An Unlikely PairAuthor: Traci Hunter Abramson
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Published: June 7th, 2021
304 pages
FTC FYI: I received an ebook from the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are my own.
Summary
After a family tragedy, aspiring ballerina Amaliya Marcell is adrift. When she is forced to leave behind everything she knows, the lost young woman struggles to build a new life in an unfamiliar city. But when she meets a handsome world-class figure skater, she finds a glimmer of hope.
After his sister’s unexpected retirement from figure skating, Tyler Linden is devastated to give up his shot at the US national championships. His only hope is to find a new partner, a task that proves nearly impossible—until he observes a beautiful young woman at the local ice rink.
Struck by her grace and poise, Tyler takes an unthinkable risk and asks Amaliya to become his new partner. To both of their surprise, she agrees. The path to the championship won’t be easy, but Amaliya and Tyler quickly establish a solid partnership and a profound connection—both on and off the ice. But competition at the championships is fierce, and when the time comes, they will be forced to put everything on the line if they hope to achieve their dreams.
Review
Like Traci's well-timed mysteries, this book was hard to put down. I absolutely love how Traci writes her mysteries, because they're always paced so well. I felt this book, although a slow-burn romance, read the same way. There was one aspect of the story that slowed it down for a just a bit, but when that was gone, the story picked right up and stayed strong. I loved the ice-skating. Even though that was never in my cards, I did dance, once upon a time, so it was fun to see both sides of the ballet and ice-skating. I really liked Tyler and Amaliya. They had a fantastic chemistry that makes you cheer for them. Not just for their relationship, but in their ice-skating too.
5 out of 5 stars
Purchase links
Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback / Deseret Book / Seagull Book
Excerpt
Washington, DC
January 1982
Frigid air, skates scraping against the ice, the scent of
stale popcorn. Amaliya Marcell sat in one of the twenty thousand seats of the
Cap Centre and laced up her figure skates before she tugged her leg warmers
into place and watched while twenty hockey players worked through their last
drill.
As soon as they finished, they joined her father at center
ice.
The great Robert Marcell. Amaliya still missed watching her
father compete, but his transition from player to assistant coach to head coach
had allowed her to enjoy her routine of spending time with her dad at work. She
could hardly remember a Saturday when the Washington Capitals were home and she
hadn’t been here with him.
Travis, the goalkeeper, stepped off the ice and gave her a
disapproving shake of his head. “You’re wearing the wrong skates again.”
“You sound like my dad.”
“Coach knows what he’s talking about,” Travis said.
“Maybe for you, but I don’t think I’m going to be joining a
hockey team anytime soon.” Amaliya stepped past him. “Figure skates are more my
style these days.”
“Too bad. With a bit more practice, maybe you could score on
me.”Amaliya’s eyebrows lifted. “I scored a goal on you last week.”
“That was a lucky shot.”
“That’s what he always says,” her dad said as he joined
them.Amaliya grinned. “Yeah, I know.”
“Travis, get some rest. It’s the kid’s turn to play.”
“Kid?” Amaliya stepped onto the ice and twirled to face her
dad. “I hate to break it to you, but I’ll be an adult next week.”
“Don’t remind me,” Robert groaned.“Good luck, Coach.” Travis
started toward the locker room.
“Thanks. I’m going to need it.” Robert turned his attention
to Amaliya and spoke in French, his preferred language, thanks to his
upbringing in Quebec. “Are you going to play a little one-on-one with your old
man?”“Don’t you have to check on your players?”
“I can spare a few minutes.” He tapped his stick against the
ice. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“Okay.” Amaliya combined her years of ballet training with
growing up on the ice and executed a spin that resembled a pirouette.
“When you skate like that, you look like a ballerina on the
ice.”Amaliya laughed. “I am a ballerina on the ice.”
“Honey, I hate to break it to you, but most ballerinas can’t
do that once they put on ice skates.”
“If you say so.” She skated backward so she could still see
her dad. “You’re going to let me skate while you’re in your meetings, right?”
Robert grabbed an extra hockey stick and held it out. “Play
a little hockey with me first, and I might be persuaded.”Amaliya made a quick
stop and returned to her father. She took the offering and grinned. “Deal.”
