Cat's Books: Romance

Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”

When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn’t take a week for twenty-seven-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she’d seen in the international soccer icon—why she’d ever had his posters on her wall, or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.

Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man that hadn’t known she’d existed. So she isn’t prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team’s season: a quiet, reclusive, shadow of the explosive, passionate man he’d once been.

Nothing could have prepared her for the man she got to know.

Or the murderous urges he brought out in her.

“Sal, please don’t make me visit you in jail. Orange isn’t your color.”

This was going to be the longest season of her life.

Review

So, this book has made me a Zapata fan girl for life.

It isn't a perfect book and there are things that are mistakes of a inexperienced writer but despite those issues this book is so good I reread the second half of it right after I finished it.

Sigh. The friends to lovers aspect of this romance is divine. We get to see them become best friends.

The barrier to a sexual relationship at first is a real one as he is he coach and honestly she doesn't like him much at first. He is in a bad place and also being the best in the world at something has made him very arrogant and he is closed off from being used so much.

They bond over the love of their sport.

There is so much to adore about this book: the heroine's athletic non "standard beauty" body, the hero's love of that body, the hero's devotion to the heroine and her career, how much fun they have together, the amazing sexual tension, the heroine's male best friend who isn't gay and isn't in love with her, the heroine's wonderful father. The hero and heroine both become better more complex people. This book is funny, tender, and charming.

There are threads that needed to be followed up to make it a stronger book. The heroine's sister is a cranky teenager and that conflict just sits there. The hero's problem with drinking earlier in the book needs more time, for example.

However, this romance is a treasure overall and I can easily see it become a comfort read.

So good!