Blog Tour + Review: Getting it Back by Elizabeth Harmon

He needs a comeback, but is it in his career, or love?

In this second-chance romance, a former top men’s figure skating champion is willing to risk everything for a comeback – except a new start with his long lost love…

Title: Getting it Back 

Series: Red Hot Russians #3

Author: Elizabeth Harmon

Publishers: Carina Press

Date of Publication: April 4th, 2016

Pages: 243

My Review:

This is a delightful second chance romance filled with so many unexpected twists and turns it takes the reader on a riveting journey, from the USA to Russia with plenty of love along the way!

When the man she loved deserted her two years ago, Amy Shepherd was heartbroken but when he rings to ask her to help him this kind hearted young lady still rushes to his aid. She’s a sports therapist who originally dreamed of training elite figure skaters but when Mikhail (Misha) Zaikov left her after sending her a text, she took a job working in a school. Now he’s back but still suffering from the injuries which halted his career. There’s much angst and turmoil to overcome and new dreams and opportunities to explore but should she give him a second chance? Will he just break her heart once more? Should they have simple a professional relationship this time – or will their mutual attraction overcome the barriers both have built around their hearts?

The story has great, well developed characters – including some very different skaters, coaches and family members as well as the two main characters. Their interactions are fraught with emotion, the past impacting dramatically on relationships. As Misha endeavours to return to peak performance in this sport, the dangers of participating in such a physical sport are portrayed brilliantly, helping the reader feel every misstep and fall along the way. This is a story of determination, overcoming obstacles and training to succeed in a competitive environment but one where love will eventually find the way to heal and give guidance for a happier, loving future ahead. The author takes the reader on the journey, leading to the HEA but with plenty of angst along the way!

Thanks to the author, publishers, Barclay PR and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

In this second-chances romance, a former top men’s figure skating champion is willing to risk everything for a comeback—except a new start with his long-lost love

An unexpected phone call from the man who broke her heart offers Amy Shepherd an opportunity to return to the work she loves, training elite figure skaters. Except it’s just one figure skater: him. Can she finally forgive and forget?

Figure skater Mikhail “Misha” Zaikov once had it all: medals, money and the adoration of millions. But a devastating injury put an end to his career and his romance, leaving him with nothing but regret over what could have been. His last chance to rejoin the world’s top skaters is now. And there’s only one person who can help him: her.

On Russia’s unyielding ice, Misha must reclaim what he’s lost while facing off against a talented young rival and risking further injury. But Amy soon discovers Misha’s much bigger challenges lurk off the ice. And she’s determined to keep Misha whole and healthy, even if doing so ends his shot at the gold.

On Sale in Digital: April 4, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play

Add GETTING IT BACK to your TBR pile on Goodreads!

Keep on reading to find an excerpt to whet your appetite, information on the earlier two novels in this series and the author as well as the link to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway associated with this tour!

Here’s the excerpt:

He was coming through the kitchen, a basket of laundry in his arms, when she came in the back door. “Amy. You are back early. Did you have a nice time with your family?”

She gazed at his beautiful face, high cheekbones, and brilliant blue eyes. His sandy- colored bangs fringed his forehead and gave him boyish charm, but the memory of his body and the way she’d felt in his arms yesterday reminded her that he was very much a man. And though her family might see her as a child, Amy was very much a woman. A woman who was ready to take what she wanted. She took the basket from his hands and set it aside. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her body against him and claimed him in a hungry kiss.

From the way he tensed, she knew she’d surprised him. He wasn’t the only one. Nice girls from small town Wisconsin didn’t return from Sunday brunch with Mom and Dad and push men up against their kitchen counters. Even men as handsome as this long, lean Russian she’d been admiring from a distance for weeks. But now that she’d jumped into the deep end, Amy didn’t want to think.

She wanted only to feel.

She smoothed her hands over the muscular contours of his shoulders and threaded her fingers through his thick, soft hair. The strands were still damp from the shower, and the clean, crisp scent of him spiked her desire. Her belly tightened and a pleasant fullness settled between her legs as she imagined him naked, his skin bare for her to touch and taste as she pleased. The idea drove her to kiss him even harder.

But Misha seemed to want a slower pace. He cupped the back of her head and took his sweet time kissing her. The sensuous movement of his tongue in her mouth sent tingles along her nerves and when he pulled back, a little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “This I did not expect. Amy the Tiger is full of surprise.”

She looked up into his eyes, which were  soft and blue as a summer sky. “A good surprise, I hope.”

“Da. Very good.” He brushed his thumb across the moist swell of her bottom lip. “Is this what you want?”

It was an understandable question, given her earlier reluctance. And if she were going to Moscow as his athletic trainer, it could only be this once. But she needed to get this out of her system. “Yes, Misha. I want it very much,” She took a step closer and gripped the counter on either side of him, making sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Not that he seemed eager to leave.

“Here?” he asked, a brow cocked with amusement.

Why the hell not? After an infuriating day of family togetherness, hot sex on the kitchen floor sounded like just the ticket. Tired of talking, Amy answered with a bold, passionate kiss.

Check out other books in the Red Hot Russians series!

PAIRING OFF

2016 RITA® Award Finalist…Best First Book!

American figure skater Carrie Parker’s Winter Games dreams were dashed when her philandering partner caused one of the greatest scandals in skating history. Blacklisted from competing in the United States, her career is over…until she receives a mysterious invitation and is paired with the most infuriating, talented—and handsome—skater she’s ever met.

Russian champion Anton Belikov knows sacrifice. He gave up a normal life and any hope of a meaningful relationship to pursue his dream. And he’s come close—with a silver medal already under his belt, the next stop is the gold. All he needs is a partner. While he’s never forgotten the young American skater he seduced one long-ago night in Amsterdam, he never expected to be confronted with their past…never mind share the ice with her.

When what starts as a publicity stunt grows into something real, Carrie and Anton’s partnership will test their loyalties to family, country and each other. With only a few months to train for the competition of a lifetime, can they master technique and their emotions, or will they lose their footing and fall victim to the heartaches of their pasts?

Order this title at these online retailers: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google Books | Kobo

TURNING IT ON

Book editor Hannah Levinson couldn’t be happier. This “Nice Jewish Girl” is ready to marry the man she’s longed after for half her life. When her fiancé suggests they audition for Last Fling, a steamy new reality show for engaged couples, she lets herself be swayed. Maybe she’ll learn a thing or two.

Vlad Shustov’s fall from a once-bright career as a competitive figure skater was swift. Now trapped by a shameful past and an uncertain future, “Vlad the Bad” strips for cash. Joining the cast of Last Fling could earn him a fortune—or at least enough to finally leave stripping. But to win the show’s prize, he must seduce an engaged woman, something he can’t even bear the thought of.

Hannah’s not like any woman Vlad’s met before. Betrayed by the man she thought she loved and relegated to the ugly-duckling role she’d worked so hard to shed, can she trust there’s more to Vlad than meets the eye? With sleazy TV tactics shattering the last shreds of the contestants’ confidence, they’ll have to believe true happiness is not only possible…it may be looking right at them.

Order this title at these online retailers: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks 

CELEBRATE THE RELEASE WITH A GIVEAWAY!

Grand Prize: $30 Amazon gift card 

2 Runner-up Prizes: Digital copies of any one (1) book by Elizabeth Harmon from her backlist

Enter here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29203/?

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Harmon loves to read and write romances with a dash of different.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, she has worked in advertising, community journalism and as a freelance magazine writer. She feels incredibly blessed to have a career that allows her to spend her days imagining “what if?” and a loving family that keeps her grounded in the real world.  Her debut novel, Pairing Off is a 2016 RITA Award Finalist.

An adventurous cook, vintage home enthusiast, occasional actress, and entry-level figure skater, Elizabeth makes her home in the Midwest, where life is good, but the sports teams aren’t. She loves to hang out on her front porch, or at her favorite local establishments, enjoy good food and wine, and talk writing with anyone who will listen.

Follow Elizabeth: Website |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon  | Goodreads | BookBub |  BookLikes  | Google+

Many thanks to the author, publishers and Barclay Publicity for gifting me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review and for organising and providing the additional materials included in this blog tour post.