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Finding Her Edge
For fans of Emma Lord and Abbi Glines, Jennifer Iacopelli’s swoony, romantic new novel follows elite ice dancer Adriana Russo as she finds herself drawn to both her old dance partner and her new one.
Adriana Russo is figure skating royalty.
With gold-medalist parents, and her older sister headed to the Olympics, all she wants is to live up to the family name and stand atop the ice dance podium at the Junior World Championships. But fame doesn’t always mean fortune, and their legendary skating rink is struggling under the weight of her dad’s lavish lifestyle. The only thing keeping it afloat is a deal to host the rest of the Junior Worlds team before they leave for France.
That means training on the same ice as her first crush, Freddie, the partner she left when her growth spurt outpaced his. For the past two years, he’s barely acknowledged her existence, and she can’t even blame him for it.
When the family’s finances take another unexpected hit, losing the rink seems inevitable until her partner, Brayden, suggests they let the world believe what many have suspected: that their intense chemistry isn’t contained to the ice. Fans and sponsors alike take the bait, but keeping up the charade is harder than she ever imagined. And training alongside Freddie makes it worse, especially when pretending with Brayden starts to feel very real.
As the biggest competition of her life draws closer and her family’s legacy hangs in the balance, Adriana is caught between her past and present, between the golden future she’s worked so hard for, and the one she gave up long ago.
Adriana Russo is figure skating royalty.
With gold-medalist parents, and her older sister headed to the Olympics, all she wants is to live up to the family name and stand atop the ice dance podium at the Junior World Championships. But fame doesn’t always mean fortune, and their legendary skating rink is struggling under the weight of her dad’s lavish lifestyle. The only thing keeping it afloat is a deal to host the rest of the Junior Worlds team before they leave for France.
That means training on the same ice as her first crush, Freddie, the partner she left when her growth spurt outpaced his. For the past two years, he’s barely acknowledged her existence, and she can’t even blame him for it.
When the family’s finances take another unexpected hit, losing the rink seems inevitable until her partner, Brayden, suggests they let the world believe what many have suspected: that their intense chemistry isn’t contained to the ice. Fans and sponsors alike take the bait, but keeping up the charade is harder than she ever imagined. And training alongside Freddie makes it worse, especially when pretending with Brayden starts to feel very real.
As the biggest competition of her life draws closer and her family’s legacy hangs in the balance, Adriana is caught between her past and present, between the golden future she’s worked so hard for, and the one she gave up long ago.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 8, 2022
75 people are currently reading
13044 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Iacopelli
6 books581 followersJennifer Iacopelli writes about ambitious young women with big dreams and the guys who love them for it. Her novels include Game, Set., Match, Finding Her Edge and Break the Fall, along with a co-edited anthology, Out of Our League. Throughout her career her books have been published in over a dozen languages and Finding Her Edge has been adapted for television by Netflix. She lives in New York and invites you to follow her everywhere @jennifercarolyn or visit her website at jenniferiacopelli.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 410 reviews
December 14, 2025
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 2.75/5
I'm super conflicted. While, it was an entertaining YA book, the fake dating trope was really off in this one to start. This next part might be a spoiler, so I'll put it inside the spoiler tag, but
I also think this book ends off too quickly. There were a lot of loose threads that didn't get a wrap to it. I don't know if it makes sense, but somethings were not properly concluded. What happens to Elise? Maria and Charlie? The relationship between Elise and Adriana? The dad? I'm just left with a lot of questions and I think those were questions that were vital to my enjoyment of this book. If addressed, I might have upped the rating more.
That's not to say it was bad, because there were things I enjoyed. For example, I thought the love triangle angles were really interesting and this is coming from someone who absolutely despises love triangles, so I was pleasantly surprised with that.
And to end off, this part wasn't factored into my rating, but the formatting of this book really annoyed me. I haven't had that problem before, but it seriously deterred my reading experience.
Thank you to Jennifer Iacopelli, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Netgalley for this arc.
---------
pre-read: I totally forgot about this arc, reading it asap.
I'm super conflicted. While, it was an entertaining YA book, the fake dating trope was really off in this one to start. This next part might be a spoiler, so I'll put it inside the spoiler tag, but
I also think this book ends off too quickly. There were a lot of loose threads that didn't get a wrap to it. I don't know if it makes sense, but somethings were not properly concluded. What happens to Elise? Maria and Charlie? The relationship between Elise and Adriana? The dad? I'm just left with a lot of questions and I think those were questions that were vital to my enjoyment of this book. If addressed, I might have upped the rating more.
That's not to say it was bad, because there were things I enjoyed. For example, I thought the love triangle angles were really interesting and this is coming from someone who absolutely despises love triangles, so I was pleasantly surprised with that.
And to end off, this part wasn't factored into my rating, but the formatting of this book really annoyed me. I haven't had that problem before, but it seriously deterred my reading experience.
Thank you to Jennifer Iacopelli, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Netgalley for this arc.
---------
pre-read: I totally forgot about this arc, reading it asap.
November 26, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
It is Adriana Russo’s dream to win the Junior World Championships and uphold the family legacy of being a Russo. Born to gold-medalist parents and having an older sister who is going to the Olympics, Adriana feels the pressure of what her winning the skating competition could mean for her and her family, especially when they are struggling financially and might lose their rink.
But when the other skaters arrive to train for the competition, Adriana tries to stay as far away as possible from her former partner and first crush, Freddie O’Connell, who seems to make it his life mission to stay away from her. What makes matters worse is that everyone believes she and her skating partner, Brayden, are into each other due to their chemistry on and off the ice, so Brayden comes up with a plan to use the interest to their advantage: pretend to be dating for the sponsorships and money the Russos desperately need. Adriana agrees to the plan, unaware of the fact that she might actually have feelings for Brayden while harboring feelings for Freddie.
I love, love, love Persuasion! I know this sounds a little wrong, but I love it a smidge more than Pride and Prejudice because I relate to Anne Elliot more than I do to Elizabeth Bennet. I know, I know. Sue me. 😂 So when I began reading, I noticed some similarities in names and plot, and that’s when I realized that, oh my gosh, it’s a retelling (not adaptation–I get those two mixed up all the freaking time) of Persuasion! With that knowledge in mind, I looked at the reviews and winced a little at the negative things said about it. I read both good and bad reviews, and continued reading, interested to see what I thought about it at the end.
Well, folks. The book was pretty good. Now, I don’t know anything about skating, and what goes into it, so I can’t say if the book is accurate or not. But I do know that something was missing here. The plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged through its entirety, even though I felt it was a little longer than it needed to be, and that was due to the fact that it was kinda repetitive. But I understand why a lot of other readers felt mad about Adriana ending up with a certain someone and not the one she had more chemistry with. I don’t know if they read Persuasion (you don’t really need to), but that helped me understand the plot, and I knew from the beginning who she was going to pick at the end.
HOWEVER, Freddie was as bland as an unsalted cracker, Brayden was a chump that had potential, and everyone else had no depth and lacked that spark that makes characters so memorable. I wanted to root for Adriana and Freddie, I really did, but how could I when they hardly talked to each other DURING THE ENTIRE BOOK? Look, it was kind of the same thing in Persuasion, but it was so different because there was depth, character, and personality in Austen’s work. Wentworth was still looking out for Anne, even though he was mad at her, because he still cared about her and wanted her to be happy, because he knew she deserved it. Ugh! It makes me want to cry. If you haven’t read Persuasion, I cannot recommend it enough. 🥹🫶🏼
You know what this book needed to make me root for Freddie and Adriana? Background and context. Showing is very different from telling, and it makes a world of difference. Show me why I should care for them. Instead of telling me that they were good friends as kids and were perfect for each other, either have a dual timeline of them, either in Adriana’s or Freddie’s perspective, when they were kids, so we can see how close they were, or have Freddie’s pov in the book to add that emotional depth to their friendship that was shattered. I know Austen didn’t have Wentworth’s pov in her book, but it’s kinda hard to make teenagers deal with this kind of stuff maturely. It would have been so worth reading the entire book if I got to see the situation in both of their eyes, so I could understand and even like Freddie the way Adriana does. Because Brayden, although he was a chump, was easier to root for because we saw him more and got to see his character a bit better than we did with Freddie.
Phew! I hope I made sense! 😅
All right. I covered all the negatives. What I liked about this book was, first of all, the cover. I mean, it’s cute! 😍 As I said before, the whole Persuasion retelling was really, really fun, and I liked how the author made it modern and YA. The writing was easy to read (very YA), and the whole skating competition plot line was super interesting. ☺ I also liked Adriana. She was trying to be responsible and put her family first before herself, which reminded me of…well, me. So I related to her more than I did the other characters, that’s for sure. 😅 Her dad and sister sucks. 😂
Overall, I enjoyed it, and if you think this will tickle your fancy, then I recommend it! I know it’s not for everyone because it is a YA novel, so keep that in mind. 🩷
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Blood & mentions loss of a parent.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–only kissing. (🌶/5)
#FindingHerEdge #NetGalley
It is Adriana Russo’s dream to win the Junior World Championships and uphold the family legacy of being a Russo. Born to gold-medalist parents and having an older sister who is going to the Olympics, Adriana feels the pressure of what her winning the skating competition could mean for her and her family, especially when they are struggling financially and might lose their rink.
But when the other skaters arrive to train for the competition, Adriana tries to stay as far away as possible from her former partner and first crush, Freddie O’Connell, who seems to make it his life mission to stay away from her. What makes matters worse is that everyone believes she and her skating partner, Brayden, are into each other due to their chemistry on and off the ice, so Brayden comes up with a plan to use the interest to their advantage: pretend to be dating for the sponsorships and money the Russos desperately need. Adriana agrees to the plan, unaware of the fact that she might actually have feelings for Brayden while harboring feelings for Freddie.
I love, love, love Persuasion! I know this sounds a little wrong, but I love it a smidge more than Pride and Prejudice because I relate to Anne Elliot more than I do to Elizabeth Bennet. I know, I know. Sue me. 😂 So when I began reading, I noticed some similarities in names and plot, and that’s when I realized that, oh my gosh, it’s a retelling (not adaptation–I get those two mixed up all the freaking time) of Persuasion! With that knowledge in mind, I looked at the reviews and winced a little at the negative things said about it. I read both good and bad reviews, and continued reading, interested to see what I thought about it at the end.
Well, folks. The book was pretty good. Now, I don’t know anything about skating, and what goes into it, so I can’t say if the book is accurate or not. But I do know that something was missing here. The plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged through its entirety, even though I felt it was a little longer than it needed to be, and that was due to the fact that it was kinda repetitive. But I understand why a lot of other readers felt mad about Adriana ending up with a certain someone and not the one she had more chemistry with. I don’t know if they read Persuasion (you don’t really need to), but that helped me understand the plot, and I knew from the beginning who she was going to pick at the end.
HOWEVER, Freddie was as bland as an unsalted cracker, Brayden was a chump that had potential, and everyone else had no depth and lacked that spark that makes characters so memorable. I wanted to root for Adriana and Freddie, I really did, but how could I when they hardly talked to each other DURING THE ENTIRE BOOK? Look, it was kind of the same thing in Persuasion, but it was so different because there was depth, character, and personality in Austen’s work. Wentworth was still looking out for Anne, even though he was mad at her, because he still cared about her and wanted her to be happy, because he knew she deserved it. Ugh! It makes me want to cry. If you haven’t read Persuasion, I cannot recommend it enough. 🥹🫶🏼
You know what this book needed to make me root for Freddie and Adriana? Background and context. Showing is very different from telling, and it makes a world of difference. Show me why I should care for them. Instead of telling me that they were good friends as kids and were perfect for each other, either have a dual timeline of them, either in Adriana’s or Freddie’s perspective, when they were kids, so we can see how close they were, or have Freddie’s pov in the book to add that emotional depth to their friendship that was shattered. I know Austen didn’t have Wentworth’s pov in her book, but it’s kinda hard to make teenagers deal with this kind of stuff maturely. It would have been so worth reading the entire book if I got to see the situation in both of their eyes, so I could understand and even like Freddie the way Adriana does. Because Brayden, although he was a chump, was easier to root for because we saw him more and got to see his character a bit better than we did with Freddie.
Phew! I hope I made sense! 😅
All right. I covered all the negatives. What I liked about this book was, first of all, the cover. I mean, it’s cute! 😍 As I said before, the whole Persuasion retelling was really, really fun, and I liked how the author made it modern and YA. The writing was easy to read (very YA), and the whole skating competition plot line was super interesting. ☺ I also liked Adriana. She was trying to be responsible and put her family first before herself, which reminded me of…well, me. So I related to her more than I did the other characters, that’s for sure. 😅 Her dad and sister sucks. 😂
Overall, I enjoyed it, and if you think this will tickle your fancy, then I recommend it! I know it’s not for everyone because it is a YA novel, so keep that in mind. 🩷
Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.
❗Content Warnings❗
Blood & mentions loss of a parent.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No–only kissing. (🌶/5)
#FindingHerEdge #NetGalley
March 25, 2022
✨HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAAHFUCKTHISBOOKAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHA✨
This was ABSOLUTELY, HORRENDOUSLY, ATROCIOUSLY, DISGUSTINGLY, INEXCUSABLY, VOCIFEROUSLY WORST. CASE. SCENARIO. This book is expired sushi left in a hot car. This book is your least favorite book’s best friend. This book is walking on legos. This book is having something in your cart and then as soon as you go to checkout “out of stock please remove from cart” pops up. This book is a beautiful cover on a dumpster fire of a manuscript. This book is the cheese touch. This book is pain. Physical pain.
✨✨MAJOR SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT✨✨
I
Am
Unwell
To do fake dating SO DIRTY like that is actually causing me bodily discomfort. I want to exorcise the memory of this book from my being. I cannot believe she made the love interest a cardboard cutout of THE ACTUAL, SHOULD’VE BEEN love interest. We didn’t fucking meet this raspy ass, dry ass mouth breather motherfucker until halfway through the book??? She had like three conversations with the crouton. How dare she do Brayden like this. The ending???? Brayden’s been pining for YEARS and he just shakes it off? Even Taylor Swift would be cursing this book out. I literally cannot believe Freddie Krueger is the one we were supposed to love. How DARE this book describe Brayden with such detail and devotion.
This had to have been an editor’s choice. I simply refused to believe the book was originally meant to be this wishy washy and laughable. Nothing was solid. No emotions or endings or conclusions were earned or achieved. You cannot give us pages of Brayden and expect us to just be okay with French Fry???? His love letter gave pennies of what it would’ve taken for me to be okay with this arc. This cemented my glorious exorcism of love triangles from my life.
I was able to push aside her horrible family and the fact that this book made zero sense, for the romance. I’m corrupt like that but NEVER have I been so horrified at the clear impending doom of a book. I know nothing about Frozen Peas besides the fact that he’s a hhhhhhwhisp of a crusty ass character.
Subverting tropes is fun but for that to happen YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE TROPES ARE POPULAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. The connection! The forced proximity! The rightness of something that seemed wrong! This book fumbled the pass so hard the other team scored while blindfolded and dizzy from spinning around a baseball bat 10 times.
I’m so sweaty.
⭐️/5
This was ABSOLUTELY, HORRENDOUSLY, ATROCIOUSLY, DISGUSTINGLY, INEXCUSABLY, VOCIFEROUSLY WORST. CASE. SCENARIO. This book is expired sushi left in a hot car. This book is your least favorite book’s best friend. This book is walking on legos. This book is having something in your cart and then as soon as you go to checkout “out of stock please remove from cart” pops up. This book is a beautiful cover on a dumpster fire of a manuscript. This book is the cheese touch. This book is pain. Physical pain.
✨✨MAJOR SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT✨✨
I
Am
Unwell
To do fake dating SO DIRTY like that is actually causing me bodily discomfort. I want to exorcise the memory of this book from my being. I cannot believe she made the love interest a cardboard cutout of THE ACTUAL, SHOULD’VE BEEN love interest. We didn’t fucking meet this raspy ass, dry ass mouth breather motherfucker until halfway through the book??? She had like three conversations with the crouton. How dare she do Brayden like this. The ending???? Brayden’s been pining for YEARS and he just shakes it off? Even Taylor Swift would be cursing this book out. I literally cannot believe Freddie Krueger is the one we were supposed to love. How DARE this book describe Brayden with such detail and devotion.
This had to have been an editor’s choice. I simply refused to believe the book was originally meant to be this wishy washy and laughable. Nothing was solid. No emotions or endings or conclusions were earned or achieved. You cannot give us pages of Brayden and expect us to just be okay with French Fry???? His love letter gave pennies of what it would’ve taken for me to be okay with this arc. This cemented my glorious exorcism of love triangles from my life.
I was able to push aside her horrible family and the fact that this book made zero sense, for the romance. I’m corrupt like that but NEVER have I been so horrified at the clear impending doom of a book. I know nothing about Frozen Peas besides the fact that he’s a hhhhhhwhisp of a crusty ass character.
Subverting tropes is fun but for that to happen YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE TROPES ARE POPULAR IN THE FIRST PLACE. The connection! The forced proximity! The rightness of something that seemed wrong! This book fumbled the pass so hard the other team scored while blindfolded and dizzy from spinning around a baseball bat 10 times.
I’m so sweaty.
⭐️/5
July 22, 2025
An update I never dreamed of making: FINDING HER EDGE IS GOING TO BE ON NETFLIX!
Check out the announcement here!
And if you're reading Finding Her Edge for the very first time, FOR REASONS, you should probably ignore that epilogue. Just...put your hands over your eyes and pretend it does not exist.
Check out the announcement here!
And if you're reading Finding Her Edge for the very first time, FOR REASONS, you should probably ignore that epilogue. Just...put your hands over your eyes and pretend it does not exist.
October 11, 2021
having a fake dating trope where they don't fall for each other and the girl ends up with the guy she had 2 interactions with really sucks
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 17, 2022
#braydendeservedbetter
December 14, 2025
I thought I was getting myself into a heart fluttering, feet kicking, sweet romance on ice. I was wrong.
Sure, it had all the elements in it- fake dating, childhood friends, love triangles, it had all the elements of becoming a sweet, heart fluttering, mind numbingly absolutely diabetes causing romance. So then, I ask myself, what went wrong.
There were so many tropes that it seemed there was no time for all of them to be done justice. I was constantly agitated by the main character, who, it seems, does not give any shits about any of the people around her. Her personality and the way she treated EVERYONE around her got on my nerves. I kept waiting for her to redeem herself for her actions, but instead of doing something to make her at least a tiny bit likable, she kept doing things that made me hate her more, with no repercussions or regret, and on the contrary, receiving ENCOURAGEMENT for her actions instead of someone just CALLING HER OUT.
𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𝓟𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲
Reading this cause I need a meaningless lighthearted read. Hope this delivers!
𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing me with this book in exchange of my honest review.
𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲
Sure, it had all the elements in it- fake dating, childhood friends, love triangles, it had all the elements of becoming a sweet, heart fluttering, mind numbingly absolutely diabetes causing romance. So then, I ask myself, what went wrong.
There were so many tropes that it seemed there was no time for all of them to be done justice. I was constantly agitated by the main character, who, it seems, does not give any shits about any of the people around her. Her personality and the way she treated EVERYONE around her got on my nerves. I kept waiting for her to redeem herself for her actions, but instead of doing something to make her at least a tiny bit likable, she kept doing things that made me hate her more, with no repercussions or regret, and on the contrary, receiving ENCOURAGEMENT for her actions instead of someone just CALLING HER OUT.
𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𝓟𝓻𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲
Reading this cause I need a meaningless lighthearted read. Hope this delivers!
𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing me with this book in exchange of my honest review.
𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲𑣲
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Currently reading
November 8, 2025 ⁀➴༯ pre-read
♒︎ thank you netgalley for this arc !! ♡
♒︎ thank you netgalley for this arc !! ♡
October 9, 2021
So sweet and swoony… this was the perfect read for all those who were captivated by Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir!
March 7, 2023
Wenn man mich fragen würde ob dieses Buch besonders tiefgründig war, einen tollen Plot hatte oder mit nicht kindischen Charakteren überzeugen könnte dann müsste ich diese Fragen (leider) verneinen. Es war eine sehr flache Geschichte mit einem sehr vorhersehbaren Ende, sehr viel künstlich erzeugtem Drama und (aufgrund des Alters) wahnsinnig kindischen Reaktionen auf Dinge. Hab ich die Geschichte trotzdem absolut verschlungen, wollte immer weiterlesen und hab so etwas wie Spannung verspürt? Absolut! Zum Ende hin wurde es sogar richtig emotional, und ich hatte Gänsehaut bei den Dingen, die so passiert sind. Das Buch konnte mich also richtig richtig gut unterhalten, und da ich Storys über Eiskunstlaufen bzw. Jegliche Art von Sport Wettkämpfen in Büchern total gerne lese waren die oben benannten Punkte total irrelevant. Ich wollte sie euch trotzdem nicht vorenthalten, weil man einfach nicht mit einer großen Erwartung an das Buch gehen sollte. Wenn man diese allerdings runterschraubt und sich einfach ein wenig berieseln oder unterhalten lassen will: Go for it! Ich habe es tatsächlich sehr genossen!
January 4, 2026
thanks you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc. all thoughts are my own.
2.75 (rounded up for the cover)
I guess this book was for me during a time of my life where I havent written a rant review in a hot second. you know when you have the unearthly desire to just argue with someone for the fun of it? my name is not Karen I swear.
well finding her edge made me find something to cope if im gonna be honest. I freaking love figure skating. so much so that I had the desire for a brief stint in time to become professional.
until I remember I was 15 at the time and lived in a place where it snowed once in a blue moon.
yeah figure skating was not a life goal. but I do love reading about it. and ice dancing? sign me the heck up. I love watching th4 Olympics (yuzuru hanyu😌) but I digress. I wasnt here to talk about hot guys in figure skating.
this book should have stayed on wattpad. and I say that with the utmost respect to wattpad btw.
but some things just need to chill and NOT BE TURNED INTO A NETFLIX SHOW!? guys guys chill. its okay to let things stay on dead trees okay?!?
I think this book had a love triangle but the author didn't know how a triangle was shaped so she truly just winged it like a toddler.
because I hated both of them. like u gotta fake a relationship with the guy who is ur skating partner for....sponsorships?
if times are that tough just sell feet pics because Brayden was a wet sock.
and Freddie was like the guy you rejected in third grade but he lowk still hasn't gotten over it.
the chemistry was lacking. ive had more chemistry with the guy at my boba shop when he says "your order number is "34" than what I was reading this which is a romance novel.
it ended too fast and wrapped up everything a little too neatly. what happened with her dad and all the other side characters that im too lazy to list bc it doesnt deserve my time.
so if u really like reading ice skating romance novels that lowk suck. id say pick up this book! dont come for the love interests tho, they will not deliver. but diGiorno will.
2.75 (rounded up for the cover)
I guess this book was for me during a time of my life where I havent written a rant review in a hot second. you know when you have the unearthly desire to just argue with someone for the fun of it? my name is not Karen I swear.
well finding her edge made me find something to cope if im gonna be honest. I freaking love figure skating. so much so that I had the desire for a brief stint in time to become professional.
until I remember I was 15 at the time and lived in a place where it snowed once in a blue moon.
yeah figure skating was not a life goal. but I do love reading about it. and ice dancing? sign me the heck up. I love watching th4 Olympics (yuzuru hanyu😌) but I digress. I wasnt here to talk about hot guys in figure skating.
this book should have stayed on wattpad. and I say that with the utmost respect to wattpad btw.
but some things just need to chill and NOT BE TURNED INTO A NETFLIX SHOW!? guys guys chill. its okay to let things stay on dead trees okay?!?
I think this book had a love triangle but the author didn't know how a triangle was shaped so she truly just winged it like a toddler.
because I hated both of them. like u gotta fake a relationship with the guy who is ur skating partner for....sponsorships?
if times are that tough just sell feet pics because Brayden was a wet sock.
and Freddie was like the guy you rejected in third grade but he lowk still hasn't gotten over it.
the chemistry was lacking. ive had more chemistry with the guy at my boba shop when he says "your order number is "34" than what I was reading this which is a romance novel.
it ended too fast and wrapped up everything a little too neatly. what happened with her dad and all the other side characters that im too lazy to list bc it doesnt deserve my time.
so if u really like reading ice skating romance novels that lowk suck. id say pick up this book! dont come for the love interests tho, they will not deliver. but diGiorno will.
June 26, 2020
I absolutely shipped the WRONG team, but nonetheless I could not put this book down! Jen is one of the best YA sports writers for girls. Her books are feminist and fun and they never pit the girls against each other, which I love! This one is a delightful retelling of my favorite Austen book PERSUASION, set against a backdrop of Boston & figure skaters headed to the Olympics. Complete with an adorkable letter. (But yeah I still rooted for the wrong ship bahaha!). Cannot wait to see what the final book is like!!!
October 15, 2022
Two Things About Me:
1. I LOVE Jane Austen. Teaching my unit on Austen to my students is one of my most favorite things to do as a teacher. Persuasion is in my top three of her novels, where it falls specifically depends on my mood.
2. I am a FAN™️ of Ice Dance-not just figure skating in general but specifically Ice Dance. The other three disciplines I watch casually during Nats, Worlds, and the Olympics (sometimes also Europeans and 4CC if time permits). Ice Dance I schedule into my weekend during every Grand Prix of the season and as much as I possibly can during Challenger and Junior comps.
This book was always going to be a love it or hate it for me. I did firmly tell myself that I would let inconsistencies about the skating that wouldn't be noticeable to casual fans slide as long as they weren't too egregious. While I have a major quibble with the skating, my bigger problem with this book is all the reasons it is a subpar Persuasion retelling.
Every novel Austen wrote has a dichotomy between a Bad Man and a Good Man. (Those two descriptors are bland and reductive, but I'm not currently writing that essay.) Every single one of her villains falls on the spectrum of sexual predator (some to more extremes than others). The villain in Persuasion is the mildest form this takes, but he is still very much not a good person who sees women as disposable in his quest for what he wants. Iacopelli made the mistake of turning the foil for her Wentworth character into an actual decent person she spent more time developing than she did Wentworth's counterpart in this book. I was not at all surprised to skim the reviews on this and discover that so many people were outraged about how the romance pans out. Freddie is mayonnaise on white bread with the crusts cut off. (Frederick Wentworth deserves so much better. UGH.) I think in many ways the author was leaning into this being a reworking of Persuasion to do the work for her in selling the Adriana/Freddie ship, but the problem there is her target audience is teenagers, and none of my students have ever walked into my English class having read Persuasion. If they have experience with Austen, it's Pride and Prejudice or Emma. And of course they would be outraged. Brayden is the one with the personality, charm, and evident care for Adriana. He is the other half of the fake dating scheme, and the first half of the book focuses on his relationship with Adriana. Zero surprise people are mad.
The family dynamic part of this succeeds in being both an excellent reflection of the dynamics in the source work AND an interesting look at the pressures and nepotism prevalent in skating overall. Too bad this book wasn't just about that. It could have been great.
Regarding the figures skating. Here's the thing that bothered me the most. Iacopelli grounded her FS world in real world skating by placing the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, the 2026 Olympics in Milan, AND name dropping Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. I could have moved past the first two. Throwing real live people in the mix means we're now truly grounded in real life skating. If P/C exist in this world, then don't all the US Senior Ice Dance Teams, who Iacopelli had the audacity to say tanked in Beijing? (I know she was writing this before the Olympics actually arrived, but what does she have against H/D, C/B, and H/B that she would send those kind of vibes their way?) The US Olympic Team comes in 5th in the Beijing team event somehow in this book, and (here's where it got really annoying) the USFSA* is toying with the notion of sending Adriana/Braden to Senior Worlds because of how bad the Senior teams competed at the Olympics, which is RIDICULOUS. First, it's ridiculous because there is nothing FS audiences love more than a redemption narrative arc, so Olympic failure doesn't mean diddly squat when it comes to attending Worlds. Second, Worlds assignments are determined at Nationals. At the end of Nats weekend, USFSA chooses the teams that will compete at Worlds AND THEIR ALTERNATES. The US Senior Ice Dance bench is DEEP. For a team that had only ever competed as Juniors to be sent to Senior Worlds, all the Senior teams would have to be tragically blown up on a boat during a party a la Will Ferrell's Eurovision movie. Even then why would they bother when the required technical elements are not the same? They would need TWO new (or at the very least greatly reworked) programs. The most annoying part is this didn't need including to raise the stakes, and it just kept getting brought up for the last 1/4 of the novel, so I couldn't ignore it either.
Either your skating world needs to be made up out of whole cloth or grounded in reality. Don't straddle.
*Called something else in this book probably for trademark reasons. (Me giving the benefit of the doubt about author's research skills.)
1. I LOVE Jane Austen. Teaching my unit on Austen to my students is one of my most favorite things to do as a teacher. Persuasion is in my top three of her novels, where it falls specifically depends on my mood.
2. I am a FAN™️ of Ice Dance-not just figure skating in general but specifically Ice Dance. The other three disciplines I watch casually during Nats, Worlds, and the Olympics (sometimes also Europeans and 4CC if time permits). Ice Dance I schedule into my weekend during every Grand Prix of the season and as much as I possibly can during Challenger and Junior comps.
This book was always going to be a love it or hate it for me. I did firmly tell myself that I would let inconsistencies about the skating that wouldn't be noticeable to casual fans slide as long as they weren't too egregious. While I have a major quibble with the skating, my bigger problem with this book is all the reasons it is a subpar Persuasion retelling.
Every novel Austen wrote has a dichotomy between a Bad Man and a Good Man. (Those two descriptors are bland and reductive, but I'm not currently writing that essay.) Every single one of her villains falls on the spectrum of sexual predator (some to more extremes than others). The villain in Persuasion is the mildest form this takes, but he is still very much not a good person who sees women as disposable in his quest for what he wants. Iacopelli made the mistake of turning the foil for her Wentworth character into an actual decent person she spent more time developing than she did Wentworth's counterpart in this book. I was not at all surprised to skim the reviews on this and discover that so many people were outraged about how the romance pans out. Freddie is mayonnaise on white bread with the crusts cut off. (Frederick Wentworth deserves so much better. UGH.) I think in many ways the author was leaning into this being a reworking of Persuasion to do the work for her in selling the Adriana/Freddie ship, but the problem there is her target audience is teenagers, and none of my students have ever walked into my English class having read Persuasion. If they have experience with Austen, it's Pride and Prejudice or Emma. And of course they would be outraged. Brayden is the one with the personality, charm, and evident care for Adriana. He is the other half of the fake dating scheme, and the first half of the book focuses on his relationship with Adriana. Zero surprise people are mad.
The family dynamic part of this succeeds in being both an excellent reflection of the dynamics in the source work AND an interesting look at the pressures and nepotism prevalent in skating overall. Too bad this book wasn't just about that. It could have been great.
Regarding the figures skating. Here's the thing that bothered me the most. Iacopelli grounded her FS world in real world skating by placing the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, the 2026 Olympics in Milan, AND name dropping Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. I could have moved past the first two. Throwing real live people in the mix means we're now truly grounded in real life skating. If P/C exist in this world, then don't all the US Senior Ice Dance Teams, who Iacopelli had the audacity to say tanked in Beijing? (I know she was writing this before the Olympics actually arrived, but what does she have against H/D, C/B, and H/B that she would send those kind of vibes their way?) The US Olympic Team comes in 5th in the Beijing team event somehow in this book, and (here's where it got really annoying) the USFSA* is toying with the notion of sending Adriana/Braden to Senior Worlds because of how bad the Senior teams competed at the Olympics, which is RIDICULOUS. First, it's ridiculous because there is nothing FS audiences love more than a redemption narrative arc, so Olympic failure doesn't mean diddly squat when it comes to attending Worlds. Second, Worlds assignments are determined at Nationals. At the end of Nats weekend, USFSA chooses the teams that will compete at Worlds AND THEIR ALTERNATES. The US Senior Ice Dance bench is DEEP. For a team that had only ever competed as Juniors to be sent to Senior Worlds, all the Senior teams would have to be tragically blown up on a boat during a party a la Will Ferrell's Eurovision movie. Even then why would they bother when the required technical elements are not the same? They would need TWO new (or at the very least greatly reworked) programs. The most annoying part is this didn't need including to raise the stakes, and it just kept getting brought up for the last 1/4 of the novel, so I couldn't ignore it either.
Either your skating world needs to be made up out of whole cloth or grounded in reality. Don't straddle.
*Called something else in this book probably for trademark reasons. (Me giving the benefit of the doubt about author's research skills.)
March 8, 2022
LOL. Well, NOW I see this book is a Persuasion retelling. That might've helped! I didn't think the love story was very well done, but now at least I better understand what the book was going for.
I am probably going to like Olympic books and oh, I really enjoyed the passion and dedication these characters had for this sport. The main character was probably TOO good to be true (not in the skating sense--in the being the ultra responsible one in her family sense).
I am probably going to like Olympic books and oh, I really enjoyed the passion and dedication these characters had for this sport. The main character was probably TOO good to be true (not in the skating sense--in the being the ultra responsible one in her family sense).
March 28, 2022
This was... fine? I think contemporary Persuasion retellings are hard, and translating that to YA is even harder. This kind of worked, but also kind of didn't. And really the romance of it all felt like a B or C plot in the grand scheme of things. The way all of it wrapped up kind of felt flat, and the big emotional moment of The Letter didn't pack the punch it should have. I don't know what I wanted from an epilogue, either, but... not that??
I also found the blending of this fake figure skating world and the actual sport to be a bit strange and didn't hit the right balance for me. There were also a few mistakes that I think should have been caught in editing by someone who has basic knowledge of the sport (or the ability to Google, for example, the differences between ice dance and pairs), and I admit those stood out for me.
One thing that was great for me here was the references to how Adriana cared for/dealt with her curly hair. Genuinely appreciated the handful of those references we got!
I also found the blending of this fake figure skating world and the actual sport to be a bit strange and didn't hit the right balance for me. There were also a few mistakes that I think should have been caught in editing by someone who has basic knowledge of the sport (or the ability to Google, for example, the differences between ice dance and pairs), and I admit those stood out for me.
One thing that was great for me here was the references to how Adriana cared for/dealt with her curly hair. Genuinely appreciated the handful of those references we got!
April 8, 2022
I don’t know much about the details of skating, so I didn’t catch the skating mistakes Grace did. I almost think the book would’ve been more interesting if I had.
This was… fine, I suppose. It was about competition and dedication to a sport and social media toxicity and difficult family dynamics, except it only touched on those topics glancingly (skated over the really rough patches, if you will) and so it ended up not saying much at all.
Eh.
This was… fine, I suppose. It was about competition and dedication to a sport and social media toxicity and difficult family dynamics, except it only touched on those topics glancingly (skated over the really rough patches, if you will) and so it ended up not saying much at all.
Eh.
December 24, 2025
I hate when beautiful art is wasted on a shitty book.
don’t waste your time.
don’t waste your time.
September 13, 2022
Full Review on The Candid Cover
3.5 Stars
Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli is a Persuasion retelling set in the world of figure skating. As a fan of pretty much any sports book, I enjoyed the strong main character and the accessible way the author works in details about skating. While I struggled with some of the character dynamics, I still found this to be a cute sports romance that demonstrates Jennifer Iacopelli’s strength in writing the sports genre.
For Adriana, the daughter of figure skating legends, winning gold is in her blood. However, despite her family’s fame, her father spends more than they can afford, leaving her family no choice but to host the Junior Worlds time at their own rink to make ends meet and forcing Adriana to train alongside her ex-partner who she still has feelings for. Just as Adriana’s family is about to lose their rink, Adriana is offered a sponsorship opportunity if she pretends to date her new partner–an opportunity to bring in some much-needed profit. Torn between a fake relationship and a real one as the Junior World Championships draw near, Adriana must decide what she wants and which future is right for her.
❀ STRONG MAIN CHARACTER
Adriana is an independent main character, and I admired her strength. She feels a lot of pressure from her legendary parents and her Olympics-bound sister, and she has a lot on her plate with her family drama, the fake dating scheme, and the upcoming competition. Despite this, Adriana handles every challenge realistically, and she remains focused on working toward her goals. In terms of character dynamics, I have to admit that some of the side characters could have been better developed, and I know some readers may not be satisfied with the way the love triangle turns out. However, even with this in mind, I admired Adriana’s maturity and her own personal growth.
❀ READABLE COMPETITION STORY
What I love about Jennifer Iacopelli’s books is the way she writes sports and competition. Similar to the gymnastics in Break the Fall, the figure skating aspects in this book feel well-researched but not overwhelming–we get descriptions of the characters’ skating but with minimum skating jargon, which keeps the story readable. I especially appreciate the way Iacopelli writes dynamics between competitors. Too often in books about women in sports, women are pitted against each other. In this one, and in the author’s other work, the characters are supportive of each other, and I loved reading about their genuine care for one other despite the competition.
❀ A PERSUASION RETELLING
Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli is a Persuasion retelling about being torn between the past and the future. I enjoyed the main character’s perseverance, and the dynamics between competitors are especially well-written. Fans of books about figure skating will not want to miss this adorable romance.
3.5 Stars
Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli is a Persuasion retelling set in the world of figure skating. As a fan of pretty much any sports book, I enjoyed the strong main character and the accessible way the author works in details about skating. While I struggled with some of the character dynamics, I still found this to be a cute sports romance that demonstrates Jennifer Iacopelli’s strength in writing the sports genre.
For Adriana, the daughter of figure skating legends, winning gold is in her blood. However, despite her family’s fame, her father spends more than they can afford, leaving her family no choice but to host the Junior Worlds time at their own rink to make ends meet and forcing Adriana to train alongside her ex-partner who she still has feelings for. Just as Adriana’s family is about to lose their rink, Adriana is offered a sponsorship opportunity if she pretends to date her new partner–an opportunity to bring in some much-needed profit. Torn between a fake relationship and a real one as the Junior World Championships draw near, Adriana must decide what she wants and which future is right for her.
❀ STRONG MAIN CHARACTER
Adriana is an independent main character, and I admired her strength. She feels a lot of pressure from her legendary parents and her Olympics-bound sister, and she has a lot on her plate with her family drama, the fake dating scheme, and the upcoming competition. Despite this, Adriana handles every challenge realistically, and she remains focused on working toward her goals. In terms of character dynamics, I have to admit that some of the side characters could have been better developed, and I know some readers may not be satisfied with the way the love triangle turns out. However, even with this in mind, I admired Adriana’s maturity and her own personal growth.
❀ READABLE COMPETITION STORY
What I love about Jennifer Iacopelli’s books is the way she writes sports and competition. Similar to the gymnastics in Break the Fall, the figure skating aspects in this book feel well-researched but not overwhelming–we get descriptions of the characters’ skating but with minimum skating jargon, which keeps the story readable. I especially appreciate the way Iacopelli writes dynamics between competitors. Too often in books about women in sports, women are pitted against each other. In this one, and in the author’s other work, the characters are supportive of each other, and I loved reading about their genuine care for one other despite the competition.
❀ A PERSUASION RETELLING
Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli is a Persuasion retelling about being torn between the past and the future. I enjoyed the main character’s perseverance, and the dynamics between competitors are especially well-written. Fans of books about figure skating will not want to miss this adorable romance.
February 15, 2022
Just finished reading Finding Her Edge! ✨
I absolutely flew through this book, stayed up until after midnight (something I haven’t done for quite some time) and the romance brought me back to my Wattpad days where I would devour romance after romance 🤌🏻💓 It had the fake dating trope, extremely cute love interest BUT also a love triangle which sadly didn’t end the way I wanted it to which extremely disappointed me. Why set readers up with such an amazing love interest (I was 100% invested y’all) when she’s just going to leave him hanging? And let me tell you, that guy was absolutely head over heels! I did not vibe with the other love interest at all and did not see this coming for a second. I even got to, like, despise the main character for her actions and stringing others along towards the end of the book.
Brayden is the absolute sweetest and deserved so so so much better!
But, because the first 70% of the book was really good, was extremely promising in the romance department and for the fact that the main character was actually likeable (which sadly couldn’t be said for the last 30%) I’ll still give this book 🌟🌟🌟 (3) stars.
I absolutely flew through this book, stayed up until after midnight (something I haven’t done for quite some time) and the romance brought me back to my Wattpad days where I would devour romance after romance 🤌🏻💓 It had the fake dating trope, extremely cute love interest BUT also a love triangle which sadly didn’t end the way I wanted it to which extremely disappointed me. Why set readers up with such an amazing love interest (I was 100% invested y’all) when she’s just going to leave him hanging? And let me tell you, that guy was absolutely head over heels! I did not vibe with the other love interest at all and did not see this coming for a second. I even got to, like, despise the main character for her actions and stringing others along towards the end of the book.
Brayden is the absolute sweetest and deserved so so so much better!
But, because the first 70% of the book was really good, was extremely promising in the romance department and for the fact that the main character was actually likeable (which sadly couldn’t be said for the last 30%) I’ll still give this book 🌟🌟🌟 (3) stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
I have a lot to say about this book. First you set up the perfect love interest Brayden and Adriana doesn’t even end up with him? They do the whole fake dating thing and nothing comes of it. I’m so confused why she chose for Adriana to end up with Freddie instead. It literally comes out of nowhere like 80% into the book. I get she used to have a crush on the guy. But they had like no chemistry. A majority of the book seemed to be setting up Adriana and Brayden ending up together but then a curve ball is thrown at you and they don’t. If Freddie had more time in the book and more interactions with Adriana then it would have made a little more sense for her to choose him. It’s like the writer had a whole book written in her head about Adriana and Freddie relationship but decided not to show more of it. I really hate leaving such a bad review but I had such high hopes for this book. I love the fake dating troupe so much and I was just let down because usually the two people who fake date end up together.
May 8, 2022
unbelievably bad. i dislike nepotism athletes on principle, so i found the main character and her ~family legacy~ dilemma unbearably cringe. also, my face when the author started name-dropping actual figure skaters who are currently competing… girl what do papadakis and cizeron have anything to do with this
December 28, 2025
➵ 4.5 ⭐️
I really don't understand why the average rating of this book is so low but I don't particularly care either way, personally I had a blast.
When I heard that Neflix will finally be adapting a book about ice skating I was soooo excited!! I was so mad when they canceled Spinning Out, I've been waiting for them to fill the void with something new and as soon as I heard, I knew I had to get my hands on this book.
Now, the arc I read was the re-release and I don't know if any changes were made to this version. There were some typos (like duh, it's an arc but that can be an indicator that things were added) so maybe there are some differences to the text but I couldn't find any information online; the only thing that was mentioned was the bonus chapter at the end from Freddie's POV, but I'll get to this in a bit.
I had so much fun with this!
There was family drama and love triangles and fake dating, second chance romance, skating competitions and so much more! I couldn't put this down, it was sooooo entertaining.
Loved our FMC Adriana, she's only 16 yo but she read like an older, more mature character which was due to the fact that she had to take on so much more than a 16 yo should. After their their mother died, it felt like their father checked out in a way and Adriana took on a role as a mom figure when it came to both her younger and older sisters. I found her relatable and really connected with her.
I really liked both love interests, and I was rooting for a different guy through the different stages of the story. The way this is written you may not be sure until the second half who she's gonna end up with but there are definitely hints. I had no idea that FHE is supposed to be a Persuasion retelling, and I'd say it's a retelling in a very loose sense, so this can also point you in the right direction.
Brayden gave me golden retriever vibes and he was very lovable but that fuck boy attitude... I loved him as Adriana's partner and I absolutely loved their friendship but even though they had great chemistry you could tell that
Freddie was our Broody McAngst™, and my gods did he yearn. The book is only from Adriana's POV so we really don't get the guys' side but more's revealed about Freddie and Adriana's past and his feelings in the second half. My only gripe with this book would be this—that I wanted more Freddie. The bonus chapter from his POV was fantastic and provided such great insight into his emotional state.
If Brayden gave me Jeremiah vibes, Freddie definitely gave me Conrad ones lol.
The family dynamics were portrayed authentically and added depth to the storyline.
Loved how supportive Freddie's sister was while Adriana's family was messy and complicated and definitely not easy.
I'm very interested to see if Elise (Adriana's older sister) will be just as spoiled and immature in the TV series as she was in the book.
Adriana's found family was one of the things I enjoyed the most. It warmed my heart how close the whole Junior's team became and how supportive they were of each other.
The ending was great and I can easily read a read a sequel about all of them going to the Olympics in 2026 😄
I don't know what else to add except for I'm super excited for the adaptation and I really didn't expect to love this as much as I did. Fingers crossed the adaptation is just as good.
eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
I really don't understand why the average rating of this book is so low but I don't particularly care either way, personally I had a blast.
When I heard that Neflix will finally be adapting a book about ice skating I was soooo excited!! I was so mad when they canceled Spinning Out, I've been waiting for them to fill the void with something new and as soon as I heard, I knew I had to get my hands on this book.
Now, the arc I read was the re-release and I don't know if any changes were made to this version. There were some typos (like duh, it's an arc but that can be an indicator that things were added) so maybe there are some differences to the text but I couldn't find any information online; the only thing that was mentioned was the bonus chapter at the end from Freddie's POV, but I'll get to this in a bit.
I had so much fun with this!
There was family drama and love triangles and fake dating, second chance romance, skating competitions and so much more! I couldn't put this down, it was sooooo entertaining.
Loved our FMC Adriana, she's only 16 yo but she read like an older, more mature character which was due to the fact that she had to take on so much more than a 16 yo should. After their their mother died, it felt like their father checked out in a way and Adriana took on a role as a mom figure when it came to both her younger and older sisters. I found her relatable and really connected with her.
I really liked both love interests, and I was rooting for a different guy through the different stages of the story. The way this is written you may not be sure until the second half who she's gonna end up with but there are definitely hints. I had no idea that FHE is supposed to be a Persuasion retelling, and I'd say it's a retelling in a very loose sense, so this can also point you in the right direction.
Brayden gave me golden retriever vibes and he was very lovable but that fuck boy attitude... I loved him as Adriana's partner and I absolutely loved their friendship but even though they had great chemistry you could tell that
Freddie was our Broody McAngst™, and my gods did he yearn. The book is only from Adriana's POV so we really don't get the guys' side but more's revealed about Freddie and Adriana's past and his feelings in the second half. My only gripe with this book would be this—that I wanted more Freddie. The bonus chapter from his POV was fantastic and provided such great insight into his emotional state.
If Brayden gave me Jeremiah vibes, Freddie definitely gave me Conrad ones lol.
With a soft laugh, he pulls me closer and leans down to whisper against my temple. "I remember everything."
The family dynamics were portrayed authentically and added depth to the storyline.
Loved how supportive Freddie's sister was while Adriana's family was messy and complicated and definitely not easy.
I'm very interested to see if Elise (Adriana's older sister) will be just as spoiled and immature in the TV series as she was in the book.
Adriana's found family was one of the things I enjoyed the most. It warmed my heart how close the whole Junior's team became and how supportive they were of each other.
The ending was great and I can easily read a read a sequel about all of them going to the Olympics in 2026 😄
I don't know what else to add except for I'm super excited for the adaptation and I really didn't expect to love this as much as I did. Fingers crossed the adaptation is just as good.
eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
December 6, 2025
2.5 ☆ | Really cute and fun, but definitely not a favorite read of this year.
I do think that the show could be good, so when it comes out, I'd like to watch it, but hopefully I'd enjoy it more than the book.
( ⚠︎ spoilers all throughout the review for who Adriana ends up with ⚠︎ )
⋆𐙚❅*⋆❆.⛸️ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 :
At the end of this I feel kind of unsatisfied honestly. I think mostly because Adriana didn't end up with who I personally wanted her to. I mean, there's such a well written mmc and she ends up with the one who I feel we didn't know all 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 much about??
I feel like there was much more chemistry with Adriana and Brayden than Adriana and Freddie.
I definitely liked Brayden's character more than I liked Freddie and think he would've been much better as endgame.
I mean, how was I supposed to root for Adriana & Freddie to get together when they barely even talked?? 😭 it's so frustrating.
WE DIDN'T EVEN MEET FREDDIE UNTIL HAVE HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK. LIKE??
Adriana 👏 and 👏 Freddie 👏 had 👏 no 👏 chemistry 👏
I love tropes with fake dating. Which I know isn't a fan favorite, but I enjoy it.
With all fake dating books I've read, it finishes with the two who are fake dating, actually ending up together. This book wasn't the same.. Which, sure, different can be cool. But I personally didn't enjoy this one a whole ton and how it played out. Like you did fake dating so wrong here😭I feel like its an unwritten rule that the two fake dating have to end up with each other.
⋆𐙚❅*⋆❆.⛸️ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 :
I wanted to love this one so bad but was quite disappointed by it.. It's a nice, quick read. I didn't enjoy the romance with Freddie (we literally don't even know him, SOO?) But did like the skating parts.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I do think that the show could be good, so when it comes out, I'd like to watch it, but hopefully I'd enjoy it more than the book.
( ⚠︎ spoilers all throughout the review for who Adriana ends up with ⚠︎ )
⋆𐙚❅*⋆❆.⛸️ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 :
At the end of this I feel kind of unsatisfied honestly. I think mostly because Adriana didn't end up with who I personally wanted her to. I mean, there's such a well written mmc and she ends up with the one who I feel we didn't know all 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 much about??
I feel like there was much more chemistry with Adriana and Brayden than Adriana and Freddie.
I definitely liked Brayden's character more than I liked Freddie and think he would've been much better as endgame.
I mean, how was I supposed to root for Adriana & Freddie to get together when they barely even talked?? 😭 it's so frustrating.
WE DIDN'T EVEN MEET FREDDIE UNTIL HAVE HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK. LIKE??
Adriana 👏 and 👏 Freddie 👏 had 👏 no 👏 chemistry 👏
I love tropes with fake dating. Which I know isn't a fan favorite, but I enjoy it.
With all fake dating books I've read, it finishes with the two who are fake dating, actually ending up together. This book wasn't the same.. Which, sure, different can be cool. But I personally didn't enjoy this one a whole ton and how it played out. Like you did fake dating so wrong here😭I feel like its an unwritten rule that the two fake dating have to end up with each other.
⋆𐙚❅*⋆❆.⛸️ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 :
I wanted to love this one so bad but was quite disappointed by it.. It's a nice, quick read. I didn't enjoy the romance with Freddie (we literally don't even know him, SOO?) But did like the skating parts.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
March 13, 2022
With high stakes, family drama, fierce women in sport, completion and an adorable romance, this had everything I love in a sporty romance. It’s fast paced, easy to read and totally addictive and has truly solidified Jennifer Iacopelli as an auto buy, go-to author for me. Loved it.
August 10, 2025
“I’ve been in love with you since I was ten years old. I might not have known what to call it back then and up until a few days ago I would have denied it with my dying breath, but that’s the truth.
I love you.
I always have and I always will.
I tried to stay away from you. Tried to just ignore you and avoid you and I failed. I’ve never been happier to fail in my life because I think that maybe I’m not alone in this. That maybe everything I’m feeling, you’re feeling too.”
also I cant pick a side hahaha…
3.5 ⭐️
I love you.
I always have and I always will.
I tried to stay away from you. Tried to just ignore you and avoid you and I failed. I’ve never been happier to fail in my life because I think that maybe I’m not alone in this. That maybe everything I’m feeling, you’re feeling too.”
also I cant pick a side hahaha…
3.5 ⭐️
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February 28, 2022i think the silliest thing about this book is that you can tell an american wrote it
ALSO i think the most annoying thing is that we're just going to pretend, this ice dance team who has only ever competed in juniors, will be going to senior worlds with a month notice (they were told they were being considered for a worlds spot because the beijing ice dance teams flopped... as if worlds assignments weren't chosen after nats)??????? as if we don't need this junior team to get a new program and learn a whole new pattern?????
ALSO i think the most annoying thing is that we're just going to pretend, this ice dance team who has only ever competed in juniors, will be going to senior worlds with a month notice (they were told they were being considered for a worlds spot because the beijing ice dance teams flopped... as if worlds assignments weren't chosen after nats)??????? as if we don't need this junior team to get a new program and learn a whole new pattern?????
November 30, 2021
This was cute in parts, but I definitely shipped the wrong pair which made me sad. I do love a book that takes place in the figure skating world so all is not lost. In the end it was a quick read that made me want to watch The Cutting Edge again.
December 14, 2025
Finding Her Edge is a YA sports romance that follows a pair of ice dancers and the drama that begins to build as they prepare for the Junior World Championship.
I have to admit, for the first 30% or so of this book, I was having a pleasant time watching our main character Adriana and her partner prepare for the upcoming competition and the spotlight that suddenly fell on them beforehand. However, two of my biggest issues with the book quickly became the age of the characters and also the resolution of the love triangle. Both felt unrealistic to me and were therefore frustrating to read. I had to keep reminding myself that Adriana was only 16, and everyone around her was a similar age. I think that if the characters were just a little bit older, I would've enjoyed the story more. It was just weird to read about an 18-year-old pretending to date Adriana for the spotlight and then also watching him admit he's been in love with her for years and then end up moving on super quickly. The story just felt all over the place at times, and again, I think the ages of the characters played a role in that for me.
CW for loss of parent, injury detail.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli. All thoughts are my own.
I have to admit, for the first 30% or so of this book, I was having a pleasant time watching our main character Adriana and her partner prepare for the upcoming competition and the spotlight that suddenly fell on them beforehand. However, two of my biggest issues with the book quickly became the age of the characters and also the resolution of the love triangle. Both felt unrealistic to me and were therefore frustrating to read. I had to keep reminding myself that Adriana was only 16, and everyone around her was a similar age. I think that if the characters were just a little bit older, I would've enjoyed the story more. It was just weird to read about an 18-year-old pretending to date Adriana for the spotlight and then also watching him admit he's been in love with her for years and then end up moving on super quickly. The story just felt all over the place at times, and again, I think the ages of the characters played a role in that for me.
CW for loss of parent, injury detail.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli. All thoughts are my own.
February 14, 2022
“The only thing I plan to focus on is winning gold. Everything else is just noise.”
Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli is a fun, young adult romance! Adriana’s sister is headed to the Winter Olympics in Beijing for the Ice Skating competition. Unfortunately, it will be four years before Adriana can compete in Ice dancing. In the meantime, she is competing in the Junior World Ice Skating Championship. Four years earlier, Adriana fell for her former ice dancing partner Freddie, but she grew taller than him. With the threat of potentially sitting out a season of Juniors, she made the decision to swap partners even though she carried a torch for her partner.
This is my first book by Jennifer, and I enjoyed her writing so much! Her writing flows so well and so easy. Not once did I need to look up the lingo or terminology in relation to ice skating or ice dancing. I sincerely appreciate that about this book, because I know nothing about skating. I have never visited a skating rink in my life. So, if you are not familiar with ice skating/dancing, do not be dismayed. The book is very well written!
Jennifer also does such a great job with the relationships in this book. While reading I felt transported to my young teenage days with cute crushes. Thank you for the warm, fuzzy memories, Jennifer! I will definitely read another book by this author.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House, Razorbill, Jennifer Iacopelli, and Netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Finding Her Edge by Jennifer Iacopelli is a fun, young adult romance! Adriana’s sister is headed to the Winter Olympics in Beijing for the Ice Skating competition. Unfortunately, it will be four years before Adriana can compete in Ice dancing. In the meantime, she is competing in the Junior World Ice Skating Championship. Four years earlier, Adriana fell for her former ice dancing partner Freddie, but she grew taller than him. With the threat of potentially sitting out a season of Juniors, she made the decision to swap partners even though she carried a torch for her partner.
This is my first book by Jennifer, and I enjoyed her writing so much! Her writing flows so well and so easy. Not once did I need to look up the lingo or terminology in relation to ice skating or ice dancing. I sincerely appreciate that about this book, because I know nothing about skating. I have never visited a skating rink in my life. So, if you are not familiar with ice skating/dancing, do not be dismayed. The book is very well written!
Jennifer also does such a great job with the relationships in this book. While reading I felt transported to my young teenage days with cute crushes. Thank you for the warm, fuzzy memories, Jennifer! I will definitely read another book by this author.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House, Razorbill, Jennifer Iacopelli, and Netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest opinion!
December 3, 2022
I realize now that this is meant as a retelling of Persuasion, but I've never read it and so I was surprised at how the love triangle turned out. The story was pretty cute and I liked the ice dancing parts a lot. Usually books are about skating and tricks, but it was fun seeing the techniques used for dancing. I liked that it was pairs also, so the guys were included and not hockey players or something else.
I wanted Adrianna to choose the other guy and was disappointed with how it turned out. I understand the reasoning, but I just wanted it to go differently and it kind of made my enjoyment go down.
I wanted Adrianna to choose the other guy and was disappointed with how it turned out. I understand the reasoning, but I just wanted it to go differently and it kind of made my enjoyment go down.
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