Professional football player Miles Cavanaugh is about to start his first full season with the Chicago Grizzlies after being traded from the San Francisco Kingsmen. The trade cost him a chance at winning the Super Bowl with his longtime teammates and friends back in San Francisco, and he's wondered ever since if the negative articles written about him by sports reporter Bryce Burns factored into the team's decision to trade him. This year, he's looking forward to a fresh start without Bryce looking over his shoulder...until his sister, who's friends with Bryce, informs Miles that she's taken a new job with a magazine based in Chicago. It's difficult to avoid her when they have friends in common, and it becomes completely impossible after she steps in to cover the Grizzlies while a colleague is on maternity leave. As the sparks between them continue to fly, will Miles and Bryce finally admit to the attraction that's hidden beneath their animosity?
I've been looking forward to Miles and Bryce's story ever since their characters were introduced in the Kingsmen books, and it did not disappoint. Their chemistry practically leaped off the page and the banter was a ton of fun. I particularly loved that Miles wasn't a typical playboy athlete; he genuinely wanted to settle down with a partner and start a family, something that was difficult for Bryce to contemplate after witnessing the aftermath of her parents' divorce. Her baggage nearly derailed their burgeoning relationship, but she found a way to work through it, and I was satisfied with where they ended up.
That said, there were a few plot points that didn't entirely make sense to me. For example, why would they have gone tubing/whitewater rafting in the middle of the football season? Even if there weren't a clause in the players' contracts forbidding such a thing (which I'm sure there is - too much risk of them getting hurt and being unable to play), it was late October in the Chicago area. Bryce was so cold a few nights earlier that she had to borrow Miles's jacket, plus it snowed the following week. Why on earth would anyone want to be out in the freezing water under those conditions, and in a bikini no less?
At any rate, Miles and Bryce were a terrific couple and aside from a few questionable plot points, I did enjoy their story. I'd recommend it for all contemporary/sports romance and romantic comedy fans and look forward to the next book in the series.
*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Something Like Hate"
I love him.
I loathe him.
It’s like plucking daisy petals in my head, but he’ll never know.
When Miles Cavanaugh, the best safety in the league, was traded to the Chicago Grizzlies football team last year, I could finally breathe. Temptation was miles away.
How naïve to think it would end there because when the opportunity to write for a national magazine based in Chicago lands in my lap months later, I can’t turn it down. Sure, it’s a big city, but the sexual energy feels like a beacon between us the minute my plane lands.
To make matters worse, I end up having to take over the job of reporting exclusively on the Chicago Grizzlies. Which means traveling with the team, interviewing players, and pretty much having an all-access pass to their lives during the season.
Miles and I put up a great front, quickly hating on one another, but we both know it’s a lie. We also know the rules are simple. For me, don’t sleep with the subject of your articles. For him, don’t sleep with the journalist who can make or break your career.
I thought straight-laced Miles Cavanaugh followed all the rules… oh how wrong I was.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments make my day! While I do not expect everyone to agree with my point of view, please note that I reserve the right to delete any nasty or uncharitable messages, as well as spam. Open discussion is welcome and appreciated, but personal attacks are not. Thanks for understanding and have a nice day. :-)