To be a downhill racer, you must be in top condition, both mentally and physically. Luckily, Claudine Potts had both, and a strict coach for a father. Called "The Stone Cold Killer," Claudia would do anything to shave off a tenth of a second for the win-her five gold Olympic medals were the proof. But that's in the past and now she is the motivational voice on the hardest exercise bike, with her own rabid fans, called Pottheads. She has a daughter who hasn't spoken to her in two years.
Wylie also has a racing past as a teenager. When she went down the slopes she was a winner, but she often experienced panic attacks and had a record of DNFs or Did Not Finish. Her mom, Claudine, served as her coach, and never understood why her daughter could not ski down mountains without being afraid. Now Wylie is a crossfit star and she is ready to compete internationally in Berlin with her partner/trainer. When he gets sick, she racks her brain for a new partner and settles on the only one who is tough enough and could get there fast-her mom, Claudine.
When Claudine agrees to help Wylie, she comes with an agenda-they'll stop in Zermatt, Switzerland first, where she'll finally face her friend and apologize but Wylie must never know about this...and an author threatening a tell-all unauthorized biography is breathing down her neck. What could possibly go wrong?
I liked this book because it was so unpredictable-Tady threw youth hostels, acapella singers, and Swiss pastries into the mix and, of course, the big reveal. The ending didn't wrap things up in a tidy bow, mother-daughter relationships can be pretty messy and her novel reflects that. But both her characters learn and grow a little and that's the mark of a good book.
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
December 3, 2024
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