The Slope Rules

The Rules #1

by Melanie Hooyenga

Fifteen-year old Cally accepted her fate as one of the guys, so when she meets Blake, a hot snowboarder who sees her for more than her aerials on the slopes, she falls fast and hard. But their romance can only last as long as vacation.

Or so she thinks.

A twist of fate--well, her Dad opening another brewery in a new town--lands her in Blake's school, but the charismatic boy she fell for wants nothing to do with her, and worse, the Snow Bunnies, the popular clique, claim her as their newest recruit.

Cally must learn to be true to herself--all while landing a spot on the ski team and figuring out who she is without her old friends. And when she finds out what Blake is hiding, she learns the rules on the slopes apply to more than just skiing.

*****

Gold Winner (YA Fiction General) 2017 -- Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
Silver Winner (High School Romance) 2017 -- Children's Literary Classics
Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2017 -- Readers' Favorite

"There aren't enough books like The Slope Rules out there in the world of romance. Final Verdict: First love at it's finest. This is a can't miss for anyone who wants more sweet than spicy and needs their hearts thawed on cold winter nights. No one will regret spending time on this book." --YA Books Central

"A fun, romantic story with a likeable protagonist and a familiar, yet enjoyable dramatic storyline that will appeal to teen readers." --IndieReader

"Author Melanie Hooyenga tells it like it is in this remarkably honest coming of age story. Written in the vernacular of today's teens, this highly relatable book is sure to resonate with young audiences. The Slope Rules offers drama, action and age-appropriate romance all wrapped up in an inspiring, page-turning read." --Children's Literary Classics

"Both sporting fans and readers who love emotionally charged novels will adore The Slope Rules,... a great romance for young adult readers... that explores love, coming of age, and personal growth." --Reader's Favorite

"The prose is tight and enjoyable from the first paragraph until the very end. The author's descriptions are vivid and beautiful. Cally has a strong, self confident voice and is a fully developed character." --The BookLife Prize

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Young Adult Romance, Sports Romance, High School

282 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2017

About the author

Multi-award winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally settled down in her home state of Michigan.

When not writing books, you can find Melanie enjoying the great outdoors and playing every sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.

**Awards**
Flicker
–> 1st Place Winner (MG/YA) of the 3rd Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published eBook Awards (2015)

The Slope Rules
–> Gold Winner (YA General Fiction) 2017, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
–> Silver Winner (High School Romance) 2017, Children's Literary Classics
–> Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2017, Readers' Favorite

The Trail Rules
–> Gold Winner (Special Interest: Sports) 2018, Children's Literary Classics
–> Silver Winner (YA Romance) 2018, Readers' Favorite
–> Silver Winner (YA General Fiction) 2018, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards

The Edge Rules
–> Gold Winner (Special Interest: Sports) 2019 — Children’s Literary Classics
–> Winner (YA) 2019 – Orange County RWA BBB Awards
–> Finalist / YA/MG Winner 2019 – BookLife Prize
–> Bronze Winner (YA Romance) 2019 — Readers’ Favorite

Chasing the Sun
–> Gold Winner (YA General Fiction) 2020, Moonbeam Children's Book Awards
–> Quarter-Finalist / YA/MG 2020 – BookLife Prize

Reviews

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cally is vacationing in snowy Colorado. She loves the slopes and is a competitive Skier. Her mum loved the snow too and she feels close to her when Skiing. Unfortunately, it’s just Cally and her Dad these days. Her mum died in a car accident. At home, Cally is treated as one of the guys. They love her but in a platonic way. Colorado introduces her to a holiday romance she can’t get enough of.

Blake is Cally’s dreamy holiday romance. He seems perfect and her holiday relationship is swoon-worthy. When Cally returns home to Vermont she’s sad to be leaving Blake behind, but her Dad has some surprising news. Colorado wasn’t just a holiday it was a business trip.

Blake has some demons in his closet. He can handle a holiday romance but doesn’t date girls at school. Cally is beautiful and talented on the slopes. He can’t help trying to catch her. After their amazing week together he doesn’t realise she might turn up at his school.

There is so much I could tell you about this book but I don’t want to give too much away. I’m a fan of this Author and can’t believe I’d missed this gem! I’ve read the series out of order and for the first time ever I’m so glad. In book 3, we get Brianna’s story and I knew she was the villain of this tale but I wasn’t ready to hate her (I love her book).

Cally and Blake are a great couple. I’ve enjoyed reading about their journey and friends. Great series. Highly recommend and available on Kindle Unlimited. 5 out of 5. This book shows Cally crushing the cruel out of bullying and some kickass skiing moves.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Let me just start off by saying I have never skied or snowboarded a day in my life. Heck, I've only ever seen snow like two times, but there's just something magical about reading love stories that take place in the snow. I blame Lorelai Gilmore.

When 15 year old Cally vacations in Colorado, she meets super dreamy boarder, Blake. Used to being seen as just one of the guys, Cally is unprepared for the attention Blake showers on her. Even though they're only together a short while, Cally falls for him and is heartbroken when she has to go back home. Even more heartbroken when Blake suddenly stops talking to her. Then, to add to her misery, her father drops a bombshell - they're moving to Colorado where her father plans to open up another brewery. When Cally arrives at her new school, imagine her surprise when she sees Blake in her English class - especially when he told her he lived in California.

This read like Mean Girls: Snow Bunnies. Cally is immediately surrounded by the rich and popular kids, although one girl seems to have ulterior motives for friendship. With Blake ignoring her still and her new "friends" laying down all of these rules to follow, Cally isn't sure about anything and quickly starts losing who she is as a person.

What I liked was Cally's bravery and strength. She'd been through a lot in her life - losing her mother at an early age, moving across the country. etc. But, even though it takes her a little time, she stands up for who and what she believes in. She accepts that she'll never be a girly girl and she's okay with that. We need more young girls like her in YA.

What fell a little flat were just minor things - why Blake lied so much and then ignored her, the over-dramatic scenarios that popped up, the mean girls (it literally made no sense why people followed them). But there were other side characters who made up for these and ultimately, I enjoyed the book.

I would normally say that this would be a perfect cuddle up by the fireplace type of book, but if you're like me and live in California where it's currently 80 degrees already, I would call this a lovely park day read.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following in her mother's footsteps, Cally has become quite the skier, and after her mother had died, she became more focused on being just like her mother as she saw it as her mother's memory living through her. During a vacation in Colorado, Cally meets a snowboarder named Blake and sparks fly. For Cally, this is a first as normally the guys back home don't pay her special attention as she is viewed as one of them. Cally has a whirlwind Summer romance with Blake and when it's time to go home, the pair exchange numbers and promise to keep in touch. One thing leads to another and Cally is heartbroken as Blake broke his promise and then to top it off Cally receives the news that they are moving to Colorado. Once Cally arrives, though, she swears she sees Blake, but why is he avoiding her? Soon Cally is befriended by the popular clique called the Snow Bunnies and is welcomed into their group - the thing is though if she wants to be one of them, she can't talk to Blake. Cally, not one to bow down starts a war with Britt and a series of Mean Girls events follow. Will Cally crumble under pressure and become a Snow Bunny or will she start a new revolution? The Slope Rules by Melanie Hooyenga was one of those sweet YA High School romances with the drama of the different cliques - the popular vs the underdogs. The Slope Rules is the perfect read for those aged 14-18 years.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and charming, this is a read about a sporty girl finding both first love and herself, while dealing with a lot of changes, old and new.

Cally is on a skiing holiday with her dad when she is helped up from a fall by Blake. Unused to being someone’s object of affection, she falls for him by the time she has to leave… only to find herself not only moved across the country but also into Blake’s school. But Blake is ignoring her, the Snow Bunnies are pulling her into their rich (and bullying) circle, and Cally is feeling the loss of her friends and home. And then she decides to rebel…

The plot is a fresh (snow pun here!) take on the usual ‘first love’ story. But there are deeper themes here, with loss and death paying a formidable part in what would otherwise be a light read. A gripping read, a lot of drama (both within and outside highschool), and a lot of character growth. The only thing that threw me was the ending, which felt a little rushed and packed full of events that I would have expected to have been further developed through the character growth. But a good, fun read. Recommended.

*Thank you to the author for my free review copy.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, G-rated, YA sports romance

Calliope (Cally) is a 15-year-old, high-school sophomore. Her mother died tragically in a car accident when she was 8 years old and, since then, she's been phobic about riding on the left side of a car due to PTSD flashbacks of her mother's death. Cally's beloved mother was an outstanding skier, and she taught Cally how to ski, starting at age 3. As a result, skiing is not only important to Cally for its own sake, but because she feels emotionally connected to her dead mother when she is skiing.

Cally is very close to her responsible, affectionate and nurturing father, which is a welcome departure from the YA cliche of bad parents who are either clueless, neglectful, addicted, criminal, or just plain mean. When Cally and her father are on a skiing vacation in Boulder, Colorado at the beginning of the book, Cally has a classic, romantic-comedy, "Meet Cute" on the slopes with a wonderful boy named Blake, who is her same age. Where Cally is an extremely talented skier, known for her amazingly high, aerial jumps, Blake is almost equally skilled as an aerial snowboarder. Blake is also handsome, attentive and very sweet natured, and the two of them become very close in a matter of days. But, sadly, since Cally lives in Burlington, Vermont, and Blake says he is from Lake Tahoe, California, she assumes she will never see him again, and is very depressed about it. Then, totally surprising Cally, her father informs her that they are moving. He is co-owner of a very successful, independent, craft-beer brewery in Vermont, and he and his business partner have decided to expand their company by opening another brewery in Boulder. Cally has been staying in touch with Blake via text, but when she texts Blake about the move, he inexplicably stops texting her back.

Shortly after they settle in at their new home in Eldora, a small, bedroom community outside Boulder, Cally is shocked to discover that Blake attends the local high school. Unfortunately, the sweetheart of a guy whom she met on the slopes a short time ago is not the same person at school. He acts as if he doesn't even know her.

The setting of this story is so well drawn, and so crucial to the plot, it made me want to book a trip to Colorado. Cally and Blake are each intriguing and sympathetic characters. Their superior skill at their snow sports is vividly displayed in many exciting scenes, and the uniqueness of a school having a ski team is a fascinating part of the story as well. The story also has "girl power" elements that are fun to read. There is a classic "mean girl" antagonist named Brianna, however, her previous history with Blake, which is revealed toward the end of the book, makes her much more than a one-dimensional, teen-romance stock character.

All in all, this is one of the better YA romances I've read, and definitely an excellent sports romance.

Parental advisory: I personally would give this book a G-rating. It has no sex, only kissing, and there is no underage drinking or wild parties. One teenage subcharacter casually mentions smoking pot, but this is a realistic situation given that recreational pot is legal in Colorado. Notably, neither Cally nor Blake smokes pot.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 4 stars
Romantic Hero: 4 stars
Subcharacters: 4 stars
Romantic Plot: 4 stars
Sports Plot: 4 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Writing: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a perfect combination of GREASE meets MEAN GIRLS set on the ski slopes of Colorado...a great story about friendship, standing up for what you believe and following your heart!

So many times people read YA books and are frustrated with how "immature" the characters act--forgetting that they're teenagers! The characters had their 15-year-old moments--but they were so realistic and true to the teenage mindset with things like making new friends, testing friendship boundaries, pressure to follow the crowd, and taking risks in a social setting to stand up for what you believe.

Best part? It didn't feel like the author was "teaching a lesson" or being "preachy" with what Cally was facing as she dealt with all of the new changes she was facing in a short period of time.

I would highly recommend!

[Kim Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book for a ski lover

I really liked this book and started reading it based on my interest in romance YA books and skiing. It was a quick read and a page turner. I would recommend this book to skiers and those who like YA novels. I ended up getting Kindle Unlimited to read the second and third books in the series. Very excited to read the others after how good this book was.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Too many mean girls for my taste.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found so much to love about this book--my first by this author and it won't be my last. I have all three books in this series ready to read this summer. I sped through this book faster than Cally raced downhill because I just couldn't put it down.

I loved the friendships, both new and old, and how supportive these friends were. Their interactions felt natural and real life. This author tackled the painful isue of bullying and did an excellent job exploring the pain and loss that results, as well as positive ways to deal with the issue.

I enjoyed finding supportive and loving adults in these high schoolers' lives and the realistic boundaries set by Cally's dad.

The romance was the best part--I so enjoyed being part of Cally and Blake's relationship. This author knows how to make hearts flutter, swoon, and melt.

I am an active person and although I haven't skiied in many years, this book brought back my awesome memories of Colorado and Lake Tahoe skiing and just the views alone are stunning. Athletic characters are my favorites. The time on the mountain felt authentic.

With so much to love about this book, I highly recommend it and can't wait to read book two.

[Rebecca Reddell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredible read. The actual slope rules sprinkled throughout were fun and relatable to the story and specific scenes. I'm not a skier, snowboarder, etc., but I liked the scenes where Cally is heading down the slopes. If nothing else, I could picture the mountainous routes, packed snow, and cool tricks. The author did a wonderful job of showing imagery which added to my enjoyment.

I was pulled in by Cally's character. The memories of her mother, fear of driving, and relationship with her father are amazing to read. I love her voice.

Cally has a spunky character, is true to herself, and stands up for what she believes. I LOVED this about her. It was exciting not to see a cookie-cutter follower as the MC, and it was excellent to see a MC not result to being ruthless or mean or whiny.

She had a balance of being fair, saying what needed to be said without going overboard, and knowing when to leave it alone. It was wonderful to see a MC stand up for herself, and her friends, as well as encourage her friend(s) to take a stand.

I love that Cally helped Mike stand up to Bri. The author did a wonderful job of creating honest, inspiring characters. Cally is certainly a role model and a friend everyone would want to have.

The relationship Cally has with her dad was really cool. I liked how Cally was receptive to what her dad told her. They had such a beautiful, trusting relationship. So many times this is not the case, and I loved seeing a different perspective and approach to a heart-breaking situation.

Her memories of her mother and being close to her on the slopes was beautiful to read about and to see those pieces revealed throughout the story. The biggest memory holding her hostage was her mother's crash and resulting death. It was very realistic how much Cally hated sitting on the left side and her fear of driving. The scene at the end, when Blake is teaching her to drive, was a great way of bringing the story full circle. I loved it!

Blake was a great character. I liked how sweet he was and how he respected Cally. I understood why he felt hesitant to share his whole background with Cally based on his previous experiences. The story of his brother was tragic and added a whole new dimension. It was a topic well-handled by the author. I would have loved seeing a little more of Blake's side, especially knowing more about his family.

The development of Blake and Cally's relationship was lovely. It wasn't too rushed. They didn't just jump in, and it was adorable how they met. Blake staying to check on Cally, saving her from the course, and buying her some hot chocolate was a great way to ease us into their relationship. It was wholesome, delightful, and satisfying to see where it started and ended.

Cally's friend Sophia may have been "long-distance," but I did appreciate the texts back and forth between the two. I liked that even though a common crush could have come between them, it didn't. It was nice to see the author maintain their relationship and have it add to the story. I would have loved learning a little more about Sophia.

Amber and Mike were great new friends. I liked how each had their own personality. The characters definitely rounded out the whole story itself. Evan, Reece, and Austin added their own dynamic, and I really liked Evan. These are all characters I would love to see in other books.

Reece's death was hard. I appreciated his character, and I think the author had a good balance of what each character went through with his death. It felt real, and I was glad to see it not over-shadow the whole story to one end or the other.

The only things that took me from the story were the editing mistakes, occasional run-on paragraphs, and when the author moved from the first person to the third person toward the end. If some of these things had happened less frequently, I feel my enjoyment wouldn't have been so disrupted by my grammar-centric brain. I'm sorry, it just happens.

Although, I do commend the author on her balance of narrative summary, action, and dialogue! It certainly helped keep me far more engaged and in the book!

Overall, this was a fabulous story! I loved the characters, the build of the relationships on every level, the storyline, and how things were resolved at the end. By "resolved," I mean, I liked how the characters moved on and didn't let things that happened keep them in one place. The story had great pacing, and I highly recommend it as a future read for anyone who enjoys a YA Contemporary romance!

Thanks to the author, Melanie Hooyenga, for a free copy of "Slope Rules" in exchange for a fair and honest review. It was a fantastic read! :)

[LadyTechie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Slope Rules has a great start and does just as good a job with the finish. I received a copy in participation in the Seven Days of You blog tour. It is a great tour where there are different types of posts on different blogs. The Slop Rules is a deep dive into a teen’s life. Cally is a sophomore raised in Vermont who has a great set of friends, mostly guys and one best friend, Sophia. Cally is an athlete in a sport that tends to be filled with more males than females at her school, skiing. She has been on skis since she was 3 years old and is following in her mother’s footsteps. Part of the story deals in the loss of Cally’s mother to a car accident. It is a story that deals in losses of different types. Cally’s mother was a gifted skier who did daring flips on some of the toughest ski courses in Vermont and was the envy of all the skiers in the area. Her dad is a brew master that owns a brewery and is known for his custom brews. The story opens on Cally and her dad on vacation in Colorado where Cally is in her element on the slopes, until she takes one chance too many and injures herself. What started out as something that had the potential to ruin her vacation turns good when she meets Blake. Blake is a great looking, sweet and excellent snowboarder. They fall for each other even though they know it is a short-lived relationship because they live on opposite ends of the country.
Things change drastically in Cally and her dad’s lives when they relocate to Colorado and Cally immediately makes a friend who is also a classmate right after moving into their new home. This initial friendship draws her into a circle of friends that would not be her normal choice, the most popular group in school. But, these things go as they always do when you are the new kid and the mean girls pop out to show the new girl who is running things. It is so interesting to see that even when schools are different because they might be in a different area where people spend time doing things that locals do, like skiing, or swimming or horseback riding, there is always a group of girls that feel the need to run things and stand out as the best of everything. These kids usually feed off making others miserable.
One of the best things about this book, and particularly about Cally, is her individualism. She has a desire to make friends and does so easily, however, she is her own person and is willing to stand up and put people in their places when it is needed. As an avid reader, there are some things I have trouble reading and bullying is one of them. It makes you wonder what the lead mean girl’s parents are like. Can a person just turn into someone that likes walking on others and making them suffer on their own? How does someone turn into that? How does someone get away with being that way for as long as they do when there are so many victims of their attitude and behavior and usually only one or two bullies? One of the things about this story that was a bit different is the mean girl was more into bullying or manipulating her own friends and making them suffer as opposed to strangers or younger and weaker students. In either case, it is always a very hard thing to read about. The Slope Rules does a great job with telling each of the character’s stories and drawing the reader in so that they were invested in the outcome for Cally and Blake. Review can be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings https://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogsp....

[Josie Shinkfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB" ON GOODREADS.

I really enjoyed this book!

Cally is a 15yr old girl, loves skiing and is 'one of the guys' back home. While on holidays in Colorado, she meets Blake, a cute guy that seems as into her, as she is into him. She is disappointed that their relationship won't be able to develop further since they live so far apart.

Turns out her holiday was actually a business trip for her dad, who is setting up a new brewery in Colorado, and they are moving there! Blake is at her school, and totally ignores Cally - and she can't understand why.

Cally is a pretty awesome MC. She is motivated, down to earth, sensible, kind, thoughtful. I really enjoyed reading from her POV.
She encounters some nasty Mean Girls at her new school, and I love the way she handles the conflict.
I think she is mature beyond her years (possibly due to the loss of her mum at a young age), and love the way she deals with the sadness and rejection from Blake.

Cally's relationship with her Dad is awesome - they communicate well, and have a real and believable affection there.

I've only skied once in my life, and no nothing about the sport (not much snow in Australia!) but I found the way it was described gave me a really good insight into the sport. I'm a very competitive person by nature, and I ;pved how competitive and motivated Cally was.

I really, really enjoyed this book, and would definitely read more from this author.

[Dela Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Slope Rules is a great winter read.
​

"I don't chase guys. I am one of the guys. But here, in another state, maybe the rules can be different."

Cally is one of the guys back home but then she meets Blake, a gorgeous snowboarder, who likes her for her and not just what she can do on the slopes. Since Cally and Blake meet over a thanksgiving break and expect nothing more than the time of their vacation.
​
But things turn out a little differently than they thought it would. Cally must learn who she is on her own without anyone or thing
​
I myself am not a skier and have never in fact seen real snow before but I thought it cool that the author depicts such vivid pictures of Cally on the slopes. I was genuinely surprised. I was expecting just a cute romance but instead got something more. This book a has a sort of depth to it. It's not just romance and fun and games. The author writes all of her characters with depth and a level of truth. Even supporting characters have a backstory and realness. No one character is 2 dimensional.


Also this book is not called The Slope Rules for nothing. I loved the fact that throughout the book there was actual slope rules and it related not only to the slopes but real life.
​​

"Slope Rule #9: Make the best out of a bad situation."

​
​Honestly there wasn't really anything I didn't like about this book. I think it was great.

It's funny because while I was reading it, I forgot that this book was self published. This book needs to be published big time. If you're looking for a winter romance with a dose of reality I recommend this book. ​

AN ARC OF THIS BOOK WAS GIVEN TO ME IN EXCHANGE FOR A HONEST REVIEW.

[Patrick Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I don't know much (okay, anything) about skiing, I truly loved this story. So much so that I almost want to take the sport up. Almost. :)

Cally is a fifteen-year-old girl forced to pack up and move from Vermont to Colorado after dad decides to open a brewery there. She has to leave behind friends and classmates and start over. Sadly, the death of her mother still haunts her. At a new school, she is forced to deal with new faces, new personalities, one truly awful girl named Brianna who takes "snotty rich girl" to a whole new level, and a boy named Blake who she just happened to meet right before she moved.

Though she does hang onto her friendship via texting with her BFF Sophia, Cally finds herself with a new group of friends. I love her spunk, her innocence, and her willingness to stand up to the school bully. And, of course, she ROCKS on skis. "Slope Rules" - little nuggets of wisdom that Ms. Hooyenga sprinkles into the story at just the right times - make this a truly endearing story.

I am glad there will be more books in this series. Because I really want more.

[Heather Meloche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a good romance, and this book made my heart melt. <3 Cally is a serious skier, whose mother taught her how to face the slopes with style and some intense tricks before she died in a car crash. When Cally meets Blake on a vacation to Colorado by literally crashing on a ski run, they make an instant connection. But when Cally ends up moving to Colorado a couple months later, Blake won't talk to her at all, despite her being in his same school and in his English class. With some high school drama courtesy of the Snow Bunnies -- or Snow Bitches, as most people call them -- Cally has to maneuver through the frigidness of high school to find the warmth that makes her feel at home. Hooyenga does a fantastic job of describing Cally's love for skiing and the tricks she does on the slopes. I'm not a skier, but I felt each maneuver as Cally flew and sped over each run. THE SLOPE RULES wraps up nicely, with an end that will leave readers swooning and wanting more of this adorable couple.

[Stacey Schneller · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute read this was. This was my first read by this author and I am ready I read more. I was very happy with this story it wasn't something I normally would read beacuse of the sports in the book but I am glad that I did.

I really loved Cally in this story. A great character who I loved reading about and enjoyed. Blake was also a great character. They were both very strong and the romance was cute.

The plot was very good it moved right along and I enjoyed reading it every step of the way. What more could I say about this book? You just need to pick up this book to find out how amazing this story is.

Recommend to YA and sports fans readers. A cute Romance that you will fall in love with like I did.

I received a ARC of this book from YA Bounds Book Tours to give a honest review All reviews are 100% my own.

[Sara Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Slope Rules was such a fun read—it sucked me right in with the action-packed first chapter and kept on delivering. Cally is the type of person I’d want to be friends with—self-aware, kind, funny, and down-to-earth. Plus, she is seriously cool with her extreme skiing talents, and, as a Coloradan who doesn’t ski (scandal!), I loved getting to experience the world of the slopes vicariously through her. Along with the excitement and romance, Hooyenga does a masterful job of balancing the story with a depth of emotions as Cally navigates so many big life challenges—grief, loss, having to start over again, learning to trust, and falling in love. What Cally thinks about when she’s flying high in the air on her skis was so beautiful and made me tear up every time. While I love watching sports romance movies, I realized I’d never read a sports romance before, and I now I’m hooked! So happy to see there's another book coming soon--can’t wait for The Trail Rules!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I need to start this review by saying that I don't really like sports or romance in books... yet here I am writing a review about a book that contains both of those! I went into this book expecting it to be a typical boy meets girl story, however it is nothing like that.

Our story centres around a girl called Cally who loves snowboarding, it is her entire life and this makes her great at it. One vacation she meets another snowboarder called Blake, they instantly hit it off and enjoy a typical vacation romance and admit that they will never see each other again... but they do! Cally ends up moving to the local town and who should live there but Blake! However Blake is acting off and Cally is pulled into the life of bitchy drama with people she normally would have nothing to do with.

This book is packed full of drama! Full blown bitchy high school drama...and I absolutely loved it! There were some jaw dropping moments where I literally was like "omg she did not just say that!" It was absolutely amazing and anyone who likes drama will love this book!

Now back to the snowboarding, as I mentioned previously I am not a fan of sports in books, I don't like sports in real life so reading about them isn't really fun for me. However I am determined to give each book a chance so went into this with an open mind. I found that instead of being bored by reading about the remarkable jumps Cally can perform I was on the edge of my seat each time! I was so nervous that something was going to happen to her, I was convinced something was going to go wrong and that she would end up badly injuring herself, it was so tense!

Although this book seems like a cheesy teenage romance it really doesn't portray like that in the story. Although there are a few lovey dovey moments and yes pretty much the entire story contains the two love birds, there are other aspects to this book as well so that the attention isn't always directed at the couple. It shows that they support each other and care for each other in a way that I don't think is really shown in YA books nowadays, there was no over the top declaration of love or one girl stringing another along, it was literally a lifelike romance of two teenagers.

Cally is a young girl who knows exactly what she wants and nobody will get in her way, she trains hard to make sure she is good at what she does. This kind of drive again isn't really seen in YA books, normally the main character is just born with a gift that they magically discover halfway through to make the plot more convenient. In this story Cally grew up learning how to ski and she practises it every single week to make sure she stays at the top of her game, I really appreciated that because it gives young girls something realistic to look up to. It shows that if you do try hard every day then you can achieve everything you want to.

Overall I think this is an amazing book. Cally is a headstrong young girl who stands up for what she thinks is right and isn't afraid to let people know what she really thinks of them, she won't let people push her around and control her behaviour. The story itself is full of drama and is so tense at times that you may need to stop reading to calm yourself down! I would definitely recommend this book to people who like Gossip Girl or if you like drama or sports in general. I would 100% recommend this book!

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Read more on my blog at: https://bookgeek2015.wordpress.com/

[Keri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing I loved the most about this book is Cally, even though she is only 15 she is incredibly smart. She knows almost instantly that she can't trust the snow bunnies. I also love that she was smart enough to tell her dad about his missing notebook and she wasn't afraid to talk to her teacher/principal about what was going on with Brianna. She has been through a lot and she has also learned from those experiences which made her very enjoyable to read about. I would have liked a little of Blake's point of view as well, just to see what was going on in his head when Cally first showed up at his school. The relationship between Cally and her Dad is exceptional! That is not seen very often and I really loved it.

[Diana Duell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for teens to adults. There is romance, drama, stunts on the slopes and so much more. I love the characters, they are well written. Cally, the main character, is brave on the slopes and in life. I wish I was a little more like her when I was in high school. I cannot wait to read book 2.

[Anna Kuyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. 15 year old Cally meets a hot guy named Blake on a vacation in Colorado. Cally and her dad move to Colorado and this book tells the great story of Cally's struggles and fun times. I loved how the author made things easy to picture.

[Kate (VerbVixen) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid skiing based book. LOVED that she had a great relationship with her dad. Good mix of boy drama, girl drama, and sport drama.

[Alice Bottje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!!

[Carlynn Robotham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Slope Rules. It was sooooo good I couldn't stop reading it, I finished it in less then 2 days(that is very fast for me). If you haven't read it yet I would definitely read it!!!

[Nicole Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute first love story. If you're a fan of Kasie West or Sarah Dessen, this book will be right up your alley. There's a good amount of drama, I mean a 15 year old in a new school is definitely going to be drama central. Some parts seemed a little too dramatic. I could definitely see it as a sequel to Mean Girls (LOVE IT!). There is a great amount of character growth for Cally. Overall this was a really good read, especially if you are looking for a cute romance book.

[SheReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't enough books like The Slope Rules out there in the world of romance.

The story:
The teenage Cally experiences one of the biggest highs and also biggest lows of teenage life. The former is a trip with her father, but not just any trip. It's a ski trip and the ski obsessed Cally is itching to be on those slopes. What she doesn't see coming is the boy she meets while there.
Fast forward to her father informing her that the worst is happening - she's being forced to move across the country and leave all her friends behind. This is made worse by the "popular" girls immediately latching onto her and an even bigger surprise waiting for her in her new town than she would have imagined.

What I loved: Does everything count? Honestly, this is a story about sticking up for what you believe in and what in means to fall in love for the first time. High school is depicted perfectly - the cliques, the crushes, the expectations. Cally is an honest, genuine, fierce character. She doesn't let people just pull her along. She goes for what she wants and does it in such an endearing way. Cally is the kind of girl every parent hopes their child becomes friends with in high school.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Blake and the sweet personality he has.

What I thought was just okay: Nope, can't think of a thing. It was great.

Final Verdict: First love at it's finest. This is a can't miss for anyone who wants more sweet than spicy and needs their hearts thawed on cold winter nights. No one will regret spending time on this book.

I received this book from YA Books Central as a staff member of the reviewing team.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just completed "The Slope Rules" after having been given an advanced copy in trade for an honest review in anticipation of its release ... and I am so impressed!

Cally, the main character, is a true role model for high schoolers dealing with all the drama and difficult situations that come with that territory. From drugs to sex, Cally deals with all of it in a way that will not even have a teenage reader thinking they were just given a lesson. The most important of which is likely when Cally points out that the experience she's having with The Snow Bunnies IS indeed bullying. And her boyfriend, Blake, is a lesson in how men should treat women. There is no Edward Cullen-esque overbearing protectiveness that teenagers could falsely romanticize. Best of all, through it all, Cally maintains an amazing relationship with her father.

Beyond these lessons, the writing is engaging. I've NEVER skied, but could easily imagine the character's movements and put myself in their shoes given the rich imagery in Melanie's writing. The characters are perfectly written - you feel all the emotions you're intended to regarding them and can easily relate them to people in your life.

Literally my only complaint about this book is that TWO of Cally's neighbors have un-neutered animals! It works for the story in the end, but this was a missed opportunity for another teachable moment about animal overpopulation.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure where to start with this book, there are so many things that I loved about it!!!!
~friendship - it was great to see true friendships in this book, (especially with the Cally and her girlfriends!) keeping the ones back in Vermont and developing new ones in Colorado, standing up for yourself and your friends
~family - Cally lost her mom several years ago and she has a great relationship with her dad! Loved seeing this in a YA book!
~skiing - not something you typically see in books, I love Cally's confidence with her abilities plus she encouraged and helped fellow skiers (and snowboarders) - and I have to mention Melanie did a fantastic job describing what it felt like going down the hill.
~romance - I loved seeing the development of the relationship between Cally and Blake! It felt very real! (ok, the entire book was very real, nothing was too over-the-top which was so refreshing!)
I highly recommend this book!! There is so much more to this book than just a YA skiing romance!

[SD Jericho · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
So, I need to get my soapbox out of the way because this is a biggy for me: There is just too much sexual innuendo for normal 15-year-olds in this book. And then the added irritation of a girl making the innuendoes and then getting mad when she thinks the guy is taking it further.
Also, the MC and her best friend at one point refer to each other as “sl*t”. I just can’t. I am very glad that that train of expression didn’t continue because at that point I thought I really couldn’t get through the book if we were going to have to be talking to each other in that way.

People always say, “actually 15-year-olds do speak that way and they’re a bundle of hormones” but day-to-day 15-year-old kids (not those that we see exaggerated on TV – which are really the exceptions to the norm) do not speak to each other in this way. Also, as much as there are hormones, they’re not normally that obsessive or expressive about it. And I will admit that it disappointed me because even if kids are acting and speaking in that way, do we have to endorse it? Can’t we give kids opportunities and guides, in the form of books and constructive conversations, to be and act better?

That was honestly the only negative to this book for me. And the reason for my half point deduction from a score of 4.

This book dealt with self-acceptance, loss, the issues that come from grief and change; as well as how to be your own hero, and sometimes, to be someone else’s until they learn to be their own.
The characters are all likable and relatable – even the ones who aren’t quite likable are written in a way that tugs at you to dig a little deeper; so that even if you still don’t like them, you watch them with a sense of… reluctant tolerance.

I loved the fact that this book had a female lead who was awesome at a sport not typically practiced by girls. With all due respect to ballet and stuff, it was so interesting to read about a sport that was so action-packed and a girl who was so amazing at it. I especially loved that the author wrote about it so well that I felt like I understand the sport even though I’ve never really seen snow in my life!

I was proud of knowing Cally for making conscious decisions about the type of person that she wanted to be. I was proud of her for always trying to give voice to the right thing. She slipped a couple of times and at one point I couldn’t decide if she’d possibly gone too far in her fight against the darkness or not; but that is something that happens when you read a good book and you have to examine your own motivations and sense of right and wrong when you’re living vicariously through a character.

Blake disappointed me initially and I never quite grasped his reason for… doing what he did… or for acting like he did after he did what he did… :-)… but I liked him as a relatively level headed and gentlemanly boy who had his own weight on his shoulders. And kids do crazy stuff sometimes so I endeavored to cut him some slack!

All in all, this book had a great balance between being an easy read while dealing with deeper themes. I enjoyed the fact that the romance wasn’t the focus but rather a sweet part of the bigger picture. The ending did hit me quite suddenly and I kinda felt caught unawares by it, but, as this is the first in a series, it is my hope that this shouldn’t have been an ending, and should be more of a pause…
Except, the way that it ended could have had a little more expansion because even as part of a series, this book should be a whole on its own – I just feel that it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, so it could have been rounded out a bit more.

But all that aside, I honestly did enjoy this book and I look forward to the next installment in the series.

[Klaudia Janek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Cally enjoys a competitive skiing vacation in Colorado, where she meets Blake, a charming snowboarder who sees her beyond just being "one of the guys." Their holiday romance blossoms, but upon returning home to Vermont, Cally is heartbroken when Blake suddenly stops communicating. To her surprise, her father announces they are moving to Colorado to open a new brewery, and Cally discovers Blake attends her new school. However, he ignores her, and she becomes entangled with the popular "Snow Bunnies," who set strict rules she must follow. As Cally navigates her identity amid social pressures, she learns to embrace her true self while aiming for a spot on the ski team. Throughout her journey, she uncovers Blake's hidden struggles and realizes that the challenges on the slopes reflect deeper life lessons. This heartfelt tale of first love, self-discovery, and resilience in the face of bullying offers an engaging narrative for young readers.

Straight Talk for Librarians: School librarians can effectively integrate "The Slope Rules" into the curriculum by using it as a resource for discussions on themes such as identity, friendship, and resilience. Organizing book clubs or reading groups can encourage students to explore these themes while fostering a love for reading. Librarians can create lesson plans that involve character analysis, where students examine Cally's growth and how her experiences shape her identity. Additionally, incorporating the book into health and wellness discussions can help students address issues like bullying and peer pressure, as Cally navigates social dynamics in her new school. The novel can also serve as a springboard for creative writing assignments, prompting students to write their own coming-of-age stories. Pairing the book with activities related to winter sports can enhance engagement, allowing students to connect literature with real-world experiences. The author is a local Michigan author. (yay!) I think that this book is a great addition to a YA sports romance sub-genre. I would be comfortable recommending this to 13-17 year olds. Personally, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
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