Release Blitz + Review: "Out of Bounds" by Claire Hastings

I'm very excited to join today's release blitz promoting "Out of Bounds" by Claire Hastings, book #1 of the Atlanta Rising Football Club series. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not much of a soccer fan, but having read and enjoyed several of the author's previous books, I decided to give this one a shot anyway. I'm really glad I did! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

Shortly after landing his dream job as head coach of the Atlanta Rising Football Club, widower Gunnar Gracin learned that he had a 22-year-old daughter from a one-night stand that took place prior to his marriage. Fortunately, the team stood by him, but the last thing he wanted to do was make any further mistakes that could put his career in jeopardy. Getting involved with Felicity Sutherland, the Rising's Director of Team Services and daughter of the team's owner, would certainly qualify as one of those mistakes. However, the more time Gunnar spent with Felicity, the more he realized that there was a big heart hidden beneath her prickly exterior, and he wanted to help the rest of the world see it too. 

Felicity was an incredibly complex character, and I have to admit that I found her to be rather off-putting for at least the first quarter of the book. I certainly sympathized with her plight as a woman fighting to be taken seriously in a male-dominated industry, as well as her grief at having to work so hard for her father's approval. That said, there were times when her resentment of the situation made her come across as nasty and unpleasant, and it seemed more like she was throwing a temper tantrum than standing up for herself as a strong, professional woman. However, as the story progressed and Felicity started to let her guard down with Gunnar, I was able to see her in a different light. I think she had been searching for love and validation for a long time, and finally found what she needed in her relationships with Gunnar, his daughter Talia, and several other secondary characters.

My one (minor) frustration with the book was Gunnar's relationship with his daughter Talia, which I would have liked to see developed a bit more. In some ways it felt like an afterthought, used mainly as a source of drama in his relationship with Felicity rather than a legitimate piece of Gunnar's character growth. Hopefully Talia will be back in a future story so that we can see their relationship continue to deepen.

Overall, I enjoyed "Out of Bounds" and would recommend it for all fans of contemporary/sports romance. I plan to continue with the series.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Elle Woods PR. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

About "Out of Bounds"

Welcome to the Atlanta Rising Football Club, where the temperature isn't the only thing turning up the heat...

Felicity Sutherland knows what people think of her. She just doesn't care. Her attitude is her armor, and it hasn't failed her yet. Thick skin and working hard in the male-dominated sports industry placed her dream job within reach. And as she vies to become president of the Atlanta Rising Football Club, there isn't a competitor, or a distractingly handsome co-worker, that can get in her way.

The only games Gunnar Gracin has time for are the ones he coaches on the pitch. But life just keeps bending the ball, especially where the women in his life are concerned. The death of his wife over a decade ago was a devastating loss. Discovering an adult daughter from an encounter he doesn't remember changed all the rules. And working for the frosty, sharp-tongued Felicity is downright infuriating.

But as Gunnar and Felicity spend more time together, the tension between them sizzles like a hot summer night. And the moment Gunnar gets a taste of Felicity's smart mouth, he decides to throw the playbook out the window. If no one knows what they're up to, giving in to temptation doesn't feel so out of bounds. That is, until life gets in the way and the whistle is blown. Will it be a red card for Gunnar and Felicity's secret romance?

Out of Bounds is a standalone enemies-to-lovers, age gap contemporary romance. Enjoy it on its own, or as part of the series, with no cheating and a guaranteed HEA!