Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Oh Tracy Wolff. You are mean. You keep writing these books that I read and finish and want more of and have to wait for the next one in the series and I hate waiting. I hate waiting. It's dumb. Part of the fun of Kindle and NetGalley and all that is I get books now. But noooooo Tracy Wolff, you have to make me wait. And wait I will. For more Ethan Frost. And now for more Z and that nice little cliffhanger you left us at the end of this one. Not that it's with Z mind you but I don't want to ruin it for anyone else. Thank you for writing a book where the characters eventually face their demons instead of running from them without any real resolution. You're a tricky woman Tracy Wolff. Tricky tricky. Keep it up. ( )

'At first she was nothing more than a distraction. Then she was a challenge. Now... now she's still a challenge, but she's something else, too. Something more. The thought has me shifting uncomfortably in my chair. I never do more. I never even want more.'

Plot

Twenty-one year old snowboarder Z Michaels lives in Park City, Utah. Z is the bad boy of the town, and can have his pick of any girl. Underneath his bad boy persona however, lies a dark and troubled past,a past that haunts him every day.

Ophelia Richardson is unlike any girl that Z has ever met. She's the first girl that hasn't fallen at his feet in a long time. After Ophelia's adrenaline-junkie ex-boyfriend almost killed her, the last thing she needs is another boyfriend, especially one as arrogant as Z. But after spending time with him, Ophelia soon comes to realise that Z is not all he seems, and he may be more damaged than she is.

Z and Ophelia both have troubled pasts, and they find a connection unlike any they've felt before. But their relationship could start going downhill before it's even started, unless they learn to open up to each other.

My thoughts

I saw this book on NetGalley and requested a copy as it sounded just like something I'd enjoy reading. I was given a free copy to read by Random House, and started reading it about a week ago.

The fact that I read this during the Winter Olympics definitely made the book more enjoyable for me, as I've been watching snowboarding a lot over the last week. I was able to visualise some of the tricks that Z and his friends were performing, so this did make the book more enjoyable.

I liked the story in this book; both Z and Ophelia had shocking pasts, and when it all came out towards the end, some of it was genuinely shocking for me. I'd already guessed what was lurking in Z's past, but I wasn't expecting everything that came out at the end. His behaviour and his death-wish attitude made sense to me after discovering his troubled past.

Although I enjoyed the story, there were times when I was a little exasperated with the two main characters. I get that Ophelia is confused about liking Z, after her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, who seemed to have a similar death-wish. But after a few chapters of her saying how much she wanted Z, and then saying that she shouldn't, I was getting a little fed up. She could just be a bit repetitive for me at times, and I found myself thinking 'just make your mind up!'

I had a similar issue with Z, as he was always reflecting on what a failure he was, how much he hated himself, how much he didn't deserve to be happy. I understand that he's had a traumatic past, especially when I discovered the full truth at the end, but the self-loathing got a bit boring after a while.

The synopsis of the book needs to be updated, as parts of it don't actually match up to the story. The wrong synopsis didn't impact on how much I liked the book, as I didn't realise until after I'd finished the book and re-read the synopsis.

Overall, while I did enjoy this book, there were parts that started to get on my nerves. The story was good, and I enjoyed finding out about Ophelia and Z's pasts, which were great twists. My only downside was the characters sometimes annoying me, but other than that, is was a good and entertaining read.
( )

Z Michaels is the town bad boy and hot shot snowboarder. He's had a tragic childhood. The only thing that has helped him through all of this is his best friends, Ash, Cam, and Luc. And Ash's parents has been there for him when his own wasn't. He doesn't like dealing with what happened, so he's learned to deal with it. And the way he deals is by doing very dangerous tricks with his snowboard. But things start to change some when he meets Ophelia.

Ophelia Richardson is the new girl in town. She also has a pass she dealing with. Before she even meets Z she's heard all about him except his past. She wants nothing to do with him because he reminds her of her ex. But as she gets to know him she realizes that his masks that he wears and his attitude reminds her of herself. And the more they hang out the more she likes him.

But the big question is can they both put there past behind them to a make a go at a relationship? Will Z's daredevil stunts chase Ophelia away?

I really liked this book. I couldn't put it down once I really started reading it. I can't wait to read the second book in this series. I am also looking forward to reading other books by Tracy. I recommend this book to others to read. I think I might be adding Tracy to my list of favorite authors. ( )

Why oh why did I wait so long to read this??? If this is one of those books that's been sitting on your kindle, pull it out and give it a read. You'll be so happy you did! Very well written with some of the more interesting characters I've read in a while. And at least for this Florida girl, very educational about the world of snowboarding!! I've recently rediscovered Tracy Wolff's books and now I can't wait for the next one. I highly recommend this one. ( )

oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.

This book took my breath away. It's a masterpiece.

When I started reading I assumed the title "Shredded" referred to snow boarding. It does, but it means so much more.
The emotional rollercoaster is breathtaking. The two main Characters, Z and Ophelia, are emotionally shredded from their past experiences. You don't really find out until very late in the book what actually happened, and wanting to find out keeps you turning the pages.
But that wasn't even the main reason why this book wouldn't let me put it down. The writing, and the character development is just something else. You really understand the emotional trauma the two go through. That something that easily could have gone so wrong, but it's done so right in this book. There's never a time when I want to roll my eyes at an overly dramatic and forced scene. Never an "oh Please" or "oh grow up already" moment.

I don't even know how to describe it, other than: if you haven't read this book, buy it this second. It's unbelievable. ( )