Review: A Great Story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 6, 2013
I had somewhat high expectations for Game. Set. Match. Author Jennifer Iacopelli talks a big game (meant as a compliment) and so I had to wonder, could she deliver? I can say with assurance that Game. Set. Match. was not only as good as I'd hoped for. This book blew my expectations out of the water.I'm a huge fan of sports-related books and movies. I was an athlete in high school. Though I only competed at a high school level, I can definitely relate to the team mentality, the mental toughness required to compete. So this aspect of the story immediately pulled me in. I loved that the book is set an elite tennis academy, a first for me.As much as I loved the school and the world of tennis, what really makes G.S.M. stand out from other books of the genre is the GIRLS of OBX. Indy, Penny, and Jasmine are all three elite athletes. They have worked all their lives to get to the highest level of competition. They are focused, they are dedicated, and they are fierce.Though Penny, Indy, and Jas' lives revolve around tennis, there are also matters of the heart to contend with. I love the OBX girls, but the guys are pretty fantastic as well.  Penny has Alex, a British tennis star. They have a connection that ignited, then flamed out. But now that Alex is at OBX, Penny can no longer deny the attraction. Indy came to OBX to train at the highest level. When she meets Penny's older brother Jack, they both feel the connection between them. Jack, older than Indy by six years, is determined to keep her at arm's length. And Indy, bless her heart, wants to be with Jack, but will not chase him or lose her head over him. And poor Jasmine. She's stuck in the Friend Zone with her best friend/would-be boyfriend, Teddy Harrison, Penny's twin brother. Teddy is the Academy's resident playboy, the guy all the girls want, and the lucky ones get. Jasmine truly wants to be with Teddy, and must learn to take care of her heart.So while these girls do have guys in their lives, guys they care about and want to be with, the focus on Game. Set. Match. is their dedication and love to the game. This is one of the main reason I loved this story! Their lives do not revolve around finding guys, winning the guys, or keeping the guys. Their romantic relationships are simply one aspect of their very full lives. I honestly don't think we get enough of these types of books. This is why Game. Set. Match. is a book that I want my daughter to read.Guys, Game. Set. Match. was such a fantastic read. Indy, Penny, and Jasmine rocked. The guys did, too. I loved the whole story concept. The flow was excellent, the way the story is told made me feel as if I was watching a movie. This book made me cheer, smile, and tear up. When I finished, I wanted to watch some tennis, the movie Wimbledon, even re-read the book. And yeah, I definitely cannot wait to see what Iacopelli has in store for the next book in The Outerbanks Academy series.