Blog Tour: From The Top by Dani Collins (Review & Giveaway!!)

From The Top
Dani Collins
(Blue Spruce Lodge, #2)
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: February 27th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Their hot New Year’s Eve wasn’t supposed to have consequences…
Fiercely independent after a difficult childhood, Ilke Lunquist devotes herself to one thing: skiing. She’s on the cusp of gold when an unexpected pregnancy throws her future into chaos.
Nathaniel Hart takes on the daunting project of restoring Whiskey Jack Ski Resort to be close to his young son, but with one failed marriage behind him, he avoids serious relationships.
They might be virtual strangers with only a baby in common, but Nate is determined to be part of his child’s life. Ilke didn’t become a champion by backing down from a challenge, especially not one where her child’s happiness and her own heart are on the line. When tragedy strikes, heartbreak draws them closer together. Nate discovers he’s more than ready for a bigger family and maybe, just maybe, Ilke will find the home that has eluded her all her life.

Review: 

As soon as I spotted Dani Collins' From the Top, I added it to my TBR pile. A wintry setting, a story focusing on second chances and new beginnings, and romance?! It seemed like the perfect February read.

The result? From the Top is a emotional, heartwarming read from start to finish. 

From the Top primarily focuses on Ilke and Nate, two adults suddenly thrown together after a one night affair results in an unexpected pregnancy. 

When the story first begins, Ilke is dealing with the sudden turn of events. She never planned on having a baby, especially when her career is at its peak. Arriving at Blue Spruce Lodge with several losses and some hard choices to make, Ilke wants to keep the baby, but is she ready to make some big changes? I found Ilke to be a likable character. I liked that that she was career and goal orientated. It was interesting to see someone who placed such a high value on a career rather than family suddenly be faced with the possibility of a family. She has some big choices to make and none of them were particularly easy. I found her struggles and doubts to be realistic as well as relatable, and I enjoyed seeing her grow as the book progressed. I wanted nothing more than for her to find a happy but still be content with her career. 

Like Ilke, Nate is dealing with change. He's still coming to terms with his unexpected divorce. Add in the fact that he's trying to rock the single dad thing without introducing more change into his son's life makes Ilke's return slightly more chaotic. One thing was also clear, in my opinion, Nate was an amazing dad. I loved seeing him interact with Aiden. Additionally, I enjoyed seeing him adjust to a new life. It was interesting to see him and Ilke come together. 

In addition to the characters, I also loved the setting! There's not much I love more than a wintry, snow place, and that's exactly what Blue Spruce Lodge brought to the table. Dani did a fantastic job of setting the scene. Plus it's always way more fun to read about a winter wonderland when you're actually not participating in the not so fun aspects of it. I also liked that Dani offered other perspectives besides just Nate and Ilke's. It offered an more through look into the world, and it also makes me want to read the first book in this series. 

There was one thing, however, that I didn't always like: the inner monologues. Sometimes the conversations the characters had with themselves seemed stilted in a sense. We were inside their heads, but there thoughts were very cookie-cutter, very filtered. I would have liked more realistic feel here. 

Overall, From the Top is an enjoyable read.

3 stars!! 

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Author Bio:

Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with some laughter and heat thrown in, just like real life. Mostly she writes contemporary romance for Harlequin Presents and Tule’s Montana Born, but her backlist of forty books also includes self-published erotic romance, romantic comedy, and even an epic medieval fantasy. When she’s not writing—just kidding, she’s always writing. She lives in BC, Canada with her high school sweetheart husband who occasionally coaxes her out of her attic office to travel and visit their grown children. 

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