Review: I really enjoyed this story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 26, 2013
Do you remember the one girl you had a major crush on in school, the popular girl? But that popular person is a mean girl who tears your heart out and stomps on it. What if...later in life, you hold the cards? Welcome to DOWN BY CONTACT!This story had my emotions going for a rollercoaster ride. Zach Murphy had a rough upbringing; they cast him as trailer trash, but worst of all, the one person he thought he could count on as a friend trampled over his heart. When his mother was murdered by his father, his younger brother was beaten to death by his father in the process. All that was left of the Murphy family was him and his second youngest brother, Wade. He confided this to one person and he told her things he never told anyone else. The night his brother passes away is the same night that his heart and pride was shattered by the mean girl Kelsie. But in time, he made it out of what they labeled him in school and became someone. Now he wants the Superbowl ring and the Seattle Lumberjacks is just the team to help him get it. There's only one problem--he had no social manners.Kelsie Carrington-Richmond was a mean, rich girl who only wanted to be part of the cool crowd in school and would do anything to get there. She had her own problems, but they weren't as bad as Zach's. She knew that what she did to Zach was wrong, but she wanted to be popular. Now, the man she married has ridiculed her and uses her as Barbie doll. When the abuse became physical, she filed for divorce. Kelsie knew there was only one person who truly cared for her, and it was time to seek him out and ask for forgiveness. Now Zach is the one who holds the cards on her. Can he be that cruel to her or will the sexual tension between then be enough for something more to happen between them?Zach broke my heart. I loved him from the beginning. I truly admired and respected him. At times though, I did want to strangle him as he was such a caveman. I understand he doesn't do parties, but being a sports figure, it comes with the territory. Then we have Kelsie. I really wanted to hate her for what she did to Zach, but little by little she won me over. I felt for her because she hit rock bottom. Then you have the feud between Zach and Tyler, and the way they were dividing the team was so not cool. A football team, any team for that matter, should work as a team, not in separate corners. Just like in a relationship, you work together in order to make it work.I have read a couple of football romance stories and I have to say this has surpassed them all. Ms. Davenport, thank you for sharing these characters with me and other readers. The characters were well developed and the emotions that the characters portrayed were felt deeply by the reader. Both Zach and Kelsie had me giggling, laughing out loud at their bickering or crying. Kelsie needed to show Zach that she was trustworthy, that she was no longer that mean girl she was in high school. Zach also needed to come to terms with what happened in the past and be truthful about how she made him feel, and then learn how to forgive. He also needed to trust her with his present and trust Kelsie to not ridicule him but support him. The other thing they both needed to do was communicate, not assume what the other wants or is thinking. Communication is a big part of a relationship. Without that and trust, you have nothing.The chemistry is sizzling hot between them, even if it did take them awhile to get it on. The development of the relationship was awesome to read about--it started slowly and moved along at a good pace. Everything they shared, the struggles they had, the heated stares but most of all the laughter made them a memorable couple in my book. I found myself lured into the story. Once I started I couldn't put it down.This story had a good flow that made me enjoy everything about it. This is my first book by Ms. Davenport but I enjoyed it so much I'm going back to read Fourth and Goal and Forward Passes, the first two books.Reviewed by CozyReaderfor TheRomanceReviews.com