Rock Bottom Girl

by Lucy Score

“You may be faking the relationship, but you’re not faking the orgasms.”

Downsized, broke, and dumped, 38-year-old Marley sneaks home to her childhood bedroom in the town she couldn’t wait to escape twenty years ago. Not much has changed in Culpepper. The cool kids are still cool. Now they just own car dealerships and live in McMansions next door. Oh, and the whole town is still talking about that Homecoming she ruined her senior year.

Desperate for a new start, Marley accepts a temporary teaching position. Can the girl banned from all future Culpepper High Homecomings keep the losing-est girls soccer team in school history from killing each other and prevent carpal tunnel in a bunch of phone-clutching gym class students?

Maybe with the help of Jake Weston, high school bad boy turned sexy good guy. When the school rumor mill sends Marley to the principal’s office to sign an ethics contract, the tattooed track coach, dog dad, and teacher of the year becomes her new fake boyfriend and alibi—for a price. The Deal: He’ll teach her how to coach if she teaches him how to be in a relationship.

Who knew a fake boyfriend could deliver such real orgasms? But it’s all temporary. The guy. The job. The team. There’s too much history. Rock bottom can’t turn into a foundation for happily ever after. Can it?

Warning: Story also includes a meet-puke, a bouffanted nemesis, a yard swan and donkey basketball, a teenage-orchestrated makeover, and a fake relationship that gets a little too real between the sheets.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Sports Romance, Humor, Chick Lit

532 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2019

About the author

Lucy Score is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling author. She grew up in a literary family who insisted that the dinner table was for reading and earned a degree in journalism.

She writes full-time from the Pennsylvania home she and Mr. Lucy share with their obnoxious cat, Cleo. When not spending hours crafting heartbreaker heroes and kick-ass heroines, Lucy can be found on the couch, in the kitchen, or at the gym.

She hopes to someday write from a sailboat, oceanfront condo, or tropical island with reliable Wi-Fi.

Sign up for her never annoying newsletter at https://www.lucyscore.net/subscribe-l....

Reviews

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the best thing about finding a new fav author is that you can binge read their whole backlist. 😌

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. I’m reading too many thrillers and dark romances so this is a fresh genre change. So far it’s real good romcom and I really had a wonderful time while I’m connecting with characters.
Marley seems like hard time and her old town folks may define her looser but it’s a big wrong definition. She has been bullied through her high school time but she has never been a simple doormat victim. She has stood for herself, she has used her wits, she hasn’t hesitated to fight dirty. She has been heartbroken because of our hero ( later we see our hero is innocent and our heroine was just manipulated by the villain of the story)and that was the reason of her insecurities.
By losing herself she’s turning back to her roots for finding herself and becoming whole.
Here are the definition with her psychological condition with her on words when she starts her journey:
“I reached for the stars so many times and being smacked back down by tennis racket of fate!”
On the other hand, our hero Jack is a little naive, small town boy, immature but sexy as hell and he knows what he wants. He wants Marley forever and he’s determined enough not to take no for an answer.( Sometimes I thought why he didn’t have any commitment in his life, he’s hot, he’s natural seducer and good lover, yeah he’s quite a catch so it was a little unrealistic for me)
Some parts of book made me laugh out so loud ! Especially after party part, when Marley and Jack woke up in Marley’s room as Jake wore her daddy’s shorts.
I also got emotional when I read Marley’s makeover part and her teams’ support and they’re bonding unconditionally.
This is so much heartwarming, entertaining and smartly written rom com and I really enjoyed every little word, every page of it.
I start to download the other books of Lucy Score and so excited to find a real good new romance writer 😊
PS. Don’t skip the bonus part! I also enjoyed it so much!

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars



Rock Bottom Girl was a funny, sweet, and steamy slow burn romance that I truly enjoyed listening to. I’ve read a few Lucy Score books and I think this one is my favorite of hers so far. It gave me some MZ vibes (I think it was the sports/slow burn aspects) and I adored it!

Marley is 38 years old and she’s back living with her parents. She’s had a bad run of luck lately, and is looking for a fresh start, a way to get back on her feet before she goes back out into the world. She takes a temporary job as a high school gym teacher and soccer coach and her alma mater. At first, it’s a bit of a mess, well… she’s a bit of a mess. With the help of a few good friends, and her old flame Jake, she might just be able to turn things around. 



Jake Weston was Marley’s crush and they shared one passionate kiss in high school but that was it. Now that they’re adults and teaching at the same school, the sparks are flying. This book had one of my favorite troupes. The fake dating troupe. Marley and Jake pretend to date for both of their benefits… but of course, it turns into so much more.

The audiobook was narrated by Natalie Duke and Stephen Dexter and it was so much fun to listen to. I found myself laughing and smiling so big throughout it. It was such a feel good book. I’m looking forward to reading more from Lucy Score and I definitely recommend this one!

I loved and was loved. And that was the most important thing in the world.

[Ｄｒｅｙ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars!

... Just keep swimming, Marley.

A fish named Dory once said, "When life gets you down, do you wanna know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

I enjoyed this book so much! It reminded me of classic Dory and Marlin and their amazing journey. Jake is my Dory, optimistic and funny, and Marley is my Marlin, determined and a tad worrisome. Great storyline, great characters. Rock Bottom Girl kept me swimming and laughing at the same time until the end.

Note: This is a fake dating, romantic comedy.

A 38 year old Marley was back in Culpepper, Pennsylvania, her hometown. She's homeless, broke, jobless and was looking for a fresh start. She was hired as a temporary soccer coach and a gym teacher in her former school. There, she met her pasts. Amie Jo, her teenage bully and the wife of her ex-boyfriend, Travis. And the boy whom she once adored, Jake.

Jake was a history teacher at the same school Marley was coaching. An incident caused them to pretend that they were in a relationship. They agreed with conditions. Jake had to help her with teaching and coaching, and Marley had to help him navigate a monogamous relationship. But Jake later realized that he wanted more. Permanently. Marley had issues about her past relationship with him that she never trusted his feelings for her. And then she had to leave. Was Jake worthy enough to give up her dreams for a life with him?

“I’m asking you to stay, Mars. Stay here. Be mine. Let me be yours. Live in this haunted house with me and Homer. Work with me. Run with me. Make me lunches. Let me hold you while you fall asleep on the porch.”

I loved the main characters as well as the secondary characters. They made the story more interesting and lively. There were just things that I found unbelievable. Like how a 38 year old woman acts and thinks like a teenager at times. And also, the part where she blamed herself for losing a game. She's 38 and experienced, and just one loss she abandoned everything? But I loved that she kept swimming till she found herself and became a person I wanted her to be.

I recommend this to those who likes: Lucy Score, romantic comedy, fake dating, small town, slow burn, bully, sports, high school, friends to lovers, tattooed and bad boy heroes, and a happy ever after.

"I loved and was loved. And that was the most important thing in the world."

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 - back to re-reading my favourite rom-com
2019 - reread second time

CHECK OUT THE BOOKS I RE-READ CONSTANTLY
___________________________________

If you love entertaining, heart-warming and funny books – this is the book for you.

I’m not usually into rom-coms but some author’s just work for me – and this author’s humor is right up my alley. Never too over the top, and without her characters being embarrassingly stupid, the humor was always just right, and the entire novel easily checked all my boxes – Rock Bottom Girl was a HIT!!

I laughed out loud – and got some strange looks from the people at the hair salon – grinned some more, and just was plain happy reading this little gem.

Rock Bottom Girl was all kinds of awesome things rolled into one.

Sports romance - Small town - Romantic Comedy - Fake Relationship.

A tattooed hero that was all kinds of yummy – but most of all as perfect as it gets. Supportive, incredibly well versed in hitting the right tone whenever needed, but still all kinds of edgy and ‘bad boy’. And one of those fictional teachers you wish were real.

A spunky and feisty heroine, down on her luck, but still retaining her humor. The perfect person to get in trouble with. She is nothing short of awesome and incredibly likable – a down to earth, humble but also a kinda real character.

And there were so many awesome supporting characters. I don’t really know where to start, Vicky, Libby, the Uncles, Amie-Jo – I could go on. Every single one brought something special to this book. And together it was one of these novels that just make you feel good. Low drama – but lot’s of fun.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

Well color me surprised!

I went into Rock Bottom Girl hoping for a little fun and a little steam. What I got was a story i found myself relating to on so many levels with an awesome dose of humor and fun thrown in for good measure.

Marley's a heroine I can get behind. Thirty eight and still searching for her place in the world, she served as a gentle and fun reminder that we don't have to have it all figured out by an arbitrary date or age. Jake, in all his cross country coaching, history teaching glory, is almost too perfect but I can't tell you how refreshing it was to read about a man who's not a billionaire, super alpha asshole. Jake gets a pass on his unrealistic perfection and I'm good with it.

I loved the high school rivalries awakened by Marley's return, I loved her snarky, not subtle yet not over the top humor, I loved how the side characters didn't fit in tidy, definable boxes. Most importantly, I had a fabulous time reading this and at the end of the day, I can't ask for more than that.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Overall Opinion: I just want to put it out there that my book funk may very well have impacted my perspective and opinions on this book. It took me a long time to read this where I normally can get through a book a day easily. I was just not feeling reading and it might be due to my long string of 3-ish star reads lately. That being said....I also did struggle with some aspects of the book. I didn't like the pacing. It took me a while to get into the book, as it felt a little slow to get started. I also really struggled with the h and her woe-is-me attitude. The ending felt lackluster especially with all the time devoted to other things that I felt could have been edited down. Overall this did provide me with quite a few laugh out loud moments and I loved the H -- so I'm going with a little better than "just okay" and 3.5 stars.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Marley and Jake's story. Marley is down on her luck and has to move back in with her parents at 38. She is starting a new job at her old high school as the PE teacher and girls soccer coach. Jake is an old crush from high school that Marley shared a heated kiss with under the bleachers, so she is shocked to find that he is a teacher and coach at the school as well. Sparks fly and Jake helps her with the new big changes that are happening in her life. They get forced into a fake relationship that turns into a hot fling and stronger feelings start to develop. There are some laugh out loud moments and some sexy times...and they get a HEA ending.

POV: This alternated between Marley and Jake's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Not my favorite. This was kind of long overall and it felt slow at times. I think there might've been some moments that could've been edited down to make it flow better.

Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.

H rating: 5 stars. Jake. I loved him! He was an awesome mix of sweet and hot.

h rating: 3 stars. Marley. I actually struggled with her constantly negative self image. I also struggled with how she pushed away the H and was in denial about her own feelings and their relationship.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull: Yes The h pushes away, and I'd say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW/OM drama: Not really

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: Yes They are separated shortly (days?), but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time.

Possible Triggers: Not really

Closure: This had an extended epilogue if you sign up for the author's newsletter. This is definitely not my favorite marketing technique, but I understand that it's probably very effective. Especially when the ending in the book felt...lacking. I would call this a HEA ending with the extended epilogue, but I still wanted more tbh.

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the h pushing the H away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does have a HEA ending (see above)

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd had a teacher like Jake...

I had the most amazing reading day today. I managed to get the washing, cleaning and shopping done AND start and finish a fabulous book. Actually, I'd have to say it was an amazing weekend of reading. Two 5-star books in one weekend are what every reader dreams of. Rock Bottom Girl took me on an emotional journey of highs and lows and left me with a big goofy smile.

Marley has hit rock bottom and returned to her childhood home with her tail between her legs. Broke, homeless and single, at 38 she's desperate to finally be on the right path to success. Being home is not her path to happiness it's just a fork in the road. When her mum manages to score her a job as a soccer coach and PE teacher at her old school, she accepts it on the proviso that it's short term. Marley wants more than her small town, and she definitely doesn't want to get stuck being constantly reminded of her biggest mistakes. One of those mistakes...is still in town and still as sexy as he was at 17.

Jakes Weston is a history teacher and cross-country coach. Besides teaching, his main priorities are his family, dog and fellow teachers. Now that he's nearly 40, he's started to realise that the short hook-ups and dating isn't enough. Jake's lonely and wondering if he's meant for more. When Marley comes back to town he can't help but remember that one steamy kiss under the bleachers. She's still extremely sexy and manages to make him laugh each time they're together. Maybe, Marley is the right person to test the waters to see if he could do more.

Honestly, I loved this story. Yes, Marley could be a pain in the butt with her negativity and *woe-is-me* mentality but in some ways I kind of got her. Like Marley, high school was not my best years. Luckily, unlike Marley, I managed to move on and still lead a pretty great life. Poor Marley, never really found her happy place. Meeting Jake, falling for Jake, it seems like more but it's just a matter of time before it all goes wrong.

Jake is my favourite type of hero. He's far from perfect, a little gruff, a wee bit egotistical and a bit of a slob. But, the swagger has its charm, his sexiness and good looks make me swoon, and his thoughtfulness and kindness made me sigh. It's so nice to have the heroine stuff up instead of the hero. Marley spends too much time thinking that the grass is greener on the other side instead of appreciating what's right under her feet...or standing beside her.

Rock Bottom Girl was funny, sexy and very thought-provoking. Lucy Score has thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. Her characters came to life for me and I enjoy her look into a small town. Most of this story revolves around the local high school and I loved seeing a positive side to what kids get out of modern media.

If you're looking for a story to make you laugh, sigh and swoon, you can't go wrong with Rock Bottom Girl.

[ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

the plot: 🤪🤩✨🥰🥺☺️❤️🥳

the romance: 😕🥲😬🤧😴😑🥱

this could have been 200 pages shorter and the story would still be exactly the same. seriously, 81 chapters was severely unnecessary. mainly bcos this wasn’t a fake dating romance to me... this was a very-real-dating romance.

there’s no tension, no build up, no what-ifs, no intense pining. they both make it extremely clear from the get-go that they’re into each other so it took all of the excitement out of their dynamic. nothing was left to the imagination and instead it was smooth-sailing, and dare i say, predictable? so it didn’t need to be this damn long if there was going to be very minimal angst or little evolution within their relationship. they just felt very stagnant to me as a couple.

but i did think the whole donkey scene was cute af where Jake realised he was gonna marry the shit out of Marley. other than that? this was cool. just not very exciting.

i was way more invested in the girls’ football team (i can never call it soccer, im not even sorry) plot line and watching Marley grow into herself. everything else was mediocre to me.

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It’s like I missed the day in school when they told us how to be an adult.”

Rock Bottom Girl is a standalone laugh out loud rom-com featuring a young woman who has returned home for a reset of her life. Marley is a quirky young woman who lands herself back in her parents' house to try to turn her life around. Smacked with a hard dose of real life, she finds peace and solace being back in her hometown. Needing to "adult" she agrees to teach and coach soccer at her old high school. Imagine her surprise when she discovers her old flame Jake Weston is not only still in town but now one of her coworkers. Now that Jake and Marley are all grown up, will they have a second chance to get things right this time around?


“Come on, Mars. Don’t send me home alone.”

Told in Marley’s POV, Rock Bottom Girl is a hilarious romantic comedy with plenty of passion and witty dialogue. The banter between the two main characters is hilarious throughout the entire read. What makes this story most endearing is the quirkiness of Marley and the way in which she proudly lives out her journey unashamed and with such bravery. In addition to the main characters, the supporting characters enhanced the story greatly. The family adds more love and double the fun!

"Newsflash, you want to act like a jerk, do it at home to your parents who made you this way."

Overall, Rock Bottom Girl will appeal to readers who enjoy a sweet and short romantic comedy with high school drama and loads of fun. In this current climate, we find ourselves in, you will not be sorry you escaped into a world of fun and good old fashioned swoon-worthy passion! Lucy Score is a relatively new author to me and I certainly look forward to reading more of her work!

For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Melanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS!

"You're the 'more' I've been looking for my entire life."

It's OFFICIAL: I can count on Ms. Lucy Score to make me laugh and brighten my day!

Plot in a nutshell:

I was single, jobless, and hopeless.

At the ripe old age of 38, Marley is forced to move back to her small hometown to live with her parents after a series of unfortunate events.

Her mom gets her a job as a temporary high school gym teacher and girls soccer team coach. Among the faculty are her old high school arch-nemesis/bully, Amie Jo, and her biggest crush, Jake Weston.

The above set up was like a barrel full of monkeys, aka, a really good time. There were so many hilarious moments . . .

He looked like he was going to tell me something I'd treasure for the rest of my life. Something about my under-the-radar beauty or my womanly charms. How I'd hypnotized him with my wit.

"Lose the sweater," he said gruffly.

. . . but also swoon-worthy ones . . .

Together we were two lovers lost and found.

. . . and some life lessons along the way.

"No amount of 'atta girls' from other people is going to give you that swagger you're looking for. You're a hell of a girl, Mars. Start acting like it."

I loved Jake and Marley together and I loved the supporting cast, all of whom had me in stitches at different times throughout the book. Ms. Score's sense of humor is at turns overt, then subtle.

"Come on," he said, nodding toward the backdoor. "I'll how you the porch."

It sounded like a euphemism.

The only thing that kept Rock Bottom Girl from being a 5 star home run for me was Marley's self doubt. It got to be a bit overdone.

It was an open wound I dealt with secretly, never being good enough.

If it had been dialed back a bit, I'd have put this on my all-time favorites list. As it is though, the laughs more than make up for any shortcoming I could ever go on about. I definitely recommend!

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's utterly sweet, feel good, hopeful kinda story. Nice change or palette cleanser I should say, between more meaty stories that are my preference.
Dragged a lot though. Every tiny detail was put on paper.
not that there's anything wrong with that!!
I just like more slapstick, slick paced story which is heavy on emotions and events.
But Lucy is popular for a reason.
The heroine, Marley has downsized, is broke and then dumped. The Trifecta of travails brings her back to her parents house, and a job as Physical Ed teacher in her old local school - Culpepper High school.
She has quite a reputation from her own HS days with the mean girls posse and her crush, the then jock and now a teacher - Jake Weston. The dejection that has been stewing and smarting Marley prevents her from accepting Jake's nearness and affections but when school policy throws them in to gather a fake relationships, things and perspectives begin to change.
It's very predictable. Lucy puts in adorable situations but is too detail oriented for my obsessive reading.
4 stars for Goody Twosome couple
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[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO CUTE!!!
ME ENCANTÓ!!

Este libro es como las típicas películas que verías un domingo por la tarde un RomCom en toda la extensión de la palabra y es FAKE ROMANCE.

Al principio me costó un poco pero ya que los protagonistas tienes interacción uuf no pude dejarlo, tiene más de 500 páginas y no las sentí en ningún momento. Es un libro ligero, con un toque de humor y algunas escenas sexys.

Al principio Marley tenía una actitud derrotista, y regresar después de 20 años a la casa de sus padres era un fracaso y más cuando su hermana tiene una vida de éxito y su némesis de la preparatoria tiene una vida modelo perfecta con un hombre rico que por cierto era su exnovio.
Pero al avanzar el libro ella se va superando a sí misma, el empleo que ella considera temporal le está dando más satisfacción que otros que ella consideraba adecuados no.
Logró unir a un equipo de futbol femenil que era un desastre y en el proceso esas chicas la ayudaron a ella.

Y la cereza del pastel, Jake LO AMEEÉ, es que era adorable, amor puro, era el chico malo rebelde de la preparatoria que se convirtió en un profesor reformado y uno de los solteros más codiciados.
Era coqueto sexy y un gran corazón, me encantaban sus escenas con su perro.
Hace mucho tiempo que un protagonista en contemporánea no me enamoraba así.

No es un libro perfecto tuvo sus fallas como el principio y la actitud de Marley al final pero me gustó mucho.

[My Pink Fairytales · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sweet baby cheeses”, I freaking loveeeeeed this book! ⭐️

My dear friend Isabella made me read this book. Actually, we started a mini book club and this book was on the list for us to read together, at her suggestion. I started it first, downloading it from Kindle Unlimited library.
Average reading time 8+ hours.



The first quarter was super slow paced and I admit I got bored. I even told Isabella I might not finish the book, since it’s too long, nothing happens and the Girl is too rock bottom-ed for me.
But then, just liked magic, POOF! I started to like it and with every turn of the page I liked it more and more. 50% in, i couldn’t put it down.



I found something interesting on Lucy Score’s blog: 5 reasons to read this book.
I’m going to “borrow” them for you:

1. “This is a fake relationship that starts with a meet-puke, a girls soccer team, a rescue dog, a perfect sister, and the bad boy from high school. Oh and a high school nemesis who only got meaner with age.”

2. “It’s funny”. Here are the parts that made me laugh the hardest:

“Vicky: Don’t even try to go radio silent on me. The last time Rich and I had sex, he kept his socks on. Vicky: I need to live vicariously through your swinging singlehood. Me: Fine. There was a kiss. It was nice. Vicky: *Hulk smash meme* Vicky: NICE?? JAKE WESTON LAYS ONE ON YOU AND IT WAS JUST NICE??? Me: Go tell Rich to take his socks off.”

“Me: Don’t wait up tonight! Mom: Wait up for what? Me: Me to come home. Mom: Why would I do that? You’re almost 40. Me: I’m just saying I won’t be home tonight, and you shouldn’t worry. Mom: Why won’t you be home tonight??? Did something happen??? Are you okay? Me: Mom, I just said don’t worry. Mom: TELL ME WHAT NOT TO WORRY ABOUT! Me: I’m having sex with Jake. Okay? There. You made me say it. It’s your own fault, and now we can never make eye contact again. Don’t tell Dad. Mom: Have fun at Bible study, sweetie. Me: ??? Mom: Just kidding! I’m a cool mom. Condoms are fun. Make good choices!”

3. “I’m not going to call this an ugly duckling to swan story (there is an actual swan in Rock Bottom Girl), but there is a pretty great makeover. In fact, Marley’s entire character arc is an inside out makeover.” Yes, Marley will complain a lot and will make you feel sorry for her and you might get bored with all that high school drama and her wallowing in that self pity she definitely rocks, but watching her come to life, become a better version of herself, it’s a remarkable thing.

4. “Jake and Marley are almost 40. Which means they’re good at sex and things like paying bills and navigating professional relationships. Sure, they’ve still got problems. Jake has never been in a committed relationship that lasted longer than a few orgasms. And Marley is still looking for her place in the world. But together, they make 38 look pretty damn good. Especially since they’re high school teachers and deal with teenagers all day.”

5. This one is all mine. I loved their relationship. I loved Jake, his dog and their families. I loved how he teaches History to those brats. I loved how she figured out how to be a better Coach for all those girls. I got butterflies just imagining how Jake looked at her. I got really turned on when they started having sex.

“Baby, don’t take this the wrong way. But if you say another word or move a muscle, this is going to be really embarrassing for me and really disappointing for you.” She gave the tiniest laugh, and it almost put me over the edge. Homer. Grandma. Broccoli. Gas. Did the Steelers have a shot at the Super Bowl this year? John Quincy Adams.”

“Wow,” she said again. My lips curved. “Am I crushing you?” “You’re holding me on the surface of the planet because what we just did destroyed gravity,” she said.

So, my dear friend Isabella, you definitely missed out, but thank you so much for making me read it. 😜

It would be an absolute honor to have you as my guest on my blog too. Stop by anytime you want :)

[Syndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is OK read. The story is bit dragging. The story is about the come back story for a Mallory, who had been 'rejected' during her homecoming, to be accepted in her town.

Along tne way with help of fake boyfriend, Jake and her soccer students. Like Miss Score's book before, the signature of romantic comedy is there. I just feel Miss Score focusing more on the comedy banter way too much.

I want more focus on the romance story.

Anyway, this is OK read to start my long weekend.

3 stars

[preoccupiedbybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the first half of the book, it was so much fun, and so heart warming, I was grinning so much! Unfortunately the second half dragged, as the book was too long, and Marley was annoying towards the end.

So firstly this book was funny, there were lots of pranks, and I liked Marley's character for most of the book. Then the secondary characters were fantastic! I loved the girls football team (soccer) and the relationships between themselves and with Marley. I loved Marley's parents, her best friend Vicky, Jake's uncles, other members of staff and of course the dog! The romance was sweet, and Jake was book boyfriend Jack pot! I liked the way both Marley and Jake grew as people. This wasn't just about romance, but about being your best self, family, friends, teamwork and overcoming failure.
What went wrong then??

Urgh Marley was so hung up on events which happened at homecoming when she was 17/18, that she let them effect her life for the next 20 years! It was pretty dramatic but it was 20 years ago! Everyone makes mistakes as a teenager/young person, but don't let it ruin your life?!
The plot which unfolded was so predictable, and I called everything which unfolded with her sister and with Amie-Jo's notes. Then her beloved team lost one match and she reverted into being a sulky teenager again (she was 38 btw). Instead of lifting them up for all they had achieved, she let them think it was their fault! There were some really vulnerable girls there! Then she tried to use that loss as a sign that she was a loser and should give up her job, hot boyfriend and just leave town?! Even though so many people clearly loved and valued her there?! I known the point was for her to realise this and stay but she was just so immature and stupid about it?!
The ending was just too repetitive and drawn out for me. I'm glad it all worked out in the end, and it was great to see some diversity in a small town romance (gay uncles, one of whom was black, a lesbian student, and I loved that English teacher!) but I so wished that the whole book was as hilarious and uplifting as the start.
Read on KU.

[mel ☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars

This was so freaking cute omfg.
No joke, I was literally smiling the whole time I was reading this book and it's cuz the inner monologue's of both MCs are hilarious af.
And the whole girl soccer team storyline? LOVED IT.

What won this book for me is Jake though. Oh man. He is one of the best heroes I've ever read, hands down. Not only is he the best history teacher/cross-country coach, but he's also the best human being ever?? Like, how is that even possible? How can someone be so perfect? Ugh, its disgusting (jk, love this dude). I really like Marsley too but her constant belief of wanting something "more" at the end was super annoying. I get it. Character arc and all that shit and gotta respect a girl who strives for something big, but damn was she blind.

Only reason why I didn't 5 star this is cuz I thought it lacked the development/progression that I wanted from the romance department. Idk, I just felt like there was no build up. Like, one second Marsley likes Jake as a friend, then the next they're kissing. Where's the build up on that? I don't like that at all but gotta admit, once they do get "together", it's steamy as hell.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

“I love you,” she said. “So much. So big and wide and more. You’re the ‘more’ I’ve been looking for my entire life.”

ah well look at that another lucy score book i love. i don't think this woman can do no wrong (i hope i didn't just jinx this).

i have abandoned all the new releases that came out today and i just read this book. fuck it, LC books are making my heart pump at the moment.

what i loved about this book?

1. she grovelled
2. he communicated
3. he asked if she was sure;
if y'all know me i'm big on the dubcon shit and this was like a good slap to my face. i was so pleasantly surprised that consent is actually sexy? like wow i'm still swooning <3
4. he has dimples
5. he has a dog
6. she's the cool aunt (they both are ok with not having kids)
7. he winks and flirts in such a good way
8. homey feels and just lots of fluff
9. he fell first
10. bad boy x bad girl
11. teachers being sexy af.

anyway i ate this book up and left no crumbs. even amie jo redeemed herself. i kinda love that woman. she spent 20 years keeping them apart <3.

[Sam (AMNReader) · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little whisper of 'potential' in the back of my head kept me reading. Until 32%, when I decided this isn't working for me.

In one of the first encounters between the (unlicensed) soccer coach and teacher and teacher/XC coach, he was slapping her and calling her a dumbass in front of students. While he was slapping her for her to stay conscious and avoid heat stroke, I really get that it's all dramatic (and probably not medically worthwhile) but "dumbass?" to another teacher in front of students? No. He then proceeded to take her into the girls locker room-with girls in it (and the warning of testosterone) so yeah. I hate him (though med emergency blah blah). And then the mansplaining began.

But what's worse, is this hot mess heroine needed it. Because her decisions were shit. She was living in the past, and I just didn't understand her. Again, taking your students to prank a fellow coach along with some light B&E? No.

The bright spot was Marley's friend, Vicky, who had great one liners on middle age, marriage, and sex in marriage. But she just wasn't enough.

The voices in the chapter were indistinct. Both characters use "knocking on 40" to describe their age. Marley doesn't act 40, and is frankly carrying all kinds of baggage about her hometown that just feels pathetic at this point. (I KNOW it can be jarring to run into old high school people and turn corners and be weirdly assaulted by memories, but I don't BUY that you become a complete ass because of it)

Basically, I feel like score wanted to write a high school novel but for 40 year olds. There's still the mean girl, gloating about her marriage to Marley's ex. Jake claims (also from her high school, and he was the 'bad boy') her publicly-in front of staff, students when Marley is accused of the prank (that she did do) saying he was with her all night without giving her a choice. Not my kind of thing there.

Worse, however, maybe, I don't know, is the constant reference to how beautiful, hot, sexy Jake is. Let's take this apart a bit. I love an attractive hero-a runner no less-yum. What I don't love is having his level of attractiveness validated by the 60 year old desk staff at school, and WORSE, the various students who fall just short of throwing themselves at him.

Let me tell you a story. In my senior year, when I was 18, we had a student teacher. This is awkward. He would've been 21 to 22. And he was indeed, hot. But you know what happened? He took control of the classroom, and the majority of the students that thought he was attractive(yeah, I'm sure *some* didn't) dropped the conversation about his looks, treated him like an authority and never swooned again. It becomes an academic assignment. Yes, this person is good looking, but that's no longer his prominent identity.

By all accounts, Jake was a cool teacher apparently . I'm pretty sure at about 40, most students would see him in that academic kind of way-meaning a distanced evaluation of looks, not 'hot for teacher' way. When I was 16-18, I really didn't consider how good looking most 40 year olds were (is my aversion to age gaps showing) and so NONE of this rings true. It's just evidence to me of shortcomings of the author. You can't give us anything other than attractiveness and so it's substituted for motivation, intimacy, etc. All the students want him, rather than respecting him as a teacher cause that's easier to write?

Also, after 20 years if an old boyfriend said to me "Jesus woman where'd you learn to kiss like that?" I'd knee him in the nuts, because what a douche. (I mean, maybe I was meant to think so because his music choice was highly questionable.)

Anyway, there are things in contemporary that I can't do. And inappropriate teachers are among them. Look elsewhere for teacher romance.

[Amber’s reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock Bottom Girl is a funny rom-com about 38-year-old Marley who goes back to her small Pennsylvania hometown after losing her job and latest boyfriend. She has desperately been avoiding going home for the past 20 years because of her awful high school experience and the people who made it that way.

I love books about high school, but so often I’m disappointed because the characters are over the top mature and unbelievable. This book was perfect because the main characters were teachers instead of students, and the students that were described in the story were authentic and diverse.

The story itself reminded me a little of Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who I love. But unlike SEP, Rock Bottom Girl is written in 1st person dual narrative, and the writing was good.

This story put a smile on my face. I loved the cast of characters and small town setting. I always wonder if small towns like this really exist. If so, I’d love to move to one some day.

[Bibi · Rating 1 out of 5]

FRTC

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ⭐️

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got to 68% before dropping this. Jake is awesome. Love that guy. But Marley is a stone-cold idiot. Score has managed quite a feat in making an active goal into a negative motivation* that keeps cropping up to stop forward progress dead. Marley is so intent on clinging to an idiot plan based in jealousy and adolescent fantasy that she's ignoring everything good in her life. Add a stupidly coy drip-drip-drip with what happened in the past and I have come to hate every time a chapter head starts with "Marley". Jake is great. Marley needs to grow the freak up. They're 38 for heaven's sake. How on Earth has she managed to remain an emotionally stunted goblin for 20 years? Ugh.

* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.

[Alla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, funny and very enjoyable.
A "feel good" book.

[Jenny - TotallybookedBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘We’d started under the shadows under the bleachers. And here we were, twenty years later standing in the sun.’

Rock Bottom Girl is a story about growth, love and second chances. About facing your insecurities and believing in yourself. A funny rom-com set in a wonderfully quirky small-town, we got to meet some fabulous and giggle-inducing characters and we adored it! Don’t even get us started on Jake Weston and his serious swoon factor! Our hearts are bursting with love for this guy!

“You’re a lot to handle before dawn.”
He grinned. “Baby don’t I know it.”

We follow Marley Cicero as she heads home feeling a failure once again and having to face the demons of her old town of Culpepper, Pennsylvania and the high school that left her full of insecurities and self-doubt. Not only that, but she has to face the humiliation once again coming face to face with Jake Weston, the boy who dumped her at homecoming. But is everything as it seems, or can memories sometimes distort the truth? Can you compare your happiness to another?

“We’re all just overgrown teenagers running around trying to be happy.”
“That’s oddly deep.”
“What can I say? I’m a deep guy.”
“No, you’re not.”

If you love slow burn, swoon, heat, heart, hilarious banter and you’re in the mood to have a lot of fun, you then get your mitts on this book. With all the doom in the world at the moment, we wanted a happy escape and we hoped Lucy Score would bring a smile to our faces, and she certainly achieved that! We fell in love with Jake, Marley, their friends and their families all with THE BIGGEST smiles and lots of giggles. We did feel as though it dragged a little at the end however the epilogue was more than worth the wait! We can’t wait to discover more Lucy Score!

‘Well, shit. So that’s how it felt. Knowing you wanted to do something every day for the rest of your life.’

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[Christy Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

This was such a fun book to read! The storyline was amazing and the characters were very well written! I thought this was going to be a YA book but it's more NA than anything. And it was HOT! This is my favorite Lucy Score book to date!

[Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ‘he should be a life coach’ stars!

I loved this book! It was just the right thing to get me out of a little funk I had found myself in.

I love small towns. Everyone knows everyone’s business and everyone has known you since the day you were born. It was fun to watch Marley do her best to fight off the charm of it all.

Marley has returned home, at 38, after failed jobs and relationships. Her mother gets her a job at the local high school as the substitute gym teacher and girls’ soccer coach. She’s feeling down on herself, has very little self-esteem, and feels like she’s an all-around failure at life. There were times I just wanted to slap Marley upside the head and shout “Can’t you see how great your life is here?” She had such huge blinders on to what she thought she wanted she couldn’t see the wonderful things happening around her.

Jake has definitely made it on my book boyfriend list (I really need to start a GR shelf). He’s the hot, tattooed, motorcycle riding, cute dog owner, history teacher and the one that got away. I loved how effortless it was for him to be with Marley. He was her biggest cheerleader. My absolute favourite part was when he found himself falling deeper in love with Marley during a game of Donkey Basketball <3

This was a real kiss. All of this felt too real. I was in over my head, but I didn’t feel interested in saving myself. I was content to drown.

I loved all the secondary characters…well, except for the high school “mean girls” – both young and old. I think that everyone wishes they had gay uncles like Lewis & Max, a crazy best friend like Vicky, uber supportive parents like Marley’s, a snarky teenager like Libby and the list goes on.

A perfect read if you’re looking for something funny and heartwarming with a Happily Ever After. Make sure that you sign up for the 2nd Epilogue which was really sweet.

[Heroesinbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond 5 Jake and Marley Stars

I loved every page of this book. Lucy Score is a 'new to me author' but I will definitely be reading more of her work. The writing style, pace of the plot , character development , humour - EVERYTHING about this book worked for me.

Marley Cicero had a hard time in high school and the mean girls at Culpepper High made her life pretty hellish at times. She leaves without a backward glance as soon as she graduates and plans to never come back. Fast forward 20 years and she still hasn't found what she was looking for and even worse she is unemployed , broke and has been dumped. She ends up back at home with her parents. Back to the town where she grew up. If you love small town America settings, this will fit perfectly.

Culpepper, Pennsylvania, took “small town” and made it microscopic.

My heart ached for Marley. We get glimpses of how bad High School was for her in well placed flashbacks that make you want to keep coming back for more to find out why she ended up leaving in a cloud of notoriety.

When I leaned over to pull up my sock, the senior goalie, a brick wall in braids, sneered at me. “God, you look like a leprechaun. Did your grandpa pick those out for you?” It was extra mean because my grandfather had died last soccer season. I’d missed a game for the funeral. When Steffi Lynn’s estranged great-uncle from Virginia died, the team collected money and got her flowers that they presented in a ceremony during practice. When my gramps died, they made fun of me for crying when my mom picked me up at practice and told me.


Marley ends up having to take a temporary job as the gym teacher / girls soccer team coach back at Culpepper High and there she meets her old school crush , Jake Weston (swoon - OMG - one of the best heroes EVER) and also her arch nemesis , Amie Jo Hostette. These characters are brilliantly written. I adored Jake - he is so perfect for our Marley but she doesn't see it that way for the longest time.

I was going to marry her. Really, I had no choice. Marley Cicero was meant to be mine, and I was meant to be hers. We would hash out the details later.

Every secondary character is interesting. It's quite a big cast but it all works. Marley's and Jake's families are hilarious. The teenagers in the soccer squad are so entertaining. I cannot remember the last time I read a book and felt invested in every character.


There is humour , romance, a whole heap of sexy stuff (I'm talking hot, hot HOT). There are scenes that resonated deeply and I would be willing to bet a lot of readers would identify with how it feels when your life behind closed doors isn't what others perceive it to be or if your big life plan doesn't deliver.


This is the ultimate warm, good feeling novel with characters I will not forget.
Beyond 5 stars from me.

Dual POV but more from Marley.

Fairly slow burn to the intimate parts but loads of hot , simmering chemistry. Jake Weston is the most enticing history teacher I’ve ever read about.

HEA? Yes - and there is a fantastic extended epilogue if you sign up for the authors newsletter.

Cheating? No. Jake is smitten with Marley and it's reciprocated big time.

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead




Marley was bullied all through high school especially by Amie Jo,until she started dating Travis things eased up a bit. She kissed bad boy Jake and broke up with Travis on the same day. She gets a not that Jake wants her to go homecoming with him only for her to get another note saying he's going with her enemy instead .When she's unable to put up with the bullying anymore she has her revenge that unfortunately ends in great failure. She's frustrated and fed up and soon after leaves town hoping to pursue her dreams of greatness.


Twenty years later Marley returns to her hometown broke, single and jobless. While living with her parents her mom gets her a job as the high school coach of the girls team who've been losing their matches for years. Marley agrees to take the post temporarily then finds herself dating bad boy turned awesome teacher Jake, reconnecting with old friends, feuding with her high school arch nemesis, coming to love a team that she initially couldn't stand and finding strength and courage she didn't know she possessed.

Firstly this book had some hilarious moments. I laughed out loud many times and enjoyed the humor tremendously.

The actual romance was only a part of this book, Marley had a lot of growth throughout as did Jake. I liked Marley for most of the book. The initial parts were more focused on her and her team and the relationships developing between them. I enjoyed the banter and the typical teen dramas. Her relationship with Jake was also cute and well done. The progression of the relationship was smooth and believable. My problem though was that Marley let her high school years ruin a lot of her life. She felt like a failure and compared herself to others too much. Her main reason for not staying was that she wanted to achieve greatness like her sister did. I was fine with it in the beginning but the ending annoyed me to no end. One game loss and she reverted to her old self doubting behavior. In the end she of course realized that the people whose lives she held up as shiny examples of greatness were all struggling in their own ways. I just found the entire thing to be too drawn out causing me to lose the high I'd been riding for most of the book.


Jake was great as both a boyfriend and a teacher, a 38 year old man living like college frat boy was just a bit too much for me. The overflowing garbage, dishes piled in the sink and laundry on the floor don't scream sexy to me. He'd never been in a relationship but of course he got around. He was a sweetheart with Marley but parts of his personality (mainly his slobbishness ) irked me.


The secondary characters were some of my favorites. Marley's parents, Jake's uncle's, Vicky and even the girls were fantastically written and I enjoyed them all.

This author does small town romances like no other and had this been a bit shorter with Marley's issues wrapped up sooner I'd have definitely rated this higher but in the end I got bored and skimmed to get to the ending.

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars