By: Jen Craven
ASIN: B0DS19YVKC
Publication Date: 03/13/2025
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Another page-turner from Jen Craven!
Packed with suspense and guaranteed to keep you guessing, this book is perfect for anyone who knows the challenges of chasing greatness and the sacrifices it demands. ——Maggie Giles, Award-Winning Author of The Things We Lost and Twisted
Friends want to see you succeed, just never more than them.
Sadie and Willa have competed against each other on slalom courses in sunny Florida since they were kids. They were the two best skiers then, and they’re the two best skiers now. The only thing that’s changed is instead of playing Barbies in between runs, they now plot ways to beat the other. Turns out, there’s a fine line between friends and frenemies. Now twenty-eight, at the height of their careers and shining an international spotlight on water skiing, the media—and Sadie’s legendary family with strong ties to a sketchy mega church—have written the narrative of a rivalry more cutthroat than the sport has ever seen.
It would all be straightforward—who’s the better skier?—if only the women didn’t carry dark secrets from their pasts, both of which have the potential to thwart everything they’ve worked for. Add in the fact that Willa has long been in love with Sadie’s husband—the third member of their childhood trio—and they’re left with a combative season ahead. What no one knows, however, is that it will be far from a typical ski season, because at the end, someone will be dead and their lives will be changed forever.
THE SKIERS explores how far people are willing to go to reach the top, the complexity of female friendships, and the search for self amid incredible outside pressure.
About the Author
Jen Craven is the author of six novels, both indie and traditionally published. Her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life was inspired from over a decade teaching at a small liberal arts university. In 2023, she signed with Bookouture where she publishes domestic suspense: The Baby Left Behind (Sept. 2023), Her Daughter (March 2024), and The Day She Vanished (Sept. 2024).
Aside from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more.
She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks, and kicking butt in backgammon.
Learn more at www.jencraven.com or by following her on Facebook and Instagram at @jencravenauthor
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
part of the #AuthorElevatorSeries
Welcome to the second March 2025 #AuthorElevatorSeries! Notable guest author Jen Craven joins us today for a #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat with her sixth electrifying novel, THE SKIERS. Out today!
THE SKIERS explores how far people are willing to go to reach the top, the complexity of female friendships, and the search for self amid incredible outside pressure.
Join us as Jen shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes exclusives from the book and personal fun moments from this talented author.
Welcome, Jen!
Behind the Book
Q. Give us your best ELEVATOR PITCH for THE SKIERS:
~A deadly sports rivalry and love triangle set against the world of professional water skiing.
Q. DESCRIBE your novel in three words or less.
~Ambition gone wrong.
Q. TOPICS: Name 1-3 topics or themes addressed in the novel?
~Rivalry and competition
~Identity and legacy
~Betrayal and trust
Q. DID YOU KNOW? Name 3-5 things that readers may or may not know about THE SKIERS.
~I grew up on Conneaut Lake, PA, and have been water skiing since I was six years old. While I’m nowhere near a professional skier, my love of “lake life” certainly inspired the idea for this book.
~While writing, I connected with real-life pro skiers, who were a critical piece of my research. One even read the full manuscript at an early stage.
~I don’t like to pit women against each other in real life (although it makes for juicy fiction!), so when people ask if I’m “Team Sadie” or “Team Willa,” it’s impossible for me to choose. They both have their flaws and I hold a soft spot for each.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
~I have a new novel from Bookouture coming this September about a family keeping a deep secret.
Behind the Author
Q. DID YOU KNOW? Name 3-5 things that readers may (or may not) know about YOU, the author.
~I spent over a decade teaching Fashion Merchandising at Mercyhurst University before writing full time.
~My favorite book is “Little Women,” and two of my children are named after March sisters.
~I completed my first half-marathon and sprint triathlon last year.
Fascinating! Thank you, Jen, for spending time with us today.
Praise
Another page-turner from Jen Craven! Packed with suspense and guaranteed to keep you guessing, this book is perfect for anyone who knows the challenges of chasing greatness and the sacrifices it demands. —Maggie Giles, award-winning author of The Things We Lost and Twisted
“Chilling suspense and shocking secrets.”
—Caitlin Weaver, bestselling author of Such a Good Family
My Review
Jen Craven returns following The Day She Vanished, The Baby Left Behind, and Her Daughter with THE SKIERS. Gripping and mesmerizing, intense and twisty—unputdownable!
“Riveting! Craven’s best yet. Secrets. Betrayal. Murder. A deadly sports rivalry, ambition, a legacy, friendship, obsession, sacrifice, and a love triangle set against the highly competitive world of professional water skiing with only ONE winner.”
About...
Sadie and Willa have been best friends since childhood and competed against one another on slalom courses in Florida—the two best waterskiers.
There was also a boy skier, Baz (the three musketeers) and becomes a bit of a love triangle. Sadie comes from a privileged background whereas, Willa had a very troublesome childhood. Willa gets a break when her coach Roxanne supports her, when her family is not there for her.
However, the dynamics of their relationships take a dramatic turn. When Baz marries Sadie, Willa and Baz, who were once close, find their bond tested. Then, a tragic accident shatters Baz's world.
Now at age twenty-eight at the peak of their careers, with a significant competition on the horizon. The cutthroat competition heats up and the two best friends are now frenemies. The stakes are high, and there can only be one winner in this intense battle.
Mix in the pressures from the family, coaches, sponsorships, the media, and Sadie's legendary family with strong ties to a mega church, things are INTENSE.
Both sides have secrets. How far will someone go for fame?
No one can foresee this being far from a typical ski season, ending in MURDER. As the story unfolds, a shocking event will change everything, leaving the characters and the readers alike in disbelief and anticipation for what's to come.
My thoughts...
THE SKIIERS is a well-written domestic suspense surrounding the characters, Willa, Sadie, and Baz, with their complex relationship. At the same time, the author brilliantly explores the competitive history between the two girls/women and another added narrative: Sadie's mom and Willa's coach, Roxanne.
From past to present, a shocking multi-generational family mystery, twisty and a captivating whodunit, exploring how far some will go to reach the top for fame. Topics of toxic relationships, betrayal, secrets, female friendship, ambition, jealousy. sports, competition, fame, family, and self-discovery.
My fourth book by the author, and I enjoy her writing style. This is one of her best! I appreciated the author's note and the well-researched novel showcasing how the pressures of competition can affect families and all those close to them, plus a lot about professional water skiing and pros.
If you enjoy multi-generational stories of family, friendships that turn into rivalries, and competitive sports dynamics, you will enjoy this one.
Recs...
THE SKIERS is for fans of the author and those who enjoyed Layne Fargo's The Favorites (Ice Skating); Tammy (TL) Greenwood's Still Point (Ballerina); Rachel Kapelke-Dale's The Fortune Seller (Equestrian), The Ingenue (Pianist), and the Ballerinas (Ballet); Allison Buccola's Catch Her When She Falls (Ballet); and Jenni L. Walsh's Ace, Marvel, Spy (Tennis).
Interview...
Stay tuned for my #LitLiftMiniAuthorChat (a part of the #AuthorElevatorSeries collection) with Jen and THE SKIERS, coming pub day (March 13).
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 13, 2025
