Celebrity crush-to-lovers is slightly tricky to handle
because making the fangirl and celebrity equals is not easy. Ullrich does that
convincingly and with aplomb.
Kenzie Shaw a sought-after rookie is drafted by New Jersey Hurricanes which has Sutton Flores, a player she’s
been crushing on since forever. Sutton is in a relationship with Rhea, who
plays for another team, but is attracted to shy, quiet Kenzie from the start.
Despite her own attraction to Sutton, Kenzie asks her to talk to Rhea before
they start something. This is a nice kind of equality. Sutton is not
particularly known for long-term relationships and her BFF in the team warns
her that starting something with Kenzie could be detrimental to the team when
things go south. But the attraction between Kenzie and Sutton cannot quite be
contained. Kenzie unfortunately becomes subject of sexually predatory behaviour
from one of the male support members of the team and things unravel
professionally and personally.
The attraction and chemistry between
the two MCs is fantastic. Their relationship is sweet. Kenzie – sweet, sweet
Kenzie is just so lovely. Sutton starts of an ass, with her negligent behaviour
with Rhea and the fact she’d led Rhea on for ever so long, but kind of starts
redeeming herself in her relationship with Kenzie. But just when we thought
Sutton is not a write-off, she pulls an awful one – she is cruel to Kenzie
purportedly to protect the person she loves. We cannot quite understand the cruelty
and unilateral decision-making in a relationship. It is lack of communication
and smacks of a certain arrogance of knowing better. However, the author
manages to write a lovely relationship between the two MCs with plenty of heat
making us totally invested in them.
The whole conflict in this book is
driven by the tragic and frightening reality of men running women’s sports and the
way men shield other mem’s wrongdoings at the cost of the players, no matter
how talented the players are. It is a sad fact that #MeToo still has a long way
to go – and women need to take control of their spaces more.
This is a thoroughly engaging read with
a moony-eye-worthy MC in Kenzie.
⭐⭐⭐⭐★
