Book Review: "The Backup Plan" by Eden Finley

Y’all know I love my sports romances. Well, Eden Finley is one of the writers who have stoked that love!

Thad dreamed of nothing more than becoming a professional baseball player. He spent so much time playing and practicing, but when it came time for the draft, he was hit with the realization that he just wasn’t good enough. Dream: dead.

Now, angry and bitter, he’s pursuing his backup plan of becoming a sports agent. He’s interning at King Sports, one of the biggest firms working with queer athletes. He’d probably like the job and be good at it if he weren’t so mad. But dealing with athletes who are living his dream isn’t easy.

Kelley is a rookie pitcher and he’s on his way to becoming a superstar. He’s also under a lot of scrutiny: his fathers were the first out football players to win a Super Bowl and his brother is a star quarterback. While news of Kelley’s coming out is met with the usual mix of support and derision, his need for approval and his worry about what people are saying about him is only exacerbating his anxiety.

Thad is assigned to watch over Kelley on a two-week stay out of the public eye and off social media. At first, Thad resents that Kelley, who has everything Thad has ever wanted, is acting this way. But then he realizes how tough the pressure is and how much it feeds into Kelley’s other issues, and then Thad shifts into protector mode. And, of course, the animosity between them shifts into something intense, something deeper.

This was a good story, full of memorable characters, great steam, and terrific banter. It’s also a real examination of anxiety and fear of disappointment and disapproval, and how debilitating they can be. I’ll be waiting for book 2 in this series!

Book Review: "Book Lovers" by Emily Henry

They always were helping others—at the expense of themselves.

Good lord, I loved this book. This is a terrific rom-com but like all of Emily Henry’s books there’s so much more to it, as two people realize they don’t have to sacrifice their own happiness to be someone’s hero.

Nora is a literary agent extraordinaire. She fights for her clients and puts work above everything—except her sister, Libby. For as long as she can remember, she’s taken care of Libby, dropping everything to ensure her happiness and safety, even now that they’re adults.

That is why she agrees to accompany her sister on a month-long jaunt to the small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina—the setting of one of Nora’s client’s most-famous books and a favorite of Libby’s. Libby has prepared a checklist of adventures they’re going to have and things she wants her sister to do, to transform her life of all work and no play.

But the town isn’t quite what Nora—who loves living in NYC—pictured. And instead of embarking on a relationship with a local farmer or carpenter, she is inexplicably drawn to Charlie Lastra, an editor from New York, who seems to be hanging around in Sunshine Falls, too. Charlie is sarcastic, hard-to-please, and Nora can’t seem to get him out of her system, especially when they start working together on her client’s book.

But everyone has issues they’re dealing with and secrets they’re keeping close to themselves. Will Nora be willing to risk it all for Charlie, or will her happiness take a back seat again? Will Charlie let his guard down for Nora? And what hurdles stand in their way?

This was just excellent.