These Battered Hands

***4,5 battered stars from me***

What a wonderfull and emotional story was that!!!
I have read too many story with all kind of athlets, but none of them was for gymnasts!!!
This world and all these efforts and the sacrifices that a gymnast have to made to succeed amazed me.
I was always fascinating by the gymnast's trials and Olympic games when i was younger and i loved to watched them on TV...
But with this book, i dive inside their world. I went behind the lights and the front play...

And I found out what it takes to got yourself in this position...
What you have to forget and give away... and that's your own life.
You have to forget yourself and you have to give up your life for an utter cause. For your sport. For the competition... For the winning...
Only if you look in your battered hands after all your efforts, you can see your lost dreams and the opportunities that were passing you by...

Our heroine, Callie was one of those athletes. She was 26 years old and she was about to join her third Olympics games... She already had won two silver medals in the previous Olympics and this time she is determined to earn the golden...
Everyone thought that she was too old for this effort, but she wanted to prove them all wrong.

Her father, who owns the gym that she is practicing, hired her a new coach to make her better than she was before. And then, Callie started to realise that there was life beyond this gym that she was spending all her time.
But she still fought her urge and she verbally attacked to her new coach...
They were provoking each other all the goddamn time and this was so sweet!!!

Nik was a world class gymnast himself, but after a tragic loss he decided to retired and when the opportunity appeared to be the coach of this famous gymnast, he caught it!!!
He wanted to make her the best, but he didn't count to fall for her... hard. And to be caught in this awkard situation of a coatch-athlete relationship...
As the time is passing Nik is trying to break through Callie's walls...

"Being strong doesn't mean you can't be soft. Working hard to meet your goals doesn't mean you can't live. And living a certain way your entire life doesn't mean you can't ever change. Life is fluid. The only way to run yourself ashore is to not follow the change and contour of the curves."

Callie was a fully isolated person... A lonely person who didn't know about affectionating feelings... Feelings that frighten her and that she tried so hard to resist...

"I couldn't figure out what he had switched on in me, where he found the secret key hidden after it spent so many years collecting undisturbed dust. But proximity left me with no choice but to face it, embracing it a little more each day as all of the previously solitary hours of my days filled with him.
I just wondered if i was at all prepared to handle it. I had no real ruler against which to measure my feelings and reactions or the way he felt about me. I didn't know how to navigate what was appropriate and what wasn't or if any of it even mattered.
I just knew i couldn't stop even if i wanted to."

And when the walls was wrecked down, Callie became an other person than she used to be, but what this would cost her???
She fought so hard for the Olympic trials and Nik is a distraction for her. Can she throw away everything that she worked for??? Is Nik worth it???
Or she had to sacrifice Nik for her goals???

I liked this story... and i liked very much the characters.

I liked the fact that i saw how is the life of a gymnast and what you have to sacrifice for succeeding your goals.
I liked Callie's tranformation. In her 26 years she didn't know anything else from practice in a gym. I liked the fact that with Nik's help she discovered a new self and found out new things that was worthy to fight for....
As for Nik, what can i say???? He was so kind, so understanding, so patient, so determined young man.
He and Callie were like twin souls.

He was the only one that he could feel her in a deeper level.
He was compassionate and he was trying to show her that there is more than that to life...
I liked their tumbling nights together!!! They seemed so exciting!!!

Also i would like to reffer to Callie's father...
In the begin i misunderstood his intentions and i thought that he was the one who wanted Callie to relax and to live her life more carefree, but as i found out next he was the one that he had made all the damage to her and i didn't liked that fact.
I really disliked him and near to the end i wanted to harm him... badly!!!

I can not tell you more, but i had to tell it out loud because it was pressuring my insides...

Last, i want to tell that i really liked that every chapter of this book was from another POV (Callie's or Nik's) and i liked that every last sentence of the chapter was the first word from the next chapter... That was amazing!!!
Great job, Mrs. Laurel Ulen Curtis!!!

***ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

4 stars

It's great when you pick up a book that looks very good and it matches your expectations. I was super excited about this topic because I never read any book that has passed into the world of the gymnasts. And I was very curious.

In this story, Callie, a 26 years old gymnast - already considered old for the profession - is preparing to try to participate in her third Olympics. Still living at home with her parents, without much social life, Callie is treated as a teenager, always with the parents all over her, extreme control over her life and to keep her focus at work. Feeling a little empty inside since it no longer makes her happy as it used to, her father, owner of the place where she trains, ends up hiring the beautiful and kind of Russian, Nikolai Bagrov, a.k.a Nik. She thinks she doesn't need a coach, so she starts to fight with him or just argue and then they become something else taking them in a direction that would not suit well in that world.

THESE BATTERED HANDS is a common story about a guy who meets a girl, it has fire between them, friction, and then they realize is all attraction. However, a good story that sounds cliche in the hands of a good writer becomes a big story. And Laurel Ulen Curtis's writing is very good. I confess I had to look up at many technical terms of olympic world in the dictionary to make sure I really was imagining right the moves they were doing (As you can see, I'm Brazilian and my english is not that good. At all). The story has so much details, showing the battle, the effort and repetitive training to achieve perfection.

Callie at first bothered me a little. I was very angry the way she acted with her parents, as if she really were a teenager and not a 26 years old woman able to make her own decisions. However, while reading, I was thinking about the films and interviews I've seen about this subject and many of these girls really do not have time for a real life with friends, partying and dating. And it ends up being very connected to the family, especially if that family is super interested in her daughter's success at any cost. So then, I could understand Callie.

And Nick ... ah, Nick! Beautiful and so cute! After an accident that changed his life, he decides to retire and become a coach. With only 28 years old, but a lot of experience, we can see the way he impact the life of Callie, making her see that that was not all about life, there are other things in the world besides the olympic gymnastics. Among the forbidden love of a student and his coach we can see the real battle: what was most important in life? Is it worth risking every year, time and effort to try other things?

THESE BATTERED HANDS is a cute book with a light drama about a forbidden romance that happened in the summer (American summuer/ Winter in South America) of 2016 - that's when the Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. I recomend to everyone who is interested in reading a novel that has this theme as a background. And prepare yourself to wanting to do all they do (man, I really wish I was a gymanstic now) lol.

This was the first book I read by this author and I loved how good was the writing. Surely I will keep an eye on her future work.

Ps: LOVE that cover!!!

*This book was provided by Rock Star Lit PR, via NetGalley, for my review and enjoyment.

**Yet another case where I whole- heartedly wish Goodreads would offer a half star rating.

I give it to this author. I have done a lot of reading in my lifetime, and after awhile, the majority of books start to run together. Only those with either

A) Superb writing or B) a unique topic

stand out. These Battered Hands was a mix of both, but definitely for me, leans toward a supremely unique topic. In all my reading, this is the first book I've ever read that delves into the world of gymnastics, crossing over into the Olympics. For that reason alone, this book is propelled into 'memorable status.' The way our author describes the world of flips and beams, adds in soulful love, then gives us a super- cool title that has fabulous meaning... all makes for a stand out read.

There was definitely an element of predictability, but the lovely characters and turn of events was enough to keep me engaged until the end. Just enough of everything. BAM.

*Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1403564683
*Amazon and B&N, 9/29/15

Firstly, I want to say that I have a cover crush on this book and that's what first drew me to the book, second was that earlier this year I read the author's book Quirks and Kinks and found it a fun read and then last , but not least the book is about gymnastics and I have a thing about reading sports orientated books. These Battered Hands was an amazing read and shows the inner lives of gymnasts, especially those who like the main character Callie are twice Olympian winners and aiming for a third at only 26 is amazing. Growing up , I loved watching The Cutting Edge movies though the films are about Ice Skating, I found them similar in theme and the way the book was written. In These Battered Hands, Callie is given a new coach called Nik who is around her age and a hunk. The pair of them , though they get off to a rocky start - they work wonders together and there is passion and chemistry sizzling and they begin dating in secret as if her father catches him - he would be fired and also blackballed as a coach and her integrity would be compromised as in the rules of sport everyone knows dating the coach is always off limits. Callie has never met anyone like Nik before and at 26 , she is at the stage of needing to feel appreciated and loved and Nik does it for her in more than one way. Can Callie have both - her gymnastics and Nik or will she have to sacrifice one for the other ? With her whole life riding on the Olympics, she gives up Nik but what will happen when tragedy strikes ? Will Nik be waiting by her side or by pushing him away, has she lost him forever ?
These Battered Hands is an awesome read and one that those who have been talented in a specific area, which means that they haven't had the chance to be social will understand as in order to succeed and be the best, often sacrifices have to be made .

4.5 Doing Something Substantial Stars * * * * 1/2 They fly through the air...defying gravity and sense...They are little rockets on earth flinging themselves at gymnastic apparatuses at the speed of light...and then if that weren't enough, they bend, tumble and land with distinction. These are Elite Gymnasts and although both sexes do these amazing feats...it is the women's events which first caught my eye and love.

I was raised to love the arts; ballet at a very young age with my older sister. It was strict and we had to behave...something which I had a bit of a struggle. I loved it and did go to class and have the opportunity to perform twice in a major production of The Nutcracker. But as the years went on... my desire went to other activities so I moved on before toe shoes. I mention all of this because dance, dedication and outcome are things I have understood for most of my life. Although I may not have followed that path, I did have an understanding of it.

Which brings me to this book, These Battered Hands by Laurel Ulen Curtis. In my opinion, she got it right throughout this book. She took an older elite competitor, one who had accomplished much... two Olympics, medals with the team and also individually. At 26, she should have been done. The sport does not allow for the development of the body; for legs getting longer, hips and breasts... It takes a toll on every joint and at this level...there has to be a history of injuries a mile long. Add in the factor of all the up and coming newbies nipping at her heels... wanting, pining, panting for a place at the Olympics and you have a recipe fraught with insecurities, doubt, frustration and most of all heart-breaking loneliness.

This is where Callie is in her life....going for the Olympics for the third time at 26. It is in the gym where she feels safe... It is the known... the place where she knows what to do, how to do it and accomplish her goals. After all, that has been her life since a very young child. She has worked and trained; her family even created a business, the gym she is in, in order to support her dreams. Her father has managed her career, let her transition to coaching herself for the last few years and her mother has been along the sidelines supporting both of them. It should be a happy, focused, supportive team....

But that is not what Callie is feeling right now. Callie has lost her mojo, so to speak... her open heart has been shut down for years... the glory, passion and love for her sport and competing has become illusive and she'll be damned if she can wrangle it back. She has a whole which needs to be filled...and as she attempts to qualify for her third Olympics... she is at a loss.

She is alone...she has no friends to confide in... she feels the hostility around her from all the other students, young and old, every time she is there at the gym. She is aware at all times the looks and stares. Her guard is up and she is ready to train again. As she ready's her hands with the required chalk and spit ritual, she is interrupted by this guy...he is introducing himself as her new coach...

What the Hell???

He continues on mentioning her father hired him and she is having nothing of it. She has no idea of who the hell he is, although in the looks and physical department he is fine...., and tells him right off this is not going to work. She trains herself, thank you very much.

Nik assesses the situation and is not detoured. He knew once he agreed to work with the "stubborn" Calia as her father informed him, he would need to take things as they came. He had studied his new student; watched the YouTube videos of her events and interviews. He saw the talent displayed but more importantly, he saw what was missing, too....And from this first meeting up close and personal, he saw directly into her eyes and heart...saw the loneliness and loss of a life...of a life which she should be experiencing other than Gymnastics.

Nik was one of the lucky ones...Oh, at this moment, lucky would not normally apply. He just lost both his parents in a tragic accident 6 months ago. He is floundering; he has stepped away from his sport World Tumbling while he was at the top of his game. He is trying to come to grips with the fact that the two people who loved him dearly are gone.

But with all of this pain, Nik is still the lucky one for he saw first hand what parents and love is supposed to be. His parents left Russia to give Nik a life of freedom. They had nothing and their families back home were very upset in their leaving. Aunts and Uncles also didn't like how the parents raised Nik to be "all American". He would be thrust into the schools and sports of his classmates. He thrived and so did his parents. They had little financially .... but what was abundant was their strength in their love for each other, their devotion to Nik and their ability to guide Nik into being this man who knew of emotions, commitments and understanding.

These two people are put together by her father with a singular purpose... to get Callie trained and able to land a place on her third Olympic team. What was not expected was for Callie to see what life she has missed, what ways she could open herself up to others around her... and most of all understand she shouldn't have to make a choice of one or the other.

There is much to love about this book. First, it is done with both POV's alternating and with the unique connector of a word from the other person's mind... leading into the new POV. It draws you in, making you think what the word is...and then causes the reading to flow and keep your focus.

These characters and their lives ring true to me. Callie represents all those girls/women I watched over the years. She has a running dialogue in her head of doubt or sensitivity or wishes which she keeps locked away and fronted as distant and unapproachable. This determined, focused life she has had... it has been ingrained...and as we know...children learn and experience from their first teachers... their parents.

Now parents of Elite Competitors of any Sport or Artistic Arena sacrifice. It is demanding and hard to encourage your sons and daughters to dedicate their lives at such a very young age. If a child shows interest and promise in something at this level, it is normal for parents to want to provide for their children. What can become a gift of love and support, though, may sometimes morph into something else...The Coaches could go too far... the financial pressures could corrupt... there are so many factors involved... so to have the type of environment Nik had with his parents... that should only be the norm...and I hope it is.

The relationship between Nik and Callie is why I read romance books...for I get to be in their heads, feel their first understanding that this is something besides a coach and his student. It is layered, fresh in how they communicate together and very honest all the way through. They are both older so these are people who should be able to be together without complications.

As I mentioned before reading, I loved all of the gymnastics I saw years ago before it took off in popularity. Cough, Cough...,I can remember first watching Olga Korbut blow everyone's mind when she performed in her first Olympics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NGq...). I was a grown person but the little dancer in me was so thrilled to see this young Russian do such astounding feats as if she was dancing in the air, floating across a 4 inch Beam and leaping from Uneven Bar to Bar as if there was nothing to hold her back. The impact of this was repeated when the world met Nadia Comaneci (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi_5x...) and the first perfect 10's.

Yes, there were other major athletes before these two which were dramatic, compelling and talented... But these two opened the eyes of the world, of Gymnastics to the lay person... we saw the thrill, the power and little girls all over the United States wanted to be those two stars. From these two...the resurgence of Gymnastic Teams for USA was born. I could fill a page with names and it still wouldn't touch the surface of talent.

This book brought all of those feeling rushing back to me as I read. The author has you there with the terminology, the movements and the rush. You are on the beam... you are on the floor, you are there either watching or doing and it is a thing of beauty. Oh, and you are also in love with life as you are now finding it...through Callie and Nik.

If you are a fan of Romance, Sport, and/or Life...then this should be a read for you.

Thank you for letting me wax on about this and my personal experiences in loving this sport. This is the Olympic YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/olympic/.... There you will be able to indulge in all the different sports and also find Olympians and Athletes too many to mention.

~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~

I have loved Gymnastics for years...
Think Olga, Nadia, Mary Lu...the list is endless...

The power, the beauty, the sacrifice...

Due to Nicoleta's amazing review coming across my update feed...

I will hopefully experience all insight and feelings athletes like them may have had if they were part of this story...

A gifted copy was provided by Laurel Ulen Curtis via NetGalley for an honest review.

As soon as I realized that These Battered Hands was a gymnastics romance, I immediately wanted to read it! I just love gymnastics and although some of the moves went over my head, that didn't take away any of my excitement while reading this book. In fact, I highly enjoyed and very much loved this fabulous read!

I can honestly say that Callie is one of the more unique heroines I've read about. She's rough, focused, determined and mostly a loner, but she also has a mischievous, sarcastic wit. She's not the type to let just anybody in and she doesn't even really know herself, but Nik helps her with that. Of course, she doesn't make it easy for at first or even all the time, she's stubborn and fierce, but she's smart and doesn't resist him so much that she'll drive you bonkers. I actually really loved Callie and the person she became!

Another reason why I really wanted to read this book was because the hero's name is Nikolai - I just love that name, it's one of my favorites! And just like I love the name, I also loved the man! Nik is absolutely wonderful and really the best guy ever. He's incredibly patient and understanding, thoughtful and deep, and he'd do anything for Callie. Nik is like a big, old, hot teddy bear and I just want to hug him and squeeze him. I loooved him and I know you will too!

These Battered Hands is a steamy but also sweet romance full of beauty, lessons, and depth. It's a journey about re-thinking and questioning your way of thinking, discovering yourself, and having the strength to fight for who you want to be, for what you want, and for what you love.

These Battered Hands surprised me not only by turning out to be more expected, but I also didn't expect it to the end they way it did - not that I don't understand or like the way it did - because I do. It was an amazing read that made my heart ache, made me seethe, and made me laugh and smile and sigh and I loved all of it!

These Battered Hands is a standalone, it's told from Nik and Callie's POV, and don't worry, they do get the HEA!

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 4.5 Stars

I want to go on record and say that Nikolai Bagrov is my most favorite human ever and I can't tell you how much.
These Battered Hands is as good on the inside as it is on the cover. It is a fast paced story filled with emotions and heart wrenching intensity.
Calia Nickelson is a two time Olympic gymnast and at the age of 26, she is preparing herself for her third Olympic tour. Her age proves to be a bit of her hindrance and she feel something is missing that will make shine in this last attempt for glory. Enter, Nikolai. He has been hired by Callie's father as her coach to improve her performance.
At first, Callie is hesitant to accept Nik's advice and almost takes his criticism to heart. They lock horns at every step but still there is no denying the attraction that they both obviously feel for each other. Reluctantly, Callie realizes that Nik's critique is helping her perform better and with a more open mind. Callie sees a side to Nik that he doesn't let anyone ever see. They grow more and more fond of each other and finally its gets too much to not act on their feelings. They way they are with each other, the intensity with which they think of the other just kept pulling me into the story. Callie is the most happy she has ever been and Nik just feels light when he is with her. Something that is so right can never so wrong. And I never felt anything wrong or taboo with their relationship. Nik's heart is pure gold and people like him are so rare. He is strong, determined and stubborn but at the same time he is also caring, loving and so sexy. Callie is quite possibly one of the strongest characters and her stubbornness to keep getting better is awe- inspiring. I am a big fan of sports romance and this just hooked me from start to finish. Being a new reader to Laurel Ulen Curtis, I couldn't have asked for a better book to make me a permanent fan.

This is my first time reading a book where gymnastics plays a large part in the romantic story. I thought Nik and Calia's relationship was pretty true as to what would happen in a situation with an Olympic athlete...and the ending was realistic...which I really liked...from the competition to her dad. I enjoyed the love story as it unfolded.

I absolutely adored this book and I can see why many others do as well. I loved the passion, strength, struggles, showmanship, growth, friendship, slow burning romance between the characters throughout the book. It was multi-layered with all of that that is relatable in real life whatever the circumstances and it was great to see them go through it and find out what they wanted out of all that life and the future had to offer by going with their gut feeling and heart.