Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:
Synopsis for Silver Heart (from Goodreads):
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they must decide which road leads to personal happiness. For Dylan Silver, this is that moment…For the past twenty-two-years, Dylan has been living in her parents’ carefully crafted world, always putting her own dreams on hold to play the role of a dutiful daughter. When her best friend coaxes her into a winter getaway to a mountain resort, she sees it as a chance to forget about the responsibilities waiting for her at home. At least for a little while.
But then her past catches up to her—in the form of sexy snowboarder, Sawyer Carter. Six long years had passed since Dylan bid goodbye to the only boy she ever truly loved. Now he’s standing right in front of her, bringing up bittersweet memories and igniting suppressed desires as he dares her to be the person she has always wanted to be.
Dylan and Sawyer’s unexpected meeting is a second chance, but will a girl who doesn’t believe in fate and taking risks be able to overcome her fears of losing control and finally embrace the life she desperately wants?
Only one thing is certain: after a week in Whistler, Dylan’s world will never be the same.
Review:
I actually bought this book by accident one day when I was browsing the Amazon Bestseller Freebie list. I’m not sure how I managed it but it wasn’t a big deal in the end. Truth is I probably would have bought it anyways another time. I’m glad I did buy it as I enjoyed reading it!
I was expecting a sweet read but it was definitely spicier than I thought; which isn’t a bad thing. However, at times I found it a little tedious to get through because I would have rather read about their hidden feelings for each other or have seen them interacting on a more emotional level instead of a physical one all the time. Really, it isn’t a big deal because I feel like I got enough emotional connection to keep me happy in the end.
Sawyer definitely knew all the right things to say and had me swooning practically anytime he opened his mouth. He was definitely the highlight of the book for me. I almost wished his POV was included because I really enjoyed his character and his history. But he is such a good talker and constantly shared his feelings and thoughts so I didn’t feel like I was seriously deprived of anything.
But having his POV would have given me a bit of a break from Dylan. One of my biggest pet peeves about Young Adult novels is unnecessarily angsty leads and that also goes for New Adult genre novels as well. However, with New Adult novels most of the time I find that they legitimately have a reason for being angst-ridden so it doesn’t bother me as much. In the Silver Heart, I find Dylan was right on that border for me. I understood why she had the mind-set that she did given her family history but I found she harped on the same point all the time.
Warning, I’m about to go on a bit of rant. Feel free to skip to the bottom paragraph in this section if you don’t want to read it 😉
I also think it doesn’t help that I’m the same age as Dylan and I can’t fathom why she just doesn’t tell her parents “no”. Like grow a backbone and take charge of your life–you’re 22 years old for goodness’ sake and have a degree! It’s not like she was a fish completely out of water. I can understand the psychology behind why she would have a hard time telling her parents but she seemed so self-aware of it that I’m surprised it took her as long as it did to breakdown. Maybe because I have a great relationship with my parents I don’t understand why people struggle with their own independence but it drove me a little nuts.
End Rant
As for the plot: there isn’t much other than Dylan trying to find herself and trying to find out where a relationship with Sawyer fits in. So mostly it is a romance with a dash of character development.
Also, I just need to ask the following spoiler question to satisfy the logical part of me: |why couldn’t Dylan just tell Sawyer she would talk to him after the tournament? It wasn’t like she didn’t have his cell phone number…communication people!|
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a sweet (yet spicy) read about second chance romances, this is a great one for you!
Rating: 3.5/5
Would I Recommend this Book to a Friend: Perhaps.
Shorthand Stats:
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Snowboarding, Second Chances, Coming of Age
Recommended for: 18+
Heat Rating: getting hot
Point of View: First Person
Similar Reads: Out of Line by Jen McLauglin (Out of Line Trilogy #1); Playing Pretend by Juliana Haygert and He Belongs With Me by Sarah Darlington