“Unfortunately, there’s something about Crash Delaney that has crawled under my skin and won’t let go. Everything about him—except the way he makes his way through a course—makes me absolutely fucking crazy.”
Crash could be the poster boy for stoner snowboarder – except he’s a skier. Crash is used to doing things on his own, and his own way, so it’s safe to say that he butts heads with the extremely by-the-book and straight-laced Miles right off the bat. This isn’t Miles’ first rodeo (he has 6 gold medals from previous games, and is the frontrunner for another 2 at these games), and if it wasn’t for Crash’s insane talent, he’d throw him out of the games for being too much trouble. When the team coach makes the rookie Miles’ responsibility, it’s up to him to figure out what the issue is with Crash and help him solve it.
“This guy has got a ski pole wedged so far up his ass I’m surprised I can’t see it when he opens his mouth.”
Crash has admired Miles since he was seven – to the point of saving the front of a Wheaties box with his picture on it. While Crash has managed to get to the games by himself without any formal training or equipment (he used a spray painted football helmet and soccer guards, at one point), part of him is still convinced that he’s a failure and doesn’t belong. His anxiety is especially bad around press conferences, where the media is sure to bring up his rags-to-riches story. When Crash finally opens up about the cause of his issues, Miles realizes that maybe, just maybe, Crash isn’t just a slacker and a screw-up. Together, they’re able to find the one thing to mellow Crash out (*cough* it’s sex *cough*).
“Hurtle down a mountain with a 350-meter vertical drop while executing barely-permitted-by-physics turns on sticks? Sure. Have feelings? Aw, hell, no.”
I liked how Crash, on the surface, appears to be the one with more problems, when, in fact, it’s Miles who is, in some ways, the most broken. While Crash has made it on his own since he was 16 (and, arguably, even before then), Miles has been supported by his parents since he first realized he was good at skiing, and it truly seems like the only thing in his life – besides his family – is skiing. Considering he’s facing probably his last runs at this SIG, Miles is finally having to face some squishy feelings about life after the games, as well as a possible relationship. Miles has run his life to this point on pride and sportsmanship – to the point of giving Crash some skiing tips that could win Crash the gold medal over Miles – and it was heart wrenching to see Miles contemplate what to do next.
And this is where the cons come in. The ending was wrapped up too quickly and neatly for my taste, especially given the stress of being competitors. While I understood Crash’s choices, I didn’t feel like Miles had the time to process them, and it felt like his actions at the end were more grand gestures than signs of true love. While I definitely felt their love and affection for each other, I wasn’t completely sold that they would make it. Also, while I enjoyed most of the humor, Crash, especially has some pretty cheesy lines (and, also, endless euphemisms for vomiting).
“I’ve done the right thing in the best way I know how and while Miles wouldn’t have done the same thing, I think that’s partly why we fit so well. We’ll make each other whole. We can make each other better whether that’s through pushing or reining in, we’ll do it together.”
Overall, this is a quick, sexy, and addictive read. Highly recommended!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.