Member Reviews
Samantha K, Reviewer
Overall series: 3 Stars
One thing Ali Dean does well, is write phenomenal athletic heroines, and fantastic sports sequences. The skiing and Roxie's inner monologue while she was racing, were my favorite parts of this series. Below, I break it down by each book.
Black Diamond: 3 Stars
I am such a fan of the Pepper Jones books, and was excited to read more of Dean's work. In Black Diamond, Dean introduces us to Stark Academy. Stark is a winter sports academy, where only the cream of the crop survive. Our heroine, Roxie is a latecomer to the academy and on scholarship. These are not the only characteristics that set her apart at Stark, as she is one of the few fall under the spell of Ryker Black.
Things I liked
-I really liked the sports angle. I loved that in the Pepper books, and I love it here.
-I liked Roxie. I thought she had a lot of fire, and I loved when she focused it to accomplish a goal.
-I liked the soapy drama. This one had some real over-the-top stuff, and sometimes that stuff is fun to read.
-There were some great moments between Ryker and Roxie. There were a lot of aggravating moments, but there were good ones too, and I liked the ending a lot.
Overall: A promising start to a new series that pulled me into the wonderful world of winter sports.
Double Black: 3 Stars
This book picks up with the new rules, that there are no rules. Roxy had managed to shake up the social structure at Stark, and emerged as a new leader.
Again, the best parts are when Roxy is training and competing. I have read a lot of "sports romances", where an athlete is involved, but there really isn't any sports. I like that Dean brings us into the head of the athlete, and we get to see a lot of action. Roxy's races, successes, and failures are something I really enjoyed sharing. This book brings the competition to Europe, which was a fun change of pace, and I loved that the VT crew was competing on the same circuit.
The soapy drama continues, with nefarious plots and other big reveals. When I say soapy drama, that is not a bad thing. Sometimes, one just wants to partake in that guilty pleasure.
There were some special moments between Roxy and Ryker too. Ryker continues to open up, and that only serves to solidify Roxy's and Ryker's relationship. And, I'm with Roxy -- I like fun-Ryker too.
Overall: Enjoyable romance, where the sports sequences shine
Black Ice: 3.5 Stars
This book gave me what I was looking for in a series ender: closure.
Roxie's and Ryker's relationship is solid at this time, so Dean focused on the mysteries. It was previously resolved, that Ryker's mother was murdered, and now there is suspicion surrounding Petra's death. Combine these facts with the sudden appearance of Ryker's mother's journals, and we have a mystery to solve.
Again, solid sports sequences. It's amazing how much I love these parts, as I have not participated in any sports since I was in high school (that was a long time ago). Dean does such an amazing job with her descriptions and getting us into Roxie's head.
"Ryker saw the truth about me years ago but it's only starting to really sink in for me: I was made to ski race. Today, tomorrow, and years from now."
There was also a special treat for us Pepper Jones fans - a small cameo of Pepper and Jace. Loved it!
Happy that R&R have taken their relationship to the next level. Ryker was just sort of guarded most of the time, but he really showed his heart a bunch of times in this book, and there may have been some swoon.
"I want you to make whatever decision is best for you. I'll go wherever you go. If you want me there."
Dean even gave me a great epilogue. I am an epilogue lover. I need them. I want them. I have to have them. This one was quite satisfying, in that it really tied up all the loose ends. All the mysteries were solved, AND we get to see the new developments in the Ryker/Roxie relationship.
Overall: a very satisfying ending to a sports romance, which legitimately featured sports.
