This just did not work for me. On paper, I should have devoured this, especially because these are some of my favorite tropes. But both the main characters fell flat and I felt no sense of chemistry between them. Not to mention that the chapters felt strangely choppy despite the book dragging way too long? I'm not sure how the author managed to achieve such an unsteady pace throughout where some scenes felt way too short while other just dragged. It could have been 100 pages shorter to make the whole story tighter, and the magical realism moment at the end was absolutely unnecessary seeing as it felt completely out of left field and not at all in line with what the rest of the book was like. It just felt clumsily executed from top to bottom.

Thank you to Libro.FM for the ALC.

It’s hard to believe that historical romance isn’t getting the reception it once did when there are still debuts to the genre as charming as this!

There were plenty of tropes left and right but still managed to feel fresh. Both Harriet and Alexander won me over with their wit and charm. And their friendship! It shouldn’t be so rare to find a genuine friendship bubble up between two leads before they reach feelings of love, but it was my favorite part of the book. Well, that and the fact that Harriet was able to make Alexander realize that Giuliana is also, in fact, his friend, while Harriet herself got to befriend Alexander’s only true family in John. Giuliana and John were standout characters and really stole the scene whenever they appeared.

My one bone to pick is with the pacing. The book had such a strong start leading up to their marriage, only for things to lull as they navigated their day-to-day upon returning home. The third act conflict really threw me for a loop, but thankfully didn’t overstay its welcome. I just wish the ending didn’t feel quite so abrupt.

Regardless, this was a fun read and I hope it finds its audience upon its release!

Thank you to Zando for the ARC.

This is not a romance book. This is a coming-of-age story with a romance subplot.

I need to just accept that books where the protagonist doesn’t have a fully developed frontal lobe are a gamble. While the first 20% or so had promise, Austin began to lose the plot. The amount of tantrums he had and his complete lack of grace or understanding for the guy he’s crushing on and his own family is absolute insanity. Robbie is a gem of a human being and the fact that he did so much for Austin while having to put up with his shit until the eleventh hour is crazy. Your mental health issues are not an excuse for being an asshole. I could not believe the behavior I was witnessing—and then I remembered Austin's 20.

I promise you, there are so many better books out there if you're craving MM sports romance. Don't waste your time here.