Review: Edge of the Past – Jennifer Comeaux

Emily’s skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they’ve entered this season, and she’s found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei’s past explodes into the present and makes Emily doubt everything in their future.

Series:  Edge #2
Release Date:  November 27, 2012
Publisher:  Astrea Press
Source:  Amazon, via my own wallet
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

After everything that Emily and Sergei went through in Life on the Edge I couldn’t imagine what from Sergei’s past could cause turmoil for them now as their wedding day approached.  Oops!  Talk about being a little naive on my part.  Sergei’s past came back with a vengeance and truly did test them and what they would do to ensure the other’s happiness.

Emily’s excited when a big international skating competition takes them to Russia.  This gives her the opportunity to meet Sergei’s parents before the wedding and get to see just where Sergei grew up and learned to skate.  But their trip to Russia doesn’t start off well, when Chris injures his shoulder during the stort program (forcing them to withdraw from the competition) and a trip to Sergei’s old rink brings them face to face with his ex-partner/lover Elena.

Emily and Sergei were just as sweet and cute as they were in the first book.  They’re planning their wedding, training and building their life together.  With their relationship being out in the open, Emily and Sergei seem much more relaxed and at peace with where their life is.  But that trip to Russia changes everything.  Not only does Emily have to deal with the insecurities she has about Elena and all the firsts she had with Sergei, they also come face to face with the child Elena gave away.

While Sergei dives head first into his relationship with his daughter, Emily tries to become the fixer.  She offers her spare room to Elena and Liza, she asks the kids at the rink to involve Liza in their winter programs, all while having Elena belittle, threaten and be downright rude to her.  Emily was so busy “fixing” the Sergei/Liza/Elena issues and trying to play peacemaker that she was pushing aside or holding in her own fears and insecurities to put less of a burden on Sergei.  In the end, her trying to “fix” everything almost cost her what she wanted and needed most.

Elena is the ultimate evil woman.  While she doesn’t want Sergei for herself, she will do anything to drive a wedge between Emily and Sergei, even using her daughter.  She’s harsh, bitter and very hard to like, even when she’s trying to do the right thing.  Nothing was ever about anyone other than Elena and it was hard to imagine what it was about her that ever attracted Sergei.

I’m hoping there is more to Sergei and Emily’s story.  She and Chris need an Olympic Gold medal and maybe a baby before I’ll be finished with their story.