Published By: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 460
Released On: 14/10/2021
Award-winning director Clover Phillips is riding high when she encounters Kit Foley; a surfer and snowboarder as well-known for controversy as he is for winning championships. Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never spoken about what really happened that day. Determined to find out the truth, Clover heads to the snowy wilderness of the Austrian Alps, sharing a romantic winter wonderland with a man who can’t stand her. But as she delves deeper, Clover finds herself both drawn to Kit, and even more convinced he’s hiding something. Is Kit Foley really as cold as he seems?
*****
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
The title and front cover of this book suggested to me a cosy, lighthearted, warming, festive Christmas book. What I ended up reading was most definitely not that. And whilst I was at first disappointed not to be reading said festive book, what I got instead was even better.
We follow Clover, an award-winning documentary maker, who off the back of her successful film about injured surfer Cory, tries to get to the bottom of the accident, and the man who caused it, Kit, now aiming to be a world renowned snowboarder.
This is, in no way, a slow paced book. Right from the off you are thrown into the deep end with accidents, illness, success, failure, heartbreak; you name it, it’s in here, and you end up smack bang in the middle of this journey with Clover.
I admit, I have less than zero knowledge of surfing and snowboarding, and whilst there is some technical bits in it, you don’t have to have any prior understanding of either sport to enjoy it. I certainly didn’t, but just took those scenes for what they were.
Throughout the book there’s this one great big unanswered question (not really a spoiler but some people may think it is if they haven’t read the blurb or anything so I’ll just put a little disclaimer here): did Kit mean to harm Cory, and if not, why was he willing to accept this narrative the press had written about him? You want to know the answer to this almost as much as Clover and her team, but throughout the 400 odd pages, each answered question throws up another, and soon you find yourself questioning everyone’s role in this tale, and whether the past can be believed.
I’ve not read any of Karen’s books before this, so had no preconceptions of what her writing was like or whether this was in the same genre as her previous books, but I think it was superb storytelling. Anyone who can make an almost 500 page book feel thrilling and exciting to read right to the very end has my praise, and I will now keep an eye out for her previous work.
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