Helen Buckley – Strictly On Ice

‘Strictly On Ice’ by Helen Buckley is a heartwarming romance on ice! I really enjoyed this book.

Kate is a former Olympic ice skater. Her career ended when she had an accident, caused by her skating partner. Since then she has struggled to move on, being offered a part in a new TV skating show, she decides to accept…for the money.

She is paired with Jamie an ex-rugby player who has suffered after his career ended too. Kate didn’t expect to be paired with Jamie, his reputation precedes him. Over the weeks of being in close contact and the intensive training they have to do for the show, they grow close as friends as they have both suffered heartache previously. As the story unfolds we also get to see flashbacks from their previous careers and lives. We see the dedication, the training, the sacrifices they made and even their mistakes along the way. This gave me a connection with them and I saw them gaining a bond slowly. It was almost like a realisation dawning when they began to understand each other and see there is more depth to them than the media led them to believe. As the programme gets closer to the end the media attention intensifies and concentrates mainly on Kate and her ex-partner and off course Jamie. Can they cope with the pressure of everything and win this thing…and each other?

A fabulous read that had me entranced. I was carried away with Kate and Jamie on their ice skating journey as they skated their way through the show, improving as they went. I really had the feeling of being a part of a reality show but with the added extra of seeing their lives at the same time. It ain’t all strawberries and sunshine though, there are some truths told that just show…don’t believe everything the media say or write.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Choc Lit publishers for the copy of the book.