Into Thin Air: A Love on the High Mountain Story

by Ryan Maxwell

High in the unforgiving peaks of the Colorado Rockies, danger lurks beneath the snow. When a devastating avalanche buries photojournalist Lily Park, survival seems impossible—until the High Mountain Search and Rescue team answers the call.

Elena Vega, a seasoned SAR leader with a past she keeps locked away, knows that every second counts. Racing against time and the brutal elements, she and her team push themselves to the limit to find Lily before the mountain claims her for good. But when they do, the rescue is only the beginning.

As Lily recovers, she becomes determined to document the stories of the team that risked everything to save her. Drawn to Elena’s quiet strength, she finds herself unraveling the woman behind the mission, discovering a connection neither of them expected. But Elena has spent years keeping her heart as guarded as the mountains she calls home, and letting Lily in might be the greatest risk of all.

A gripping tale of survival, resilience, and the undeniable pull of two women brought together by fate, Into Thin Air is a breathtaking journey through the wilds of nature—and the complexities of the human heart.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 31, 2025

Reviews

[Kexx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Self proclaimed AI novel (does the author exist? I assume not but apologies if does) that read as if I was being shouted out from a movie trailer. Not pleasant. The rights or wrongs of an AI novel are irrelevant here: it was, for me, unreadable. But the real crime was that Goodreads linked this novel with E J Noyes’ Gold and Schuss. Embarrassing.

[Roderick J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entertaining but repetitive

I`m uncertain if it`s the AI or not, but the structure is very repetitive. The SAR always opens with a sentence or two about coffee, radios, scraping boots and hum of voices. The cabin with scents of pine and coffee with burning or even dying embers of a fire managing to throw shadows on the walls. The protagonists almost touch a hundred times.

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molto interessante scoprire come funziona il mondo delle squadre di soccorso in montagna, i personaggi, per quanto inventati, erano descritti in maniera realistica e non romanzata o romanticizzata. Bel libro

[Deb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't know this was an AI book until I started reading. This should be on the front of the book so those who want a real story written by real authors don't click on this rubbish. This kind of thing goes against all the hard work that REAL authors invest their heart and soul into. AI books are not for me.

[Maz Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad story, my only complaint is the writer repeats , passages or sentences constantly.

[Kirian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The basic idea isn't bad (hence the 2 stars), but the result is disappointing: the AI repeats a lot, and instead of the story, it deals almost mainly with internal thoughts. There's minimal interaction between the main characters, but it's hard to see how the initial attraction turns into love. After reading the 2nd book, I wouldn't even recommend the spend time with the first one. I hope the author reworks them, because it could be an enjoyable series.

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

Too many silly inconsistencies in the story. Someone with a broken leg and in hospital bed is the next evening at a dinner party and then they go back to their cabin in a wheelchair. Then the next day they kneel down to stroke a dog - presumably because getting out of the wheelchair was easy! Then there was balancing their weight on their crutches and lifting the camera to their eye. Maybe crutches in the US are different from the UK.
A few weeks pass and they have a 1st day out without crutches - so obviously the search and rescue expert is going to get them to hike up a narrow icy mountain ridge where they nearly slip over the edge. It’s ridiculous.

Life’s too short for me to continue reading. Pity because good cover and premise.