As I may have mentioned in a post a few weeks back, I’m slowly introducing myself to Romance novels. I haven’t decided what exactly I’m interested in, so I’m trying a little bit of everything. Mostly, I’ve read contemporary romance; where the story is set sometime in the present. There’s less heaving bosoms and quivering members as I recall assuming when I was a kid. I started with Colleen Hoover (which I can’t tell is either New Adult or Romance, but that’s OK) and now I’ve moved onto the subject of this review.
Synopsis (from Goodreads.com) – As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she’s landed in Rio, she’s ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:
• The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs…
• The committee passes out condoms like candy…
• The games continue long after the medals have been handed out…
As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she’s forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent–too bad he’s unavailable in a way that “it’s complicated” doesn’t even begin to explain.
In other words: off limits.
It doesn’t matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there–shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase “international affairs”.
Rating: 4/5 stars
My thoughts – When I heard that R.S. Grey was coming out with a new book this summer, I figured I’d start from the beginning of this series (even though each book is standalone and you don’t have to do that, but I’m that kind of person). Little did I know that I would be reading this while watching the actual Olympics taking place in Rio. It was extremely serendipitous!
What I loved the most about this book was that it wasn’t forced. Yes, there was some controversy and maybe you’ll feel that falling in love during the Olympic games is difficult, but when I see some of the real-life couples in the Olympics, I guess it’s definitely possible to fall in silly love with someone so quickly.
“I liked peanut butter. Peanut butter never got another woman pregnant. Peanut butter never made me cry. Nobody cared if you were photographed in a club with a jar of Jif.”
The story’s description doesn’t drag or have lulls. Honestly, it felt like a cohesive story from beginning to end with details that make sense with what is going on. I’m happy to finally start reading a true romance with a real plot and what feels to me like real people. I really don’t like it where everything just conveniently comes together because the author pushes the story forward. R.S. Grey takes her time to ensure that there’s a good plot, good characterization, and a sexy story to keep you warm on these hot summer nights.
“She was already gone though, weaving through the party as fast as she could. She was putting as much distance between us as possible, building on don’t until it wasn’t just a word, it was a wall.”
I don’t really have a lot of negative things to say about this book. If I could say anything, I think the only unbelievable part has got to be that Freddie is both an Olympic swimmer AND some sort of royal in England. One or the other is believable, but to me maybe both is a little overkill?
I know I’m harping on the reality of this book when I read high fantasy and science fiction, but even in those stories, there needs to be this humanizing aspect. Doctor Who even has a humanizing aspect making his companions human and keeping him accountable for the drastic decisions he makes.
Other than that, beautiful story and it ends with such a happy ending. Well, there are some other happy endings throughout the story, but you got to laugh.
Simone and Her Books 