Winner Takes All

Laurie
Winter
Genre: 
Contemporary

Storm Thompson had it rough while growing up. Sheltered Colleen Gardner had her daddy’s money, but little else. Storm and Colleen were best friends, until the night before graduation when Colleen shattered Storm’s trust. Now they are both grown up, changed people, and back in Liberty Ridge to compete for one million dollars. They both have equally honorable and important reasons for needing that cash. However, as the cameras for "The Great American Scavenger Hunt" reality show roll, their simmering animosity slowly boils to attraction. Can they move beyond the past to win the money and reconcile their hearts?

This story will draw the reader in as the contestants—and old friends—Colleen and Storm, compete for a million dollars. Their cross-country adventure forces them to decide if alliance is better than holding on to old feelings, especially Storm whose bitterness runs deep at Colleen’s betrayal. This story is full of creative metaphors and has plenty of action, but there were also several misplaced commas that awkwardly broke the sentences. Timing is important to the nationwide race, and there was one scene in which Colleen was supposed to leave at a specified time per race rules. However, several paragraphs later she left at another time. The cameras roll, capturing all of Storm and Colleen’s conflicting and changing feelings. The see-saw of sentiments tugs at the reader as Storm and Colleen race against the clock and struggle to balance who they once were with who they are now, only to have their fragile trust break time and time again. The real question isn’t who might win the prize, it’s what the real prize at stake is? 

Emerson Matthews