“Between the adventure, superb writing, and the heart-warming romance, I fell hard. A definite must read!” – Rebecca Yarros, author of the Renegades Series Twenty-year-old Emily Winslowe has had an adventurous upbringing. Daughter of a Himalayan mountain guide, she has climbed Mount Everest and other peaks most Americans only dream of. But for all her mountaineering prowess, she’s lacking some … prowess, she’s lacking some key experiences. Namely, guys. Especially one guy in particular–Luke Norgay, her childhood best friend who she hasn’t seen since he left for college in the United States two years ago.
Luke unexpectedly reappears as a guide just in time for the Everest climbing season. He’s even more handsome than she remembers, and that something that had been building between them during their last season together is back in front of them, bigger than ever.
The problem is, there’s a detail about Emily’s past that Luke doesn’t know. It’s the reason she ended up in the Himalayas in the first place…and the reason she must make it to the summit of Mount Everest this year. It’s also the reason she would never consider following him back to Washington after the climbing season ends.
But first, they’ll have to survive the mountain.
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Two characters stuck together in the mountains, what could go wrong?
This is the first I have read by Megan Westfield and wow it’s like you are actually there. The weather is cold, your face brittle, your coughs get worse and your best friend is wanting more than love from you. Emily has it all yet something in her is craving the mountain, one last climb in a way. I loved that no matter who tells her she is too young to want to do climbing mountains forever she is determined to prove everybody wrong. Megan Westfield did a beautiful job bringing this to life and seeing Luke loving her no matter the circumstances was beautiful. Get ready for the cold, suspense and a love that can thaw out any changes in life.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
Leaving Everest by author Megan Westfield is a beautifully written delight! I have read so many non-fiction books of people who have climbed Everest and other beautiful but torturous peaks around the world, and this fiction does capture much of the true experience of the adventure.
Emily Winslowe has grown up as the daughter of a Himalayan mountain guide. Her mother had some problems and Emily has lived a physically grueling life in the brutal Himalayan mountains. Emily loves her life! If she could hike, climb mountains, and guide other adventurers for a living, it would be like a dream come true for her. She has climbed Mount Everest six times in her young life and hopes this current season will be her seventh before age twenty-one. That is the goal and it would be a world record for a person her age. This successful climb could be her path for a sponsorship for college or for funding other climbs. It is time she makes a decision for her future, and with no money of her own, she has limited options.
As accomplished as Emily is in the arena of outdoor mountain climbing, she has lived a sheltered life. She finished her school through correspondence and has had very few friends. She has access to the internet and keeps in touch with her childhood friend Luke through a media app for adventurers, CIRC. She has not seen Luke in two years and misses him terribly. The last time they were together the parting was a bit awkward because they were discovering deeper feelings for each other. Emily is worried because Luke has not emailed her since he left to attend college in Washington.
Much to her surprise, Luke Norgay appears in the camp as a guide for a group planning to summit Everest during the current season. Oh My, how he has changed! Will he ever realize how much his friendship meant to her? Follow along on a romantic adventure on a grand scale. There are scenes which reflect the dangers and possibility that some climbers on Everest will never come off the mountain.