Mile High Audiobook – Windy City Series, Book 1

I pressed play on Mile High as I sipped my evening tea, wrapped in a quilt after one of those long Portland rains that leaves you craving something electric and indulgent. Right from the opening lines, I knew Liz Tomforde wasn’t interested in half-measures—she dives straight into a world where ice isn’t just for hockey but for melting with every charged glance and cutting remark between her leads.

Zanders is the sort of character who makes me want to reach through my headphones and give him both a high five and a reality check. He’s brash, unapologetic, radiating alpha energy—and yet there’s such vulnerability simmering beneath that bravado. As someone who has worked with more than a few big personalities (not NHL stars, admittedly), I found his struggle between public image and private longing surprisingly relatable. We all wear masks; some are just flashier than others.

Stevie is another standout—pragmatic yet passionate, trying to keep herself grounded amidst so much turbulence (literal and figurative). Her promise never to get tangled up with another athlete was an early moment that hooked me; it instantly set the stage for tension, but also made her journey towards Zanders feel hard-won rather than inevitable. Their chemistry is magnetic from the first sharp exchange to every crackle of banter thereafter.

The audiobook format elevates this story even more. Winston James nails Zanders’ swagger while giving room for quieter moments of self-doubt; Mari voices Stevie with warmth and steeliness that matches her inner resolve perfectly. Listening felt less like overhearing two strangers fall in love, more like being personally confided in during late-night heart-to-hearts—the kind where your cheeks hurt from laughing one minute and your heart aches the next.

What struck me most were the power dynamics woven throughout: not just player vs. flight attendant or man vs. woman—but person against their own reputation, against expectations others have placed upon them or they’ve internalized themselves. The high-stakes setting of professional hockey added both heat and grit: when Zanders gets benched or Stevie faces snide remarks from colleagues about fraternizing, it reminded me how often women (and men) have to fight harder just to claim their space—on teams, at work, in relationships.

My only real quibble? The length sometimes veered close to excess—a handful of scenes lingered longer than necessary on certain quarrels or steamy encounters when I’d have preferred more exploration into backstory or side characters within their “Windy City” universe (though knowing this is part of an interconnected series does make me eager for more).

For fans of sports romance—with all its adrenaline spikes—and enemies-to-lovers tales tinged by genuine emotional stakes rather than mere spiteful gamesmanship: Mile High hits every note you’d hope for without losing sight of deeper questions about identity and worthiness beyond sex appeal or headline-making careers.

This book left me grinning—and thinking about how love can disrupt our best-laid plans while still honoring who we are underneath our armor. If you’re looking for something smartly written with top-notch narration that will sweep you away somewhere both thrillingly dramatic and unexpectedly heartfelt… put this at the top of your listening list.