Cold Day in the Sun: Life Is Short, Take the Shot

Sara Biren

Mar 2019 · Abrams

About this ebook

From the author of The Last Thing You Said, a YA romance about a girl on a boys hockey team who happens to fall for the team captain.

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. So, to keep her spot on the boys’ varsity team, she has rules:

1. Practice harder than anyone else, even if that means 5 A.M. training sessions.
2. Keep a low profile, even if that means ignoring trolls calling her a distraction, a gimmick, or worse.

But when her team is selected for HockeyFest, a televised statewide event, Holland becomes the lead story (Goodbye, rule #2!). Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but there’s one person who fiercely supports her, and it’s the last person she expects: her bossy team co-captain, Wes.

And Wes begins surprising her. He shares her passion for ’80s glam metal, and his touch feels strangely electric. With the cameras set to roll, Holland is dangerously close to breaking yet another rule: No dating teammates, ever.

A deeply romantic and empowering novel about shutting out the noise from the crowd, so you can listen to your heart.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“A fun romp of a teen romance via an exciting hockey season, this book has all the right ingredients—a spunky, multifaceted main character, a love interest who turns out to be a decent individual, and plenty of internal and external conflict. . . . A teenage love story steamy enough to melt the ice in the rink.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A fun read that simultaneously puts the reader into the hockey world as an insider and an outsider. . . . It’s a last-act gut punch that really puts a spotlight on what female athletes have to deal with. A must-read for anyone who has had to defy expectations.” ?Booklist

Ratings and reviews

4 stars — I started off listening to this one, but the audio just wasn’t capturing me and holding my attention as much, so I switched to reading and it was much smoother. I will admit it took me a bit to really connect with Holland. It’s funny, it’s like as a character she was even a bit closed off to the reader. She keeps her cards so close to her vest, and she’s been jaded by the hoops she has to jump through as a girl on a boy’s team, and so she comes across…not quite cold, but not warm?? I don’t know. But I totally did end up “getting” her, and seeing how everything was affecting her, and living those tough choices with her (even if some of them were the wrong ones). She was definitely at a crossroads, and I truly felt that she was a better her by the time the book ended. I LOVED all the different tricky aspects the author addressed of a girl playing hockey on a boy’s team. From unrealistic expectations of her talent, to having to walk a fine line wrt the girls team, to old school folks and the boys will be boys crowd. I also loved that while she definitely experienced all of that, her life wasn’t mired by those things without any of the good bits. I appreciated that she had support from teammates, her family, her coaches…even if sometimes they were a little misguided. I especially loved Ms. Rieland, and what she brought to the table for Holland. And then there’s Wes. My heart broke watching how obvious he was being about his affections, while Holland clung to her ignorance (even when it became impossible). I’m glad that he wasn’t perfect, but that he sure tried hard to be, and that he learned from his own missteps. And wow, they were adorable together. The crush to more was just…*swoon* Even though their journey together was anything but smooth, I adored the bits of romance we got. It was a bit slower to start for me, but I was really invested by the end. A perfect balance of cute romance mixed with real life struggles.

This was the perfect romance to get me out of my reading slump! The writing was easy to follow and flowed nicely. I love sports, so I always appreciate when a book has sports weaved into the storyline. I especially liked that the main character is a female athlete, which I hardly see in novels that include sports. Holland, is so tough and she dealt with so much adversity in her community. I love how she carries herself and doesn't let anyone stop her from doing what she loves. Her development throughout the book was inspiring, she had to overcome her own obstacles that she set up for herself. The romance that blooms between Holland and Wes is so sweet, and I lived for every moment of it. I really liked how important music is to both the main characters, it really helped them connect on a deeper level. I feel music is really the key to our hearts, and when you find someone who shares that connection it's truly magical, and that is what this romance was.

About the author

Sara Biren is the author of The Last Thing You Said. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and has had several short stories published in literary journals. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children. Visit her at sarabiren.com.