Warning:  There is a good chance this book will make you cry at some point.  It starts with an avalanche that kills two young men and leaves a young woman broken in body & heart.  It’s now been a year and Pippa has moved home with her dad to recover and grieve … and avoid her once promising skiing career.  But her old coach won’t let her quit and pushes her to come back.  Once on her skis again, she finds a part of herself that had been missing, plus friends that she’d lost touch with and a snowboarder who reminds her that she still has a heart to lose.  But Hunter has some issues of his own – issues that might destroy their relationship before it really begins.

I read Carry Your Heart in one day because I just could not put it down.  The beginning just broke my heart.  I couldn’t shake the fear and desperation that they must have felt during the avalanche and my chest hurt thinking of what that would have been like.  You know it’s going to be a good story when it sucks you in and makes you feel like the people are that real.

Pippa’s issues are there for everyone to see.  The competitive skiing world is close knit and they all know what happened, they knew all three of them, and it hurt them too.  It’s hard for Pippa to have to face them again – the pity, the judgment, the questions – but she quickly realizes that there is nowhere else she can be.  She still has to figure out how to move on and get over the loss of her friends but skiing is a part of her too.

Hunter is more private and very few people know enough about him to truly get him.  I’m not sure why he chooses Pippa to be the person he opens up to but he needed that very badly.  Although not as obviously traumatic, his troubles are just as difficult to manage and move beyond.  Hunter hasn’t learn to deal with a lot of his baggage and finds it easier to run away.  It’s not the healthiest of reactions and definitely causes him problems.

Some may feel that their relationship is not a good one – he’s got commitment issues and she’s coming out of a depression – but it worked for me.  They are there for each other, supporting one another, and helping to move forward.  Yes, they have their moments of stupidity, stubbornness and pride, but that just makes them more real.  People are idiots and you either forgive or move on – I’m very happy that they choose to forgive.  There are unanswered questions that suggest the opportunity for a follow up book … which I’m ok with only as long as these two stay together.  I really want them to find something good together.

Carry Your Heart falls into that New Adult category of romances – those books about people in their early 20s, with all the joy and heartache that comes with moving into adulthood.  It made me cry and laugh and sigh.  It made me fall in love with Hunter and miss knowing those boys from the avalanche.  It was real and difficult and frustrating and happy.  I will say that I got an advance copy directly from Audrey Bell and I’m not sure if it was the final edition.  There were some editing issues in my copy that I know would annoy some people but if you look through that you will find a story about loving and living that will touch your heart.