Black Diamond (Stark Springs Academy Book 1)

I really enjoyed this story and the characters. I loved how Roxie did not want to just bow down to Ryker. She was in a new school but for the most part she didn't back down and just cater to his whims, even when her new friends starting distancing themselves from her in the middle of it. I liked the pace of the story. We get to see a lot of build up between Roxie and Ryker. There is plenty to grab and hold your attention as you go through the book. We have our typical mean girls but because of their wealth and where they stand in the social hierarchy (outside of the academy as well as in) they are more ruthless and have more means. I was definitely hoping for more of Roxie and Ryker together and we don't get to see too much of that in here. We get to see the beginning stages of them getting to know each other and finding each other's boundaries with what they are willing to put up with but not a lot of time of them being together. With that said, it didn't detract from the story too much, because it fit the characters and how everything was set up. It just makes me lean toward this not being a standalone story really. We do have an ending that is not a cliffhanger and it's a little bit of a happy for now, I just wanted more out of it at the time. I'm super excited to pick up the next story and continue their journey! This was a fantastic read!I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Roxie gets a scholarship to Spark Springs Academy which is an elite boarding school to prepare students for competing in winter sports. Though most kids enter at a much earlier age, Roxie enters on her junior year in high school. Noticing there are some peculiar attributes to this school, she soon learns all is not as it should be. For one, Ryker Black, seems to run the school and everyone in it even though he is a student there. He invites her to join his "posse" but she declines and goes to sit with her roommate. This shocks everyone in the dining hall. The more she discovers the workings of Ryker and the school she is can't help but wonder what she has gotten herself into. As she gets to know Ryker, she starts to have feelings for him but he is hot and cold and she isn't sure where she stands with him, nor will she be in his posse of women/friends. Yet Ryker cannot commit to Roxie. One event that could have been tragic occurs and this starts the rollercoaster between these two. Great start to this series and I look forward to reading the next one. Have to admit I was beginning to think it was a cult with all the rules but as you read into the story, more and more clues come forth. Definitely recommend. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I love Ali Dean’s sports romances. It’s been that way since I read the first in her Pepper Jones series and walked away totally addicted both to the romance and the feeling of really being an insider on the sport (cross country in that case). That’s probably why I glommed on Black Diamond when I saw it. If anything this book was even better than the Pepper Jones books (a very high bar as those books are so superb that I’ve re-read that series several times). So much so that I’ve addictively binge read through Double Black and Black Ice too. Why? Because not only do we once again get so far into the head of a top athlete as to really feel like an insider in the sport itself, in this case skiing, but we also get high business intrigue and a real thriller of a suspense. Roxie and Ryker’s romance in Stark Springs Academy series is also simply beautifully done. The series has reached a logical stopping point at book 3, but I’m not going to call it a trilogy as I’m hoping for more (hey, there’s precedent here: the Pepper Jones stories reached logical stopping points at times but the author still found ways to continue the series with new novels that worked beautifully). But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - each of the books in this series definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that this series is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend each book.

Roxie arrives to the elite school in Colorado from her life in Vermont. She is a skier and this is the place to be to make yourself better and a competitor. She arrives her junior year and immediately finds out that there is a heirarchy and lots of rules to the school. There also appears to be a sole ruler who runs the facility with fear. Said ruler is Ryker Black and he has his eyes on Roxie.She doesn’t conform to the rules and pays the prices. She also finds the more time she spends without Ryker the more she is drawn to him.But with others against their mysterious dynamics of his hot and cold. Rules and games will they be able to find a way to work.This is a YA book. I enjoyed it but felt like I needed to know more. The ending felt like it came without answering all my questions or feelings complete. This is a series so maybe it will continue in the next book?I am volunteering to leave a review for this book.

Read this series a year or so ago but wanted to re read it I enjoyed this winter sports romance but only gave it 4* and not 5 as other works from ALi Dean have been better and some of my all time favourite books.Roxie has got a place at stark academy but is it going to be what she hoped for Ryker is the leader of stark academy but what's his game can Roxie follow the rules or will she fight them or quit .

I liked this book and raced through it to find out what happened. Roxanne is a strong heroine, I'm not sure about Ryker as the hero of the story. As much as I enjoyed the story I felt it ended at the right time for me before the story got too ludicrous and childish. I doubt I'll read any further into the series. A good lightweight read.

I fully recommend this book it's was sure a thrilling new start to a new series I finished this book in one sitting I could not put it down.I've actually have reread this book and I'm glad I did I can not wait for the next book in the series

Wow what a read and so different that it was a book that I had to keep reading till the end, don't miss out read this book

I love Ali Dean and this book was great, actually one of my favorites. I have read and reread it so many times I lost count. I love Roxie and Ryker, I love all the (slightly unrealistic, but where would the fun be it it wasn't ) teen drama combined with the world of competetive sports.