It’s a slow burn of witty banter and sexual tension as a sexy college basketball star, who could get any girl, finds himself attracted to a single mom in a charming romance with a bit of heat. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of The Fadeaway by Rebecca Jenshak, then add this second installment in the Smart Jocks series to your bookshelf!
This college jock is a total player. He’s used to getting who and what he wants. Until her...
Katrina
The hottest guy on campus won’t stop asking me out. I know that sounds like a good problem to have, but this guy… this guy has no idea how complicated my life is trying to juggle being a single mom and college student.
Every Thursday, he shows up at the café where I work. His cheesy pickup lines and arrogance should have me completely annoyed. I’m not. I can’t say yes, but Thursday is my favorite day of the week.
Joel
The hottest girl on campus won’t go out with me. I know, I know, that sounds presumptuous, but this girl… this girl has gotten under my skin, and I can’t seem to walk away.
Every Thursday, I show up at the café where she works. She’s fed me every excuse in the book. I should give up and bang one of the many girls blowing up my phone. I’m not. Even when she says no, Thursday is my favorite day of the week.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
From the moment I picked this book up I felt myself wrapped up in a warm and comfortable blanket, captivated by the witty and heartwarming banter and the crackling couple who actually talked through their issues in a realistic way. Though the theme of a sexy playboy athlete falling for an unattainable single mom is familiar, Ms. Jenshak put a fresh spin on it through her crafting of such delightful characters and their entertaining dialogue that made me smile as well as giving me a few blushes along the way. By the turn of the final page I was left cheering and hoping to see more of these characters in the future as each one of them endeared themselves to me, pulled at my heartstrings while making my day just a little brighter.
Joel Moreno is the Golden Boy of his college’s basketball team. A junior star player on the court and off as guys want to be him while girls just want him. He’s happy to indulge too as he enjoys the perks of all the hard work he puts into his sport. It’s earned him a reputation, one he just smiles away, as he flits from one girl to the next. The moment he meets Katrina though is the moment where everything gets upended. How he sees himself, how others start seeing him, and what he truly wants for the future changes irrevocably. What starts out as fun and flirty soon becomes more meaningful as he realizes that his actions not only affect Kitty when it comes to the time they’re spending together, but also her son Christian. Meeting Christian brings up Joel’s painful past, a past that truly left me aching for him, and made him the man he is today. Past betrayal has left him holding his heart close, scared of giving it away out of fear he’ll be left broken. Moving on from the past is a major theme in this story for both he and Kitty and to get to HEA they’ll both have to look deep inside themselves and embrace the happiness they’ve found with each other. Joel is a delicious hero, sweet and sexy. He’s self-assured, knows he’s good with the ladies, but I never held that against him as he was just so charming. He saw Kitty as a challenge at first, thought that once he got her she’d be out of his system, but he quickly got caught up in the deep connection he felt with her. Their relationship felt easy, fun to watch evolve as they each were a strong support for the other. The few misunderstandings they had were talked through in a way that was refreshing and made for an even more enjoyable story. Throughout this book Joel charmed me with his words and deeds, both big and small, showing himself to be a truly good guy despite how superficial others might have seen him. He was a hero with substance and he’s definitely the latest addition to my list of book boyfriends.
Katrina Philipps is a hardworking young woman who had a definitive plan for her future. Getting pregnant as a teen didn’t change that plan and her days now revolve around studying theater, taking care of her son, and working at her college’s cafe where she has a life-altering first meeting with Joel. Kitty’s very aware of Joel’s reputation but is honest enough to admit that he’s attractive and that she’s more than willing to use him for one night. She doesn’t give in quickly though as what she thinks she wants, and what might be what’s best for her, could be two very different things. After months of temptation they finally begin a tentative relationship, one that shows both of them being fearful of the intense feelings coming to life. It’s a decadently delightful journey they undertake, one that allows them to grow close, and it made for plenty of sweet and sexy moments where they felt like a family. Through it all Kitty stayed true to herself, making Joel aware of her needs, but never holding back once she decided she wanted him as her own. She’s a great mom to Christian too, a bit overly protective early on, but as the story progressed she opened herself up to others helping her. For so long she felt like it was her against the world, not having help from the baby daddy, but Joel showed her that accepting help didn’t make her a bad mother. She needed time for herself as a woman and Joel was more than happy to help her discover herself in playful and sensual encounters. When things got rocky between her and Joel she proved her love in the most subtle of ways by supporting him unconditionally when he most needed support and it made me like her all the more for it.
This was a truly entertaining romance from the first page to the last as the relationship between Joel and Kitty flowed beautifully with no silly misunderstandings to distract from their delightful coupling. Their scenes together were playful yet teeming with sexual tension. The slow but steady pace of their pairing had me rooting them on while breathlessly waiting for them to give into what they truly wanted. Their connection was made even stronger by their interactions with Christian. I don’t normally care for children in romance books but he was a cute kid who brought out a softer side to Joel as well as forcing him to deal with his past which ultimately helped him make a future with Kitty. Surrounding this wonderful main couple was an equally memorable cast of secondary characters. The main couple from the previous book in this series, Wes and Blair, were on hand here to share their words of wisdom and to tempt Joel to find a relationship of his own. Glimpses of their romance were also on display to cast a shadow of love over the whole story, giving readers hope for all sorts of HEAs. Along with this happy couple were lots of single folk who caught my attention. From the quiet giant Z, to the financially struggling Nathan (and his dangerous way of earning money), to the scarred Gabby, I’m left counting down the days until we revisit Valley U with all its immensely appealing characters just waiting for their HEA.
This was a truly entertaining romance from the first page to the last as the relationship between Joel and Kitty flowed beautifully with no silly misunderstandings to distract from their delightful coupling. Their scenes together were playful yet teeming with sexual tension. The slow but steady pace of their pairing had me rooting them on while breathlessly waiting for them to give into what they truly wanted. Their connection was made even stronger by their interactions with Christian. I don’t normally care for children in romance books but he was a cute kid who brought out a softer side to Joel as well as forcing him to deal with his past which ultimately helped him make a future with Kitty. Surrounding this wonderful main couple was an equally memorable cast of secondary characters. The main couple from the previous book in this series, Wes and Blair, were on hand here to share their words of wisdom and to tempt Joel to find a relationship of his own. Glimpses of their romance were also on display to cast a shadow of love over the whole story, giving readers hope for all sorts of HEAs. Along with this happy couple were lots of single folk who caught my attention. From the quiet giant Z, to the financially struggling Nathan (and his dangerous way of earning money), to the scarred Gabby, I’m left counting down the days until we revisit Valley U with all its immensely appealing characters just waiting for their HEA.
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Rebecca Jenshak is a self-proclaimed margarita addict, college basketball fanatic, and lover of the Hallmark channel. A Midwest native transplanted to the desert, she likes being outdoors (drinking on patios) and singing (in the shower) when she isn’t writing books about hot guys and the girls who love them.
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