductive and competitive world of figure skating. The sexuality, allure, and power of figure skating works brilliantly here. Heath, an orphan boy, who watched Kathy from afar during her childhood skating practices, fell in love with her and her strive to be the best. Throwing everything into the world of skating allowed her to escape her life of cruelty living under the drunken eye of her older brother, Lee. It is her obsession for a figure skater that she wishes to emulate and honor that starts them on the path of absolute drama.

If you did not like how the story of Daisy Jones and the Six was written then you'll have issues with this. If you were a fan of the format of the book then you will love this one. The interviews from the characters allows you to understand them, the world, and what they aren't saying from Katherine's narrative.

The book has some gorgeous imagery for those who are in love with figure skating, you can picture the songs they skate to, the costumes they wear, and the sizzling and sometimes risque choreography as if it was happening right before your eyes. One of my favorite pieces of imagery is when Katherine gets hurt on the ice and Heath picks her up off the ice, carrying her with a stern look on his face and her white costume covered in blood. It was the image that brought them fame and stardom as the 'sweethearts' of ice skating. As someone who responds to text with visualizations as I read, it was a feast to imagine the things I was reading and picturing them in my head like a film. Which is why, again, I will be shocked this book doesn't make it to a film. I would watch a documentary about figure skating drama.

The ending is a roller-coaster and the things happening had me gasping for air, then submerging myself back into the text, almost drowning myself to get to the ending. The ending was satisfying, and I realized I read the book in a day. That's how obsessed I was with it.

I'm giving this book 5 stars - as someone who has never read the author before, I felt that she not only captured the spirit of Wuthering Heights, but the 90's and the art and seduction of figure skating. I encourage you to pick this book up, and, pray that it gets a film adaptation one day. These characters are flawed for sure, but man, they make the ice melt.