Falling From the Sky (Gravity #2) by Sarina Bowen
Publication Date: January 31st, 2015 by Rennie Road Books
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Adult, Sports – Snowboarding
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Goodreads Summary
She’s the woman he doesn’t remember. He’s the man she can’t forget.

Bad boy Hank “Hazardous” Lazarus used to have everything: a gorgeous girlfriend, a career as a freestyle snowboarder and a spot on the US Olympic team. Nine months ago, after a bad crash in the halfpipe, he woke up in the hospital, unable to move his legs. Now he’s landed there again, but gravity is not the culprit. With his family pressuring him to try a groundbreaking treatment, Hank self-medicates with too much tequila instead.

Doctor Callie Anders has the courage to restart a patient’s heart with a thousand volts of electricity, yet she’s afraid to risk her own. So she doesn’t confess to her newest patient they met just before the accident, an encounter that he doesn’t remember. Even as their friendship develops, she won’t admit that she regrets turning down his dinner invitation, or that her heart stutters every time those inked shoulders roll through the door of the therapy department.

With another Vermont winter coming again, Hank needs a hand out from under the avalanche of his disappointments. If only Callie were brave enough to take the job.

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Falling From the Sky sees two souls that were once worlds apart come together. It’s a story about taking risks, adapting to a new lifestyle, and finding hope when your world implodes.

Hank ‘Hazardous’ Lazarus had it all. He was the golden boy in Snowboarding. He lives for the sport, but a stunt gone wrong drastically changes everything. Following the accident, Hank is now wheelchair-bound with the chances of him walking again being very slim. This book spotlights Hank’s journey in adapting to his new circumstances. It’s a tough journey knowing you can’t do the thing you love most, the thing that you built your entire livelihood on, but throughout the book we see Hank come to accept this new development and realise that not all is lost. It’s an adjustment and the time and care Sarina Bowen took in researching this topic and realistically highlighting the challenges wheelchair-bound individuals face is admirable.

During his recovery, Hank meets Callie, a doctor at the hospital Hank is admitted to. Callie was a wonderful character. She’s not one to take daring risks and being with Hank is the biggest risk she could take. While the chemistry between the two is evident, you can also understand why Callie is so hesitant to give in to these desires. She’s convinced that if the circumstances were different Hank wouldn’t even give her the time of day. It’s a valid concern, but Hank is determined to prove to her that his heart is with her for the long run.

This was the best book in the series. You can’t help but feel for Hank. He struggles a lot in this book but seeing him fight for hope and rediscover his passion for life was heartening. Callie was the perfect partner for him and seeing her let go of her inhibitions and take a chance on a love and life was a delight.

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Shooting for the Stars (Gravity, #3) by Sarina Bowen
Publication Date: March 16th, 2015
Rating: 3 Stars
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult, Adult, Sports – Snowboarding
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
Goodreads Summary
For one night she had everything.

Pro snowboarder Stella Lazarus has always loved her brother’s best friend. But the one time she tried to show him, she was shot down faster than you can say “competitor disqualified.”

Until one blissful night in Tahoe, when Stella finally gets her man.

Or does she? In the morning, Stella and Bear wake up to horrible news. The sort that sends them racing back to Vermont, and straight into the arms of guilt and family obligations.

For all of Bryan “Bear” Barry’s life, three natural laws held true: his best friend Hank was destined for greatness, Hank’s sister Stella was off-limits, and Bear would always manage to negotiate the rocky paths that life threw his way. In the space of two days, that’s all shattered.

Bear can’t believe he slipped up so badly with Stella. Even if his best friend wasn’t lying broken in a hospital bed, it would still be unforgivable. Determined to do better, he devotes himself to his friend’s recovery, denying himself the very person he loves. And the very thing he needs.

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Shooting For the Stars follows the journey of childhood friends fighting for their respective careers and fighting for a chance to find love in one another. The spotlight shines on Stella and Bear, Hank’s sister and best friend. It’s a story of finding ones worth, and embracing a love that could have disastrous consequences for Bear and his friendship with Hank.

Despite his attraction to Stella, Bear has never allowed himself to think of her as more than his best friends sister. For the sake of his friendship with Hank, Bear wouldn’t dream of crossing that line. However, deep inside Bear also believes that he’s not worthy of Stella’s love. He doesn’t come from money and he was never a flashy snowboarder, so he finds himself at a loss when he’s removed from the team. He now finds himself in a position where he has to reevaluate his career and in doing so, hope that he might be able to inspire his best friend to find passion in life again. Bear’s loyalty to Hank is admirable. He’s the best friend you could wish for. He is always there when Hank needs him, even if he doesn’t realise it.

Stella has always believed that Bear is the man for her. He’s caring, protective, but never treats her as fragile. He’s always seen her for who she is. Hank’s accident has a profound effect on Stella’s own life. Seeing your brother struggle with his paralysis is tough, but his accident also brings Stella’s own career to a standstill. Her parents have never been fully supportive of Stella’s own ambition to be a pro snowboarder, and Hanks accident heightens that sentiment. Shooting for the Stars forces Stella to fight for her passion, no matter the cost. 

It takes a while for Stella and Bear to reconnect and a lot of the lingering tension between the two of them could have been settled a lot faster if the two just communicated with each other. This was a good book, but it could have benefitted from being a bit longer. It felt like we scratched the surface of these characters and it would have been nice to get more time exploring Stella and Bear as a couple.

Have you read this series?
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