Review: Honestly, Abe Was the Best (Sorry Not Sorry For the Bad Pun!)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 13, 2014
The New York Leopards series has been on my radar for awhile now, thanks to a recommendation by my very picky cousin/librarian, and the endorsement of our book group. All the ladies are in agreement that this is a great series. I haven't read the first two books, yet, but I can safely say that based on Imaginary Lines, I completely agree.Tamar Rosenfeld has been in love with Abraham Krasner for nearly half her life. A friend when she needed one, a crush that seemingly went unrequited, Tamar saved herself for years, hoping Abe would see that she was in love with him, and realize he felt the same way. One reckless confession four years ago crossed an imaginary line in their friendship, and Tamar vowed to move on, to finally put Abe behind her and move on. BUT, four years have passed and now Tamar is moving to New York to work as a sports writer. Her assigned team is the New York Leopards (fictional, which kinda threw me, but okay!) and guess who's the team's star linebacker...yep, Abe!Tamar wants to be close with Abe again. At the heart of it, they were dear friends and she misses him. And yet, she must be careful with her heart. At nineteen and twenty, Abe didn't want her love. He was moving cross-country and joining the NFL. He didn't know who he was yet, knew Tamar needed time to find herself, and the timing was just so wrong. Now though, Abe wants Tamar in his life. He's solid, and happy with his friends and his team, but it's clear he's missed her, that Tamar represents a comfort he craves. And what's so neat about this whole relationship is, Tamar believes Abe holds all the power, he will break her heart eventually. Throughout the story, though, Abe gives these small cues, a lot of which Tamar misses or misunderstands (oh, but I did not!) that let us know that he's really in this. And when he finally begins to tell Tamar want he wants, how he feels, and how he has hoped and planned over the years? Guys, my heart started thumping so hard. I love a strong hero, an honorable one, but when that strong man lets the heroine see how vulnerable she makes him, how she could bring him to his knees and tear his world apart with one word? THAT is what makes me go weak for a romantic lead. Nothing shows strength like exposing what could destroy you. And that is what had me reeling over a Imaginary Lines.Okay. So I did not mean to go on and on, recapping the story and what I thought, but I just really want to talk about why I loved Imaginary Lines. And to be general and vague was not going to cut it for me. I needed to thoroughly explain why I found T and A's (Hee! Nailed it.) relationship to be special among the millions of romances out there.I also need to point out that I genuinely enjoy Allison Parr's voice. She gave the story a lot of passion and emotion but avoided being too flowery. Librarian Cousin (as she will forevermore be known) assures me that Parr is a completely solid writer and she does not hesitate to buy her books. Also, you might pick up that Tamar and Abe are Jewish. I loved seeing the tidbits about the food they ate, their family histories and customs. This is another reason I am happy with the series. I love to find more diverse backgrounds/religion/ethnicities in my books. The book world sadly tends to reflect the small town I grew up in in the rural south, almost all white Protestants. I mean, until I started reading heavy duty WWII romances set in Europe, everything I knew about Jewish people, I learned from Adam Sandler and The Hannukah Song. And yeah, that funny but also a bit sad.Imaginary Lines was an excellent story, even better than I'd hoped for. I'm excited to find a new-to-me author and series I can whole-heartedly recommend. And I look forward to reading the rest of the New York Leopards series.Favorite QuotesHe didn't look away from me, and desire and determination in his gaze was overwhelming. "Just try to fall in love with someone else while I'm around."He smiled with absolute tenderness and shook his. "You don't get it, do you?"I was lost. "Get what?"He hooked one arm around my waist and drew me toward him."Tamar." He leaned his forehead against mine and smiled. His other hand cupped the back of my neck. "Tamar, you were always the girl I wanted to marry.""And what about me?"I blinked at him. "Excuse me?""You think you're the only one that would get your heart broken?" His hand slid around the back of my neck. "So I have the power to break your heart. Good. Because you could smash mine to smithereens if you wanted to."Something soft and happy unfolded in my chest even as my lips parted slightly in surprise. "Abraham..."He pressed me against the car and kissed me."I'm not going to break your heart," I whispered. "I promise.""Good. Because I don't think I could survive it."