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Carve Me Free: A Steamy World Cup Ski Romance with Dangerous Class‑Gap Heat
She is ice and scandal. He is speed and sin. When they meet, they turn heat into a weapon they can’t stop using. But can that last?
Enemies to lovers · Forbidden class‑gap romance · World Cup ski circuit · European Alps · High‑stakes sport · Adrenaline‑fuelled racing & heat
Having spent her life as a decoration for her scandalously rich father, Élise Moreau finds her rebellion in a reckless downhill racer. Escaping an Olympic gala, she takes him up on his offer to be free and wild in his arms. One reckless Olympic night. No names. Just escape, freedom, and the kind of sex that brands itself into your bones.
Nico Reiner is the golden, reckless Super-G talent of Austria, hurling himself down the ice like he’s furious at the mountain and flirting his way through camera crews and fan girls. He’s used to casual hook-ups, easy worship, and being the wildest thing in any room—until one perfectly polished princess looks at him like he’s beneath her, then kisses him like she wants to burn her whole life down.
They were not supposed to meet again. But months later, Austria’s new speed hero locks eyes with his mystery girl at a World Cup sponsor party—and finds out the wild stranger from his bed is the Moreau heiress whose disgraced dynasty now quietly owns his skis.
What starts as a filthy, anonymous rebellion turns into a season-long obsession they can’t tame. As the stakes climb, they learn lust is easy; love is brutal. When crashes threaten careers, tabloids circle like vultures, and her father moves in for the kill, Nico and Élise have to face something far scarier than breaking sacrifice, letting go of each other’s leash, and choosing a grown-up love they actually have to earn.
Carve Me Free is the second standalone book in the Carve a scorching World Cup sports romance for readers who crave enemies to lovers and a forbidden relationship that refuses to stay secret. Expect a golden boy with cracks, a black-cat heiress fighting out of her gilded cage, sharp class lines, and a season that forces them both to grow up if they want their love to survive.
Enemies to lovers · Forbidden class‑gap romance · World Cup ski circuit · European Alps · High‑stakes sport · Adrenaline‑fuelled racing & heat
Having spent her life as a decoration for her scandalously rich father, Élise Moreau finds her rebellion in a reckless downhill racer. Escaping an Olympic gala, she takes him up on his offer to be free and wild in his arms. One reckless Olympic night. No names. Just escape, freedom, and the kind of sex that brands itself into your bones.
Nico Reiner is the golden, reckless Super-G talent of Austria, hurling himself down the ice like he’s furious at the mountain and flirting his way through camera crews and fan girls. He’s used to casual hook-ups, easy worship, and being the wildest thing in any room—until one perfectly polished princess looks at him like he’s beneath her, then kisses him like she wants to burn her whole life down.
They were not supposed to meet again. But months later, Austria’s new speed hero locks eyes with his mystery girl at a World Cup sponsor party—and finds out the wild stranger from his bed is the Moreau heiress whose disgraced dynasty now quietly owns his skis.
What starts as a filthy, anonymous rebellion turns into a season-long obsession they can’t tame. As the stakes climb, they learn lust is easy; love is brutal. When crashes threaten careers, tabloids circle like vultures, and her father moves in for the kill, Nico and Élise have to face something far scarier than breaking sacrifice, letting go of each other’s leash, and choosing a grown-up love they actually have to earn.
Carve Me Free is the second standalone book in the Carve a scorching World Cup sports romance for readers who crave enemies to lovers and a forbidden relationship that refuses to stay secret. Expect a golden boy with cracks, a black-cat heiress fighting out of her gilded cage, sharp class lines, and a season that forces them both to grow up if they want their love to survive.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2026
About the author
Mara J. Ova
8 books6 followersMara J. Ova writes contemporary romance that burns hot and cuts deep, where love is always tangled up with risk. She’s the creator of The Carved Heart Series — stories set in the high-speed, high-stakes world of alpine skiing, filled with dangerous slopes, fearless women, and men who know exactly how to make you weak in the knees.
All of her books connect inside the Maraverse, a universe where athletes, dreamers, and daredevils chase glory — and just as often, stumble headfirst into love.
A lifelong skier and devoted fan of the Alps, Mara brings adrenaline-soaked settings to life in her romances, from frozen mountainsides to rushing rivers. And when the writing day is over, she’ll never say no to a glass of crisp, dry white wine.
All of her books connect inside the Maraverse, a universe where athletes, dreamers, and daredevils chase glory — and just as often, stumble headfirst into love.
A lifelong skier and devoted fan of the Alps, Mara brings adrenaline-soaked settings to life in her romances, from frozen mountainsides to rushing rivers. And when the writing day is over, she’ll never say no to a glass of crisp, dry white wine.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 17, 2026
ARC Review: thank you for the opportunity to read and review.
Individually, I liked the characters and I liked their relationship in the beginning. I struggled significantly with their relationship as it “evolved” because it felt like a toxic situation and I struggled to see how it was going to come out right. I don’t know that it was “right” but ended as well as I feel it could with the different factors at hand.
Individually, I liked the characters and I liked their relationship in the beginning. I struggled significantly with their relationship as it “evolved” because it felt like a toxic situation and I struggled to see how it was going to come out right. I don’t know that it was “right” but ended as well as I feel it could with the different factors at hand.
April 30, 2026
She is ice and scandal. He is speed and sin… — and this story absolutely delivers on that tension.
From the first reckless meeting between Élise and Nico, I was hooked. Their connection starts off intense, impulsive, and purely physical—but what makes this story stand out is how that heat slowly evolves into something deeper, more complicated, and harder to walk away from.
Élise is such a compelling character. Watching her push against the expectations of her controlling, high-society world added a strong emotional layer to the story. She’s not just rebellious—she’s searching for autonomy, and that made her choices feel meaningful rather than reckless. Nico, on the other hand, brings that adrenaline-fueled, golden-boy energy, but there’s more depth to him than expected. His passion for skiing and the cracks beneath his confidence made him feel real and grounded.
The enemies-to-lovers and class-gap tension is done really well here. Their relationship is messy, intense, and sometimes frustrating—but in a way that feels intentional. It reflects how difficult it is to build something real when everything around you is working against it.
The alpine racing setting added so much to the story. The high-stakes world of competitive skiing, the danger, the pressure, and the constant media attention all raised the emotional intensity. It wasn’t just romance—it felt like everything was on the line, both on and off the slopes.
This is definitely a steamy read, but the emotional growth is what really stands out. It’s not just about attraction—it’s about learning how to let go of control, face vulnerability, and choose a love that requires effort and change.
Overall, this book is a gripping mix of passion, conflict, and character growth. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, and high-intensity settings, this one is absolutely worth the read.
From the first reckless meeting between Élise and Nico, I was hooked. Their connection starts off intense, impulsive, and purely physical—but what makes this story stand out is how that heat slowly evolves into something deeper, more complicated, and harder to walk away from.
Élise is such a compelling character. Watching her push against the expectations of her controlling, high-society world added a strong emotional layer to the story. She’s not just rebellious—she’s searching for autonomy, and that made her choices feel meaningful rather than reckless. Nico, on the other hand, brings that adrenaline-fueled, golden-boy energy, but there’s more depth to him than expected. His passion for skiing and the cracks beneath his confidence made him feel real and grounded.
The enemies-to-lovers and class-gap tension is done really well here. Their relationship is messy, intense, and sometimes frustrating—but in a way that feels intentional. It reflects how difficult it is to build something real when everything around you is working against it.
The alpine racing setting added so much to the story. The high-stakes world of competitive skiing, the danger, the pressure, and the constant media attention all raised the emotional intensity. It wasn’t just romance—it felt like everything was on the line, both on and off the slopes.
This is definitely a steamy read, but the emotional growth is what really stands out. It’s not just about attraction—it’s about learning how to let go of control, face vulnerability, and choose a love that requires effort and change.
Overall, this book is a gripping mix of passion, conflict, and character growth. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, and high-intensity settings, this one is absolutely worth the read.
May 19, 2026
Carve Me Free absolutely delivered everything I wanted from an enemies-to-lovers sports romance. The dynamic between Nico and Élise crackles from the moment they meet, and Mara J. Ova doesn't rush the tension. What I loved most was how the author used their opposing worlds to create genuine conflict. Nico is this golden boy ski racer trying to prove himself after his teammate Thomas leaves, while Élise is trapped in her father's shadow as the "spoiled princess" whose family literally owns the equipment Nico races with. When Nico wins at Birds of Prey after that absolutely insane Golden Eagle jump, the victory feels earned, and you can feel how much it matters to him. But the best part? Élise watching that race and realizing she cares about him as a person, not just as some forbidden crush. The slow burn of them texting after his crash, with Élise trying to play it cool while clearly terrified he's hurt, had me grinning like an idiot.
ARC provided via Pen Pinery
https://penpinery.com
ARC provided via Pen Pinery
https://penpinery.com
March 29, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
HEA ✅️
This was a great second book for this series!! We met the MMC in book 1 and I absolutely wanted more of him. I was not disappointed! He is sweet and spicy and the exact match for the FMC he craves so badly.
This book was spicy and had me hooked on the plot! I needed to know these 2 were ok!!
Enemies to lovers ✅️
Forbidden FMC ✅️
The stress/dangers/excitement of professional skiing ✅️✅️
I am excited for more from these athletes! Thank you Mara!! Once again you have made me obsess over a fictional couple!
🌶🌶🌶🌶
HEA ✅️
This was a great second book for this series!! We met the MMC in book 1 and I absolutely wanted more of him. I was not disappointed! He is sweet and spicy and the exact match for the FMC he craves so badly.
This book was spicy and had me hooked on the plot! I needed to know these 2 were ok!!
Enemies to lovers ✅️
Forbidden FMC ✅️
The stress/dangers/excitement of professional skiing ✅️✅️
I am excited for more from these athletes! Thank you Mara!! Once again you have made me obsess over a fictional couple!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews