Want a Wintery Read? SILVER HEART by Victoria Green VS FRIGID by J. Lynn/Jennifer Armentrout

Winter is coming, bookworms! Do you love curling up beneath the covers with a good book (and maybe a warm drink)? I know I do!

I like to save my "winter books" to read when the weather matches my mood. THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab was enhanced by the fact that I read it on a windy, stormy day, and the wind is sort of a character in and of itself in the book. I was really annoyed when we didn't get any snow the year AFTER THE SNOW by S. D. Crockett released, and this past year, I worked every time we had snow and couldn't take advantage. Maybe this year...?

Are you like me? 

If so, I have two 2013 titles for you that take place at ski resorts, SILVER HEART by Victoria Green and FRIGID by J. Lynn (AKA Jennifer Armentrout). 

They both came out a week and a half apart this past July, and it's finally the season to dig in!

I believe both books are considered to be New Adult/Adult titles.

Which one will be your favorite?  Mine is SILVER HEART, personally...and I say this as a huge Armentrout fan. FRIGID isn't my favorite book by her, but that's because there's a lot of drama, and I'm not all about the drama.

Even better?

Both books cost $2.99 each!

So why choose one when you can have both? Let the War of the Ski Resorts begin!

Which one will be your favorite of the two??

Check out my reviews of both and make up your own mind!

O P E N I N G   L I N E:

   "THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST VACATION ever!" My best friend Maddie had a habit of overusing the words best and ever. 
   Everything she did was the "best ever," but her optimism was an endearing trait. Nothing short of a natural disaster could get Madison Evans down. Scratch that. She handled natural disasters with as much cheerfulness and grace as everything else that came her way.

(Location 27, 1%, US e-book edition)

SILVER HEART is a great debut from an indie author. I'd been hearing so much good buzz about this book that I picked it up a while back, and have been waiting to review it until the weather is cooler...and here we are!

Dylan Silver has always done exactly what she's told. She wants the approval of her exacting mother, even at the cost of her own happiness. Because of this, she once let the love of her life, Sawyer Carter, slip away. When she goes off on vacation at a ski resort with her best friend and her brother, she bumps into Sawyer once more. They're both grown up now, and neither one ever completely buried their feelings for one another. Sawyer is now an Olympic medal skier, and Dylan is all-but fake-engaged to a guy her mother chose. Can she throw her upbringing aside and stand up for what she wants for once, or is going to make the biggest mistake of her life again?

I really liked the character interaction in SILVER HEART. It felt really believable, and never contrived. I loved Sawyer's reasoning behind things like his tattoo, and the reason he favors one of his medals above all others. It all pulled together for a touching story. I also liked seeing Dylan change over the course of the novel as she slowly learned how to grow a backbone. I also love the fact that the story is told exclusively in Dylan's POV. ATM, I'm sick of books with multiple perspectives. This adds a little bit of mystery to the story, and helps build on insecurities and makes readers connect more with Dylan's journey because, like Dylan, they don't know exactly what the other side is thinking. I wasn't sure what I'd think of this book because I'm not a huge fan of contemporary novels to begin with, but I really enjoyed the characters and situations Green shared with us and would read another of her books in the future.

 ~*~

C O V E R   D E S I G N:

Can I just say I love the interior design?
Look:

I love the way the swirls form hearts. It's just super cute!

I'm also a big fan of the font being used for the title.  That S, that L, that V, that H, that T! Be still my heart. I like the way the S and L almost join together, like they can't bear to be separated. The H ties its word together and keeps it all aligned. Love!

Plus, the title font is silver. And that chapter swirly is a heart. SILVER HEART. Get it??? 

Also, sorry FRIGID, but here, everyone is appropriately dressed for cold weather!

This cover just looks great to me!

   ~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: SILVER HEART

Author: Victoria Green

Release Date: July 25, 2013

Publisher: Victoria Green
Received: Purchased

SUMMARY:

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. 

So when her best friend coaxes her into a winter getaway to a mountain cabin, 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 years ago, 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. 

*Please note that this novel contains mature subject matter, including strong language and sexual situations that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader/buyer discretion is advised.*

   ~*~

O P E N I N G   L I N E:

   I WAS IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND. 
   And it could be worse, I guessed. I could have been in love with a male stripper or a drug addict. Kyler Quinn was neither of those things. 

(pg. 7, US e-book edition)

I was really excited when I heard about FRIGID because it's another book from Jennifer Armentrout, and it takes place at a ski resort. I always like books that revolve around skiing, ice skating, etc. I'm not sure why, since I'm not athletic myself, but it's a soft spot of mine.

Sydney has always been in love with her best friend Kyler, but he's not interested in a lasting relationship. He's still playing the field, and news of his conquests never fail to break Syd's heart anew. When she goes to meet a group of friends at a ski resort with Kyler and the two wind up stranded and alone, Sydney can't take it anymore. Should she tell the truth? Take what she can get? What is she willing to give up in order to make Kyler truly see her once and for all?

FRIGID is told from the perspective of both Sydney and Kyler, which is good, because it gives readers more insight into one Kyler is thinking. If we just saw Sydney's perspective, we might think Kyler was a jackass she was wasting her time on, but getting into Kyler's head opens up more realities and makes readers see what makes him tick. There's far more to him than what meets the eye. I really liked seeing both characters fleshed out as they evolved, and still think Armentrout has a good grasp on character development.

While FRIGID wasn't my favorite book that Armentrout has written, either as herself or as J. Lynn, it's still a fun read. For me, there was too much drama. A lot of the situations, to me, were contrived, and things I've seen done before. The playboy, the mysterious but vindictive creeper, the constant...complete misunderstanding between characters. It's not my personal favorite type of contemporary, but I can also see why others would love it. Plus, I do like a good Best Friend story. I'm just not all about the drama. Something about this one was a little off for me, likely because I enjoyed the author's other contemporary novel, WAIT FOR YOU, so much and read the two too close together. So the comparisons were still fresh for me. That said, I know someone who preferred FRIGID to WAIT FOR YOU, so it's all about personal preference!

 ~*~

C O V E R   D E S I G N:

I'm loving the swirls framing the book on the right that bisect the title and come up over the models. 

I'm also a fan of the title font because the F in FRIGID looks awesome. 

All the white and snow makes me shiver and is a great mood-setter for a winter read. The cover is, at the same time, a stereotypical romance novel. The guy is shirtless despite the fact that it is snowing!!! Seriously, who would actually do that in the real world? Points go to SILVER HEART in that regard.

   ~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: FRIGID

Author: J. Lynn (Jennifer Armentrout

Release Date: July 15, 2013

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Received: Purchased

SUMMARY:

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. 

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. 

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.