Sidelined: The Draft
Adult; Romance; (Market)
When up-and-coming event planner Bryn Charles scores NFL superstar Shane Smith as a client, she thinks she has it made. But with only six weeks to create the “hottest event Baltimore’s ever seen”, she has her work cut out for her. Complicating her efforts is Shane’s determination to score her like one of his touchdowns. In order to stay in the game, she must decide whether she can play by his rules. Convinced only a fool would date a professional athlete, Bryn ignores his advances—until she wakes up at an impromptu sleepover next to a shirtless Shane. Suddenly the two of them can’t stay apart. Only Bryn doesn’t realize the true complexities of Shane’s life. Caught up in her own desires, she dismisses the warning signs and gives in to a love affair unlike any she’s ever had. But just when Bryn believes she might have found the love of her life, a blast from Shane’s past causes interference. Now Bryn must decide if she can stay in the game—or if she’s doomed to sit it out on the sideline.
Quarter Finalist
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 6 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: No time is wasted in Williams's fun, fast-paced page-turner. The love interest is introduced on the first page, and things only get hotter from there until the thoroughly satisfying conclusion.
Prose: The major weakness of this novel is the prose—and this is because of the author's use of present tense narration. For this book, third person narration would have been a better choice and would have made the prose more fluid.
Originality: While sports romances are a popular subgenre, this book rises above the rest with its clear knowledge of football and use of all the right details.
Character Development: The narrator is relatable and fun, and readers get to know her very well over the course of the book. Even the less likable characters are well-drawn and fully formed individuals with lives of their own.
Date Submitted: August 16, 2017