Hello everyone!
Well, at least to the ice skating portion of it. I did watch the ski jumping, or some of it.
But for the rest I really haven't even lost sleep over what has or has not gone down, so don't mistake this for anything other but me enjoying a good book.
See it's come to my attention that, despite the fact I say I've read most of Keira Andrews' published works, I actually haven't.
There's a BUNCH of them I still need to either pick up or finish, and it's just so much fun to explore, I'll be honest with you guys! Because Ms Andrews tends to write some of the best contemporary fiction I've had the privilege to read.
Tonight's book, or the first part of it really, is no exception, so why don't we stop dropping hints and whatnot and simply get right into it?
It's titled Cold War, and you'll figure out the reasons VERY quickly!
And in case you haven't figured it out yet, the story features figure skaters from America and Russia - DUH. What else would I be talking about with so many hints dropping left, right and center?
American Dev, from an Indian family, represents the US at figure skating competitions with his partner Bailey, and the pair of them regularly go up against the Russian pair, Mikhail Reznikov and Kisa Kostina. Usually, the Americans come short, because the Russians seem to dominate the sport at the moment.
This pisses Dev off because it also looks like they can do no wrong and STILL win, which all comes boiling to the forefront during the Japan championship when he confronts Mikhail about it in the dressing room after the competition.
It starts out as a yelling match - and then all of a sudden they're kissing and WHAT IS GOING ON?!
Well, turns out hate is a powerful sort of emotion that can very easily lead to something else, and in a sport as polarizing as skating where being gay isn't exactly as widely accepted as elsewhere, it could also be a problem. They part ways afterwards and really don't cross paths again until the Winter Olympics in Annecy.
Everyone's excited to be there, but as any other big event things happen on the spot, and the Russians lose their training rink because of a catastrophic ice melt-down, which leads them to practice in the same one as the Americans - which leads to a shower-stall run-in for Mikhail and Dev, who haven't seen each other since Kyoto now.
Nothing has really cooled down between them, though, as proven in said scene.
Mikhail also asks Dev to call him Misha, like his friends do, and admits that while they probably aren't quite that, Dev is his "little rebellion" and it feels damn good.
This spooks Dev, mostly because of how insanely into Misha he turns out to be, and especially because Kisa and Misha just so happen to be their top competitors to beat for the Olympic gold, which is why he then proceeds to avoid the other man at all costs, which earns him eyerolls from Bailey who doesn't know what he's actually doing, only that he isn't showering when and where he's supposed to.
Misha's a bit more determined and won't just let it go, however, waiting for Dev in the lobby of their building to take him up to his room, where all bets are off and all the walls fall down, and it turns out that the pair of them are much more compatible than they might have thought.
Also that Misha is MUCH more hot-blooded and less of an ice robot than he seems to be.
Dev also learns of some devastating circumstances regarding Russian ice skaters where the former KGB spies on them and employs terror tactics to keep them in line - among them threatening to withdraw medical help for Kisa's mother if they don't comply, and Misha's personal life is literally put on hold because he doesn't want to put anyone in danger. Also, being gay in Russia is kinda dangerous, so then again, maybe not.
The only thing that can save him is the gold medal, because he isn't even skating out of passion anymore, but for freedom, which puts another hitch in this impossible situation with Dev, as Dev ALSO wants to win that gold, to beat the Russians and to just have that proof positive he's the best of the best.
Of course things hit the fan right afterwards when he forgets his phone in Misha's room, Misha delivers it ... right in front of Bailey, and she VERY naturally loses her ever loving mind about just who Dev is blowing some steam off with.
This takes a toll on their practice session, but they do work it out the next day and Dev promises her that it's all over and he won't be seeing Misha again because, hello, they're here to win the gold, no matter how bad the situation in Russia is, something even Bailey agrees is absolutely terrible (for comparison, the American Federation does get on their case about their personal lives, but nothing to that extreme and is mostly just a lovable annoyance).
With things patched up and Dev avoiding Misha for all it's worth (again) an accident occurs during practice times when Kisa and another skater collide, sending her into the side boards and then to the hospital, to the horror of everyone there.
Listen, everyone wants to beat the Russians, but they want to beat them fair and square, not because of an injury. Especially not to the girl, who as the smaller of the pair always and constantly needs protecting, during and after skating.
Dev is torn between sticking to his side of the pond and trying to console Misha, and his innate good person wins out when he spots the other man in the locker room afterwards, completely desolate. The two of them retreat to the toilet area where Misha breaks down and Dev gently comforts him, before the desperation turns to a bit of desperate sex - and they're almost found out by a member of the Russian Federation.
This spooks Misha and he turns nasty, out of fear for himself and most importantly despair over Kisa, which of course leads to a mighty blow-out between the two men since Dev isn't going to take it lying down.
At that point it looks to be game over and only the competition matters, then, a competition no one knows whether the Russians will even participate in, which would indicate that Bailey and Dev are almost the sure winners - but Kisa proves to be made of sterner stuff and skates the short and the free programs like the boss that she is, very much in pain, but winning that goddamn Olympic gold for her country and for herself.
Dev and Bailey ARE devastated over the silver - but the both of them admit that the Russians will go down in history for what they've just achieved, and mean their congratulations when they exchange them. Dev is also still morose over how things went down with Misha, but he really doesn't have to worry.
Because Misha comes looking for him in his room after all the craziness is over, to apologize and to explain that he's actually going to America after this - he and Kisa are now officially retired, while Dev and Bailey are still skating at the World Championship in Boston as a last huzzah. But that doesn't really matter all that much because both the men apologize and then have some awesome makeup sex, agreeing to go on a date up in the mountains because that's just what you do.
And after Boston, Dev heads on a vacation to California, where Misha's taken up residence with his new puppy, and the two of them make the joint decision to see where this relationship will lead them, never mind that it feels like it's incredibly fast and much too soon.
But when love hits you like a whirlwind, you take the leap if you can. And neither one of them want to lose this chance.
As to what happens next, though, tune in next week! Because there's a part two, and you can bet I'll be covering it as well. I loved Cold War because of all the underlying tension of outside forces trying to control other people's lives, and also because we get a really good glimpse into just what kind of pressure professional athletes are under, especially for massive competitions like the Olympics. The spirit of the games was definitely there!
Most importantly though, I loved the relationships between characters, the almost familial bond between Bailey and Dev, their families, and the obvious romance between our two main characters, which starts out as something explosive and then becomes that much stronger and more concrete as time goes by.
I can't wait to show you what they're up to in the second half, either. And I truly do encourage you to read any of Ms Andrews' books, because you won't be disappointed. See you next week!
xx
*image not mine
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