football – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 386 pages
Author: Sharon M. Peterson
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: July 5th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I can’t lock up the library until the guy asleep at his desk leaves. Thank the universe for audiobooks because I could be here all night. But I see his mouth twitch at the exact moment a steamy kiss takes place. My face burns when I realize my headphones aren’t plugged in and my phone is at full volume.

It’s not every day you see a new face in my small hometown of Two Harts, let alone one belonging to an annoyingly handsome all-star NFL player. But for some reason Chris Sterns has decided that the library where I work is his go-to spot to hide from his mega-fans, and unfortunately, winding me up is his new favorite sport.

Being crowned “world’s sexiest man” has done little to curb his confident charm and when he somehow ropes me into his two-person book club, I can’t help warming to his endless positivity.

But when a photo of him stumbling out of a Las Vegas club with a woman in tow is leaked to the press, I can’t help but question whether his good boy persona is just an act.

And that’s far from the only answer I’m left searching for when Chris pops the question I’ve only ever heard in my favorite romance books. Did he really just ask me to marry him?

It’s not the proposal I was expecting, but with my mom’s medical bills piling up faster than I can pay them, and with the scandal threatening to ruin everything Chris has worked for; could an engagement be the perfect fake out for us both? Or is this a game we’ll both lose?

A totally uplifting and addictive friends-to-lovers romance full of laugh-out-loud moments. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Sarah Adams and Olivia Dade.

SMITTEN.

Ahhhh I loved this book! The banter was absolutely immaculate and all of the corny pick-up lines at the beginning of the chapters made me laugh so much. This was light, filled with a lot of heart, and I could not get enough of CHRIS.

The fake engagement trope was great. I liked the fake aspects that had to be enacted and the forced proximity that brought these two together. You can tell that Chris is gone from the get-go and I love a man who knows what he wants.

I loved seeing Mae go from intensely stubborn to allowing Chris and her family to help her with the weight she was carrying. There were a lot of great, true arguments between the main couple that I appreciated and loved so dang much. Really getting to the heart of the matter and the why.

Great read. If you’re thinking it’s a sports romance, I wouldn’t call it that because there’s no games, practices or anything along those lines. Chris is a NFL player and that’s the sportiest thing. Which was not a deal breaker for me at all, just something I noticed!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: very little, light
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: gaslighting incarcerated and parental abandonment (all from Mae’s father), a sister with a heart condition

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 240 pages
Author: Marjorie Herrera Lewis
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: October 2nd, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s a man’s game, until now…
Football is the heartbeat of Brownwood, Texas. Every Friday night for as long as assistant principal Tylene Wilson can remember, the entire town has gathered in the stands, cheering their boys on. Each September brings with it the hope of a good season and a sense of unity and optimism.

Now, the war has changed everything. Most of the Brownwood men over 18 and under 45 are off fighting, and in a small town the possibilities are limited. Could this mean a season without football? But no one counted on Tylene, who learned the game at her daddy’s knee. She knows more about it than most men, so she does the unthinkable, convincing the school to let her take on the job of coach.

Faced with extreme opposition—by the press, the community, rival coaches, and referees and even the players themselves—Tylene remains resolute. And when her boys rally around her, she leads the team—and the town—to a Friday night and a subsequent season they will never forget.

Based on a true story, When the Men Were Gone is a powerful and vibrant novel of perseverance and personal courage.

FOOTBALL FOREVER.

I feel like this got an extra star purely for the fact that I love football. And I loved that there was a female coach who refused to let her team down when everyone else in town wanted nothing to do with her.

It’s a very quick read. Which was a pro and a con. I was hoping for a bit more depth in characters and general story. What I did get was fine, but rushed. There were thrown in tidbits of Tylene’s past and why she’s fighting so hard to have her football season. It did help me grasp the fierce nature of wanting these boys to not have to go to war just yet. Letting them be young just a little longer. Those sentiments really hit home in the midst of World War 2.

I wish there was more back story at the end. I wanted to know how the rest of the season went as this book only covers the 2 weeks leading up to their first game of Tylene’s season. Tylene was a strong woman who clearly understood the game. I love how she made jaws drop and men shut their mouths as she proved over and over that she would be the best person for this job.

If you’re a football fan + historical fiction lover, I would try this one out! It was a good combination. And I really felt the rush and remembrance of the fall football atmosphere.

Overall audience notes: