Professional hockey player Vladimir Kolnikov grew up in a Russian orphanage with nothing. Now, the 23-year-old left wing for the Las Vegas Sidewinders has everything he ever dreamed of, including a brilliant career and a fiancée whom he adores. At the altar, Vlad’s cold feet have nothing to do with the ice or the beautiful woman he left standing there, and everything to do with not knowing who he … he really is. Before he can contemplate a future with her, he has to bury his past.
A-lister Rachel Kennedy puts on a smile for the camera every day, but it only became genuine the day Vlad skated into her life. He made her happier than any woman had a right to be, until he left her just minutes before their wedding ceremony. When Vlad’s betrayal is followed by another devastating blow, it may be more than she can handle.
While Rachel searches for healing, Vlad searches for answers, which leads him back to Moscow where an unexpected discovery changes his life forever. As his world tilts on its axis, he struggles to come to terms with his past at a time when Rachel needs him the most. Can she ever forgive him or will Vlad be out in the cold?
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Vladimir Kolnikov seems to have hit the lottery. He’s a rising NHL star that is about to marry his hollywood sweetheart . . .so when he has a panic attack in the parking lot an hour before his wedding and leaves his fiance at the altar, she is stunned right along with their friends and teammates. He finds himself back in Russia looking for answers about his past . . . someone has to know something about his parents. He can’t contemplate a real future with Rachel when he knows nothing about where he came from.
Rachel Kennedy, star of the hit tv show Vampire Hunter is madly in love with Vlad. But, she’s left with a church full of guests and only a text message from Vlad telling her he loves her and is sorry. She’s hurt by his betrayal and has to find a way to move on. Unfortunately, life isn’t ready to give her any sense of stability or happiness right now and she is knocked completely down by a devastating medical diagnosis. How is she supposed to handle all that life is throwing at her on her own?
As Vlad struggles to find his past, Rachel is struggling to have a future. Both need each other, but Vlad’s walking away on the day of their wedding has placed an almost insurmountable chasm between them. Will Vlad finally realize his past isn’t as important as his future before it’s too late? And, will Rachel be able to heal both physically and emotionally from the betrayal of not only Vladimir but her body as well?
Kat Mizera truly takes readers on an emotional journey through the pages of this book. This couple really seems to be on the precipice of their happy ever after when everything starts going awry. I could appreciate Vlad feeling lost without knowing anything about where he came from, but I also couldn’t believe he walked away from Rachel on their wedding day. His trip to Russia really only leaves him with more questions and left me frustrated and wanting to throw my kindle at times over his inability to see what was truly important in his life.
Rachel’s character was beautifully written. She shows amazing strength through her ordeal and, honestly I was heartbroken that she had to go through it without Vlad. I loved that Kat brings back someone from Rachel’s past to help her emotionally as she recovers. Her relationship with Jamie Teller is amazing and I adore the strong friendship that has grown from their failed romantic relationship. There were a few times where I also wanted to toss my kindle at Rachel, as she is just as stubborn as Vlad . . .these two are truly meant for one another.
Watching this couple struggle to find their way back to a possible happy ever after was heartbreaking and emotional and I loved every minute of it! There are also a few very shocking surprises in this book that will leave fans of the series feeling shell shocked. 5 stars!
The story of Vladimir and Rachel is a story where both characters have to look deeper into each other to trust and find a binding forever love ~ Elizabeth @ White Hot Reads
There are many times in their story that I want to just slap “Vlad” upside the head… that said this makes you want to keep reading. You want Vlad to get through the bad that he must pursue to seek his happiness. Our poor Rachel must go through trials herself to get her HEA.
This story is filled with friendship, laughter and love. We also get more Toli and Jamie….so I was a vary happy girl. Great Story…. Could not put it down!
A new book in the Las vegas Sidewinders world. Even if you are not a ice hockey fan ( like me) it is a great read. That is because the main story is of two people who are in love with each other, but also hurt each other deeply.
It is the story of how they met and got together to the moment when everything falls apart. It is a very human story with questions of who you are, does the past matter and what if you lose a part of yourself you can never get back. Can love overcome all those obstacles.
It is a very emotional read.
Vladimir by Kat Mizera was a really good read, one of my favorites out of the series.
Vladimir had some situations from his past that he had to work through and get answers for before he could feel sufficient enough as a man to marry his true love Rachel. During the time Vlad was working through and searching for answers about his past, Rachel was also going through a life altering situation on her own, something she never thought she would have to deal with or even go through. Do Vlad and Rachel get back together after all they had to endure on their own during a time they should have been celebrating their matrimony?
Vladimir was a page turner for me, so much suspense with Vlad’s childhood history, I could not put the book down. I just had to know what was going to happen. Rachel’s situation just broke my heart, Kat Mizera knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats and not knowing what is going to happen in the next chapter. Kat had parts that just blew me away, situations I never saw happening which I especially appreciated.
Kat Mizera is a phenomenal writer, I have enjoyed all of her books thus far and I can not wait for her next release. She has become one of my go to authors and one of my most favorites.
4 pucking good stars.
I love the Sidewinders, there’s no denying it, but this book was very different than the rest. There’s definitely moments that added up to me going through a box of tissues, but every moment was worth it for Vlad and Rachel’s HEA.
In true Sidewinders fashion, there were twists thrown it that made me do a double take. Did I just read that? No… yes, yes I did. And it was grand!
I loved the whole adventure that this book took me on, it was one hell of a roller coaster.
*Honest Review in exchange for ARC*
I loved the story of Vlad and Rachel!!! There story to get through the tough times and come out with their HEA!
I really liked how with this book how we went jumped from now to when they first met and you get to learn how their relationship evolved while seeing the aftermath of leaving Rachel at the alter. Vlad thinks he is doing the right thing not realizing how much agony he is causing Rachel and while Vlad starts to uncover things in his home country Rachel is dealing with more than just being a jilted bride. There were plenty of times i just wanted to shake Vlad and make him see sense, times I was gabbing for tissues and other tines where I wanted to yell in frustration so needles to say it was a great read so go buy it and see for yourself!
I was waiting for this book to be released. I’m a huge fan of the Sidewinders series created by Kat. She has been able to draw me into the sports romance genre. For several books now we have heard about Vlad and Rachel, so I was very excited to read this. Rest assured it did not disappoint and is full of surprises.
Within the pages of this latest read the complexity of the dynamic between the characters becomes apparent very quickly. The situations our beloved characters find themselves in would cause anyone to fall apart. There were sections during reading that I experience extreme sadness, anger and then this overwhelming need to take both those characters over my knee. The rollercoaster of emotions was worth every minute of this read.
If you remember Rachel is the lead actress on a hit show called Vampire Legend. The same series Ashleigh has a part on, yep the main character from Brock. She is very happy and looking forward to her wedding to Vlad except he leaves her standing at the altar. This has caused Rachel to spiral into self-doubt and then find out some very disturbing new that causes her to be more alone then she has ever been.
Then there is Vlad young strong hockey player for the Sidewinders and having self-doubt issues as well. His anxiety caused him to go down a path of self-discovery that takes him back to Russia. He is willing to leave the women he loves at the altar, leave his teammates wonder what is going on and heads out of the country. What can be that pressing he must do it this moment? Is it going to be worth risking everything to get the answers he seeks? You are going to have to read to find out.
As always I thoroughly enjoyed reading this latest installment by Kat. She never ceases to entertain and keep me engaged with her books. I highly recommend this entire series
Boy this book took me on one emotion filled journey. When Vlad left Rachel at the alter I wondered how he, and the author, would convince me to forgive him. Forgive him I did and it wasn’t long before I was hoping and praying that Rachel would forgive him too.
After the wedding debacle, the book takes us back to when Vlad and Rachel met. I think this was necessary in order for us to know and understand Vlad. The story then continues to move forward and backwards in time, which I have found irritating in other books but here it worked really well. The jumps weren’t too frequent, they were always clearly labelled and they wove important facts/emotions/actions into the story as and when they were needed.
Before Vlad can return and start to put right the damage he has caused, life throws a curve ball that knocks Rachel for six. So just as one character starts to get their head straight, the other begins to unravel emotionally. I really liked both the main characters, although I felt more connected to Vlad.
Rachel and Vlad were immensely likeable, both very human in the foolish decisions they took and yet this only made them more believable. The path they travelled to get to their HEA made this book feel just a bit different to so many others of the same genre and gave it a unique feel.
Whilst I’ve read most of the Sidewinders books, I haven’t read them in order. This book can easily be read as a standalone. If you read and enjoy this I would recommend reading Temptation’s Inferno. This is Jamie and Viggo’s story, it is a lot steamier than Vladimir but is an amazing book.