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Memphis Blues #1
Finish What You Started
Tyler Johansen, catcher for the Memphis Blues, always promised himself he would complete his bachelor’s degree. But his online professor is a real pain in the ass.
When Professor Harper Manning is forced to bend the rules for one of her students just because he’s a professional athlete, she’s pissed. Entitled jerk.
Unfortunately he’s the sexiest entitled jerk she’s ever come across, and Ty has made it clear he’s hot for teacher. She could lose her job if they’re caught messing around.
The problem is, he might be worth it.
When Professor Harper Manning is forced to bend the rules for one of her students just because he’s a professional athlete, she’s pissed. Entitled jerk.
Unfortunately he’s the sexiest entitled jerk she’s ever come across, and Ty has made it clear he’s hot for teacher. She could lose her job if they’re caught messing around.
The problem is, he might be worth it.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2019
3 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 3, 2019
Yeah, this is another one I just couldn’t get in with.
One, the heroine has little personality. She’s so wishy washy. I went along with the fact that she had the emotional commence of a tween, until the end. That big drama seen before the characters truly find they belong? Yeah, it was ridiculous. She was ridiculous everything that goes wrong with her she loses her ish, then literally 5 minutes later is like it’s fine...everything is fine.
At least with him, we saw his journey. Although, his end decision didn’t make much sense to me. I just didn’t get the why.
Meh. On to the next.
One, the heroine has little personality. She’s so wishy washy. I went along with the fact that she had the emotional commence of a tween, until the end. That big drama seen before the characters truly find they belong? Yeah, it was ridiculous. She was ridiculous everything that goes wrong with her she loses her ish, then literally 5 minutes later is like it’s fine...everything is fine.
At least with him, we saw his journey. Although, his end decision didn’t make much sense to me. I just didn’t get the why.
Meh. On to the next.
March 28, 2024
The blurb sounded interesting first time when I signed up for this book. Unfortunately just the blurb is interesting. The idea of the teacher who fall in love with her student seems like a dangerous situation. But in this book was just boring. The all "I can't be with you because you're my student, but I really like you so ok let's be together" could have been written in 5 pages.
I know I sound mean but that's what I felt after I finished the book. The teacher has no personality, she isn't strong as she wants to believe. She falls for the student too easily. I know it calls connection between two people, but when you can lose your job then you should be more obstinate.
Even the situations are too boring. No actions, no dangerous moments (maybe just one but even that was dull) or mysterious past. I was so close to dnf it but my mom didn't raise a quitter.
I know I sound mean but that's what I felt after I finished the book. The teacher has no personality, she isn't strong as she wants to believe. She falls for the student too easily. I know it calls connection between two people, but when you can lose your job then you should be more obstinate.
Even the situations are too boring. No actions, no dangerous moments (maybe just one but even that was dull) or mysterious past. I was so close to dnf it but my mom didn't raise a quitter.
December 1, 2019
Tyler left college to play baseball before he finished his degree and although he doesn’t regret it he wants to complete his. With the schedule his career demands he has decided to take the course online never expecting that he would clash with the teacher he has never met.
Harper doesn’t believe that any student should receive what she perceives as preferential treatment especially a professional athlete. Even though they are like oil and water there is no denying the chemistry between them but if their secret is revealed will that mean the end of her career?
I did enjoy this debut story from this author as she has taken some well known tropes and incorporated her own twist.
Harper doesn’t believe that any student should receive what she perceives as preferential treatment especially a professional athlete. Even though they are like oil and water there is no denying the chemistry between them but if their secret is revealed will that mean the end of her career?
I did enjoy this debut story from this author as she has taken some well known tropes and incorporated her own twist.
November 8, 2019
in KU if you have that service. a new author to me, and i do look forward to seeing what else Alexandra does write in the future. great book cover. curious why they are so reviews, i did try to write a review a while back and it was not available on Amazon to review??! came out in late October. interesting character. well written. neat writing style. medium length ... it is book 1 so it will have more in this series. look forward to those soon enough, i hope?
November 11, 2019
"Finish What You Started" by Alexandra Evans was in general an OK book, but I found there to be a few too many inconsistencies and annoyances for it to merit a higher rating from me. The story definitely had potential, but probably could have benefited from better editing.
My biggest problem with this book was its female lead character, Harper. I didn't find her to be especially likeable for at least the first half of the book, and while she did grow on me a bit by the end, her tendency to change her mind about things without adequate explanation or warning was quite frustrating. For example, Harper gives up her initial opposition to dating Tyler after only a single "non-date," basically because of some mild, cheesy flirting which was apparently enough for her to decide that he was a "good guy." If her only problem with dating him was that he was a professional baseball player, I might have been able to overlook her giving up so easily, but the fact that she was also putting the job that she supposedly valued in jeopardy by agreeing to date a student was just too much for me.
I really thought Harper would fight her attraction to Ty harder, but she ended up falling right into the relationship. It's a shame because there was potential for some amusing banter between them as he convinced her to change her mind, but she ended up giving in to him way too quickly and easily for that. However, what bothered me the most about their relationship is that they were both in their 30s and apparently had zero impulse control. They acted like they were teenagers! They really couldn't stand to wait a few weeks until the end of the semester to start dating? Again, considering Harper's issues with baseball players and concern for her job, I would think she would have been grateful for that time to really think about what she was doing by starting a relationship with Ty. Instead, she jumped in with both feet, and it wasn't a surprise to me when they were found out and she got fired.
Harper's reaction to losing her job was another example of her frustrating tendency to change her mind at lightning speed. At first, she got mad at Tyler for "making" her lose her job, but by later that same evening, she had already decided to be happy about it because she never really wanted to be a professor anyway; she wanted to be a writer instead. Shortly thereafter, she progressed to inviting herself to move with Ty if he were to be traded to a team in a different city. They'd been dating for, what, a couple of weeks by then? Talk about moving fast!
I was also confused about what exactly went on with Harper's parents and why she was so surprised and upset at the end of the book when her mother told her that she was the one who asked her father to leave. That version of events matches Harper's recollection from earlier in the book that her mother had "gotten tired" of being a ballplayer's wife and always having to move from city to city, so she decided to stay in Memphis with Harper when Harper's father moved on to another team, and that's why the marriage ended. However, for some reason Harper held a grudge against her father for all those years because he "abandoned" them when he left Memphis. It sounds like it was her mother's decision to stay all along, and Harper knew it. I can understand why she might be angry with her father for not making more of an effort to see her after the divorce, but shouldn't she also be angry with her mother for initiating the divorce (and therefore her father's abandonment)? Further, how could Harper not remember her dad coming back to see her in the off-season every year? I think it was mentioned that Harper was 8 when her parents split, so she wasn't so young that she wouldn't retain memories from that time.
Overall, I would probably rate this book 2.5 stars if half stars were a possibility, but I rounded up because the writing itself was generally good, and I actually did like the male lead character, Tyler (apart from his irritating tendency to refer to Harper as "Teach," even in his own mind). Unfortunately, he wasn't enough to save this book for me.
*ARC provided by the author via Xpresso Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.
My biggest problem with this book was its female lead character, Harper. I didn't find her to be especially likeable for at least the first half of the book, and while she did grow on me a bit by the end, her tendency to change her mind about things without adequate explanation or warning was quite frustrating. For example, Harper gives up her initial opposition to dating Tyler after only a single "non-date," basically because of some mild, cheesy flirting which was apparently enough for her to decide that he was a "good guy." If her only problem with dating him was that he was a professional baseball player, I might have been able to overlook her giving up so easily, but the fact that she was also putting the job that she supposedly valued in jeopardy by agreeing to date a student was just too much for me.
I really thought Harper would fight her attraction to Ty harder, but she ended up falling right into the relationship. It's a shame because there was potential for some amusing banter between them as he convinced her to change her mind, but she ended up giving in to him way too quickly and easily for that. However, what bothered me the most about their relationship is that they were both in their 30s and apparently had zero impulse control. They acted like they were teenagers! They really couldn't stand to wait a few weeks until the end of the semester to start dating? Again, considering Harper's issues with baseball players and concern for her job, I would think she would have been grateful for that time to really think about what she was doing by starting a relationship with Ty. Instead, she jumped in with both feet, and it wasn't a surprise to me when they were found out and she got fired.
Harper's reaction to losing her job was another example of her frustrating tendency to change her mind at lightning speed. At first, she got mad at Tyler for "making" her lose her job, but by later that same evening, she had already decided to be happy about it because she never really wanted to be a professor anyway; she wanted to be a writer instead. Shortly thereafter, she progressed to inviting herself to move with Ty if he were to be traded to a team in a different city. They'd been dating for, what, a couple of weeks by then? Talk about moving fast!
I was also confused about what exactly went on with Harper's parents and why she was so surprised and upset at the end of the book when her mother told her that she was the one who asked her father to leave. That version of events matches Harper's recollection from earlier in the book that her mother had "gotten tired" of being a ballplayer's wife and always having to move from city to city, so she decided to stay in Memphis with Harper when Harper's father moved on to another team, and that's why the marriage ended. However, for some reason Harper held a grudge against her father for all those years because he "abandoned" them when he left Memphis. It sounds like it was her mother's decision to stay all along, and Harper knew it. I can understand why she might be angry with her father for not making more of an effort to see her after the divorce, but shouldn't she also be angry with her mother for initiating the divorce (and therefore her father's abandonment)? Further, how could Harper not remember her dad coming back to see her in the off-season every year? I think it was mentioned that Harper was 8 when her parents split, so she wasn't so young that she wouldn't retain memories from that time.
Overall, I would probably rate this book 2.5 stars if half stars were a possibility, but I rounded up because the writing itself was generally good, and I actually did like the male lead character, Tyler (apart from his irritating tendency to refer to Harper as "Teach," even in his own mind). Unfortunately, he wasn't enough to save this book for me.
*ARC provided by the author via Xpresso Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
This was a very quick reading, sweet romance (with some intense heat at times) between Tyler and Harper. I enjoyed their age-appropriate chemistry (many might worry about this with it being student / teacher taboo) and the way the story came together. A good read!
November 22, 2019
An avid fan of sports romances, I was super excited to read Finish What You Started. This Alexandra Evans book is everything I enjoy in such a book.
It's about a teacher and student romance. Well, sort of. Tyler takes the class online, but Harper is still his teacher. I enjoy the way the two naturally gravitate towards one another. Their tale is full of temptation and want, while they fight their forbidden feelings. There's hot phone sex, hiding their relationship, and secret moments.
Tyler's a professional baseball player. I love that he's older and trying to finish up his degree. He's a loveable guy, one who cares more about his studies than chasing women. As for the chemistry, holy hotness! They are super hot together as the sparks fly off the pages.
The writing is good, with likeable characters, a fun storyline, and a fluid pace. The ending is definitely not what I expected, but I enjoyed it none-the-less.
Finish What You Started is not the typical sports romance. I enjoy that Tyler's older and ready to end his career. As this is book one in the series, I look forward to reading the next one.
It's about a teacher and student romance. Well, sort of. Tyler takes the class online, but Harper is still his teacher. I enjoy the way the two naturally gravitate towards one another. Their tale is full of temptation and want, while they fight their forbidden feelings. There's hot phone sex, hiding their relationship, and secret moments.
Tyler's a professional baseball player. I love that he's older and trying to finish up his degree. He's a loveable guy, one who cares more about his studies than chasing women. As for the chemistry, holy hotness! They are super hot together as the sparks fly off the pages.
The writing is good, with likeable characters, a fun storyline, and a fluid pace. The ending is definitely not what I expected, but I enjoyed it none-the-less.
Finish What You Started is not the typical sports romance. I enjoy that Tyler's older and ready to end his career. As this is book one in the series, I look forward to reading the next one.
December 11, 2019
I LOVE catching debut novels from authors it’s kind of like being in on the secret before the big reveal.
✔️sports romance
✔️Teacher/student (with female in dominant role!!)
✔️secret love affair
✔️sexy
Hero is a professional athlete that was never able to complete his college degree due to his job. He decides to take online courses to finally finish he’s degree like he always promised himself he would. Turns out his online professor is as hot as she is hot-headed. Such a fun read!
✔️sports romance
✔️Teacher/student (with female in dominant role!!)
✔️secret love affair
✔️sexy
Hero is a professional athlete that was never able to complete his college degree due to his job. He decides to take online courses to finally finish he’s degree like he always promised himself he would. Turns out his online professor is as hot as she is hot-headed. Such a fun read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews