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Open Water
Dismissed as washed up due to injury, Cass Flynn has just found out she’s been elevated from alternate to competitor for the Double Scull US Rowing Team on its way to China. With only a few weeks until the event debuts with the whole world watching, she is itching to prove she can still row at world-class speeds. It’s her last chance—at 32 she can’t afford to wait another four years.
Aloof 28-year-old Stroke-of-the-Eights rower Laura Kelley doubts her last minute teammate’s suitability as much as anyone, but has little time to dwell on it. Her own inconsistency since the suicide of her ex’s younger sister has not gone unnoticed, and her ex’s appearance at training camp literally rocks the boat.
Driven by their own hearts to compete at speeds thought impossible only years earlier, Cass and Laura plunge into training with one goal in gold. Fate has other plans, and medals aren’t the only things at risk.
Pol Robinson’s debut romance novel dives into the ultimate competition with a riveting story of world-class athletes and the passions that drive them.
Aloof 28-year-old Stroke-of-the-Eights rower Laura Kelley doubts her last minute teammate’s suitability as much as anyone, but has little time to dwell on it. Her own inconsistency since the suicide of her ex’s younger sister has not gone unnoticed, and her ex’s appearance at training camp literally rocks the boat.
Driven by their own hearts to compete at speeds thought impossible only years earlier, Cass and Laura plunge into training with one goal in gold. Fate has other plans, and medals aren’t the only things at risk.
Pol Robinson’s debut romance novel dives into the ultimate competition with a riveting story of world-class athletes and the passions that drive them.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2011
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Pol Robinson
3 books6 followersPol Robinson is a displaced Wisconsin graduate and resident now living in southern California. A childhood spent watching the Badgers and Packers lose shaped her interest in, and love of, all things sport-related and engendered a love of the underdog. A couple of post-graduate degrees and 11 years in the USAF/A later, she is a professor and doctoral student in the Los Angeles area, where she lives with her partner and their brilliant dog, Charlie.
An avid fan of rowing, Pol was stunned to be recruited to the USC Rowing squad while on a flight back from Hawaii, an opportunity she hated to turn down, but one that served to rekindle her sporting spirit. From that experience, and subsequent participation in Master’s rowing events, was born her first novel, Open Water.
An avid fan of rowing, Pol was stunned to be recruited to the USC Rowing squad while on a flight back from Hawaii, an opportunity she hated to turn down, but one that served to rekindle her sporting spirit. From that experience, and subsequent participation in Master’s rowing events, was born her first novel, Open Water.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 17, 2011
This is a traditional romance between two Olympic athletes, who travel to China to compete. I loved the cover, I'm a sucker for any story about women athletes, and I've always been intrigued by rowers. So, buying this was a no brainer. Although the rowing lingo and definitions intruded a little in the first part of the story, don't make a snap judgment about the book. The characters are well developed and their dance to come together sweetly aggravating as it should be to make the reader long to see them together in the end.
I did have a little trouble believing that two women living in the same dorm, working out in the same gym, rowing from the same dock could go days, even a week without seeing each other. It was a small matter, however, and partly my impatience for the characters to get together. In the end, I loved all the information about rowing. The author did her research well, and after the first chapters, found a way to weave the information into the story so that you didn't notice you were learning new things.
A final word for all like me who hate fade-to-black-sex: There is no sex scene in this book. I found, however, that I didn't mind it this time because the author never shuts the door on the reader. The book just ends at a point when you know that is the next step for them. I found that perfectly acceptable for this sweet, traditional story.
I did have a little trouble believing that two women living in the same dorm, working out in the same gym, rowing from the same dock could go days, even a week without seeing each other. It was a small matter, however, and partly my impatience for the characters to get together. In the end, I loved all the information about rowing. The author did her research well, and after the first chapters, found a way to weave the information into the story so that you didn't notice you were learning new things.
A final word for all like me who hate fade-to-black-sex: There is no sex scene in this book. I found, however, that I didn't mind it this time because the author never shuts the door on the reader. The book just ends at a point when you know that is the next step for them. I found that perfectly acceptable for this sweet, traditional story.
August 3, 2021
This story built up really nicely and really established the setting well.
The main and secondary characters were very interesting.
The Olympic backdrop blended in to the story nicely.
The romance built well and juuuuust when it should have climaxed and played out to satisfaction..a new character was thrown in to the mix and the moment was sort of lost in all this extra and unnecessary old relationship sillyness and really... that was it for me.
A shame really... could have been better edited and resolved.
The main and secondary characters were very interesting.
The Olympic backdrop blended in to the story nicely.
The romance built well and juuuuust when it should have climaxed and played out to satisfaction..a new character was thrown in to the mix and the moment was sort of lost in all this extra and unnecessary old relationship sillyness and really... that was it for me.
A shame really... could have been better edited and resolved.
Read
April 22, 2023Cass (Cassandra) Flynn made the US rowing team on the Olympics in Bejing, unexpectedly because she hurt her leg in an accident.
The other main character, Laura, is haunted by ghosts of the past; she feels guilty because her ex’s sister committed suicide.
It’s an entertaining romance that develops slowly, which is nice. We see their first kiss, but no sex scene.
Sexual orientation is a non-issue for everyone in this novel and almost every character is a lesbian.
There are some POV issues—unnecessary POVs (Amy, Captain Landers...), head hopping, and other POV issues (“Cass quickly left the dock, ... missing the flash of pain that crossed Laura’s face”).
There are also a few missing commas (“as you know Bob”).
Overall, the book is okay and provides a few hours of entertainment.
The other main character, Laura, is haunted by ghosts of the past; she feels guilty because her ex’s sister committed suicide.
It’s an entertaining romance that develops slowly, which is nice. We see their first kiss, but no sex scene.
Sexual orientation is a non-issue for everyone in this novel and almost every character is a lesbian.
There are some POV issues—unnecessary POVs (Amy, Captain Landers...), head hopping, and other POV issues (“Cass quickly left the dock, ... missing the flash of pain that crossed Laura’s face”).
There are also a few missing commas (“as you know Bob”).
Overall, the book is okay and provides a few hours of entertainment.
October 26, 2011
Beautiful story! I would love to see a sequel. Good job Pol.
July 3, 2012
So here we are. It’s the beginning of July 2012. In just a few short weeks, the Olympic Games will open in London.
I’ve always enjoyed the Olympics. I remember being madly in love with Mark Spitz when I was just 4 years old. Don’t judge. I was four! I remember when Mary Lou Retton nailed – I mean NAILED – her vaults to win the Women’s Gymnastics All-around medal. Bruce Jenner. Carl Lewis. Flo-Jo. Mary Decker. I remember them all.
Ever watched those Bud Greenspan specials on cable? Those are spectacular. I think I’ve seen them all.
So, I thought this a fitting time to pick up Open Water (Bella Books) by Pol Robinson. After Pol won the Goldie for Debut Author last month, I teasingly said to her, “Well, I guess I have to read it now!” Of course, I’ve been chomping at the bit for quite some time to get to it. I’m really glad I did.
Cass Flynn has just found herself moving from alternate to competitor on the US Rowing Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ripped from competitive rowing by a debilitating injury, Cass has fought hard to come back better than ever. As she nears her 32nd birthday, this will be her last chance at an Olympic medal.
Twenty-eight-year-old Laura Kelley, captain of the US team, is struggling with her own demons and it’s showing in her performance on the water. Right now, she needs nothing more than to focus on her goal – an Olympic medal.
Cass and Laura’s first meeting does not go well. Nor does their second. Or Third. But Cass’s persistence gradually wins out, and a wonderful friendship unfolds. But will their individual desires and their past demons serve to push them apart?
Let me start by saying this: I’ve never known anything about rowing. Okay, yeah…people get in a boat, they grab oars, the row together…the fastest boat wins. Easy enough, right? Another bit of honesty: I’ve never really been a huge fan of the sport. I sort of thought of it like NASCAR – “oh look at the colorful cars driving in a circle.” Same thing – “oh look at the people rowing the boats really fast in a straight line.”
Now, all of that simplifying aside, I gotta say that, after reading this book, I will be ALL OVER the rowing events when they are shown on TV! Robinson did an outstanding job of not only explaining the ins and outs of the sport, but she also really relayed the excitement and suspense of the races. As Cass and her Double Scull partner, Sarah, race for the medal, I found that I was at the edge of my seat while reading! The race easily covered 10 pages of text – every word dripping with excitement. Would they do it? Would they win? How simple it would have been to play out the race quickly – sticking to just Cass’s point of view in the scull or Laura’s point of view watching from the stands. They start. They row. Someone wins. But no. The race is told from multiple points of view, from different angles. As readers, we get to experience the emotions from all sides of the race. Oh, it was masterfully done. Masterfully done, I say!
Speaking of point of view, I really want to commend Robinson on her ability to really develop her secondary characters – who, by the way, really felt like main characters – by letting us see through their eyes. While still told in 3rd person POV, each character has a unique voice and tone. It’s so hard to keep all of the voices separate – and consistent – through an entire novel. (The only other person who has ever truly impressed me with that type of writing skill is Amy Dawson Robertson in her Rennie Vogel Intrigues. I’m now putting Pol Robinson in that esteemed category.) Not only do we learn more about those secondary characters and the actual sport, but we learn about Cass and Laura. We learn about the support group that they have around them. It’s a wonderful “show don’t tell” sort of feel. I loved it! The focus always remained on Cass and Laura, though. We never lose sight of the fact that this is their story.
Cass and Laura, themselves, are nicely fleshed out. These are characters with depth. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know I love me some multi-dimensional characters! Cass and Laura are just that. Right up until the last page of the book, we’re learning more and more about these two women – about their needs, their desires, their passions. With each new snippet into Cass’s life, we understand why she is the way she is – persistent, determined…alone. So, when she continues to reach out to Laura – who has been rude, aloof, condescending – we’re not surprised. She approaches this, her desire to get to know another person – to know this person – just as she did the therapy for her injury. She fought, she persevered, she didn’t take “you can’t do it” as an excuse.
I loved the slow build of the romance in Open Water. It was nice that they weren’t jumping into bed with each other on page 25 – you know, that whole “animal-attraction, lust frenzy” that we’ll sometimes see in novels? It could have happened. There were plenty of points throughout the story when Robinson could have thrown them in bed with each other…and then worked things out in the aftermath. It would have made for interesting conflict – it certainly would have influenced their rowing, thereby affecting their relationship with other team members. Sure…that’s one way to go. I think Robinson took the harder route, actually. Goodness knows, these women had enough obstacles – physical and psychological – to navigate. The careful forming of a friendship, the gradual deepening of emotions…those are, in my humble opinion, harder to put on the page. But Robinson did put it all on the page, and she did it so skillfully, that we know these two will continue to grow and their relationship will continue to deepen. What a very satisfying ending.
So, yes, I had to read this book. Not just because Robinson won a Goldie – a very deserved win, by the way – but because it’s just a damned good novel. It’s packed full of exciting, riveting action; and it’s deeply emotional. These are outstanding traits in any novel. Robinson mastered them in this one.
Get yourself into the Olympic spirit. Pick up a copy of Open Water and lose yourself for a while. If you’ve already read it…what’s stopping you from reading it again?
I’ve always enjoyed the Olympics. I remember being madly in love with Mark Spitz when I was just 4 years old. Don’t judge. I was four! I remember when Mary Lou Retton nailed – I mean NAILED – her vaults to win the Women’s Gymnastics All-around medal. Bruce Jenner. Carl Lewis. Flo-Jo. Mary Decker. I remember them all.
Ever watched those Bud Greenspan specials on cable? Those are spectacular. I think I’ve seen them all.
So, I thought this a fitting time to pick up Open Water (Bella Books) by Pol Robinson. After Pol won the Goldie for Debut Author last month, I teasingly said to her, “Well, I guess I have to read it now!” Of course, I’ve been chomping at the bit for quite some time to get to it. I’m really glad I did.
Cass Flynn has just found herself moving from alternate to competitor on the US Rowing Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Ripped from competitive rowing by a debilitating injury, Cass has fought hard to come back better than ever. As she nears her 32nd birthday, this will be her last chance at an Olympic medal.
Twenty-eight-year-old Laura Kelley, captain of the US team, is struggling with her own demons and it’s showing in her performance on the water. Right now, she needs nothing more than to focus on her goal – an Olympic medal.
Cass and Laura’s first meeting does not go well. Nor does their second. Or Third. But Cass’s persistence gradually wins out, and a wonderful friendship unfolds. But will their individual desires and their past demons serve to push them apart?
Let me start by saying this: I’ve never known anything about rowing. Okay, yeah…people get in a boat, they grab oars, the row together…the fastest boat wins. Easy enough, right? Another bit of honesty: I’ve never really been a huge fan of the sport. I sort of thought of it like NASCAR – “oh look at the colorful cars driving in a circle.” Same thing – “oh look at the people rowing the boats really fast in a straight line.”
Now, all of that simplifying aside, I gotta say that, after reading this book, I will be ALL OVER the rowing events when they are shown on TV! Robinson did an outstanding job of not only explaining the ins and outs of the sport, but she also really relayed the excitement and suspense of the races. As Cass and her Double Scull partner, Sarah, race for the medal, I found that I was at the edge of my seat while reading! The race easily covered 10 pages of text – every word dripping with excitement. Would they do it? Would they win? How simple it would have been to play out the race quickly – sticking to just Cass’s point of view in the scull or Laura’s point of view watching from the stands. They start. They row. Someone wins. But no. The race is told from multiple points of view, from different angles. As readers, we get to experience the emotions from all sides of the race. Oh, it was masterfully done. Masterfully done, I say!
Speaking of point of view, I really want to commend Robinson on her ability to really develop her secondary characters – who, by the way, really felt like main characters – by letting us see through their eyes. While still told in 3rd person POV, each character has a unique voice and tone. It’s so hard to keep all of the voices separate – and consistent – through an entire novel. (The only other person who has ever truly impressed me with that type of writing skill is Amy Dawson Robertson in her Rennie Vogel Intrigues. I’m now putting Pol Robinson in that esteemed category.) Not only do we learn more about those secondary characters and the actual sport, but we learn about Cass and Laura. We learn about the support group that they have around them. It’s a wonderful “show don’t tell” sort of feel. I loved it! The focus always remained on Cass and Laura, though. We never lose sight of the fact that this is their story.
Cass and Laura, themselves, are nicely fleshed out. These are characters with depth. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know I love me some multi-dimensional characters! Cass and Laura are just that. Right up until the last page of the book, we’re learning more and more about these two women – about their needs, their desires, their passions. With each new snippet into Cass’s life, we understand why she is the way she is – persistent, determined…alone. So, when she continues to reach out to Laura – who has been rude, aloof, condescending – we’re not surprised. She approaches this, her desire to get to know another person – to know this person – just as she did the therapy for her injury. She fought, she persevered, she didn’t take “you can’t do it” as an excuse.
I loved the slow build of the romance in Open Water. It was nice that they weren’t jumping into bed with each other on page 25 – you know, that whole “animal-attraction, lust frenzy” that we’ll sometimes see in novels? It could have happened. There were plenty of points throughout the story when Robinson could have thrown them in bed with each other…and then worked things out in the aftermath. It would have made for interesting conflict – it certainly would have influenced their rowing, thereby affecting their relationship with other team members. Sure…that’s one way to go. I think Robinson took the harder route, actually. Goodness knows, these women had enough obstacles – physical and psychological – to navigate. The careful forming of a friendship, the gradual deepening of emotions…those are, in my humble opinion, harder to put on the page. But Robinson did put it all on the page, and she did it so skillfully, that we know these two will continue to grow and their relationship will continue to deepen. What a very satisfying ending.
So, yes, I had to read this book. Not just because Robinson won a Goldie – a very deserved win, by the way – but because it’s just a damned good novel. It’s packed full of exciting, riveting action; and it’s deeply emotional. These are outstanding traits in any novel. Robinson mastered them in this one.
Get yourself into the Olympic spirit. Pick up a copy of Open Water and lose yourself for a while. If you’ve already read it…what’s stopping you from reading it again?
January 4, 2019
I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary romance, but this was just about perfect. Speedy plot, good sexual tension, and a fun Olympic setting.
Full review coming soon!
Full review coming soon!
August 5, 2021
If you are a fan of books featuring top athletes and that explore relationships and competition at that level this should be on your reading list. If you want a book that puts you in China for the Olympics this should be on your reading list. If you need more then kisses and promises for more in your Lesfic then probably skip it. I enjoyed the novel and came away feeling as if I know a little bit more about top athletes, the olympics and rowing.
September 15, 2015
Well written romance with engaging characters set in the world of an Olympic sport I know nothing about but was interested to learn. Those who expect steamy love scenes in your romance novels should look elsewhere. But, if you read them for the 'thrill of the chase' and to experience situations outside your own, this story will do the trick.
July 31, 2012
What better time to read this book than during another Olympics, right?
And the rowing part was fun. Unfortunately, the whole thing was tainted by the caricature-like evil ex. That plot line was unbelievable and the character not well-developed.
And the rowing part was fun. Unfortunately, the whole thing was tainted by the caricature-like evil ex. That plot line was unbelievable and the character not well-developed.
May 14, 2013
Great lesbian starter romance. Sweet and well written.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews