Book Notes: WHEELER by Sara Butler Zalesky
WHEELER (2016), book 1 of the Wheeler Series, caught our attention because its protagonist is a competitive sportswoman and the author, Sara Butler Zalesky, is an independent author and amateur cyclist. In these aspects, it closely matches the type of book and author that Sport Stories hopes to publish, share, and promote.
WHEELER by Sara Butler Zalesky
Summary from Goodreads: "Loren Mackenzie is at the top of her game, leading her team of pro cyclists in the Women’s World Tour in Europe. For her, cycling is also a way to escape, using the burn of her muscles to cleanse her mind. After a change in the management of her team, Loren is brought back together with a man she once loved. His amorous attention resurrects the feelings she once had for him, but also his attempts to manipulate her. When mishap puts her in the sights of an A-list actor, the chemical attraction quickly develops into something more for Loren. The relationship attracts the eye of the tabloid media, dredging up the past she wanted to keep buried. Emotions run high with each exciting race in the Women's World Tour, pitting teammate against teammate, adding kindling to a rivalry that puts Loren's chances to win the World Championship in jeopardy. When Love and Obsession collide in the first book of the Wheeler series, can Loren withstand the storm, or will she lose everything she has fought so hard to achieve?"
BOOK NOTES: The pro-cycling culture and competitions were the strongest aspects of this novel because they showed so much about pro-cycling. The competitions were narrated through multiple perspectives: sports announcers, newspaper reports, athletes' minds, and audience members; this controlled cacophony of voices created a learning experience as well as excitement, which helped readers become invested in the outcome of the athletes.
The book could benefit from even more internal dialogue related to preparation and motivation from the athletes during competition and training. Without this, cycling, at times, seemed like something the main character, Loren Mackenzie, did without much thought or care. But there were other aspects of athletes' lives that create an immersive experience into the athlete culture, such as the insatiable appetites, daily soreness, and regular maintenance massages.
This book is marketed as sports romance, so there is a heavy dose of Loren's past and present romantic relationships woven between competitions and trainings. There had to be information about Loren's love lives and her childhood to build more tension and show what's at stake for her as an athlete and as a person, but these sections were less engaging than the sports scenes. The writing wasn't as tight as in literary novels and many pages about Loren and her boyfriend felt superfluous, like the book could have been half the length and not lacked for content.
Loren’s celebrity boyfriend did play an important role in the story, however, and reflected many aspects of Loren’s personality. He also learned to respect and admire Loren’s role in professional cycling. Early in the novel, he acknowledged that women’s cycling was undervalued: “Your sport is greatly unappreciated, and I wish there was something I could do to help change that.” Loren skimmed over his offering, saying, “If I think of anything, I’ll let you know.” This idea wasn’t revisited in any depth within the novel, though the characters do mention the larger audiences at the men’s races.
The novel's ending ties up loose ends without wrapping up all of the conflict in a neat little bow, which leaves room for reader interpretation and room to entice readers for parts 2 and 3 of the Wheeler series.
Readers searching for a romance novel with depth or a sports novel with a heavy dose of romance should check out this book. As of this posting, you can purchase the ebook on Amazon for $1.99!
Sport Stories is actively seeking book notes (reviews) about books by, for, and about sportswomen and/or amateur athletes. Contact us if you have a book you’d like us to review or would like to contribute your own book notes.
