(A Play Makers Novella)
Advanced Reading Copy
Published: September 10, 2013, Beyond The Page Publishing
My rating: 4 of 5 ⭐
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Sure, Jake Dublin is a bit of a jock, or at least he used to be back when he was still actually playing football. After his injury sidelined him, he found a different way to express his athleticism....in a blog. A very popular blog in fact, that allowed him to spout his opinions on all kinds of current sports news and other random flotsam. His readers were always happy to comment or exchange good natured insults with him...... it was all part of the fun.
Lately Jake's blog has started showing mention of an 'elevator girl'. A new neighbour who moved into his building, by the name of Sophie, who seems to have Jake tied in knots and chomping at the bit. Jake is looking to his readers for guidance on how to get her to go out with him, since 'elevator girl' appears to be a little resistant.
Sophie has recently moved on from a relationship that did not have a very happy ending, and she really shouldn't be in a hurry to start something with someone new. Especially a neighbour!! But that Jake guy is so much fun, and so persistent. Sophie eventually gives in to a date when she finds out that apparently Jake is not all that interested in sports, which is a good thing. The last thing Sophie wants is another sports jock, she grew up with them and is sick of coming in second to whatever sport is on TV.
When Jake hears about Sophie's aversion to sports lovers, he knows he will have to come clean about his work at some point, but he doesn't quite know how. So of course, being a guy and trusting his blog buddies by now, he blogs about his dilemma and receives all different kinds of advice. Knowing this will not help his cause in the long run, he is determined to confess all during their weekend away, but then during an unexpected visit from her very unexpected family members, Jake finds himself firmly and thoroughly sacked, before the play even leaves his hand. He ends up at home, alone, without the girl and is wondering if his game is really over or whether he will have a chance for a re-play.
*****
Super cute and clever short read!!
I so enjoyed the style in which this book was written. With Jake being the main protagonist, his blog was being used as part of the narration of the story, which made the read so much more interesting and quite hilarious at times, given the comments of the various 'blog-readers'. I really loved that concept. It made a fairly short read, very fresh and interesting.
The entire tone of the story was an upbeat one......no angst to be found anywhere. We don't get a very close look at the individual characters, the book is not a character study by any stretch of the word, but we get enough to be enamoured with them. They are quirky, fun, but not outrageously so, I can still see them as real people. Jake is a doll, a bit dense......in a typical 'DUH' male fashion, so not stupid, just not thinking on all cylinders. Sophie is a bit indecisive.....'I shouldn't but I wanna', when it comes to dating Jake, so she goes for it anyway, just like a girl. In that sense predictable, BUT there was an interesting twist at the end, that allowed a much more insightful aspect to both of their characters to shine through. That was a nice surprise.
The cover is a bit misleading, you'd expect a hot steamy read, which it is not. I honestly did not have a clear picture of what to expect, but I certainly was not disappointed at all.
✨A smart, funny and loveable romantic morsel!!✨
**ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Beyond The Page Publishing in return for an honest review.**
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