Halfway Home by Anna Cove is a dramatic, opposites attract romance where the world of skating and politics collide.
Savannah Burns works hard, and that’s about all she has time for. She’s a political lobbyist gunning for promotion. When it comes to manipulating people, they call her The Closer. Her 16 hour work days leave little time for sleep or maintaining her relationship. Occasionally she needs a pick-me-up, at least that’s what she tells herself.
Casey Day is definitely not about that 9-5 life. She’s skating the country to raise money for foster kids. Nobody expects much from her, so she doesn’t expect much from herself. Her pink hair, belly tops, and fun-loving attitude allow her to breeze in and out without making any lasting connections. Just the way she likes it. Connecting only leads to heartache.
When Casey bumps into Savannah in a bathroom everything changes. One crazy night later, Casey is left holding Savannah’s purse and jacket, and Savannah is nursing the kind of hangover that reminds her of college. The two have nothing in common, but they can’t stay away from one another. Can they figure out how to balance one another out, or will Casey skate into the sunset?
The Characters
Honestly, most of the time I didn’t like Savannah all that much. She’s a selfish workaholic who time and again fails to take anyone else’s feelings into account. Even though she knows what makes people tick, when it comes to considering the consequences of her actions, she has no idea. All of that being said, she is realistic. Every action she takes makes perfect sense for the character and I really respect that.
Casey is exactly the type of person I want more of in my books. She’s fun, she’s living her life, and she’s raising money for a cause she cares about. I have a few types and one of them is definitely the indie skater girl. Casey has these ironclad morals that guide her in everything she does. Throughout the novel, she rises to every challenge the world throws at her, even if she runs (skates) away from them to begin with.
The Writing Style
These two both have such tortured backstories that emerge naturally as the story progresses. Almost from their first meeting it seemed inevitable that they would break up at some point. Like watching a head on collision in slow motion. That knowledge did not detract from my enjoyment though.
This book takes on some hard topics and handles them in such a delicate way that allows the characters to grow at their own paces which was lovely to experience.
The Pros
Casey’s enjoyment of French toast.
Okay, I do have a slightly more serious answer, though Casey enjoying French toast was an amazing moment. The truthful answer is that the drama of this was exactly what I needed. The strength of both of these women at different times is one of my favorite things to see in fiction. When it would be easier to stay, easier to ignore the truth in front of you, or run from your problems, both these women chose to face them head on. Eventually.
The Cons
This one does delve into some pretty heavy issues in terms of drug abuse and the foster care system. This could be a no-go area for some readers. For me, I thought this was all handled quite sensitively, however these are not particularly sensitive subjects for me.
I also want to note that Savannah is in a relationship at the start of this novel. There is definitely a kiss shared between Savannah and Casey while Savannah is still dating someone.
The Conclusion
If you need some strong women on your page, this is well worth a read. These two may be completely opposite in many ways but at the end of the day they both have their struggles (don’t we all) and they can both teach us a thing or two. Plus, who doesn’t like skating?
Excerpt from Halfway Home by Anna Cove
“Mind slipping me some toilet paper?”
The woman’s heels clicked against the tiled floor, tracing a path into the stall next to me. A sensibly manicured hand offered me a roll of toilet paper. My chipped fingernails looked like a nervous sixth grader’s next to hers as I took the roll. “Thanks,” I said, unraveling the paper. “What brings you here?”
“To the bathroom?”
“Sure, why not?” I said.
She paused, and I stopped moving, stopped breathing, to listen for a clue to what she was doing. Was she grinning? Or was she rolling her eyes, ready to flee from my irritating presences as soon as she could.
“I’m celebrating, actually.”
I practically choked on my badly needed intake of breath. “In the bathroom?”
“Why not? It’s a perfectly lovely bathroom.”
The pretty girl had a sense of humor. This was getting more and more interesting by the minute. I flushed the toilet and maneuvered out of the stall. “The loveliest of them all,” I said, in my best witchy voice.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: B07D92TP71
Publisher: Indie author
Anna Cove Online
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