E.J. Noyes' Gold is a sports-centred novel with a great and relatable protagonist and a very steamy and sweet romance.
Our protagonist is Aspen Archer, a former Olympic skier whose career ended after a disastrous injury. With her body and spirit broken, Aspen hides out at ski resorts, coaching tourists and avoiding her problems. While coaching at a ski resort in Australia, she meets the beautiful Cate Tierney. Cate is a physical therapist, has a teenage daughter and is recovering from a painful relationship. There's an instant and intense attraction between Aspen and Cate. However, both women have lots of emotional baggage. Can they be more than just a vacation fling? Can Aspen take control of her life to have the future that she longs for?
The aptly-named Aspen is a wonderfully written character. I felt for her as she struggled through panic attacks and chronic pain. I rooted for her when she finally took charge of her life and rediscovered herself. While I do like Cate, I didn't fully warm up to her because I couldn't connect with her and I felt like I didn't know her.
The secondary characters are interesting and well-written. I really like Cate's daughter, Gemma and Aspen's student, Stacey. However, I wish Aspen's relationships with both teens were more developed because they could have been much more meaningful and memorable than they were. Additionally, other characters like Aspen's hilarious sister Hayley sometimes disappeared from the narrative unnaturally.
I like that the book examines issues like Aspen's former addiction to painkillers and how it hurt her life and family. However, the book does drag a little. I wish that the plot had been more exciting and slightly less predictable. But, Noyes creates such great characters that I remained invested in them.
The romance between Aspen and Cate is well-written. There's believable conflict, some sweet moments and enough super steamy scenes to get your pulse racing. Seriously...you may not want to read this book in public!
Although I couldn't fully connect with Cate and I wish some aspects of the plot were better developed, Gold is a good read with great characters and a sweet romance. If you're looking for a sports-themed book with a lovely happy ever after, give this one a try!
Rebecca is a Creative Writing student and freelance proofreader. Come say hi: https://rebeccareviews.tumblr.com/