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Twin Cities Ice
After the Gold
Love is the biggest prize of all.
For over a decade, world-champion ice skaters Katie Nowacki and Brendan Reid have been partners in every way but one. But now that their electric on-ice chemistry has led them to Olympic gold, they're retiring from competition.
As they cross America on an exhibition tour with their fellow athletes, Katie and Brendan's always volatile relationship becomes more turbulent than ever as they face down the media, their fans, and their increasingly nosy teammates.
When Katie realizes she wants to go back to the farm she grew up on, leaving Brendan behind in the city where they trained, their fairy tale seems destined to end.
But will Brendan be able to convince her to trust him with the off-ice intimacy that only spelled disaster in their past?
For over a decade, world-champion ice skaters Katie Nowacki and Brendan Reid have been partners in every way but one. But now that their electric on-ice chemistry has led them to Olympic gold, they're retiring from competition.
As they cross America on an exhibition tour with their fellow athletes, Katie and Brendan's always volatile relationship becomes more turbulent than ever as they face down the media, their fans, and their increasingly nosy teammates.
When Katie realizes she wants to go back to the farm she grew up on, leaving Brendan behind in the city where they trained, their fairy tale seems destined to end.
But will Brendan be able to convince her to trust him with the off-ice intimacy that only spelled disaster in their past?
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2018
47 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Erin McRae
39 books169 followersErin McRae is a queer writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C. She owns several pieces of paper from distinguished universities, including a Master’s degree in International Affairs from American University, which qualify her to have lengthy and passionate discussions about the microeconomics of Tunisia. She also engages in lengthy and passionate discussions about military history. She likes trenches.
Erin is a cofounder of Avian 30, a literary collective dedicated to narratives with magical and sexual realism. She delights in applying her knowledge of international relations theory to her fiction and screen-based projects, because conflict drives narrative.
She lives in Washington, D.C. with her partner and their two cats.
Erin is a cofounder of Avian 30, a literary collective dedicated to narratives with magical and sexual realism. She delights in applying her knowledge of international relations theory to her fiction and screen-based projects, because conflict drives narrative.
She lives in Washington, D.C. with her partner and their two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
June 12, 2018
this book will be my villain origin story
June 26, 2018
How Not to Live with Anxiety
I wanted to love this book, but I found it so maddeningly frustrating. I wanted to love Katie, the heroine, and feel a kinship with her over our shared clinical anxiety, an affliction which is so rarely depicted in books or movies in a nuanced, insightful way. Instead, I resent Katie, and this book, for making anxiety an excuse for bad behavior.
I get that anxiety is hard. It can be paralyzing and all-consuming; it can make us behave irrationally; it can sideline careers and torpedo relationships. All of that damage was accurately depicted here. But this is not a book about Katie learning strategies and coping mechanisms for living with anxiety. This is not a book about picking up the pieces of broken careers and relationships and doing the hard but redemptive work to make things right.
This is a book about poor, besotted Brendan walking on eggshells, trying desperately to make sense of Katie’s irrational behavior, working so hard to keep their careers on track and longing for scraps of affection from the woman he (inexplicably) loves while she takes him for granted and mistreats him over and over again, blowing up at him over her own failures to communicate, blaming him for her own fears, constantly pushing him away while cruelly refusing to cut him lose to get on with his own life, wrecking his career with her own selfish impulses, and punishing him for her own wrong assumptions.
Katie never becomes a better communicator. Brendan gets better at walking on eggshells, at reading her mixed signals, at cleaning up her messes and sublimating his own goals and needs to her whims.
This isn’t a romance. It’s a tragedy.
I wanted to love this book, but I found it so maddeningly frustrating. I wanted to love Katie, the heroine, and feel a kinship with her over our shared clinical anxiety, an affliction which is so rarely depicted in books or movies in a nuanced, insightful way. Instead, I resent Katie, and this book, for making anxiety an excuse for bad behavior.
I get that anxiety is hard. It can be paralyzing and all-consuming; it can make us behave irrationally; it can sideline careers and torpedo relationships. All of that damage was accurately depicted here. But this is not a book about Katie learning strategies and coping mechanisms for living with anxiety. This is not a book about picking up the pieces of broken careers and relationships and doing the hard but redemptive work to make things right.
This is a book about poor, besotted Brendan walking on eggshells, trying desperately to make sense of Katie’s irrational behavior, working so hard to keep their careers on track and longing for scraps of affection from the woman he (inexplicably) loves while she takes him for granted and mistreats him over and over again, blowing up at him over her own failures to communicate, blaming him for her own fears, constantly pushing him away while cruelly refusing to cut him lose to get on with his own life, wrecking his career with her own selfish impulses, and punishing him for her own wrong assumptions.
Katie never becomes a better communicator. Brendan gets better at walking on eggshells, at reading her mixed signals, at cleaning up her messes and sublimating his own goals and needs to her whims.
This isn’t a romance. It’s a tragedy.
June 30, 2021
why did i do this to myself???? i was so excited to read about ice skating but this was complete TRASH. Don’t waste your time.
Katie never knew what the fuck she wanted and can’t communicate for SHIT. I get that skating was your life but now that you’re retiring you should at least have some idea about what you’re thinking about doing next. Except the bitch never fucking knew anything but skating this and skating that. She literally acts like a whole child when they’re supposed to be thirty. Having anxiety does NOT give you a right to be a shitty person to someone who’s fucking loved you for years and you’ve always KNEW he loved you. Oh but dating him will ruin everything apparently. Bitch I am TIRED.
And then when the tour is done and they have to do meetings she just ups and leaves without telling anyone. Plus she’s like oh i’ll tell him about my knee….. HA she didn’t fucking say shit. She doesn’t talk to Brendan for three whole fucking months until he finally calls her yet again so they can talk and have closure. Haha closure. But instead of talking she just makes him work on the farm. bitch just TALK to him. how fucking hard is it to talk?!?When she FINALLY got around to telling him about her knee she literally took this man into the storming happening outside and almost got them hit by lightning. She didn’t deserve any love from Brendan at ALL but yet they still got married. Looking like a whole clown right about now.
Poor Brendan. My heart goes out to that sweetheart.
Katie never knew what the fuck she wanted and can’t communicate for SHIT. I get that skating was your life but now that you’re retiring you should at least have some idea about what you’re thinking about doing next. Except the bitch never fucking knew anything but skating this and skating that. She literally acts like a whole child when they’re supposed to be thirty. Having anxiety does NOT give you a right to be a shitty person to someone who’s fucking loved you for years and you’ve always KNEW he loved you. Oh but dating him will ruin everything apparently. Bitch I am TIRED.
And then when the tour is done and they have to do meetings she just ups and leaves without telling anyone. Plus she’s like oh i’ll tell him about my knee….. HA she didn’t fucking say shit. She doesn’t talk to Brendan for three whole fucking months until he finally calls her yet again so they can talk and have closure. Haha closure. But instead of talking she just makes him work on the farm. bitch just TALK to him. how fucking hard is it to talk?!?When she FINALLY got around to telling him about her knee she literally took this man into the storming happening outside and almost got them hit by lightning. She didn’t deserve any love from Brendan at ALL but yet they still got married. Looking like a whole clown right about now.
Poor Brendan. My heart goes out to that sweetheart.
June 15, 2018
1 'I should have dnf it' stars
This book was poorly executed.
Most of the time I didn't know what was going on, why Katie was angry at Brendan? I felt sorry for him...
And the lack of communication was completely stupid. They were almost thirty, for God's sake! Not thirteen!
And then at 70% or so (I had already lost interest in this), suddenly, everything was good between them, without resolving whatever was wrong but getting married anyway 🤦🤦
This book was poorly executed.
Most of the time I didn't know what was going on, why Katie was angry at Brendan? I felt sorry for him...
And the lack of communication was completely stupid. They were almost thirty, for God's sake! Not thirteen!
And then at 70% or so (I had already lost interest in this), suddenly, everything was good between them, without resolving whatever was wrong but getting married anyway 🤦🤦
June 23, 2018
A fast-paced, deeply emotional tale of two people who don't know what they want for the future — and yet, know they can't live without each other.
I've never read a skating romance before, and sports romances normally aren't my thing. But McRae and Maltese have written an accessible, witty and highly engaging book that's a peek backstage into the world of high stakes, Olympic ice skating.
Like most of the world, I've watched some skating, and I've admired the athletes' focus, grace and sensuality. That focus is captured in After the Gold — the authors don't gloss over the details, and provide full, well-rounded characters that are clearly in top form, both mentally and physically. It's a joy to read about such competent characters. No cardboard cutouts here.
But the novel also goes deeper, asking the question: what happens when a two-person team of athletes in the public eye are at the pinnacle of their success, but can no longer continue in their sport? It's a fascinating and tender look at obsession and anxiety, of competition, and love — both for the sport, and for each other.
I devoured this in a day.
I've never read a skating romance before, and sports romances normally aren't my thing. But McRae and Maltese have written an accessible, witty and highly engaging book that's a peek backstage into the world of high stakes, Olympic ice skating.
Like most of the world, I've watched some skating, and I've admired the athletes' focus, grace and sensuality. That focus is captured in After the Gold — the authors don't gloss over the details, and provide full, well-rounded characters that are clearly in top form, both mentally and physically. It's a joy to read about such competent characters. No cardboard cutouts here.
But the novel also goes deeper, asking the question: what happens when a two-person team of athletes in the public eye are at the pinnacle of their success, but can no longer continue in their sport? It's a fascinating and tender look at obsession and anxiety, of competition, and love — both for the sport, and for each other.
I devoured this in a day.
April 20, 2021
This was an interesting read, and my feelings are a little jumbled. I'm finding that how I feel about a book is often ~directly~ proportional to whether or not it fulfills the preexisting expectations I have before reading the book (see also- my thoughts on The Intimacy Experiment🤦🏼♀️) And this book was absolutely nothing like what I expected. However, it was a ~gorgeously~ written book, both Katie and Brendan were deeply compelling characters and I was really rooting for their HEA. Overall I would say my reading experience hovers around/slightly above a 3.5⭐️ but I'm rounding it up to a 4
Things that weren't quite what I wanted: So I found this book after obsessing over Virtue & Moir's 2018 Moulin Rouge performance, and part of what I loved about it is that it just fucking OOOOOZES sensuality & sexual tension. So when someone recc'd this as written about them, I kind of expected the same? Just like, barely-holding-back-from-banging, forced-proximity, i-want-you-so-bad-but-i-cant-have-you energy that felt bananas sexy. And this book wasn't that at all— it honestly felt kind of like marriage in trouble?? I wouldn't describe this as a sexy book. Its DEEPLY emotional, angsty, and like almost a slow burn (they kiss ONCE before the 60% mark and bang for the first of two times at like 75%) but also it felt like a happiness they just BARELY wrestled from the maw of anxiety/fear/loss. I knew these two were going to make it bc romance, but the majority of this book is the hero chasing the heroine, & the heroine running away and thinking up reasons they will never work. It just wasn't what I was expecting/hoping for in that sense, you dig?
What really worked for me: JESUSSSSSS but the way these authors wrote about intimacy!!!!! The way Katie and Brendan know each others bodies is devastating, and the way it's written just feels like breathing. Their chemistry (while not exactly as blatantly steamy as I might've hoped) was soooo powerful, and I don't think I've ever read two people who know each other so well. I also felt like their post-olympic/skating career struggles were deeply relatable and fascinating. Dramatic life changes are really hard to manage, and watching these two find their feet through that was fascinating.
Also, I'm just kind of obsessed with Katie. I have a huge soft spot for heroines who are prickly, and she was very much one of those heroines. Katie is exacting, highly intelligent, someone who knows ~exactly~ what she wants and will work her ass off doing everything required to achieve her goals. I loved that she was prickly, I loved that this book didn't "soften" her, I loved that Brendan saw EXACTLY who she was and loved every bit of her.
verdict: this is a fantastic book. I would definitely recommend it to people if they're looking for something angsty and not too high heat
oooh Addendum: this is probably a 2 flamer— they have a lil makeout sesh in like chapter 3 (just kissing tho) and then at like the 75 & 95% mark we get two pretty satisfactory (though not necessarily lengthy) sex scenes, nothing too kinky but still v hot🙌🏻
Things that weren't quite what I wanted: So I found this book after obsessing over Virtue & Moir's 2018 Moulin Rouge performance, and part of what I loved about it is that it just fucking OOOOOZES sensuality & sexual tension. So when someone recc'd this as written about them, I kind of expected the same? Just like, barely-holding-back-from-banging, forced-proximity, i-want-you-so-bad-but-i-cant-have-you energy that felt bananas sexy. And this book wasn't that at all— it honestly felt kind of like marriage in trouble?? I wouldn't describe this as a sexy book. Its DEEPLY emotional, angsty, and like almost a slow burn (they kiss ONCE before the 60% mark and bang for the first of two times at like 75%) but also it felt like a happiness they just BARELY wrestled from the maw of anxiety/fear/loss. I knew these two were going to make it bc romance, but the majority of this book is the hero chasing the heroine, & the heroine running away and thinking up reasons they will never work. It just wasn't what I was expecting/hoping for in that sense, you dig?
What really worked for me: JESUSSSSSS but the way these authors wrote about intimacy!!!!! The way Katie and Brendan know each others bodies is devastating, and the way it's written just feels like breathing. Their chemistry (while not exactly as blatantly steamy as I might've hoped) was soooo powerful, and I don't think I've ever read two people who know each other so well. I also felt like their post-olympic/skating career struggles were deeply relatable and fascinating. Dramatic life changes are really hard to manage, and watching these two find their feet through that was fascinating.
Also, I'm just kind of obsessed with Katie. I have a huge soft spot for heroines who are prickly, and she was very much one of those heroines. Katie is exacting, highly intelligent, someone who knows ~exactly~ what she wants and will work her ass off doing everything required to achieve her goals. I loved that she was prickly, I loved that this book didn't "soften" her, I loved that Brendan saw EXACTLY who she was and loved every bit of her.
verdict: this is a fantastic book. I would definitely recommend it to people if they're looking for something angsty and not too high heat
oooh Addendum: this is probably a 2 flamer— they have a lil makeout sesh in like chapter 3 (just kissing tho) and then at like the 75 & 95% mark we get two pretty satisfactory (though not necessarily lengthy) sex scenes, nothing too kinky but still v hot🙌🏻
January 5, 2019
Katie has spent the last twenty years of her life working towards her life goal: winning an Olympic gold medal in pairs' skating with her partner, Brendan. But with that goal finally achieved, and the pair about to announce their retirement from amateur skating, Katie, who has always suffered from anxiety, is emotionally derailed. During their post-Olympic skating tour, Katie whips back and forth between making sexual advances to her partner (and former boyfriend) and pushing him away with insults and anger. I usually hate the "I love you, kiss me, I hate you, go away" trope, but in MacRae and Maltese's hands, it's not plot contrivance but painful character depiction, showing a real woman in deep emotional crisis. Brendan is more even tempered, but he's experiencing his own difficulties adjusting to the change, too, and allows his own temper to flare. Even though the two clearly love one another, they may want very different things out of life post-skating. And if they don't learn to communicate with words, rather than just with their bodies on the ice, even their love might not be enough to help them find a way to be together without doing real emotional damage.
Really admired the authors for writing a romance novel with a heroine who is so very hard to like. But who is deeply loved.
Really admired the authors for writing a romance novel with a heroine who is so very hard to like. But who is deeply loved.
June 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Promising sports romance with moments of heart, but uneven execution.”
I went into After the Gold excited for a story about Olympic dreams, intense rivalry, and a complicated romance — and while parts of it delivered, the book as a whole felt a bit patchy.
Spoilers ahead:
The dynamic between the protagonist, Katie, a fiercely competitive athlete, and Brendan her longtime rival-turned-possible-lover, had real potential. The tension between them was palpable, especially as they navigated their personal ambitions alongside growing feelings.
However, the pacing sometimes dragged, and the emotional stakes felt inconsistent. Some scenes packed a punch — like the moment when [character] confesses a secret that threatens to upend everything — but others felt rushed or predictable.
I also wanted more depth in exploring the pressures of competitive sports and how it impacts mental health. The romance was sweet but occasionally sidetracked by side drama that didn’t add much to the core story.
Overall, a decent read if you like slow-burn romances in sports settings, but I wished for a stronger emotional payoff.
“Promising sports romance with moments of heart, but uneven execution.”
I went into After the Gold excited for a story about Olympic dreams, intense rivalry, and a complicated romance — and while parts of it delivered, the book as a whole felt a bit patchy.
Spoilers ahead:
The dynamic between the protagonist, Katie, a fiercely competitive athlete, and Brendan her longtime rival-turned-possible-lover, had real potential. The tension between them was palpable, especially as they navigated their personal ambitions alongside growing feelings.
However, the pacing sometimes dragged, and the emotional stakes felt inconsistent. Some scenes packed a punch — like the moment when [character] confesses a secret that threatens to upend everything — but others felt rushed or predictable.
I also wanted more depth in exploring the pressures of competitive sports and how it impacts mental health. The romance was sweet but occasionally sidetracked by side drama that didn’t add much to the core story.
Overall, a decent read if you like slow-burn romances in sports settings, but I wished for a stronger emotional payoff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
Shew. I am giving up. Katie is bitch to him. And he is literally the sweetest man ever. This relationship would not be a partnership. It would be her getting and never giving anything in turn. I can't read that bullshit.
March 1, 2020
Quite a page turner. Kate was so frustrating, though! Like one of the other reviewers said, anxiety isn’t an excuse to keep treating people badly.
June 20, 2018
That was my first skating romance and a pretty enjoyable one to read. Brendan and Katie are fascinating to read on the ice, and their relationship was really believable in the way long-term relationships are. The authors do a really good job of communicating their closeness and illustrating how well they work together as a team on the ice. The romance is also a comforting presence of its own in this book. Katie and Brendan love each other, and when they are in the room and interacting, it's clear that the chemistry is there.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book (the writing, the figure-skating details, the farming details, Natalya), but I think one of my favorite thing was how real Katie in particularly seemed. She's not a cookie-cutter personality, and she's not an easy person to be in a relationship with, so it's romantic when Brendan sticks by her side and refuses to let her insecurities tear them apart. Katie has anxiety in spades, and the way the authors dealt with that is nuanced and unapologetic. Unlike a lot of the 1-3 star reviews I've skimmed through, I like Katie's personality, with all its flaws--which is lucky, because she's the driving force of the story. If you're drawn to characters who are flawed and can make things difficult for themselves, you may find Katie rather endearing. If you prefer heroines who are soft and yielding and will easily give in to the hero, this may not be the book for you.
Also! I feel I should note that the sex scenes were really inventive. They weren't super steamy, but instead were sensual and full of the MCs' personalities.
And the dialogue. There were so many fun bits of dialogue between the two leads in this thing, I couldn't possibly quote them all. You can tell this is a pair who know each other like the back of their hand. It's lovely, and I read through some of this grinning at the things they said to each other.
I wish there was more mention of Katie's bisexuality since it was mentioned in promos. I only came across one line where it was briefly mentioned that she also dated women, possibly. More representation would have been nice, though I suppose it would've been tricky to insert into the existing narrative since it's so focused on Katie/Brendan, ahaha. But Katie's gay uncles are a nice bit of queer rep that I appreciated seeing.
This is a sort of quiet, introspective romance that deals with all sorts of real problems, even if it does come in a a glittery professional ice-skating package. It may not be for everyone for that very reason, but it's certainly worth giving a try.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book (the writing, the figure-skating details, the farming details, Natalya), but I think one of my favorite thing was how real Katie in particularly seemed. She's not a cookie-cutter personality, and she's not an easy person to be in a relationship with, so it's romantic when Brendan sticks by her side and refuses to let her insecurities tear them apart. Katie has anxiety in spades, and the way the authors dealt with that is nuanced and unapologetic. Unlike a lot of the 1-3 star reviews I've skimmed through, I like Katie's personality, with all its flaws--which is lucky, because she's the driving force of the story. If you're drawn to characters who are flawed and can make things difficult for themselves, you may find Katie rather endearing. If you prefer heroines who are soft and yielding and will easily give in to the hero, this may not be the book for you.
Also! I feel I should note that the sex scenes were really inventive. They weren't super steamy, but instead were sensual and full of the MCs' personalities.
And the dialogue. There were so many fun bits of dialogue between the two leads in this thing, I couldn't possibly quote them all. You can tell this is a pair who know each other like the back of their hand. It's lovely, and I read through some of this grinning at the things they said to each other.
I wish there was more mention of Katie's bisexuality since it was mentioned in promos. I only came across one line where it was briefly mentioned that she also dated women, possibly. More representation would have been nice, though I suppose it would've been tricky to insert into the existing narrative since it's so focused on Katie/Brendan, ahaha. But Katie's gay uncles are a nice bit of queer rep that I appreciated seeing.
This is a sort of quiet, introspective romance that deals with all sorts of real problems, even if it does come in a a glittery professional ice-skating package. It may not be for everyone for that very reason, but it's certainly worth giving a try.
July 13, 2018
Another stellar romance from McRae & Maltese. I ripped through this in a day, rooting hard for both characters the whole damned time.
Katie & Brendan have the kind of deep trust that pair skaters who routinely spend time physically close while having knives on their feet need to have. They've been partnered for over a decade, working day in and day out, and they have achieved their dreams: they just won an Olympic Gold medal.
They've had chemistry for years, but the last ill-fated attempt to be together romantically led to losing hard in competition. They've dated other people (Katie is explicitly bi), but those relationships never :quite: work.
They are about to announce their retirement from competition.
The things that drove their success -- including Katie's anxiety (which comes out in Olympic level perfectionism), and their Unrequited Sexual Tension on the ice -- now threaten to overwhelm both of them as they figure out what comes next. After literally winning, and achieving the thing they'd spent their lives working towards.
They have to figure out who they are now, because everything they know about themselves is about to change completely. What happens once you WIN?
So this is a story where two people who know each other incredibly well have to figure out who they are -- and what they want -- as they become the newest version of themselves.
Things I loved about this:
Katie's anxiety is just a fact of life, and there's lots of examples of both she and Brendan using lots of coping mechanisms (both healthy and otherwise) that they have developed together to keep them functional as a team.
There is not a single moment where you doubt that Brendan has Katie's back, but his massive skill at giving her space and time to think when she really needs it, and his deep commitment to articulating things beyond their shared shorthand when it's important are key to making him a great hero. He works his ass off to show her who he is, and to communicate his feelings, without falling prey to a lot of toxic crap.
Katie also has Brendan's back, and she trusts him more than anyone. The problem is really that she doesn't trust herself-- or the version of him that lives in her head, that hasn't quite squared up with the person standing before her. And then she has to believe that she deserves to be happy. With him.
Highly recommended contemporary romance.
Katie & Brendan have the kind of deep trust that pair skaters who routinely spend time physically close while having knives on their feet need to have. They've been partnered for over a decade, working day in and day out, and they have achieved their dreams: they just won an Olympic Gold medal.
They've had chemistry for years, but the last ill-fated attempt to be together romantically led to losing hard in competition. They've dated other people (Katie is explicitly bi), but those relationships never :quite: work.
They are about to announce their retirement from competition.
The things that drove their success -- including Katie's anxiety (which comes out in Olympic level perfectionism), and their Unrequited Sexual Tension on the ice -- now threaten to overwhelm both of them as they figure out what comes next. After literally winning, and achieving the thing they'd spent their lives working towards.
They have to figure out who they are now, because everything they know about themselves is about to change completely. What happens once you WIN?
So this is a story where two people who know each other incredibly well have to figure out who they are -- and what they want -- as they become the newest version of themselves.
Things I loved about this:
Katie's anxiety is just a fact of life, and there's lots of examples of both she and Brendan using lots of coping mechanisms (both healthy and otherwise) that they have developed together to keep them functional as a team.
There is not a single moment where you doubt that Brendan has Katie's back, but his massive skill at giving her space and time to think when she really needs it, and his deep commitment to articulating things beyond their shared shorthand when it's important are key to making him a great hero. He works his ass off to show her who he is, and to communicate his feelings, without falling prey to a lot of toxic crap.
Katie also has Brendan's back, and she trusts him more than anyone. The problem is really that she doesn't trust herself-- or the version of him that lives in her head, that hasn't quite squared up with the person standing before her. And then she has to believe that she deserves to be happy. With him.
Highly recommended contemporary romance.
February 23, 2024
Okay so let's start with the good things first: Writing style. It was great. Very well done, truly loved how scenes were described, how the characters feelings were presented and generally technical aspects of writing were very well delivered.
And then we already end up with the con parts:
First of all the main female character, Katie. She was horrible. Absolutely dislikable. I get the anxiety and inner problem part but she was just utterly horrible and the relationship she had with Brendan made it seem like she was actually just flat-out abusive. And he utterly stupid. Boy have some self worthiness....I really got so many times absolutely annoyed with her and him for allowing someone to use him as their own personal punching bag without having one sense of empathy.
And then the second part? The whole structure of the book. The base of the story is great, even the distribution of the scenes and the length given to each makes sense if it would have delivered. But it did not. We have so many chapters focus on Brendan and Katie actually still being on tour going constantly back and forth. Then she just disappears and goes to the farm with. Punches him around and voila happy end. I didn't understand at all how they went from friends to frenemies to not speaking to frenemies to lovers. Liker the transition especially in the last couple of scenes came too fast, was too out of the blue and made no sense whatsoever.
I truly thought a big part of the book would be her injury or his struggles with family and his dreams or Katie and him but nothing. It just went from one scene to the next, leaving the reader feel empty. Where and when did the characters solve their problems? What is going on of suddenly being able to solve 20 years of problems? It really feels like the whole structure of the book is completely off, especially when you suddenly hit an "end". And trust me, I literally thought my book had a printing mistake and deleted some chapters. But nope. Nothing. It truly was the end.....
2/5 stars
And then we already end up with the con parts:
First of all the main female character, Katie. She was horrible. Absolutely dislikable. I get the anxiety and inner problem part but she was just utterly horrible and the relationship she had with Brendan made it seem like she was actually just flat-out abusive. And he utterly stupid. Boy have some self worthiness....I really got so many times absolutely annoyed with her and him for allowing someone to use him as their own personal punching bag without having one sense of empathy.
And then the second part? The whole structure of the book. The base of the story is great, even the distribution of the scenes and the length given to each makes sense if it would have delivered. But it did not. We have so many chapters focus on Brendan and Katie actually still being on tour going constantly back and forth. Then she just disappears and goes to the farm with. Punches him around and voila happy end. I didn't understand at all how they went from friends to frenemies to not speaking to frenemies to lovers. Liker the transition especially in the last couple of scenes came too fast, was too out of the blue and made no sense whatsoever.
I truly thought a big part of the book would be her injury or his struggles with family and his dreams or Katie and him but nothing. It just went from one scene to the next, leaving the reader feel empty. Where and when did the characters solve their problems? What is going on of suddenly being able to solve 20 years of problems? It really feels like the whole structure of the book is completely off, especially when you suddenly hit an "end". And trust me, I literally thought my book had a printing mistake and deleted some chapters. But nope. Nothing. It truly was the end.....
2/5 stars
February 11, 2021
Sweet baby J., this was horrifyingly bad. Waste of time. I wanted to scream at the screen, throw my device across the room and reach into it to slap both of these characters, all at the same time.
You wanna know what this book is about? One horrible lady who doesn't deserve any love or happiness and one victim of Stockholm syndrome. And the lady's love for cows. And how NOT to give someone a haircut. With a knife. In darkness.
It's painfully obvious that there were two writers responsible for this mess and they were as bad at communicating as their characters are. There were moments of greatness, but a lot of this book is telling us that the MCs are a certain way while showing us that they're completely opposite (and worse). The Heroine is supposed to be suffering from anxiety and does fuck all to address it. The Hero lets her get away with everything and we're meant to believe that's love?!? No, that's some bad judgement, and for a person who seems to be well liked and who has friends, no one called him out on it. We are told that his parents look down on her family because of where she's from, we're told he hates the cows (mortal sin, BTW), we're told her anxiety makes her a difficult person, but the only thing I see is inexcusable behavior bordering on abuse, but since it's coming from a woman- it's OK.
Don't bother reading this, unless your life is so good RN that you need something rage-inducing. Run in the opposite direction otherwise.
Ps. This should have been a novella. Just one really long chapter. 'Cause most of the "issues" would have been solved with 1 grown-up conversation. Le sigh.
You wanna know what this book is about? One horrible lady who doesn't deserve any love or happiness and one victim of Stockholm syndrome. And the lady's love for cows. And how NOT to give someone a haircut. With a knife. In darkness.
It's painfully obvious that there were two writers responsible for this mess and they were as bad at communicating as their characters are. There were moments of greatness, but a lot of this book is telling us that the MCs are a certain way while showing us that they're completely opposite (and worse). The Heroine is supposed to be suffering from anxiety and does fuck all to address it. The Hero lets her get away with everything and we're meant to believe that's love?!? No, that's some bad judgement, and for a person who seems to be well liked and who has friends, no one called him out on it. We are told that his parents look down on her family because of where she's from, we're told he hates the cows (mortal sin, BTW), we're told her anxiety makes her a difficult person, but the only thing I see is inexcusable behavior bordering on abuse, but since it's coming from a woman- it's OK.
Don't bother reading this, unless your life is so good RN that you need something rage-inducing. Run in the opposite direction otherwise.
Ps. This should have been a novella. Just one really long chapter. 'Cause most of the "issues" would have been solved with 1 grown-up conversation. Le sigh.
April 17, 2019
Three hours to read this book cover to cover and I could not put it down. Beyond the fact that it had my hooked because I love the sport of figure skating, I kept turning page after page for these characters, for their relationship and the fact that I found them so damn relatable.
Yes the ending could be predicted from the start and I knew exactly what I would be reading when I started, but this to me became more than just a cheesy sports romance.
And another thing I have to praise about this book is the balance between the characters and how it managed to portray a female protagonist, who even struggling with anxiety, was as strong as if not stronger than the male protagonist, but was neither too intense nor too sensitive. Further it managed to live up to my fantasy ideas of masculinity whilst not compromising the fact that that image comes in very many different forms. They were described exactly as the athletes they were but also human beings who have to discover who they are after that journey comes to a close (and speaking from experience having to say goodbye to a sport that was my everything for years, I thought this was pretty on par).
I basically came for the skating and ended up throughly throughly enjoying this book far more than I thought I would.
Yes the ending could be predicted from the start and I knew exactly what I would be reading when I started, but this to me became more than just a cheesy sports romance.
And another thing I have to praise about this book is the balance between the characters and how it managed to portray a female protagonist, who even struggling with anxiety, was as strong as if not stronger than the male protagonist, but was neither too intense nor too sensitive. Further it managed to live up to my fantasy ideas of masculinity whilst not compromising the fact that that image comes in very many different forms. They were described exactly as the athletes they were but also human beings who have to discover who they are after that journey comes to a close (and speaking from experience having to say goodbye to a sport that was my everything for years, I thought this was pretty on par).
I basically came for the skating and ended up throughly throughly enjoying this book far more than I thought I would.
June 4, 2022
Heroine: Katie- one half of an Olympic Gold-winning figure skating pair. Bisexual. Has anxiety. Grew up on a dairy farm. Dated her figure skating partner but broke up with him years before the start of the book.
Hero: Brendan- Katie’s skating partner of 20 years. Has been pining for Katie for years, she pushes him away because of her anxieties.
Tropes: second chance romance, sports romance, pining, class differences, childhood friends-to-lovers, angst
I found this book extremely frustrating. The title is literal- the book takes place exclusively after they win the gold medal. I think it would have been wise to include flashbacks or have a section of the book that takes place during the time they dated in the past. While I appreciate the depiction of Katie’s anxieties (she’s often irrational and unpleasant, which can be true-to-life) so much of the book is based on Brendan and Katie’s insecurities and anxieties that it’s not very fun to read. There isn’t a lot of joy in this book and the ultimate payoff isn’t written in a satisfying way.
Hero: Brendan- Katie’s skating partner of 20 years. Has been pining for Katie for years, she pushes him away because of her anxieties.
Tropes: second chance romance, sports romance, pining, class differences, childhood friends-to-lovers, angst
I found this book extremely frustrating. The title is literal- the book takes place exclusively after they win the gold medal. I think it would have been wise to include flashbacks or have a section of the book that takes place during the time they dated in the past. While I appreciate the depiction of Katie’s anxieties (she’s often irrational and unpleasant, which can be true-to-life) so much of the book is based on Brendan and Katie’s insecurities and anxieties that it’s not very fun to read. There isn’t a lot of joy in this book and the ultimate payoff isn’t written in a satisfying way.
March 31, 2021
I didn't like this book. The romance didn't make any sense. The characters didn't seem to have any chemistry and Katie spent the whole book blaming Brendan for everything. And then suddenly he proposes and she accepts? And then they continue to fight? I didn't believe in the HEA because the characters did no work to make that ending possible.
The other issue is the figure skating bits. I've been following the sport since I was a kid so I've watched a lot of pairs programs in 30 years. A program with a throw quad salchow and side by side triple axels is just not going to be believable. The quad throw has been done successfully by a handful of pairs. The 3A not so much. There are only a handful of women capable of successfully landing this jump and they aren't skating pairs. The unbelievable skating parts threw me out of the story and that would have been enough to rate this book low even without the co-dependent romance mess.
The other issue is the figure skating bits. I've been following the sport since I was a kid so I've watched a lot of pairs programs in 30 years. A program with a throw quad salchow and side by side triple axels is just not going to be believable. The quad throw has been done successfully by a handful of pairs. The 3A not so much. There are only a handful of women capable of successfully landing this jump and they aren't skating pairs. The unbelievable skating parts threw me out of the story and that would have been enough to rate this book low even without the co-dependent romance mess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2019
I loved this. Katie and Brendan were perfection. Yes there were times when Katie was frustrating but there are so many romances where the hero is frustrating for most of the book and the reader forgives them because the heroine forgives them.
Katie is complicated and Brendan is the sweetheart who loves her flaws and all. Reverse this and it’s about 80% of most romances.
There was a thread on Twitter a few months ago about how male characters are almost always forgiven for being stubborn and complicated but never the female characters. They are described as “unlikeable” if they act this way.
I think we all need to step back and look at how we expect our characters to behave and what we are willing to forgive. If you can forgive the hero then you should be able to forgive the heroine.
Let’s reflect on this internalized misogyny shall we?
Katie is complicated and Brendan is the sweetheart who loves her flaws and all. Reverse this and it’s about 80% of most romances.
There was a thread on Twitter a few months ago about how male characters are almost always forgiven for being stubborn and complicated but never the female characters. They are described as “unlikeable” if they act this way.
I think we all need to step back and look at how we expect our characters to behave and what we are willing to forgive. If you can forgive the hero then you should be able to forgive the heroine.
Let’s reflect on this internalized misogyny shall we?
June 25, 2018
Excellent novel about love, skating, anxiety
I was drawn into this book so deeply I couldn’t put it down all day. I’d been a professional ballet dancer from age four till age 25, when I had to have serious surgery (x3) on my right knee after an accident on my way to a performance, ending my career suddenly and tragically. The themes throughout this love story of ice skaters, of never being enough, of *needing* to be first, of never being thin enough, strong enough, beautiful enough, the anxiety at all times ... was the story of my life and continues to haunt me. How these two writers got inside my head amazes me. It’s a gorgeous novel and a wonderful love story. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was drawn into this book so deeply I couldn’t put it down all day. I’d been a professional ballet dancer from age four till age 25, when I had to have serious surgery (x3) on my right knee after an accident on my way to a performance, ending my career suddenly and tragically. The themes throughout this love story of ice skaters, of never being enough, of *needing* to be first, of never being thin enough, strong enough, beautiful enough, the anxiety at all times ... was the story of my life and continues to haunt me. How these two writers got inside my head amazes me. It’s a gorgeous novel and a wonderful love story. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
June 14, 2021
I wanted to like this more than I did, but it was very hard to get through because Katie's massive anxiety hit too close to home for me. I know some other reviews have commented on the lack of communication as the characters being "too old" for this, but it makes sense in the crucible of Olympic competition that they would be very good at skating and very bad at a lot of other things. I did feel like Brendan got really dragged about and should have stood up for himself more. I think in the end my feelings are just very complicated about this; I wanted to like it, and yet I cringed every time Katie did something intensely anxiety-ridden because I know how that feels, but also I wanted to shake her.
August 31, 2018
What do you do when you've reached the goal you've been pursuing with complete singlemindedness? Life is continuing to go on all around you, and it expects you to keep moving right along with it....only you've never really put any energy or thought into "Now what?"
After the Gold explores just that in a fast-paced novel where the characters are oh so real with rough edges, bumps, insecurities, and anxieties that make figuring out the "Now what?" both difficult and exactly just right. Maltese & McRae excel in creating characters who draw you in and stories that keep you there. After the Gold is another winner from this writing team!
After the Gold explores just that in a fast-paced novel where the characters are oh so real with rough edges, bumps, insecurities, and anxieties that make figuring out the "Now what?" both difficult and exactly just right. Maltese & McRae excel in creating characters who draw you in and stories that keep you there. After the Gold is another winner from this writing team!
June 14, 2018
Maybe 2.5?
We all know I read this for Ice Skating Reasons (TM), okay, so let's not even try to pretend there were other motivations. That being said, I did get pretty invested in Brendan and Katie's story, but I... wanted more for them? A lot of the conflict felt both unnecessary and unbelievable to me, and the resolution even more... I want to say sudden, but it wasn't just that?
I suppose the easiest thing to say is that, despite thinking it an alright read, I definitely have some unresolved issues with the pacing and plotting of this book.
We all know I read this for Ice Skating Reasons (TM), okay, so let's not even try to pretend there were other motivations. That being said, I did get pretty invested in Brendan and Katie's story, but I... wanted more for them? A lot of the conflict felt both unnecessary and unbelievable to me, and the resolution even more... I want to say sudden, but it wasn't just that?
I suppose the easiest thing to say is that, despite thinking it an alright read, I definitely have some unresolved issues with the pacing and plotting of this book.
February 22, 2020
There were parts of this that were really good — the fact that it’s kind of a “you know which ice dancing team” wish fulfillment, the character of Brendan who was such a sweetheart, the times when the book did grapple with “what do you do after you’ve achieved your dream?” — but the way Katie’s anxiety is handled was tough to read. The whole time I just kept shouting WHERE IS A THERAPIST? And then in the later part of the book “therapy” is mentioned, but I couldn’t tell if that was conflated with physical therapy or if it was its own thing. And if it was, Katie needed a new therapist, lol.
June 27, 2018
Fun, joyful, and surprising
I'm not a romance novel reader, not usually, but this one caught my fancy and didn't disappoint. Witty, smart, and funny, with moments of intense tenderness and poor judgement. For two city dwellers in the coast to write a Midwestern farm as convincingly and affectionately as they have takes even more talent than their descriptions of life on tour with world-class athletes.
I'm not a romance novel reader, not usually, but this one caught my fancy and didn't disappoint. Witty, smart, and funny, with moments of intense tenderness and poor judgement. For two city dwellers in the coast to write a Midwestern farm as convincingly and affectionately as they have takes even more talent than their descriptions of life on tour with world-class athletes.
September 10, 2019
This was pretty good, particularly in its approach to communication. This isn't one of those books where all of the problems stem from a couple failing to talk to each other - sometimes just talking isn't sufficient.
However, I don't love the way Katie seems to be The Problem in the relationship - her anxiety, her superstition tearing them apart, her uncertainty, even her injury. Brendan gets to be the solid, patient rock. Even his one big Drama moment generally paints him in a good light.
However, I don't love the way Katie seems to be The Problem in the relationship - her anxiety, her superstition tearing them apart, her uncertainty, even her injury. Brendan gets to be the solid, patient rock. Even his one big Drama moment generally paints him in a good light.
July 31, 2018
Sports romance with an angle I hadn't seen before - the first chapter has this ice skating pair winning gold, and then the rest of the book is about them trying to figure out what to do with their lives afterwards. Katie made me want to smack some sense into her, but it's completely believable behavior. Very satisfying. (Note: one of the authors is an acquaintance.)
August 26, 2020
2.5 stars!
This book just didn’t click for me. I’m actually really surprised I finished this book since I have struggled to get through it for over a year. I think the female protagonist is what was really off putting to me and not so much the male protagonist but overall I felt like for a good portion of the book they were fighting for no good reason.
This book just didn’t click for me. I’m actually really surprised I finished this book since I have struggled to get through it for over a year. I think the female protagonist is what was really off putting to me and not so much the male protagonist but overall I felt like for a good portion of the book they were fighting for no good reason.
Read
August 6, 2021Completely flipped my shit about the previous books of theirs I read, The Opposite of Drowning, and have now commenced reading everything this pair of authors has put to page. I didn't flip as hard at After the Gold, but this is still a finely drawn story with beautifully complex characters. Oh, and some of it takes place in my home state, and I can see my house from here.
June 23, 2018
Very intense, a lot more drama than I was expecting, but moments of levity and all Katie and Brendan’s passion for each other made this enjoyable. I thought the anxiety rep made sense and was spot-on.
March 2, 2022
I wanted to like this because ice skating but damn, the first 15 chapters were like being trapped in an unending loop of that kiddie ice show from Blades of Glory. Except Chazz at least got to be drunk. DNF
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