Review: Refreshingly sexy and funny!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 24, 2013
When I think of sports romance, only two authors come to mind and one of them is Toni Aleo. The timing was never right to sit down with one of her books, until now. If you have never read anything by this author, Falling for the Backup is the perfect introduction to her writing.Jordan Ryan was such a sweet and sexy character. His injury took more than just his starting position as a goalie for the Assassins, it also cost him his girlfriend and robbed him of his confidence around the opposite sex. Seeing him struggle to be coherent around Aynslee just made him so endearing. The lack of over-confidence, cockiness and player status that is common around athletes was like a breath of fresh air. What I also loved about him was his concern about hurting Aynslee unnecessarily hence why he kept running away.Aynslee Shaw. I had a girl crush on her from the moment she opened her mouth. She was so open, sassy, funny, and the best thing of all - she was a woman who went after what she wanted. I absolutely adore strong heroines like her. No ridiculous and unnecessary insecurities or hem hawing, just genuine kindness and honesty. Her confidence was sexy and the lack of "I'm out of his league" mantras was so refreshing.This story was so engaging from the first page. The author managed to cement Jordan's essence within the first few pages - his career, his doubts, his fears and his hopes and dreams. Then in walked Anyslee and blew the lid off his self-imposed misery. I absolutely felt their instant chemistry, and it was a wonderful thing to follow. I also applaud the switcheroo of the heroine chasing the hero instead of the other way around. I think it's easy to forget that sometimes men want to be know they're wanted and needed just as much as any woman. The conflict or obstacle was realistic and heart-wrenching. I think many people will be able to relate to it. I know I could because I made that move. The romance ran the gamut of emotions and was handled beautifully. The humor in this story, especially from Aynslee was the icing on the cake. I will definitely be buying up the rest of this series.There were so many fabulous moments that underscored why Jordan and Aynslee were the perfect match, and why they were playing for keeps.Favorite Moment:"Please tell me that wasn't my mother.""It was.""Why are you with my parents when I am talking about crotchless panties?"Disclaimer: I won an ARC from the publisher and purchased a final copy.