Playing Hurt - Reviewed

Playing Hurt
Author: Holly Schindler
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 312
Target Age: Young Adult
Source: My lovely daughter
Summary from Goodreads:

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration back home. Then she took a horrible fall during senior year. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.
That summer, Chelsea's dad hires Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player and "boot camp" trainer, to work with her at a northern Minnesota lake resort. As they grow close, Chelsea finds that Clint's haunted by his own tragedy. Will their romance end up hurting them all over again—or finally heal their heartbreak?

Playing Hurt is so much more than just a romance.  It's a story about two teenagers both trying desperately to over come their own separate tragedies.  Chelsea is a pretty relate-able character even if at times I found her slightly over dramatic.   Sure she has been through a lot but things could have been so much worse.  However, I remember as a teenager things didn't always have such a silver lining.  Clint's heartbreaking story drew me in much more than Chelsea's.  I really loved Clint and Chelsea's banter even before they realized that they might have more than just trainer/trainee feelings for each other. Chelsea's little brother was an amusing character and I just loved him and his super high energy.  I loved reading a story about summer romance in the winter.  I could hear the crickets and feel the warm sun.  Holly Schindler's descriptions were so amazing that I forgot that running outside with my shorts on was a bad idea in my area's freezing temperatures.  If you are looking for a great summer romance you need look no further it's right here.