--- product_id: 103513606 title: "Black Diamond: A Boarding School Sports Romance (Stark Springs Academy Book 1)" brand: "ali dean" price: "FREE" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/103513606-black-diamond-a-boarding-school-sports-romance-stark-springs-academy store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # Black Diamond: A Boarding School Sports Romance (Stark Springs Academy Book 1) **Brand:** ali dean **Price:** FREE **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Black Diamond: A Boarding School Sports Romance (Stark Springs Academy Book 1) by ali dean - **How much does it cost?** FREE with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/103513606-black-diamond-a-boarding-school-sports-romance-stark-springs-academy) ## Best For - ali dean enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted ali dean brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![Black Diamond: A Boarding School Sports Romance (Stark Springs Academy Book 1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81u0wGod7xL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely loved it! *by L***E on Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2018* I really enjoyed this story and the characters. I loved how Roxie did not want to just bow down to Ryker. She was in a new school but for the most part she didn't back down and just cater to his whims, even when her new friends starting distancing themselves from her in the middle of it. I liked the pace of the story. We get to see a lot of build up between Roxie and Ryker. There is plenty to grab and hold your attention as you go through the book. We have our typical mean girls but because of their wealth and where they stand in the social hierarchy (outside of the academy as well as in) they are more ruthless and have more means. I was definitely hoping for more of Roxie and Ryker together and we don't get to see too much of that in here. We get to see the beginning stages of them getting to know each other and finding each other's boundaries with what they are willing to put up with but not a lot of time of them being together. With that said, it didn't detract from the story too much, because it fit the characters and how everything was set up. It just makes me lean toward this not being a standalone story really. We do have an ending that is not a cliffhanger and it's a little bit of a happy for now, I just wanted more out of it at the time. I'm super excited to pick up the next story and continue their journey! This was a fantastic read!I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Different YA book on winter sports *by T***R on Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2019* Roxie gets a scholarship to Spark Springs Academy which is an elite boarding school to prepare students for competing in winter sports. Though most kids enter at a much earlier age, Roxie enters on her junior year in high school. Noticing there are some peculiar attributes to this school, she soon learns all is not as it should be. For one, Ryker Black, seems to run the school and everyone in it even though he is a student there. He invites her to join his "posse" but she declines and goes to sit with her roommate. This shocks everyone in the dining hall. The more she discovers the workings of Ryker and the school she is can't help but wonder what she has gotten herself into. As she gets to know Ryker, she starts to have feelings for him but he is hot and cold and she isn't sure where she stands with him, nor will she be in his posse of women/friends. Yet Ryker cannot commit to Roxie. One event that could have been tragic occurs and this starts the rollercoaster between these two. Great start to this series and I look forward to reading the next one. Have to admit I was beginning to think it was a cult with all the rules but as you read into the story, more and more clues come forth. Definitely recommend. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Simply superb start of a series ... and simply superb standalone *by T***R on Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2018* I love Ali Dean’s sports romances. It’s been that way since I read the first in her Pepper Jones series and walked away totally addicted both to the romance and the feeling of really being an insider on the sport (cross country in that case). That’s probably why I glommed on Black Diamond when I saw it. If anything this book was even better than the Pepper Jones books (a very high bar as those books are so superb that I’ve re-read that series several times). So much so that I’ve addictively binge read through Double Black and Black Ice too. Why? Because not only do we once again get so far into the head of a top athlete as to really feel like an insider in the sport itself, in this case skiing, but we also get high business intrigue and a real thriller of a suspense. Roxie and Ryker’s romance in Stark Springs Academy series is also simply beautifully done. The series has reached a logical stopping point at book 3, but I’m not going to call it a trilogy as I’m hoping for more (hey, there’s precedent here: the Pepper Jones stories reached logical stopping points at times but the author still found ways to continue the series with new novels that worked beautifully). But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - each of the books in this series definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that this series is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend each book. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/103513606-black-diamond-a-boarding-school-sports-romance-stark-springs-academy](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/103513606-black-diamond-a-boarding-school-sports-romance-stark-springs-academy) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-06-06*