Love Ride

by Kassidy Raelyn

Love Ride is an extreme sports romance featuring a torturous slow burn with a heavy focus on plot. Addie and Reid are both professional mountain bikers trying to prove themselves while evading their feelings for each other. This story has adrenaline, anxiety representation, and top-tier tension. Join these two childhood friends on the road trip of a lifetime!

Genres: Sports Romance, Romance

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2025

About the author

Kassidy is an avid reader turned writer. She takes her experience working in the mental health field to the page, crafting tales of romance and character growth. Her books are driven by romance with a literary focus. Her debut novel—Love Ride—is the first in a series of interconnected standalones. Each book will focus on a new couple and a different outdoor sport. She’s a lover of slow burns and immersive landscapes. Tune in for a little bit of depth with your meet-cutes.

Reviews

[emmareadds · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my gosh, where do i even start. absolutely incredible debut novel from kassidy! i am so invested in this universe already, and i literally could not stop reading it.
it has the perfect mixture of plot, romance, banter, and character growth. the anxiety representation made me feel so seen, and i ate up the tension and banter between these two childhood friends <3 if you want the slowest burn you’ve ever read, this is for you! also obsessed w all of the side characters and i can’t wait for the next book!!! AHHHH! 10/10

tropes: childhood friends to lovers, slow burn, anxiety representation, protective mmc, road trip, extreme sports, high tension/banter, low spice

[Alissa Minard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay this is going to be a long one, let’s start with what I liked. We are gonna call this 2.5 stars but I just couldn’t quite justify a 3 star rating for me.
- mountain biking is a super cool theme, love a high octane sport and the competition scenes were the strongest in the book imo
- Reid is a darling
- The settings were described in a way that felt very real, I could picture places I’ve never been
- The author includes photographs of the views during key moments, a very cool touch!

While all of these things were lovely, there were two things that were present throughout the entire book that led to a 2.5 star rating for me. Firstly, I just didn’t click with the writing style. It felt like I was being told to think a lot of things without seeing evidence of them on page and that a lot of it was repetitive/over explained. Addie’s inner monologue is overused in my opinion, leading to a lack of “showing” through dialogue and action.

Additionally, the main character Addie suffers from debilitating anxiety which massively impacts her entire world view. There were some moments where it felt like an accurate representation, and Addie does make some progress through therapy throughout the book, but overall this aspect fell flat for me for a few reasons. Unfortunately, Addie is often judgemental (especially about her friend Riley) and expects those around her to read her mind. While these can absolutely reflect the inner experience of someone with anxiety, I feel like the character never takes any accountability for these things and doesn’t grow enough to be redeemed in my eyes. On the other hand, it’s mentioned several times that Addie is such a great person who is always there for others, but I just didn’t see evidence of this in her behaviour on page.

I realize that I am in the minority review wise for this book and I encourage you to read it and form your own view. Thank you to the author for this ARC.

[ambersometimesreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn because I think the plot was good and has a trope I LOVEEE but I was so annoyed by the fmc at so many points. she kept coming off like a pick me by saying "i only get along with guys, i cant relate to girls who wear makeup, i cant be one of those girls who show their body on social media." she just came off like the opposite of a girls girl. I tried to ignore it but since the whole book is in her pov, i couldnt escape her hahah. I didn't care for the mmc that much either 🥲 like he always secretly liked her but continued to sleep with other girls and never told her?

I think the series will be really good, especially since all the side characters seemed amazing so I'm excited to see how their books go

[Stephanie Keijzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute sports romance. I liked the fact that is was something else than icehockey. Because honestly we have them a lot. So free mountainbiking was a breath of fresh air. The story was fast paced and I loved the characters. The one thing I did miss was Reids POV troughout the book. We only get one chapter in the end. I think it would have give the book a little extra. But overall I liked the story and recommend this to sport romance lovers.

📚 Sport romance
📚 Slowburn
📚 Found family
📚 Anxiety/mental health
📚 Friendship
📚 Spice

[CozyBookReviewz · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the anxiety representation in this book is top notch. I have OCD and anxiety and this was the most realistic I’ve ever read when it comes to mental health which I really appreciated.

This story follows Adelaide & Reid, pro mountain bikers, jet setting across the US from competition to competition. Reading about the Tetons, Wyoming, and Colorado always makes my heart happy.

Some of the pacing was a little slow for me in the beginning and then fast towards the end. I also wish I could have seen some flashbacks of Addie & Reid as kids along with some of the other characters to really understand their feelings for each other.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see who is next!

[Lindsey Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED reading this book!! Love Ride is such a torturous friend to lovers slow burn that had me screaming at the book for the characters to JUST TALK. This book brings excellent representation for women in male-dominated sports fields as well as mental health awareness. Addie is such a relatable character while also being a badass who tackles her greatest fears and Reid is the PERFECT GUY. I cannot wait for the release and readers to get their hands on this because they are going to fall in love with Love Ride.

[Victoria Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

a classic feel good romance that you simply can’t put down!!!

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for me.

Addie and Reid a professional mountain bikers,are on the road ant entering competitions, while pretending they don't have deeper feelings for each other. Will they give each other chance, or will they remind just friends?

It was quick and interesting read,I never read about extreme sports and I was surprised how popular and dangerous they are.The romance on the other hand was dragging a lot, it was supposed to be slow burn,but this was a very slow burn.

Full of extreme sports, friendship and believe in yourself, this friends to lovers very slow burn romance was a good read.

Thank you author and publisher for my arc,the review is honest and my own.

[Emily Ascoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only 3 more days until this book comes out and I’m so excited!! I am so grateful to have received an ARC of Love Ride. I was expecting a cowboy romance based on what I knew about the book but this book was like nothing I’ve ever read before. Childhood friends to lovers is probably my favorite trope to read and Kassidy surely did deliver. Towards the end of the book I was really wondering why Reid perspective was throughout their roadtrip. Then lo and behold we were given a Reid chapter. Addie and Reid are two main characters you just can’t help but love. I’m absolutely love this book and it was not like any other book I have read before! AND it’s going to be a series!! I’m so excited!

[jenreadseverypage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author Kassidy Raelyn for the arc of Love Ride! 💖

I love how raw this book is. Until I read this, I didn't realize how much I enjoy reading friends to lovers.

All the characters are fantastically written with a great message behind them. Addie and Reid's relationship is written with such thought and passion.

The ending is beautifully written. 💓

I can't wait to read the series. Love Ride is a fantastic read that everyone needs to read.

[Megan Shamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for Friends to lovers and this book delivered. It literally had all my favorite tropes. I was sold when I found out it was a road trip book. Like could this book be more perfect. Two best friends on the road chasing their dreams of making it to Red Bull Rampage. The slow burn made it so worth it. I love that Reid and Addie played the same sport. It made it so much fun to follow their journey together and then tension between them was so entertaining to read.

Spice: 1

Trope: Friends to Lovers
Anxiety Rep
Sports Romance
Slow Burn
Road Trip
Close Proximity
One bed

[Hannah Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked from the very beginning (which almost never happens for me!) and completely swept into Addie’s emotions. I felt everything right alongside her. The slow burn and tension were done so well, by the end I was literally kicking my feet with giddiness. Such a perfect balance of tension, heart, and connection. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Johnna Wilford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so addicting! I just HAD to keep reading to find out not only what would happen between Addie and Reid but with Addie’s professional career. I loved getting a peek into the mountain biking community. And this was the perfect fall weather book because it definitely had those vibes.

Thanks to Kassidy for the ARC!

[Cortney Walls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kassidy Raelyn for the arc copy of Love Ride.
This book is the slowest of slow burns in the best way. I loved all the tension and banter. The anxiety rep was really great, it felt very much how anxiety feels to me in my real life and that was great to see. I loved both of the main characters and I loved reading about mountain bike racing and how Addie pushed through her anxiety to do what she loves. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series

[Kenzi Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never knew I needed a mountain biking romance but I did! I enjoyed reading this so much. Talk about a slow burn, the tension in this book was tops. I also love how anxiety & mental health were represented in this book. Being able to watch Adelaide take care of herself & grow throughout the book was fantastic! This was the perfect amount of plot, characters, tension, romance & an adrenaline rush!

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so incredibly grateful to have received an advanced copy of Love Ride from the author! 🫶

Love Ride is honestly the cutest book and I loved it so much! 🥹💕 This story had me hooked in from the very first line and I couldn’t put it down! 🩷

I love Addie so much! 🤩 She struggles with anxiety and overthinking every single possible situation and it made me feel so seen! ❤️ I have never read a book before that focuses on professional mountain bikers and I loved getting to know about that world especially since I knew nothing about it! 🫶 The slow burn in this book is the queen of slow burns and I was eating it up like I would with a bowl of buttered popcorn in my hands! 🤭🔥 The banter, tension, angst, and yearning are world-class level and it gives me goosebumps that this is a debut novel! 🩷 I love all the side characters so much and truly think this is such an incredible found family because I’m obsessed with all of their stories! 🥹 I love this world and universe and absolutely can’t wait for this next book in the series! 🫶

If you love romance, professional mountain biking, childhood friends to lovers, road trips, found family, and a book that will take you on the ride of a lifetime then this is the book for you! 🫶

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge well done Kassidy on your debut novel. 🥰

I love a friends to lovers, especially a sports romance.
They have such a lovely relationship.

Thank you for the opportunity to read your ARC. I can't wait to see what comes next for you. 🩷

[Carly ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ What a beautiful, fun, adventurous friends to lovers !!! Full review to come but I lovedddddd❤️❤️

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

The way I literally loved this book so much 🥹💗

What a stunning debut! From the character development to the plot to the writing style & the fact that it’s actually a sports romance (& doesn’t just claim to be one while never actually showing the sport)!! It really made me want to live in a tricked out van & watch mountain biking (bc I’m not brave enough to try it lol).

I adore Addie & Reid & they have easily stolen into my top favorite friends to lovers romances! The slow burn was slow burninggg. The little ways they cared for each other & the way they understood each other so deeply was so heartwarming.

I also loved the anxiety representation. It felt so real & raw without overpowering the story.

Love Ride is so special & I can’t wait for where the rest of the series takes us!

[AmyJo Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genuine friendship between Addie and Reid makes the tensions they face together feel authentic and meaningful. From the anxieties Addie deals with to Reid’s care and concern for his friend, you truly feel the human connections in this read. Can’t wait to go on more adventures with Kassidy’s characters! 10/10

[Chandler Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC READER: This book was such a cute read! Two childhood friends embark on a roadtrip while they compete in mountain biking competitions.
They try to avoid their feelings for each other while testing the limits of their friendship on a roadtrip! Love ride shows you the dedication and resilience not only through the sport but through friendship and love! Such an amazing read!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as an ARC reader

Loved the book! Addie is absolutely relatable and many girls have probably felt the same way. I would have loved to have more Reid POVs in the book to truly see what he was thinking.

Addie grows a lot as a person throughout the book. The whole time, she is trying to “grow out” of her crush on Reid. Reid also had a crush on her but they both don’t know about the other’s feelings.

Tropes :
Friends to lovers
One bed
Close Proximity
Childhood Friends
Sports Romance

[Taylor Hanzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Book Synopsis: Love Ride is a book about a girl named Addie and a guy named Reid. These two have been friends for as long as they can remember and they both share a profound love for mountain biking. When the opportunity of a lifetime comes in the form of a roadtrip to different mountain biking competitions around the world they decide to embark on this journey alongside each other. Little do they know they will physically test their bodies to the limits and push the boundaries of their friendship. Now the question is, will this completely destruct their friendship or will they blossom a beautiful relationship?! Read to find out!!!

Book Review: This friends to lovers novel is the perfect slow burn. There is this ongoing tension that builds from beginning to end, which is perfectly layered within witty romantic elements. This created the perfect suspense, which in turn left me invested in Addie and Reid’s love story. Now although this was a romance novel, there are other elements that differentiate it from any old love story. For instance, Addie (the FMC) struggled with crippling anxiety, which I personally appreciated. It made the story feel very vulnerable, raw, and relatable. In other words, it made it that much more believable and realistic because mental illness is a very real epidemic. As someone with anxiety, this was also eye opening because it showcased how it is okay not to be okay all the time and that there is no shame in seeking out help, if it is going to benefit you. If anything, it makes you even stronger and braver than the average person for being open to bettering yourself and not giving up. It also made me realize that you can still do everything that life throws at you, even if you have to do it scared. Which completely altered my brain chemistry for the best. I also appreciate that the story revolves among Addie and Reid’s love for mountain biking. This was inspiring to see such a bad a** FMC. As a female, this hits home because oftentimes our strength and skills are downplayed just because we are a “girl”. Which is very unfortunate, but a very common misconception of women. Now on the flip side, I truly admired that Kassidy still kept the authentic romance novel aspect of charm. To elaborate, Reid was so darling. Now don’t get me wrong he still had playboy tendencies (a little never hurt nobody lol) but overall he was so thoughtful and supportive throughout the whole story. From him packing her favorite items like her pink cowboy boots and her robe for their road trip of a lifetime, to supporting her at one of the biggest mountain biking competitions even though he wasn’t a finalist. That being said, some honorable mentions are that this book also has a chapter in Reid’s Pov and showcases real photos from some of the places that the FMC and MMC actually visited on their road trip. These were both a special touch because we didn’t have to end up assuming what Reid was thinking throughout the entire book because the chapter from his pov beautifully tied up all loose ends while still leaving an element of imagination to the reader, alongside with the personal visuals from said road stops giving us an immersive experience, which left me feeling like I was actually right there experiencing things first hand.

Would I Recommend: Absolutely! If you are a romance novel enthusiast who loves a slow burn… and I mean a slowwwww burn, then you will most definitely devour this book just like I did. Once I had the time to devote to reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I quite literally sacrificed my precious sleep for this novel, and I don’t regret a thing! In addition to me losing sleep over this story because it was so entertaining, I also gained a new book boyfriend. Reid will quite literally live in my head rent free! He truly is the perfect mix between a playboy and a lover boy! Like he is hard to obtain, but once you lock him down good luck getting rid of him. Talk about a perfect man! It was also very refreshing to see a man speak so much love and confidence into a woman! This in particular is something that I will take on with me into my own dating life. I want a man who doesn’t hide how he feels about me and can help me pick up the broken pieces when needed. That being said, I am officially done yapping lol… but thank you again Kassidy for allowing me to be one of the first to read your debut novel and for my new profound love for mountain biking! I am officially counting down the days till we get to hear Riley’s story! <3

[Ashley's Bookish Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kassidy Raelyn for an ARC of this book. I am so thrilled to have received a copy of your debut novel!

This book had it all. A slow burn, friends-to-lovers, female in a male dominated sport, anxiety representation. It delivered on all counts.

The story follows Addie and Reid, two professional mountain bikers. It's a dangerous sport, and they seem to tackle it in completely opposite ways. This is Addie's first year really diving in, and she and Reid are traveling together to go from competition to competition (in separate vans though...)

Reid is the quintessential playboy, who sleeps with everyone (at least we are told this, so seems like he USED to do this), who is one of the best in his sport, and he gets a lot of attention and thrives on being around people.

Addie is more introverted, and struggles with the lack of recognition / representation of women in the sport (noting how men always get to go first down the course and get priority when it comes to sponsorships, etc.). That part is so spot on - male athletes in every sport receive more recognition and sponsorships than their female counterparts, so it was lovely to see this all from Addie's perspective.

Addie also is...well, let's just be honest, a bit of a mess. Her anxiety is crushing, and it feels so real that she takes us on a journey. We are privy to every doubt, every fear, every thought she has, both with respect to her sport and also with Reid.

Addie has long had a crush on Reid, but she thinks she has no chance. There are definitely times I want to shake her, when she's clearly missing key contextual clues from Reid, but given we are in her head and we know the doubts she has, it feels very real.

Finally, finally, though, we get our satisfying ending, and the last chapter from Reid's POV explains SO MUCH about why they missed each other for so long. But it's worth the wait after spending the book cheering and rooting for these two to be together. Because that investment in not just them as characters, but them as a couple was very real.

This was a beautiful debut novel, and I'm really excited to see where this series goes from here!

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (beautiful debut novel!)
Storyline: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (I loved the dual story line of making it in her sport and the romance woven in)
Main Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (I loved both of these characters, but Addie made me want to shake her for some of the clues she missed, even though it was perfectly in character for her. Reid...just love him)
Side Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (solid start to growing the series)
Spice: 🌶️.5 (we have to wait for the fireworks, but it's worth it!)

[Brina.readz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes you on a wild ride across the US and through it's beautiful National Parks - unbelievable tension, suspense and yearning!

Love Ride follows best friends Addie and Reid across the United States as they compete as professional mountain bikers. A scene I personally didn't have on my radar but immediately started googling - and wow! The book definitely does the sport justice with how intense all of their competitions are and how worried especially Addie is of getting injured.

I really enjoyed their little road trip and having cute moments at all their stops aside from competing. So many interesting characters were introduced and I hope we'll get their stories too at some point!

However, and this is all my personal opinion that does not take away from how great and entertaining the book was per se. 3.5⭐️

-Personally I had trouble liking both the FMC and her love interest best friend, which definitely messed with my reading experience.

Addie is a highly anxious girl who struggles with a lot of things (but goes to therapy) and, even though that speaks for Raelyns talent as a writer and her understanding of anxiety and OCD, reading about what was going on in Addies head was beyond intense for me.
When Addie started working on herself even more and those thoughts became less it was personally a lot easier to read and follow the book. The level of anxiety she was experiencing (and yes representation is important) took away from the story for me and I had trouble keeping up or understanding where they were.
As someone having struggled to overcome similar thought patterns I felt like this book was almost giving me anxiety.

Her relationship to Reid is a whole other thing and I personally found it unbelievably toxic and hard to like him. You can't tell me he's never noticed her crush on him with how much she is pining for him? And then he's still messing with othergirls in front of him, knowing how anxious she is about everything..and then leaving. Not a fan.

Addies pining level made me really uncomfortable and I find myself realizing again I am not emotionally the person to understand such desperate pining. It was sad. I was rooting for her and Callum or anyone else..

Thank you for providing me with an e-ARC for my honest opinion! I look forward to reading more about the other characters introduced!

[Kaylie Eggebrecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review. Slight spoilers below.

The MMC in this story is Reid, and let me tell you… I LOVED him! He was such a fun character to read and definitely had my heart pounding at times. Addie, the FMC, was SO FRUSTRATING at times. I really enjoyed her banter with Reid—the parts where they were together and going back and forth were my favorite parts of the book, but some of the choices she made and internal conflicts she had drove me crazy! I could not get around the idea of her being so terrified of this thing she supposedly loved so much, without any actual reason to be terrified (no major past injury, close death, etc.). And the “let me throw my best friend aside and treat him like crap so I can get over him” mentality made me want to reach into the book and throttle her myself.

Now Reid.. bless his heart, but he wasn’t perfect either (though he felt pretty close). The thing that made me most upset with Reid was when he left. It wasn’t just him leaving, but it felt like a big step away from his character and who he was. After being adamant the entire book that he would never leave, he just up and left? So easily, he left Addie behind after everything and making promise after promise never to do so, and it just felt like something he would never really do, no matter the situation. Then he came back right away, Addie forgave him with little to no pushback, and they lived happily ever after - the end. It did feel like a bit of a rushed conclusion, but I did love the happy ending and where Addie and Reid’s relationship was at.

Now for the romance… I wanted so much more 😭 And I don’t mean the author didn’t deliver—she most definitely gave at the end. It was just one of those stories where you were infuriated the entire time because of the insane chemistry but no action, and you’re screaming at the book JUST DO IT ALREADY! But once they do, you catch yourself fist-bumping the air.

Overall this was a fun read with a good dose of banter and sexual tension that will leave you frustrated the entire time until the grand finale. I thought the storyline was well thought out and enjoyed the biking aspect (still a sport, but a nice break from the million hockey stories).

[my.selected.stories · Rating 3 out of 5]

[3/5] ⭐️ Pedals, Tension and Slow Burn

ARC Review – Thank you for the opportunity to read this story early.

📖 Plot
Addie and Reid are professional mountain bikers traveling across the US from competition to competition while trying to ignore the growing feelings between them. The extreme sports elements were exciting and well described, giving the story energy and realism. The romance however is extremely slow to develop, and some scenes felt repetitive, which made parts of the story drag. Flashbacks or more insight into their past friendship could have helped the reader understand their hesitations better.

📖 Characters
Addie is relatable and the anxiety representation added depth to her character, making her fears and insecurities feel authentic. Reid is charming, but at times his actions and hesitations made him frustrating to follow. The side characters had potential but remained largely underdeveloped. Their friendship dynamic was sweet, yet the romantic tension felt overly drawn out.

📖 Worldbuilding & Setting
The locations across the Tetons, Wyoming, and Colorado were vividly described and added to the atmosphere. The extreme sports competitions felt authentic and thrilling. The story mainly focused on the biking and the romance, leaving the worldbuilding otherwise minimal.

📖 Writing Style
The writing is clear and easy to follow, making it a fast read. Some pacing issues arise from the slow burn romance and repetitive inner thoughts. The adrenaline and competition scenes were well-paced and added excitement. Overall the style works but does not fully elevate the romance.

📖 Recommendation
An enjoyable friends-to-lovers story with a unique extreme sports backdrop, realistic portrayal of anxiety, and strong friendship dynamics. The romance is drawn out, so patience is required. Fans of slow burn romance with sporty settings will likely enjoy this, but others might find it frustrating.

I received a digital ARC of 'Love Ride' by Kassidy Raelyn in exchange for an honest review.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book is going to be a 2.75 star read for me, but I just couldn't bring myself to give it the third star. Here are my thoughts.....

Things I Liked:
- I actually was really intrigued by the mountain biking story. That's not something that I've ever read before and I thought it would be neat to see played out in a romance.
- The author made a good effort at representing anxiety through the FMC and as someone that struggles greatly with it, it's always really nice to see that in a novel
- The spice level in this book was low, even with the open door spice scene, so that was nice, coming from a girl that prefers her books to have minimal spice
- The dedication was so cute! I was a girl that both liked to dress up and to play in the mud so I really appreciated the sentiment.

Things that Weren't My Fave:
- The pacing of this book was strange. There were times where it felt like whole scenes were skipped or certain details could have been added to make the image make more sense in the readers' mind. There were times there would be a whole change of setting from sentence 1 to sentence 2 in a 2 sentence paragraph.
- It's called a "slow burn" but honestly, them getting together just felt random. Idk if it's just me, but the chemistry was a little bit off and seemingly one sided and then all of a sudden, they're just all over each other. Even when they were still "just friends." The hot and cold thing was hard to keep up with at times.

Overall, I thought this book had such a good concept and I think that for a debut novel, it did well. I am super thankful to the author for the ARC (even though I didn't get to read it until later), and hope to circle back to more of her books in the future.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to read an ARC copy of Love Ride and I was so amazed at how good this book was.

I am a Mental Health Professional and have worked in the field for almost 10 years so I absolutely loved the Mental Health representation. I felt the author did an amazing job of showing the complexity of anxiety and how it has no rhyme or reason and can make us question ourselves no matter what we do or say. While Addie presents herself as a strong female extreme mountain biker she struggles with all these insecurities and I love how through her journey she discovers she may not be the only one who struggles with this feeling. By the end her anxiety is not gone but she has learned to quiet her mind and believe in herself more which is so real because anxiety is not something that just vanishes we just learn to not let it dictate our lives.

I am more of an enemies to lovers girl but this book made me see more of the friends to lovers appeal. Having a built relationship where you can trust each other and know the other pretty well because the person has gone through it all with you and has seen every good and bad piece of you and can almost read you is such an amazing relationship to see unfold. Reid and Addie were so sweet and I loved how they were each other’s #1 supporter. I loved how even though they both have their own struggles and concerns they were there for each other and rooted for the other.

This was such a sweet and emotional journey and I thank you Kassidy for sharing this story. It was such an amazing read and I am already excited for the next one!!

5 Stars!!!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the mountain biking theme in this story and found it to be fresh, interesting, and engaging. The descriptions throughout of the trails was excellent, creating a setting descriptive enough that I was able to picture what was happening despite not having any real experience with the sport myself, which is what pulled me into this story to begin with.

While I do enjoy a slow burn romance, this one was a bit too slow for my taste and I wasn't really feeling the tension between Addie and Reid. The vibe I mostly got from them was a deep, childhood friendship and understanding of each other being in the same sport but the vibe was not giving me the sexual tension that I felt it needed for the romance to be believable.

Addie struggles with debilitating anxiety throughout the story and it really impacts her viewpoint of others and how she engages with them, which I didn't feel like those relationships were as deep as they were intended to feel. I did appreciate the steps that Addie was taking in therapy to work on her anxiety and to take control of it, but her relationships with others felt so surface level.

Throughout the story, it is mentioned multiple times the lack of representation for women in mountain biking as a sport. While I feel like this is an important detail, I was starting to get annoyed by how many times it was reiterated over and over again in every scenario. With that said, I did enjoy that Addie ultimately conquered what she hoped to.