Cold Day in the Sun

by Sara Biren

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

You know what I love? I love when I cannot stop smiling while reading a book, and that was EXACTLY what happened to me as I read Cold Day in the Sun.

Holland had spent her whole life as one of the boys, and when it came time to try out for her high school's hockey team, she opted to stick with the boys' team, since they already had a well established dynamic in place. Needless to say, she was constantly dealing with naysayers and those, outside of the team, who believed she didn't belong playing with the guys. She had to constantly prove herself, because she felt like they were all just waiting for her to fail. Suddenly, she seemed to be noticing, that her team captain, Wes, has been noticing her, and Holland was forced to mediate a battle between her head and her heart.

I love sports romances, and this one featured so many amazing components, which sum totaled to an incredible reading experience for me.

Holland was such an easy character to root for. She was driven and focused, and had to wear some armor being the lone woman on a men's team, but she was also sensitive to other people's needs and had a vulnerability, which she was hesitant to reveal, but was still authentic. I empathized with her feeling some pressure and the weight of all eyes always being on her, and it pained me that these people made her doubt herself, but she was so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. They believed in her and supported her. They gave her that little lift, when she needed it, and it all really warmed my heart.

Wes made me smile, A LOT. My initial impression of him was the same as Holland's - not great, but I started seeing these bits and pieces of him, which made my love for him grow exponentially. He was a good captain, who deftly walked that line between tough and encouraging. He was a fantastic brother, who doted on his little sister. He was a good friend, who listened when you needed him to, and he made an effort to see things from your point of view. It was really all the little things he did, which won my heart, and made me believe that he was perfect for Holland.

And, OH, what a sweet and lovely romance these two had. I had so much fun spending time with them, and kept hoping Holland would give in to her feelings. Seriously, the tension between these two was palpable, and their interactions ranged from too adorable to swoony. The date at the a-frame, the popcorn, the sharing of hot sauce, the fence, those phone conversations, and even the blog interactions just made me ship them more. Yeah, I was totally onboard with these two.

There were so many other fun and wonderful things in this story, such as:

• Holland's brothers and her present and supportive family
• The inclusion of actual hockey
• Hair bands! This really brought me back
• Holland's blog
• The playlists
• Food references, especially Holland's mom's food
• An ending that put a perma-smile on my face

I wish I had photographic evidence of myself reading this book, because I wore an expression of genuine bliss, and another testament to the happy-inducing power of this book, is the grin I am sporting as I write this review.

Overall: Cold Day in the Sun delivered that feel-good vibe I expect from sports books, but I also got an adorable romance, a strong and determined heroine, a swoony hero, and a wonderful and supportive family.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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