Review: Coming in from the Cold (Gravity #1) by Sarina Bowen

Title: Coming in from the Cold (Gravity #1)
Author: Sarina Bowen
My rating: 5 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

“A deeply romantic story that warms with slow-burn eroticism and genuine insight into loss and love. Sarina Bowen’s debut glows with intelligence and a lovely sweetness.” —Mary Ann Rivers

I completely agree with this praise from Mary Ann Rivers. Actually Coming in from the Cold reminded me Mary Ann Rivers’s The Story Guy. It had the same overwhelming effect on me, when I felt too much, when I was so connected with characters that it’s almost painful.

This book surprised me a lot. I’ve read Sarina Bowen’s The Ivy Years series and I liked it. So I had positive expectations about Coming in from the Cold. But it was so much more than I expected. I loved this book. It was a very emotional and deep story.

Willow Reade got stranded in the car with ski racer Dane Hollister during a blizzard. Their instant mutual attraction, closeness in darkness in the car led to a night of passion. But what next? Willow is recovering from her breakup and trying to adjust to unwanted farmer life. Dane doesn’t do relationships because of his secret.

From the first sight Dane has it all: he is handsome, famous and rich; he is surrounded by beautiful and willing women. But no one knows the real Dane, no one knows his secret.

Members of his family suffered and died from genetic disease and he is the next.

So he doesn’t make friends, he doesn’t do relationships, only one-night stand. Sarina Bowen made an amazing job by portraying Dane. I could feel his longing for normal relationship, his desperation. He is so lonely and he is angry and he is afraid of his future. As a woman I usually connect more with a female character, but in this case I felt for Dane, I desperately wanted him to be ok, to be happy. I loved this other side of him: kind, caring, vulnerable.

Willow was a very likeable character. I loved her interactions with her chickens.

Another aspect that surprised me was how sensual writing was. After reading The Ivy Years series I knew that Sarina Bowen can write great steamy scenes, but her writing in Coming in from the Cold blew me away. Before I thought that the author who writes the most sensual romance is Cara McKenna. Now I’m not so sure. Sarina Bowen did something special here. I especially loved the scene with raisins.

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but my only complaint is that there was a little bit too much sex in Coming in from the Cold. Not that I’m against sex scenes in my books. I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of erotica. But in this book sex was a way to show readers emotional turmoil and it helped to understand characters better. So I think it would be better if there were a couple of sex scenes less.

As always I can’t write a proper review on a book I loved. So I just say this: Coming in from the Cold is a sensual and emotional romance, which will make you think and feel. Read it.