Mile High by Liz Tomforde (Windy City #1)
This April, I decided to reread the Windy City series before diving into the spin-off, In Her Own League. To start, Mile High is still an easy and engaging read for me, though itās my least favorite in the series. But happy to say, I definitely liked it better this time around.
Must be because I found myself understanding Zanders on a deeper level. The first time I read this, it felt like his many layers were overshadowed by his bad-boy persona. But on this reread, his journey, especially how he confronts his trauma and becomes an advocate for mental health, stood out so much more to me. It added a lot of emotional weight to his character that I didnāt fully grasp before.
My favorite part of this book is still Stevieās growth, how she gains confidence and learns to love herself more. Her insecurities about her body and weight really hit close to home. Like with her mom, many people think itās acceptable to body shame, believing theyāre just being āhelpfulā or āconcerned,ā but itās never okay, even if it comes from family. As someone who has grown up with this kind of insecurity, Stevieās struggles with her body image felt so real and personal. And the way she overcomes it? So empowering! šŖ
Together, Zanders and Stevie are both incredibly lovable, with fun banter and undeniable chemistry from the start. However, at almost 600 pages, the book did feel a bit too long for my taste. Overall, this is still a good read filled with heartfelt and meaningful moments š on to the next book!
ZANDERS
Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.
What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.
But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.
STEVIE
I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.
Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.
Everything but him.