These Battered Hands

Posted October 3, 2015 in Blog Tour, review Tags: athlete, coach/player, gymnastics

These Battered Hands by Laurel Ulen Curtis

Callie
Blood, sweat, hard work, and a disconcerting lack of tears—my entire life—was meant to culminate in a flourish of glory and significance.I’d thought I’d always known exactly what that meant.But I’d had the timing wrong by about three minutes.I knew now.This moment wasn’t everything. The one person I found myself wanting more than anything during it was.
Nik
One preconceived notion can haunt you for the entirety of your life.I thought I owed it to myself and to everyone who’d ever backed me to do what was expected. What was right. What I was supposed to do.But nothing is forbidden in love. Not circumstances or propriety or the denial of the object of said affection.I knew now.This was it.If I wanted it, I had to take it.
This gymnastics love story is more than grips, rips, and battered hands. For Calia Nickleson and Nikolai Bagrov, it was everything.

These Battered Hands by Laurel Ulen Curtis

Date of Publication: September 29, 2015

Callie

Blood, sweat, hard work, and a disconcerting lack of tears—my entire life—was meant to culminate in a flourish of glory and significance.

I’d thought I’d always known exactly what that meant.

But I’d had the timing wrong by about three minutes.

I knew now.

This moment wasn’t everything. The one person I found myself wanting more than anything during it was.

Nik

One preconceived notion can haunt you for the entirety of your life.

I thought I owed it to myself and to everyone who’d ever backed me to do what was expected. What was right. What I was supposed to do.

But nothing is forbidden in love. Not circumstances or propriety or the denial of the object of said affection.

I knew now.

This was it.

If I wanted it, I had to take it.

This gymnastics love story is more than grips, rips, and battered hands.
For Calia Nickleson and Nikolai Bagrov, it was everything.

Available From
Amazon (Kindle)
Kobo

These Battered Hands was seriously beautiful. I have always been fascinated with gymnastics so this book appealed to me right away. I didn’t expect to love Callie so much though. She is ‘old’ by gymnast standards and has a serious problem with her self worth. Enter hunky coach Nik. At first, I was not okay with the student/coach relationship idea but once I realized Callie was 26, it didn’t bother me at all. My initial fear was that she would be a teenager and that would have been weird (I am not really into taboo books!). Nik is such a great character! He is wise, patient, loving, devoted, and sexy as hell. He is just this amazing presence in the story. He isn’t a dominate Alpha. He just IS. He has a way with words that is beautiful and powerful. The positive changes he brings in Callie are so amazing. This book is just beautiful. And the end-perfect!!!!!! Well done, Laurel Ulen Curtis! These Battered Hands has become one of my new top recommendations!

About Laurel Ulen Curtis

Laurel Ulen Curtis is a 28 year old mother of one. She lives with her husband and son (and cat!) in New Jersey, but grew up all over the United States. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, and puts that to almost no use other than forecasting for her friends and writing a storm chasing heroine! She has a passion for her family, laughing, and reading and writing Romance novels. She’s also addicted to Coke. The drink, not the drug.