The first book in this series follows Evan Zanders and Stevie Shay.
Zanders: Looks like he could kill you — is a cinnamon roll.
Stevie: Looks like a cinnamon roll — is a cinnamon roll.
Quick Overview/Ratings
My overall rating: ⭐️️️️⭐️️️️⭐️️️️⭐️️️️.5/5
Spice rating: 🌶🌶🌶/5 — a very plot-driven story, but has several well-crafted open-door sex scenes that are integral to the character development
On KU: Yes, this book is available on Kindle Unlimited (as of publishing)
POV: Dual POV (and the audiobook has two narrators — one for each character — which I personally greatly prefer for dual-POV books)
The Plot of Mile High by Liz Tomforde
Zanders is a professional hockey player for the Windy City Raptors, Chicago’s fictional NHL team, and Stevie is a flight attendant working for his team as they travel around the country.
Zanders is a bit of (all right, a lot of) a playboy — at least that’s the Zanders the world sees. He and his best friend (also on the team) have carefully crafted media personalities that make them some of the highest-paid athletes in town.
He’s the one everyone loves to hate, and he doesn’t mind playing that role one bit.
At least, he didn’t…
Enter: Stevie.
Stevie is a hard-working and lovable flight attendant doomed to cater to Zanders on board all season long.
But she doesn’t mind all that much, because the travel schedule allows her the time to do what she loves doing most: volunteering for the elderly dog rescue down the street.
She would love nothing more than to work the rescue full-time, but since it doesn’t pay, she’s ready to put up with Zanders because mostly, she’s very grateful for her job.
Despite Zanders’s best efforts at in-flight pestering, Stevie won’t give him — an “egotistical and self-righteous diva” — the time of day at all. And Zanders? He isn’t sure what to make of that rejection. It’s never happened to him before.
Maybe his reputation and the role he’s played throughout his career to earn it aren’t quite all they’re made out to be.
Some of the tropes (common plot points) you can expect include:
Check the tags at the top of the page for a full list of tropes, but here are some of the bigger ones:
- Forbidden romance. The private flight company adheres to a strict no-fraternization policy.
- Found family. Both Stevie and Zanders have, for different reasons, needed to fill gaps that were missing in their lives with meaningful friendships. Every book in this series adds to the warm found-family vibes.
My thoughts on Mile High by Liz Tomforde
I ate this book up — completing it in less than 24 hours, only to immediately dive into the next one.
Why?
Because every character in this book feels three-dimensional and intentional. You get to know their personalities, fears, histories, insecurities, traditions, hobbies, and so much more. By the end, you feel like you have a new set of friends yourself.
The romance in this book is also incredibly realistic.
This isn’t a story about a billionaire MMC who shows his love in fantastical ways, like carting his woman off on a private jet to her favorite concert on the other side of the country.
Instead, Zanders shows his love by helping Stevie through her insecurities, supporting her interests, trying out the things she loves, and being there for her — to build her up when others try to bring her down.
In other words, any man can be an Evan Zanders. And that’s what makes this love story so endearing (and what makes him a potential mediocre mankiller, because there are no excuses for those who don’t measure up available here).
And Stevie? What a selfless, relatable, and lovable FMC.
She has the same fears so many of us have about body image, measuring up, and making her life into something she’s proud of.
She conquers those inner demons one by one while simultaneously supporting Zanders through his problems — loving him through the ups and downs his media personality creates for him (I can’t give too much more on this without spoiling anything, so just take my word on this one).
She’s tough as nails but sweeter than cake. All of us can learn something from Stevie Shay.
Together, their love story feels natural, deep, and offers a practical example of what a healthy relationship can and should look like. If your man doesn’t reinforce your perfection like Zanders, it’s time to let him go, babe.
“You don’t have to love your body every single day. That’s unrealistic to expect, but I’ll be here loving it for the days you can’t.” — Evan Zanders
