Hector "Dash" Lazaro, star player for the Atlanta Rising Football Club, is in big trouble after an incident in Las Vegas resulted in his arrest, a viral video, and far too much bad publicity for the team. As punishment, team management suspends him and orders him to serve 100 hours of community service, which he volunteers to complete with the Rising's new Unified team. The only bright side is that he'll be working with Talia Whitmore, daughter of head coach Gunnar Gracin. Dash has been in love with Talia since he first saw her but she's never given him the time of day, plus Gunnar has warned him to stay away from her. That doesn't mean that Dash is going to stop flirting or trying to win her over, and he hopes that working together with the Unified team will help Talia see a different side of him.
As far as Talia's concerned, she's too busy to date anyone, much less one of her father's players. She's finally back on track with her college career after dropping out to care for her late mother, and she's determined not to fall behind again. Even so, there's something sweet about Dash despite his playboy reputation, and secretly, she can't help being drawn to him. Is Dash about to get his chance with Talia after all?
To me, "Penalty Kick" is more of a character-driven story, and that made for a somewhat slow pace at times. However, I really liked Dash and Talia together as well as the way that their relationship gradually evolved from casual acquaintances, to friendship, and finally into a sweet yet steamy romance. I've been intrigued by Dash's character since the beginning of the series, and I loved learning more about him in this story. There was so much more to him than it seemed at first; he came across as a party boy who didn't take anything but his career seriously, but in reality he was devoted to his family, supporting his mother and sister back in Argentina. He also hadn't dated or even hooked up since meeting Talia, even though she kept refusing his advances. As for Talia, I was happy to see how far she'd come in building a relationship with Gunnar, while also coming to an understanding with the man who'd raised her, Robert.
Overall, I enjoyed "Penalty Kick" and recommend it for all contemporary/sports romance fans. I look forward to the next book in the series.
*Review copy provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Penalty Kick"
The team’s party boy and the coach’s daughter...what could possibly go wrong?
When you’re the coach’s daughter, there is one rule. Dating players is off-limits. No exceptions.
Talia Whitmore knows that, and to be honest, she’s perfectly fine with it. She doesn’t need love. She’s in school, working toward her dream program. She has a job she loves, and the rest of her time is devoted to the Atlanta Rising Unified soccer team.
She doesn’t have time for love. Even if he’s a sexy footballer who makes her melt every time he whispers something in her ear. Or when she watches him with the teenage players on the Unified team. Then there are his kisses. They are enough to burn the city of Atlanta to the ground.
Dash Lazaro is everything she should be staying away from. He’s the party boy of the Rising whose reputation is in the tank after a night in Vegas. He has gone from star player to backup water boy. And then there’s that whole rule about not dating a player on your dad’s team.
But aren’t rules made to be broken?
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