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New Release Review! SHINING THROUGH by Elizabeth Harmon (Red Hot Russians #4)

 

Synopsis:

The Biggest Season of her Career…

America’s sweetheart Tabitha Turner is on track to win figure-skating gold in the Winter Games. Her family has sacrificed everything for her career, but the pressure is taking its toll. Burned out and living a lie, can Tabitha let off a little steam without melting the ice?

The Last Chance of His…

Russia’s bad boy of skating Daniil Andreev is determined to prove the toughest thing about him is his competitive fight. When Tabitha tempts him to help her take a secret walk on the wild side, he gives her a taste of the freedom she craves, never expecting that one unforgettable night could turn into something more.

Two Hearts on Thin Ice…

Chicago, Vancouver, Paris… the international figure skating season unfolds. Tabitha and Daniil compete and fall in love, but as the pressure mounts in a make-or-break season, can they set aside their painful pasts and spiral into a shining future together… or will their dreams shatter like thin ice?

 

Review:

As someone who can’t stop on ice skates without using the boards (that’s why they’re there, surely?) I’ve always loved watching other people skating, whether it’s competitive figure skating or hockey. (Those are the only two sports that compete at the winter Olympics, right?) So reading about figure skaters and hockey players? Totally right up my alley. So when I heard that there was a new Red Hot Russians book, my response was, “Yes, please!”

Shining Through was a solid addition to the series. Tabitha and Daniil are the couple who shouldn’t work at all but somehow totally do. She’s “America’s Sweetheart” who’s trying to finally bring home Olympic gold in her last competitive season, the girl whose family has made sacrifices for her to be able to skate her whole life. He’s the son of a Russian oligarch who’s rebelled against…well, pretty much everything…by being the bad boy of ice skating, so much so that his own country’s program won’t sponsor his career. They shouldn’t work together, yet somehow they do. Until they almost don’t…

I liked both Tabitha and Daniil–it was easy to root for them, both in their skating and in their relationship. Things were a tad bit rushed toward the end of the book, but as I was anxious for them to get to their HEA, I didn’t mind too much. (Still–no actual page time for their Olympic routines was a bit of a bummer…)

Shining Through is the fifth book in the series, but could absolutely be read as a standalone–some of the other series characters make appearances, but it’s not necessary to have read their stories (yet!) to enjoy this one.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

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