This book might get me fired today…..

 I fell for it.  Even after reading all the 4 and 5 star reviews of this book, I still got sucked in and couldn’t put it down until I finished it at 2:30am.  Currently I’m fighting the exhaustion that may cause me to fall asleep at my desk and lose my job.  Thanks a lot, Kulti.

This is the first book I bought based solely on CBR reviews, and you guys do not disappoint with your recommendations.

I won’t dive too deep into a plot summary, because so many of you have done it already, and done it better than I will.  To sum up: our hero, Sal, is a pro soccer player in an American women’s league.  Her childhood hero (and crush), Kulti, is hired as a coach.  They get off on the wrong foot, and from there it’s a slow game, hate-to-love, transformation.

I didn’t find it perfect, and there were a few things that I found annoying (eg- once you’ve introduced me to a character initially, and described in great detail his smouldering good looks, I’ve got a pretty good mental picture established.  I don’t need that same amount of detail every time he is mentioned.  Similarly, I chuckled the first time our protagonist played the mental game in her head to try to not find her coach so intimidating- just think of him pooping, that will take the star-struck feelings away.   But it was as if the author was a toddler who heard that little chuckle and decided to repeat the poop joke over and over and over.) Fortunately, I found most of these little irritations to be in the first third of the book, and the rest was increasingly enjoyable.

The tension created between the two of them was amazing, and was the reason that I couldn’t put it down.  I’m a sucker for a good sports drama (esp with some romance thrown in), and while Fox decides whether or not to pick up Pitch for season two, this hit a similar spot for me- strong female character who is a badass in her field vs another strong personality in whom she finds an equal.

It goes immediately into the re-read pile, and I’ve already ordered a copy for my soccer-playing sister for her birthday.