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Out of My League
Maura Richards’ plan for her life is simply to not have a plan. From watching the clock at her temp job to ending relationships before they get serious, Maura can only commit to being noncommittal.
Enter Jet Knox, the starting quarterback of her beloved hometown pro football team. Maura dismisses their first encounter as merely a thrilling brush with celebrity, but Jet has other ideas. He’s made a living setting—and scoring—goals. Wooing Maura is his latest objective.
Everyone in Maura’s life seems to have an opinion about her relationship with Jet, but with so many ideas, rumors, and doubts, Maura must rely on the judgment of the last person she feels she can trust: herself.
Enter Jet Knox, the starting quarterback of her beloved hometown pro football team. Maura dismisses their first encounter as merely a thrilling brush with celebrity, but Jet has other ideas. He’s made a living setting—and scoring—goals. Wooing Maura is his latest objective.
Everyone in Maura’s life seems to have an opinion about her relationship with Jet, but with so many ideas, rumors, and doubts, Maura must rely on the judgment of the last person she feels she can trust: herself.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2015
108 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 16, 2015
I picked this up on a whim and I'm glad I did. It wasn't at all what I expected, but I enjoyed it quite a lot even so. It's clearly a romance, but it's an unusual one, with a rare perspective that's probably a lot closer to how normal people experience romance. Which is strange to say in a romance with such a strong wish-fulfillment background.
I almost marked this as New Adult just because Maura is that age and more or less at that place in life. I couldn't do it, though, because that's about all it has from that genre. There's no angst to speak of and not much steam and the issues they deal with are really pretty minor. I'm actually a little surprised I liked Maura at all and that speaks some to the talent of Brown as an author. Maura's pretty unfocused in life and has pretty much taken the path of least responsibility. She's aimless, working a job she just fell into, tolerates a really crap best friend, and actively avoids anything that might smack of commitment. These weaknesses play poorly in her relationships and that usually bugs the crap out of me in a protagonist. Brown manages to convey the fear behind her insecurities well enough for me to sympathize and get at the deeper issues that have brought her this far.
Jet, on the other hand, is driven, goal-oriented, and successful (duh, he's a starting quarterback in the NFL). For about the first half of the book, I vaguely wondered what he saw in Maura that kept him through her insecurity and pulling back. Heaven knows, he wasn't in it for the sex that wasn't happening. Gradually, though, we begin to see his own insecurities and weaknesses. Brown doesn't build him up into a paragon, even giving him some very less-than-attractive attributes (that usually turn me right the heck off). And not the sexy take-charge kind either; we're talking straight up, passive-aggressive, borderline childish stuff. And again, she pulls it off without breaking my connection to the protagonist, making it instead a way to show how the two connect as being the strength to each others weakness and willing to see the person in their best light.
What felt so strange for a romance was the degree of weaknesses included for both main characters and still show a functioning, loving relationship. Romances tend to err on the side of the ideal and neither of these characters was ideal in any way. I came to appreciate this as the book progressed and loved seeing them learn and love together. I particularly liked seeing a manly man and NFL quarterback with his insecurities so directly and unapologetically on display.
The book has some weaknesses I want to bring out as they could affect enjoyment if you're particularly sensitive. The biggest is a tendency towards dense exposition. There's most of a chapter's digression into Maura's childhood, for example. It's interesting, but it's also largely unneeded for the sake of the story. I was actually a page or two into it before I noticed so it's not like it bogged me down. I think the reason is that Brown had already connected me with Maura so I was willing to give a break on the dense flashbacky bit.
The second thing that stood out was the poor copy editing. Mostly artifacts of editing types of things—like an article repeated after the referent (for example) or a duplicated word in a different place in a sentence. The grammar and structure were good, mind, and the sense of the story was always clear. Still, Brown could have used a second pair of eyes to catch the small stuff. It makes it obvious that this is an indie offering and that's kind of a shame.
In the end, I enjoyed it enough to round my largely 3.5 evaluation to four stars. I was so happy to be with the characters as they grew into each other and that made for a satisfying read.
A note about Steamy: There's no real steam here, but there's enough detail in the lead-up that I need to flag it at least a bit. Brown fades to black before sparks truly fly, though. At least for that first one I thought it could have used more detail because the emotional payload at that point was important. It worked, but only because Brown made things explicit later that would have come out more subtly during the "main event".
I almost marked this as New Adult just because Maura is that age and more or less at that place in life. I couldn't do it, though, because that's about all it has from that genre. There's no angst to speak of and not much steam and the issues they deal with are really pretty minor. I'm actually a little surprised I liked Maura at all and that speaks some to the talent of Brown as an author. Maura's pretty unfocused in life and has pretty much taken the path of least responsibility. She's aimless, working a job she just fell into, tolerates a really crap best friend, and actively avoids anything that might smack of commitment. These weaknesses play poorly in her relationships and that usually bugs the crap out of me in a protagonist. Brown manages to convey the fear behind her insecurities well enough for me to sympathize and get at the deeper issues that have brought her this far.
Jet, on the other hand, is driven, goal-oriented, and successful (duh, he's a starting quarterback in the NFL). For about the first half of the book, I vaguely wondered what he saw in Maura that kept him through her insecurity and pulling back. Heaven knows, he wasn't in it for the sex that wasn't happening. Gradually, though, we begin to see his own insecurities and weaknesses. Brown doesn't build him up into a paragon, even giving him some very less-than-attractive attributes (that usually turn me right the heck off). And not the sexy take-charge kind either; we're talking straight up, passive-aggressive, borderline childish stuff. And again, she pulls it off without breaking my connection to the protagonist, making it instead a way to show how the two connect as being the strength to each others weakness and willing to see the person in their best light.
What felt so strange for a romance was the degree of weaknesses included for both main characters and still show a functioning, loving relationship. Romances tend to err on the side of the ideal and neither of these characters was ideal in any way. I came to appreciate this as the book progressed and loved seeing them learn and love together. I particularly liked seeing a manly man and NFL quarterback with his insecurities so directly and unapologetically on display.
The book has some weaknesses I want to bring out as they could affect enjoyment if you're particularly sensitive. The biggest is a tendency towards dense exposition. There's most of a chapter's digression into Maura's childhood, for example. It's interesting, but it's also largely unneeded for the sake of the story. I was actually a page or two into it before I noticed so it's not like it bogged me down. I think the reason is that Brown had already connected me with Maura so I was willing to give a break on the dense flashbacky bit.
The second thing that stood out was the poor copy editing. Mostly artifacts of editing types of things—like an article repeated after the referent (for example) or a duplicated word in a different place in a sentence. The grammar and structure were good, mind, and the sense of the story was always clear. Still, Brown could have used a second pair of eyes to catch the small stuff. It makes it obvious that this is an indie offering and that's kind of a shame.
In the end, I enjoyed it enough to round my largely 3.5 evaluation to four stars. I was so happy to be with the characters as they grew into each other and that made for a satisfying read.
A note about Steamy: There's no real steam here, but there's enough detail in the lead-up that I need to flag it at least a bit. Brown fades to black before sparks truly fly, though. At least for that first one I thought it could have used more detail because the emotional payload at that point was important. It worked, but only because Brown made things explicit later that would have come out more subtly during the "main event".
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December 19, 2015
Rating 4.25, excellent fun. It wasn't heavy but yet it dealt with insecurities and a life felt wanting.
A woman, who rebels against her Type A family, not in a bad way but she's exactly the opposite in temperament. She meets the QB from her favorite football team and they start to date. She feels overwhelmed and at times wanting, though she tries to deny it to herself constantly.
The QB, is a mix of spoiled little boy tactics to get his way and a mature caring man.
The strength of this book is how both characters walk a line that could easily get annoying but don't. Enjoyed it very much, but a 5 star ... just couldn't do it. I needed to care a bit more about the characters to pull it off. But this is a book I think I'd remember because it was fun, and scattered and it dealt with one of my favorite sports themes in a romance. Fans of SEP's Chicago Stars would find a home with this book, not as good (Drama in this book isn't as high)... but an excellent substitute.
Enjoy it, I did.
A woman, who rebels against her Type A family, not in a bad way but she's exactly the opposite in temperament. She meets the QB from her favorite football team and they start to date. She feels overwhelmed and at times wanting, though she tries to deny it to herself constantly.
The QB, is a mix of spoiled little boy tactics to get his way and a mature caring man.
The strength of this book is how both characters walk a line that could easily get annoying but don't. Enjoyed it very much, but a 5 star ... just couldn't do it. I needed to care a bit more about the characters to pull it off. But this is a book I think I'd remember because it was fun, and scattered and it dealt with one of my favorite sports themes in a romance. Fans of SEP's Chicago Stars would find a home with this book, not as good (Drama in this book isn't as high)... but an excellent substitute.
Enjoy it, I did.
November 21, 2019
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Out of My League by Brea Brown is the first book in her The Underdog Series. A number of her books were acquired by Wayzgoose Press and have been re-released with some slight editing and new covers. Maura Richards graduated from college with a degree in film but has not done anything with her degree choosing instead to continue working at an employment agency as a career counsellor and not making the 5 and 10 year plans that her family would like her to make. She meets Jet Knox star quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs at a Christmas party when she attends as the plus one of her best friend the teams trainer. They dance and he asks for her number but she expects nothing to come of it and so is stunned when several months later he calls and no one is more surprised than she is when the guy who has everything planned may just be the right one for the girl who never has a plan. I enjoyed this book very much. Medium Steam. Publishing Date November 19, 2019 #NetGalley #OutOfMyLeague #BreaBrown #WayzgoosePress #FootballRomance #ContemporaryRomance #bookstagram
November 29, 2019
This book is basically about a rollercoaster relationship. Half of the time I was annoyed and the other half was really sweet. My overall opinion is that this book is a 5/10. I never want to read it again, but I didn’t hate every second of it. It was just often really annoying and I didn’t really care for any of the characters. I did really like the ending though, and there were definitely scenes that made the book stronger.
Maura: Maura was my worst nightmare. She didn’t really have much ambition or the courage to chase her dreams. She just exists. After beginning a relationship with Jet, she’s very hot and cold towards him. In one sentence, she doesn’t really care for him and then next, she wants nothing more than for him to kiss her. This doesn’t seem realistic because it’s shifting between apathy and feeling, rather than a variation of emotions. As it goes on, she definitely is developed more as a character. However, I was disappointed with the ending, because I expected her to create dreams and chase them. She ended up settling and instead continuing on.
Rae: I kinda hated her as a character. For someone who is supposed to be Maura’s best friend, she’s rude and is never there for Maura. Also, I thought her hatred of men was way too over the top, especially since she chose a profession of working for and with men (specifically athletes) as a trainer.
Maura: Maura was my worst nightmare. She didn’t really have much ambition or the courage to chase her dreams. She just exists. After beginning a relationship with Jet, she’s very hot and cold towards him. In one sentence, she doesn’t really care for him and then next, she wants nothing more than for him to kiss her. This doesn’t seem realistic because it’s shifting between apathy and feeling, rather than a variation of emotions. As it goes on, she definitely is developed more as a character. However, I was disappointed with the ending, because I expected her to create dreams and chase them. She ended up settling and instead continuing on.
Rae: I kinda hated her as a character. For someone who is supposed to be Maura’s best friend, she’s rude and is never there for Maura. Also, I thought her hatred of men was way too over the top, especially since she chose a profession of working for and with men (specifically athletes) as a trainer.
October 18, 2015
Chick lit.
Super sweet hero. Somewhat adorable heroine (but that's probably just me because I can identify with her). My problem is that for the most part, there was a whole lot of nothing happening despite the word count. I was kind of dismayed by how it brushed a lot of events off in a sentence or two.
Very, very light reading, and still recommended if you're in the mood for some, though.
Super sweet hero. Somewhat adorable heroine (but that's probably just me because I can identify with her). My problem is that for the most part, there was a whole lot of nothing happening despite the word count. I was kind of dismayed by how it brushed a lot of events off in a sentence or two.
Very, very light reading, and still recommended if you're in the mood for some, though.
February 28, 2020
Brown’s new novel deals in the world of football and although this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but do not let this detain you from giving this a try because this novel offers so much more than the sport.
The characters are likeable though there are some character flaws that never really move to sorting out nor do the characters personalities change for better or worse. Jet and Maura are extremely likable and they do keep you invested in their romance. The stronger characters such as Maura’s brother and sister-in-law and Colin are well received and Colin himself could spin off his own series. Rae is hostile throughout and never really softens. The novel does suffer from character growth in neither one direction nor another.
The plot is very interesting and kept me involved though. The romance between Jet and Maura are very well handled and Brown expertly able to weave football into this without becoming boring with statistics or bogged down by information. Brown really knows what she is talking about and makes these passages very interesting. The romance has some story archs that dip and curve but never anything really too dramatic or tragic happens between the two. It is like reading a novelisation of a Hallmark romantic film which is not a bad thing.
Personally, I would have loved to see all these excellent characters have an emotional arc that helps each of their personalities grow. We don’t quite get this but it would have made the novel a bit more rewarding.
Overall, the novel is very enjoyable and the characters are so very likable and kept me invested. I do like the author’s writing style and think that the talent is there to hit all the marks in forthcoming novels. I did like this book a lot and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel. I loved the characters just think we need more ebbs and flows to have a rewarding book but really did enjoy it. I give this 3.5 stars.
The characters are likeable though there are some character flaws that never really move to sorting out nor do the characters personalities change for better or worse. Jet and Maura are extremely likable and they do keep you invested in their romance. The stronger characters such as Maura’s brother and sister-in-law and Colin are well received and Colin himself could spin off his own series. Rae is hostile throughout and never really softens. The novel does suffer from character growth in neither one direction nor another.
The plot is very interesting and kept me involved though. The romance between Jet and Maura are very well handled and Brown expertly able to weave football into this without becoming boring with statistics or bogged down by information. Brown really knows what she is talking about and makes these passages very interesting. The romance has some story archs that dip and curve but never anything really too dramatic or tragic happens between the two. It is like reading a novelisation of a Hallmark romantic film which is not a bad thing.
Personally, I would have loved to see all these excellent characters have an emotional arc that helps each of their personalities grow. We don’t quite get this but it would have made the novel a bit more rewarding.
Overall, the novel is very enjoyable and the characters are so very likable and kept me invested. I do like the author’s writing style and think that the talent is there to hit all the marks in forthcoming novels. I did like this book a lot and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel. I loved the characters just think we need more ebbs and flows to have a rewarding book but really did enjoy it. I give this 3.5 stars.
December 7, 2019
I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Out of My League by Brea Brown is the first book in her The Underdog Series. A number of her books were acquired by Wayzgoose Press and have been re-released with some slight editing and new covers. Okay so I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I really enjoyed and then there were parts that I just did not like at all. I'll start with the things I did like, I liked the writing style for the most part. It was written like a romcom and some lines were really funny and I liked the main character for the most part and Jet was really sweet and I really liked Colin. Not gonna lie for the first like 33% of this book I was convinced that she was going to end up with Colin instead and the whole thing with Jet was just not it for her because she was so wishy washy. Like I really didn't like that Maura was all over the place with the relationship because it made me feel uncertain and that's not really what I go for when reading a book. But I will give the author credit for the fact that she was able to create that feeling in me as a reader. Additionally, I just hated like all of the side characters except for Colin and Gidget. Like her brother was the worst and I was waiting for her to tell him off so much, and the same goes for Rae. I really didn't like Rae and meanwhile they were supposed to be best friends and Rae was tearing her down every second. I also just felt like the book was generally choppy, it jumped a bit all over the place, like there were a lot of points where I was like when did that happen? Did I miss something? It was nice that they stayed together for the whole book but overall I just felt the book was too long for not much to really happen. So I give it 2.5 stars. -Hannah
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Check out our blog!: https://theweeklyromance.home.blog/
November 22, 2019
Brea Brown’s ‘Out of My League’ was not quite what I expected. In some ways that’s a great thing; in other ways, it’s not-so-great.
Maura Richards lives in limbo. Jet Knox has all the plans. When a chance meeting at an event results in Jet’s pursuit of Maura, she’ll have to figure out what she actually wants out of life, and whether she wants Jet to be a part of it.
This novel follows Maura as she interacts with her family, friends, and love interest. Personally, I never really understood Maura as a character, and so some of her reactions and motivations throughout the story didn’t really resonate with me and were kind of irritating. However, I appreciate the fact that Brown doesn’t go the more traditional (if not slightly stereotypical) romantic route and throw two characters into bed within the first chapter or two. You see this relationship develop and experience growing pains and conflict. You see personal growth in both the heroine and the hero. Those elements brought some more depth and authenticity to the plot.
I feel like much of the romance genre can skew to being more explicit in its sexual content, and this book strays away from that model and leaves the sex off-book. There’s also no explicit language or swearing, which I think some audiences will appreciate. I’d probably categorize this more as a romantic dramedy than a straight-up romance. If you like a HEA but don’t love explicit sexy times, this just might be the book for you.
**I received an ARC of this novel, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.**
Maura Richards lives in limbo. Jet Knox has all the plans. When a chance meeting at an event results in Jet’s pursuit of Maura, she’ll have to figure out what she actually wants out of life, and whether she wants Jet to be a part of it.
This novel follows Maura as she interacts with her family, friends, and love interest. Personally, I never really understood Maura as a character, and so some of her reactions and motivations throughout the story didn’t really resonate with me and were kind of irritating. However, I appreciate the fact that Brown doesn’t go the more traditional (if not slightly stereotypical) romantic route and throw two characters into bed within the first chapter or two. You see this relationship develop and experience growing pains and conflict. You see personal growth in both the heroine and the hero. Those elements brought some more depth and authenticity to the plot.
I feel like much of the romance genre can skew to being more explicit in its sexual content, and this book strays away from that model and leaves the sex off-book. There’s also no explicit language or swearing, which I think some audiences will appreciate. I’d probably categorize this more as a romantic dramedy than a straight-up romance. If you like a HEA but don’t love explicit sexy times, this just might be the book for you.
**I received an ARC of this novel, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.**
December 4, 2019
The story of Maura and Jet was sugary sweet and a great read when you get in a slump where you need an easy light romance book. I love the dynamics of these characters and how "real" Maura is. She has no problem telling Jet how it is and how it is going to be. When she shares her insecurities with him in Hawaii my heart melted because his response was so sweet and how I think every woman wishes a man would be. I love how calm and apologetic he could be and how in the end he became friends with her best friend after he stood up for women in such a public forum. I love LOVE the new cover to this book and I hope the other 2 books in this series get an updated cover as well. I can not wait to continue the story of these 2 wonderful characters and their adorable pooch.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brea Brown for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review and feedback.
Thank you to NetGalley and Brea Brown for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review and feedback.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2023
I wasn't sure whether to give this book three or four stars but in the end went for four. The beginning really grabbed me, the author's a great writer, but for me the story dragged a little in the second half. But I kept reading to find out what would happen, so four stars.
Loved Maura - she might not have a plan, but when you're introduced to her brother and his fiancee you begin to understand why! To me, she came across as more put together than she gave herself credit for. Liked Jet too, that despite all his good qualities he wasn't perfect. Rae was a trickier one - I see why Maura had chosen her over her other high school friends but goodness, she's a prickly one.
Nice story, nice characters. Pleased to see there are more in the series about Maura and Jet.
Loved Maura - she might not have a plan, but when you're introduced to her brother and his fiancee you begin to understand why! To me, she came across as more put together than she gave herself credit for. Liked Jet too, that despite all his good qualities he wasn't perfect. Rae was a trickier one - I see why Maura had chosen her over her other high school friends but goodness, she's a prickly one.
Nice story, nice characters. Pleased to see there are more in the series about Maura and Jet.
September 3, 2020
Refreshing
The story is so down to earth considering that it is an NFL romance and that was absolutely genius! Love the characters, love the every day problems! I am not a fan of the drama in books but here it was so refreshing and only because it felt so real!!! The author has talent to tell the story and keep the reader interested. I NEED to read more books from the author.
The story is so down to earth considering that it is an NFL romance and that was absolutely genius! Love the characters, love the every day problems! I am not a fan of the drama in books but here it was so refreshing and only because it felt so real!!! The author has talent to tell the story and keep the reader interested. I NEED to read more books from the author.
July 31, 2024
⭐️⭐️💫 There was something about this book I just couldn’t get into. The FMC was so self deprecating and insecure; the MMC came across as a whiny baby/man child. The story had potential but there just wasn’t enough character development to make it interesting. I couldn’t bring myself to care about there characters enough to even consider reading the sequel.
February 4, 2020
I found this story to be sweet and light. Hero is a pro athlete. They meet by chance one night and hero asks for heroines phone number. She gives her number but not expecting anything to come of it but hero has other plans.
March 4, 2020
I thought it was cute but a little flat and we don’t get a lot of detail on certain situations so that made it hard to connect to the characters at times. It did make me laugh and smile and I didn’t have a problem finishing it, i just didn’t really connect to it.
June 25, 2020
Really liked this book. It was fun and kept me going. I like football and it had all the feels to it. Perfect read for anyone. Must read
Received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review
January 28, 2022
I struggled with this book because I didn’t really like any of the main characters. Since I didn’t really like Maura it made it difficult to get into the story. I felt like she acted more like a teenager than an adult and I didn’t think the humor was all that humorous.
May 8, 2023
At first, this book seemed like a good idea. But not really
I was excited, hoping this was a rom com. It wasn't the main male is too much of a softy, not enough gruff . As for the lead female holy annoying
I was excited, hoping this was a rom com. It wasn't the main male is too much of a softy, not enough gruff . As for the lead female holy annoying
November 24, 2016
Brea Brown's books are the best.
Whether you understand football or not, you'll enjoy this book. The characters and storyline come to life. Thanks for the great read.
Whether you understand football or not, you'll enjoy this book. The characters and storyline come to life. Thanks for the great read.
November 22, 2019
2 stars
This book was very slow and unrealistic to me. I am a HUGE fan of football, and it just didn't do anything for me.
This book was very slow and unrealistic to me. I am a HUGE fan of football, and it just didn't do anything for me.
January 4, 2020
This was just not a fit for me. I liked it at first but slowly just realized I was not connecting as I had hoped.
March 1, 2020
I liked this book, however most of the times I could not relate to the main character. It was well written and fun, but I will not repeat this book, or read the next one in the series.
October 7, 2022
Easy read. Okay writing.
October 5, 2020
Originally reviewed for Chick Lit Central (www.chicklitcentral.com)
This story is proof that one should never judge a book, or person, by its cover. Given Maura’s profession- helping others find work- you’d think she’d be a lot more focused and driven in finding her own way where a career is concerned. Yet she feels as though she’s stalling in life, and has a really hard time in committing to anything. On the flip side, everyone sees Jet as just another football star, riding the wave of celebrity. Yet he’s got a plan in place for the future, has a list of goals in place and is a lot more grounded than anyone gives him credit for. When the two different personalities collide, it’s an instant test on whether opposites can attract, or not.
I liked how vulnerable both characters are, not only with each other, but what we are privy to, as the reader. What you see is what you get with Maura, and Jet happens to be this gigantic build of a man, but has a tendency to pout if something isn’t going his way. It’s a childish behavior that softens his tough guy exterior, while Maura is honest in how she feels when tasked with a rather large project at work. She is overwhelmed and out of her league and we get to see those moments of meltdown, emotions that show that she’s flawed, in the best of ways.
As the synopsis states, Maura has to learn to trust herself. She doesn’t feel as though she makes the best decisions, and that could include her choice in allowing Jet into her life. He’s far beyond her where goals are concerned, and she’s not sure of where she fits or if she even wants to. Life is so much easier when we sit on the sidelines, allowing whatever comes our way to dictate where we end up. Without realizing it, both characters learn from one another, but are they healthy lessons, or ones they should walk away from?
I really liked the secondary characters, too. Colin was a lot of fun, the best bud for Maura. Their relationship made me wonder if they’d end up together at some point. Then there’s Rae, the most acerbic friend ever to grace the page. She could grate on nerves with her Oscar the Grouch personality, but deep down, there’s a heart of gold in there, somewhere. It was also interesting to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the football world, a sport I don’t ordinarily follow, but an enjoyable experience, nonetheless. Given the fantastic characters and how easily the chemistry flowed between them all, this was a worthy five-star read for me!
This story is proof that one should never judge a book, or person, by its cover. Given Maura’s profession- helping others find work- you’d think she’d be a lot more focused and driven in finding her own way where a career is concerned. Yet she feels as though she’s stalling in life, and has a really hard time in committing to anything. On the flip side, everyone sees Jet as just another football star, riding the wave of celebrity. Yet he’s got a plan in place for the future, has a list of goals in place and is a lot more grounded than anyone gives him credit for. When the two different personalities collide, it’s an instant test on whether opposites can attract, or not.
I liked how vulnerable both characters are, not only with each other, but what we are privy to, as the reader. What you see is what you get with Maura, and Jet happens to be this gigantic build of a man, but has a tendency to pout if something isn’t going his way. It’s a childish behavior that softens his tough guy exterior, while Maura is honest in how she feels when tasked with a rather large project at work. She is overwhelmed and out of her league and we get to see those moments of meltdown, emotions that show that she’s flawed, in the best of ways.
As the synopsis states, Maura has to learn to trust herself. She doesn’t feel as though she makes the best decisions, and that could include her choice in allowing Jet into her life. He’s far beyond her where goals are concerned, and she’s not sure of where she fits or if she even wants to. Life is so much easier when we sit on the sidelines, allowing whatever comes our way to dictate where we end up. Without realizing it, both characters learn from one another, but are they healthy lessons, or ones they should walk away from?
I really liked the secondary characters, too. Colin was a lot of fun, the best bud for Maura. Their relationship made me wonder if they’d end up together at some point. Then there’s Rae, the most acerbic friend ever to grace the page. She could grate on nerves with her Oscar the Grouch personality, but deep down, there’s a heart of gold in there, somewhere. It was also interesting to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the football world, a sport I don’t ordinarily follow, but an enjoyable experience, nonetheless. Given the fantastic characters and how easily the chemistry flowed between them all, this was a worthy five-star read for me!
October 16, 2015
Soo incredibly good.. the humor makes you laugh. . the story makes you happy.. just awesome! !!
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