Title: Kickin' It (Red Card #02)
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to Skyscape and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team. She’s also a hothead with a punchy past who floored her last coach on live TV. Despite his misgivings, Matt agrees to be both her agent and her coach. Professional common sense says she’s off-limits. But what can he say about the raw attraction between them?
Parker plays soccer with her heart and soul. But after the events of the last year, she’s shaken. She’s already seen what a powerful man can do to a female athlete’s career. And her beloved dream is in the hands of a sexy, gorgeous man with the uncanny ability to slip past her defenses…and into her heart.
Now Matt and Parker are about to learn that when it comes to love, the only way to win is by breaking every rule they know. And by playing nice. Real nice.
Whenever I finish a book by Rachel van Dyken, I'm convinced that one is my new favourite by her. Needlessly to say all of her books are practically flawless, which also makes it hard to choose a favourite. Luckily, I don't have to. I can just be happy about another masterpiece written by her. So much love for that woman!
As mentioned in my Risky Play review, as a German girl I'm a big fan of soccer. Yay for including that sport in the Red Card series. Women and soccer on the other hand... I know we're living in the 21st century, it shouldn't even be discussed, but watching women's soccer... It's not for me. And that means a lot coming from a woman myself. Anyway... I think it's still important to send a message out there - you can do any sport you want, girl or boy, and that's why I still rooted for Parker, the main character.
She's such a strong character, her story being so special. I'm glad Rachel decided to pick up this important topic, what Parker had to go through. Things like this have to be addressed. Unfortunately, lots of things still aren't addressed in today's sports society. Hopefully one day. It needs one person to speak up, to make people think, speakup as well and start a discussion, getting closure, too. This book is also about gaining confidence. And what's super important, I think, is that this confidence comes from deep inside of Parker and not because of anybody else. She doesn't depend on anyone. Sure, there's support, but that's different.
Yes, Kickin' It - which can be read as a standalone - is very serious at times. But those who enjoy Rachel's books because of her humor don't have to fear of missing out. The balance between serious and funny and also romantic is just right. Having read as many Rachel van Dyken books as I have, you will find (many) similarities to other books created by her. It seems there's always a grandmother involved, no matter what. And though I would probably critize this, I come to think of it as Rachel's thing now. Just certain involved details seen as a trademark - typically van Dyken. And those details contribute making me feel like coming home while reading her stories. There's that special vibe to it.
And that special romance, too. Favourite couple by the author? I could never decide either. Although Parker and Matt's chemistry will probably take up a big spot in my heart. The two of them felt right, starting at the very beginning. And Matt might also be one of my favourite male characters. He's so tough, but so very charming and that support... I melted away.
Not sure if Rachel had this in mind while writing, but girls can learn so much from this story (as mentioned above) - also that you should never settle for someone who doesn't support you, someone who easily lets you down without looking back. Parker knew she was worth so much more (though her past had her insecure) and that message should be sent out to every single woman out there!
There's so much strength floating in Kickin' It, so much greatness, so many funny moments, just the expected flirty scenes in Rachel van Dyken style, the friendship goals scenes and everything fans by the author love.
Titel: Du bist der Liebe nicht egal
Originaltitel: Listen To Your Heart
Autorin: Kasie West
Bewertung: 4/5
Danke an HarperCollins Germany und NetGalley für das digitale Rezensionsexemplar dieses Buches.
Mit anderen Menschen zu sprechen, zählt nicht zu Kates Lieblingsbeschäftigungen. Daher ist sie auch nicht begeistert, dass sie die Podcast-Sendung in ihrer Highschool moderieren soll. Plötzlich sitzt sie hinter dem Mikrofon und gibt anderen Ratschläge. Überraschenderweise ist sie sehr gut darin, anderen bei ihren Problemen zu helfen. Doch als »Mr. Looking for Love« sich in der Show meldet und nach Tipps in Herzensdingen fragt, wird es kompliziert. Denn auf einmal steckt Kate mittendrin im Liebeschaos und merkt, wie schwer es ist, die eigenen Ratschläge zu befolgen und vor allem, auf sein Herz zu hören.
Mit Kasie West ist die Sache die, dass ich sie sehr gerne habe. Ihre Bücher sind genau die richtige Wahl, wenn man nach etwas Leichtem sucht, etwas das einen in eine leichte Sommerstimmung bringt mit dem richtigen Hauch von Romantik und Teenage-Drama. Doch nachdem mich ihr Roman 5000 Gründe, warum ich dich liebe etwas enttäuscht hatte, war ich mir nicht sicher, wie es sich mit Du bist der Liebe nicht egal verhalten würde. Weshalb ich so lange gebraucht habe, um über meinen Schatten zu springen und das Werk (ihr zehnter Roman) endlich anzufangen. Zu meiner Erleichterung habe ich mich schnell eingefunden und die Vertrautheit zu ihren anderen Jugendromanen gefunden. Dasselbe Gefühl stellte sich bei mir an und ich genoss die Geschichte wirklich sehr und das durchgehend.
Auch wenn ich selbst eine Podcast-Hörerin bin, fand ich das Kunstrukt um die Idee sehr schön ausgebaut, auch was die ganze Detailarbeit im Hintergrund anging. Die Autorin hat sich wirklich Mühe gegeben, möglichst viele Arbeitsschritte bis zu einer fertigen Episode zusammenzusammeln und darzustellen. Sicherlich, die Protagonistin Kate steht mit ihrer Moderation im Vordergrund, aber durch ihre beste Freundin und den Podcast-Kurs an sich, wird viel beleuchtet. Durchaus interessant. Zumal ich zu Beginn befürchtete, es würde sich viel um Kate Naturliebe drehen und ihrer Liebe zum See des Ortes, in dem sie wohnt. Damit hätte ich mich nicht wirklich identifizieren können bzw. hätte mich dieses Thema als Hauptaspekt nicht angesprochen.
In praktisch allen Romanen von Kasie West spielt die Familie der Protagonistin eine große Rolle. Und ich finde es zur Abwechslung im Gegensatz zu anderen Büchern des Genres sehr schön, dass sich hierbei nicht unbedingt auf fehlende Kommunikation zwischen Kindern und Eltern konzentriert wird. Es geht doch eigentlich immer eher harmonisch zu und die Eltern unterstützen die Protagonistinnen. Auch diese Aussage empfinde ich im Jugendbuch-Genre als wichtig und viel zu wenig untergebracht. Dafür liegt der Fokus stattdessen auf typischen Teenager-Schwierigkeiten, die niemals überspitzt dargestellt werden, sondern eben so, dass sich der Leser in die Hauptperson hineinversetzen kann. So auch bei Kate. Sie war mir ein sehr sympathischer Charakter und auch ihre Ängste rund um den Bootsverleih - ihr bisheriges Lebensziel, diesen einmal von ihren Eltern zu übernehmen - war so beschrieben, dass ich ihre Angst und ihre Wünsche teilte.
Ich fand es etwas schade, dass wir als Leser bereits von Anfang an wussten, um wen es sich bei "Mr. Looking for Love" handelt; zumal ich immer noch gedacht habe, vielleicht irrt sich Kate und es ist doch jemand anderes. Aber an und für sich ist die gesamte Idee mit ihrem Schwarm gut umgesetzt. Wobei ich von ihrer zweiten Option auch nicht abgeneigt gewesen wäre, doch hierfür standen die Chancen nicht besonders gut und es war ohnehin abzusehen, wie diese Seite der Geschichte ausgeht. Alles sehr herzerwärmend, um es zusammenzufassen.
Ebenfalls spielt Mobbing in diesem Roman eine Rolle - eine kleine, aber trotzdem ein sehr wichtiges Thema, das mich sehr beeindruckt hat von der Umsetzung her. Als Leser weiß bzw. ahnt man direkt, um wen es sich handelt. Die Person, die gemobbt wird, wendet sich an Kate und Victoria (die zweite Moderatorin des Podcats) und bittet die beiden um Rat. Nach einigen anderen Beobachtungen mutiert der Leser zum Detektiv und möchte, dass Kate ebenfalls begreift, wer die betroffene Person ist, damit sie ihr helfen kann. Erwartet bitte nicht, dass dieses Thema einen Großteil ausmacht - das tut es nicht. Und es wird auch nicht sehr brutal oder lebensbedrohlich beschrieben, aber ich drücke Kasie West meine Anerkennung aus, auch diesen Aspekt des Teenagerlebens eingebracht zu haben.
Weiteres? Ehrlich gesagt würde ich mich nur wiederholen und viel fällt mir auch gar nicht ein. Ich habe das Buch sehr genossen, fand es mit eines der besten Romane von Kasie West und lege es jedem, der dem Jugendbuch-Genre so verfallen ist wie ich, wärmstens ans Herz.
Title: Ask Me Anything
Author: Molly E. Lee
Rating: 3.5 - 4/5
Thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
But Wilmont Academy’s been living in the Dark Ages when it comes to sex ed, and someone had to take matters into her own hands. Well, I’m a kickass coder, so I created a totally anonymous, totally untraceable blog where teens can come to get real, honest, nothing-is-off-limits sex advice.
And holy hell, the site went viral overnight. Who knew this school was so hard up.
Now the school administration is on a war path to shut me down, and they have Dean—my coding crush—hot on my trail. If he discovers my secret, I could lose his trust forever. And thousands of teens who need real advice won’t have anyone to turn to.
Ask me anything…except how to make things right.
I've read so many great things about this book and every review made me feel bad for putting mine on hold, trying to gather my thoughts around it in order to write something that actually means something. Empowerment? Check. Great topic? Check. Nerdy? Check. And yet... I totally understand this book being hyped. And it totally deserves it, too. It's just that I missed the certain spark. And I'm only talking about me here. I can see why other people loved it so much. I did too. Ask Me Anything is fabulous and so unlike any other young adult novel.
These days, people think that speaking up about sex-ed and everything involved in it is given. That's why I think this book is so important, because surely, there are schools and people that would like to just close the door on teens. They aren't informed about what they would like to know. Just because you don't talk about sex with teens, doesn't mean they won't have it. And I loved that message in the book, too. Because it's true. The less attention you give to such an important topic, the more likely it is teens will just try, know nothing about protection and end up in a bad situation. Why be so closed off? Why not just talk about it?
As I'm writing this, I realize how hard it is to actually review Ask Me Anything. There will always be people disagreeing with sexual education and there will be tons of discussions about it. Though we're living in the twenty-first century, this is still something we have to address, to fight for as well. Fighting for a healthy sex education system? Definitely. The principal of Amber's school will probably remain one of my least favourite characters in the history and sure, his point of view on sex-related things was way over the top, but I can totally imagine this happening at schools - no matter where in the world. And we can't have that.
So Amber took matters into her own hands, starting a blog, answering sex-related questions. As a virgin. Yes, there's a teenage virgin as main character. And I think the author actually thought something when she created her, which is why I'll decline to comment on that. Talk about empowerment. Amber wants to make a change and she does. Only nobody knows the girl pulling the strings of the blog is her. The questions she was asked... Seriously, teens should read Ask Me Anything. The questions are so good, the emotions so well-captured and it's so exciting to read along. The author gave teens a voice, you never once get the impression those questions were formed by an adult author who has no idea what teenagers are thinking about.
The only thing bothering me was that often used hacker language. The actual reason why Amber even created her blog is because she had a challenge going on with her crush Dean. Both of them are computer nerds, hacking and programming the hell out of everything. And while I liked Dean, liked his point of view (very solid!), I clicked off whenever the two of them talked about codes, about the different programmes you could use and all that stuff. I wonder if the author herself knows so much about it or if she had to do research. Just out of curiousity. Anyway... The way things develope between the two of them is great. I liked the chemistry and I adored them. Especially their first date. As I'm looking back, I find more and more things that I enjoyed very much.
Ask Me Anything isn't meant to teach teenagers things, I think. It's to make people think about stuff, find out what informations are being kept from them, learning about oneself, trusting oneself, knowing when to speak up, inspiring someone. It's about so many things, addresses so many things (not only the sexual education part). I support the meaning of this book and I hope it'll spread the word.
Title: I Spy the Boy Next Door
Author: Samantha Armstrong
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Four p.m. spy sessions are the highlight of Mallory Taylor’s day. Observing the boy next door—one with a body and an attitude to match—has her perched beside her window so often it can't be healthy.
When she finally convinces her mom to let her go to public school, Mallory comes face to face with her neighbor, Troy Parker. And he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with her. His rejection awakens a newfound tenacity and maybe even a touch of recklessness. But when Troy starts to show up when she needs him the most, Mallory can’t help but wonder if there’s more to him than he’s let on.
Taking chances, breaking rules, and following her heart is all new to Mallory. And no one warned her just how fickle hearts can be. When she discovers that Troy isn’t at all the guy she imagined him to be, secrets rise to the surface that will change her life forever.
I Spy the Boy Next Door started off great. I randomly started reading it, expecting nothing and everything at once and was pleasantly surprised when I found myself refusing to put it down. Soon enough, I got the impression that the story could have started somewhere at 20% of the book and it would have been a bit better since some things were just unnecessarily mentioned. But I still enjoyed it. A light young adult read was what I had been missing for some time without realising it.
Troy, the ultimate book boyfriend of the story, is the one Mallory is spying on - her neighbour. She's not really spying as much as she's crushing on him and always just watching him come home. Seriously, the 'spying' in the first chapter is as spy-like as it gets. The rest is pretty simple. Since there was a Travis Maddox remark by the author (Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire), I couldn't help but picture Troy just like I have been imagining Travis for years. There are so many similarities as well, the main similarity being the boxing Troy does professionally and also illegaly. It's so easy to compare these two characters and I actually feel sorry for it. There's just so much an author can think of without making their character appear to have been copied out of another book. It can't always be an extryordinary original character. I get that. It didn't feel like cheating or copying.
Mallory had to grow on me, and just as soon as I started liking her, some things made me dislike her again. Me growing fond of her was when the author decided to give her a little confidence boost. Going out that much out of a sudden didn't seem all that natural for me, but I still liked to think that Mallory was finally doing something for herself, finding herself and who she wants to be. I mean, she never really got the chance, her parents being very strict, homeschooling her because of their angst.
And her friendship with Nic was a very special aspect for me. Nix is Mallory's best friend, her only friend up until some point of the story and her internet friend. They've never met. And what can be considered creepy is described as a well-functioning friendship. Which I loved. Seriously, more books should include that. All people having found friends online via boards (they used to be a thing around 2007), social media or something else will understand. There's always a danger involved online, but I'm glad the author didn't focus on that. It wouldn't have fit to the story.
While the beginning was a bit dragged, toward the end things were speeding up way too fast for my taste. Mallory's behaviour wasn't something I understood or could relate to - her change was way too sudden. The genre changed from young adult to new adult without warning (and without the characters aging), but the characters' behaviour giving that away. And there was just too much happening all at once. It was hard to keep track. So many informations to process, so many actions to understand. Sometimes less is more. It wasn't messy exactly, but the structure was missing. As though the author was surprised by her invention of that weird plot twist (it's really weird, coming out of the blue) herself and had too many thoughts going on, wanting to write down everything.
I Spy the Boy Next Door is a book I'd recommend to anyone who hasn't read a young adult novel in a while but is looking for a solid one. Also for those who don't mind that huge genre jump in the middle of the book. It can't be considered as my new favourite, but I still enjoyed it, kept reading because it had me hooked.
Title: Serious Moonlight
Author: Jenn Bennett
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Raised in isolation and home-schooled by her strict grandparents, the only experience Birdie has had of the outside world is through her favourite crime books.
But everything changes when she takes a summer job working the night shift at a historic Seattle hotel. There she meets Daniel Aoki, the hotel’s charismatic driver, and together they stumble upon a real-life mystery: a famous reclusive writer—never before seen in public—is secretly meeting someone at the hotel.
To uncover the writer’s puzzling identity, Birdie must come out of her shell, and in doing so, realize that the most confounding mystery of all may just be her growing feelings for Daniel.
Truth be told, it took me months to finally finish Serious Moonlight. I could blame my phone's battery, but that would only be partly true. See, I considered reading novels by Jenn Bennett before, but something about the storylines always felt odd to me. And because her stories become more popular, it had me suspicious. It was actually the cover for Serious Moonlight that had me hooked. And then I wanted to dive in, but then the beginning of the book was pretty boring, which I already feared it would be.
Big surprise, my mind couldn't help but compare bits - compare the main character Birdie - to Agatha Christie. And I've had a hard time with the only book I read by her, too. The cover of Serious Moonlight mislead me. There was a certain vibe I expected of it. And I got disappointed. I was annoyed by the detective behaviour, annoyed by the case Birdie tried so solve.
So I put this one aside - lots of times. I didn't want to know how things would turn out between her and Daniel. Though their encounter (happening before the book picks up) is an extraordinary one. I liked that idea, but I still wish the author would have made more of that - so many possibilites gone to waste. Instead, Birdie is naive, they talk about the issue a hundred times without coming to a real conclusion, without moving forward just the tiniest bit. And sometimes it's all a very wild chaos. That might be because of Birdie's crazy aunt Mona. I really liked her as a character. She always knew what to say and never crossed a line despite her crazy self. However, her own story was predictable and I wished for something else. To me, that wasn't very creative.
About 30% in, Serious Moonlight grew on me. I didn't expect that, but was glad for it. It picked up some pace, the scenes and settings were good and the idea of the plot seemed more figured out and thought-through. Not as messy anymore.
Sadly, I'm not sure whether I will give another Jenn Bennett book a chance since this one took me forever to finish. Her writing style was good, but sometimes it seemed like she just wanted to use some fetch English words, making the sentences themself sound great, but had the reader thinking if there wasn't an easier way to express herself and explain situations. Considering I liked the book during the middle, I still give it a "good" rating.
Title: You'd Be Mine
Author: Erin Hahn
Rating: 4 - 4.5 / 5
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.
But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.
Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.
I haven't watched A Star Is Born, but if it's anything like this book, it must be amazing. There are so many things I want to metion in this review, let's start by saying I'm not into country music or novels that include music as subject, though recently, I've read quite a couple and maybe I'm more into it than originally thought. Because they were all great so far. And it's safe to say that You'd Be Mine ruined me for all the other music related books there are.
Despite the author's effort trying to point out Annie and Clay/Jefferson aren't like Johnny and June Carter Cash, they are. Oh, they so are. It's all present: the country music, the fame, the drugs, the alcohol, the heart-eyed girl wanting to save the boy. Sometimes, it felt like I was watching Walk the Line for teens. And I mean that in a good way. I didn't know I needed such a story until I read it. I didn't know I longed for an up-to-date version of Johnny and June until I got to know Annie and Clay/Jefferson. So, thanks for that, Erin!
There's a lot of family drama involved from both sides. And both of the characters got their own ways of dealing with them. I wouldn't want to trade places with either of them, and just because Annie avoids drugs doesn't mean she's dealing with her grief and her anger in a healthy way. That shows pretty good during the end of the story. I loved that scene when it all came crashing down on her. I'm kind of sad the story lost its greatness to me there as well, though. It was rushed, Annie found herself pretty quickly again, gaining her cool back, pretending like nothing happened. I didn't get that. And that's the reason I can't give five full stars to this amazing story, sorry.
The most important thing, I think, was the friendship in You'd Be Mine though. Next to the beautiful romance, of course. Kacey and Jason and also Fitz were this great team. A bunch of friends anyone would be grateful to have. I think what's saved Annie and Clay/Jefferson was having each other, but also their friends. Even more so, I guess. They always had their backs and there were never any hard feelings, no fights, which I was really susprised at actually, but found refreshing. I liked that. Also, their friendship shows that family's who you choose.
Next on, the lyrics. It was hard for me imagining melodies along to the lyrics, but words speak louder to me than anything else, and so I let them sink in. Of course, You'd Be Mine, Annie's personal lead, is my favorite, but I also liked to find out that the importance of the messages behind their songs were what Annie and Clay/Jefferson really thought about. They didn't want to sing these shallow songs, other people wrote for them. It's nice of the author to point that out.
I don't know if it had to do with the ARC-file I was provided, but sometimes, the time jumps were a bit too much for me. They happened in the same line, no change of paragraph, that's why I felt a bit lost sometimes. There should have been a visible switch.
Lastly, I'd like to point out the one thing five shining stars worth for. Always. This is Erin Hahn's debut novel. And you'd never actually guess this, because the way this author writes just blew me away. It's extraordinarily beautiful. It's like reading a huge poem. Every word's so well thought-through. That's what's having me lost for words, finally.
Title: Risky Play (Red Card #01)
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Skyscape for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. Fake names. True pleasure. But when she wakes up alone, Mackenzie realizes just how much anger is left in her broken heart.
Suffering a tragic personal loss, pro soccer player Slade Rodriguez has his reasons for vanishing without a goodbye. Right or wrong, he’s blaming the beautiful and infuriating stranger he never wants to see again. They’re both in for a shock when Mackenzie shows up as his new personal assistant. And they both have a lot to learn about each other. Because they share more than they could possibly know, including a common enemy who’s playing his own games. And he’s not afraid to get dirty.
Now there’s only one way Mackenzie and Slade can win: to trust in each other and to stop hiding from the lies they’ve told, the secrets they’ve kept, the mistakes they’ve made, and the attraction that still burns between them.
See, writing this review is a huge problem for me right now. I’ve read Risky Play several weeks ago (months, actually). I should’ve written a review as soon as I finished it, but of course I read lots of other books since then and naturally, I don’t remember every single detail about Rachel van Dyken’s latest novel now. Which is a shame, because I remember loving it so much, even considering it as my favorite of hers. That probably isn’t the impression of whoever is reading this review, but I know I really liked this one. I’ll just try to prove it.
Mackenzie has just witnessed what no woman ever wants to – she was left by her fiancé. At the very last moment, too. Right in front of every one of her wedding guests. Trying to overcome the loss of him, who was also her best friend since they were children, she decides to get away to Mexico. What should have been her honeymoon, changes into a single trip. Soon enough, she finds herself in the arms of Slade, a soccer player transferring from an English club to Seattle. It seems like the two of them have nothing in common, but their mantra is he same – to hell with it! Being attracted to each other doesn’t hurt either and so their vacation in Mexico turns into something else entirely. And it’s all based on lies – both of them using wrong identities. Can you really trust a stranger? Obviously not since Slade takes off, making Mackenzie feel like she’s reliving a familiar situation. But what happens when Mackenzie and Slade run into each other again?
If you’ve read van Dyken’s The Bet series, some scenes may seem familiar to you. Like, Mackenzie and Slade meet on an airplane and the way they act around each other reminded me so much of the characters in The Bet. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I just expected something new, but thinking of all these hundreds of books Rachel has written to date, I’d say it’s kind of surprising the author comes up with new ideas anyway. Really, it’s no big deal to me, but I just wanted to make sure I mentioned it.
The story held me captive from page number one. There’s just this certain vibe in all of Rachel van Dyken’s latest books, whether it’s in Fraternize or now in Risky Play, that’s rapidly becoming addictive. I can’t quite figure out what it is, but the setting, the vibes – it’s really making you dive into the story and wanting to get lost in it. You’re not just a reader with her books, you’re actually feeling whatever the characters are feeling. Rachel probably has a way with words. It must be the words.
Anyway… I’m a soccer fan, so I’m always up for any young adult and new adult books published in the US picking up that topic. I like to think that novels might help bringing some attention to that sport since it’s not the most popular one in the United States. Of course I wouldn’t like the romance to suffer just because of the author trying to tie in an underrated sport. Surely, that’s not the problem with this author, she knows what to do. You get a glimpse of what it might be like to be a soccer player, reading about the plays, the strategies and also some friend-or-foe battles going on behind the scenes, but it’s never too much. It’s just the right amount of it – a good balance.
There has to be some drama included and that’s what happens after Slade takes away Mackenzie’s virginity, leaving her alone at the hotel, flying off to his family (there’s a reason for that and if you come across other reviews, they’ll probably spoil that for you, but I choose not to). Yes, she’s a thirty year old virgin. And while I’ve read some bad reviews now, criticizing exactly that, I don’t even mind this detail. I think it’s great that the author always tries to cover up all kinds of women out there. Because there are thirty year old virgins in this world and why not pick this idea up and use it for one of her books?
So, I think you won’t want to miss out on this one if you’re fan of Rachel van Dyken. Risky Play won’t leave you disappointed. Also, no matter what community you feel like you belong to – second-chance-romance-lovers, hot-romance-lovers or heartbreak-lovers – this one includes it all.
