Review: tennis + a hot guy and a tough-as-nails-but-only-on-the-outside girl + a puntastic title
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 31, 2014
Ah, tennis. It's such a great game. I've had two major tennis-related crushes in my life - Australian player Pat Rafter, when he was at the peak of his career (and had a side gig as an underwear model) and Peter...Peter Colt, the affable British underdog from the movie Wimbledon. So it's fair to say that when I opened Love In Straight Sets my thought process was as such: tennis + a hot guy and a tough-as-nails-but-only-on-the-outside girl + a puntastic title = a book headed straight for the "Keepers" collection on my Kindle. Turns out, I was spot on.You have hand it to Rebecca Crowley. Regan had the potential to be a supremely unlikable heroine. She's rude and a little mean. But you get just enough glimpses of the scared, anxious girl below the surface to want to keep reading. Ben, on the other hand, is the opposite. He's friendly, patient and willing to work hard to get through to the player and the person beneath Regan's brittle exterior. He's easy to like. As is the book itself. The tension between player and coach is matched by the tension of the tennis scenes - it's hard not to get invested in the outcome. There was definitely enough happening to keep me turning the page and muttering "one more chapter". There may have even been enough for me to dust of my old racquet, put the worn-out Wimbledon DVD back on the shelf and hit the courts. Maybe. After one more chapter.~ Beth, 4 starsAs a huge fan girl of tennis, I was thrilled to see a book with tennis players as main characters. Love In Straight Sets is a light, short romantic read with a retired 1-time tennis champion as coach and a popular yet retiring tennis women’s player as the hero/heroine.There was no instant attraction or love at first sight that happened which I was grateful for. Even if this is a shorter book than the usual full-lengths, Rebecca Crowley didn’t rush into the insta-love. There was some teeny tiny mention of physical admiration but none of those “s/he sees her/him for the first time and s/he can’t get her/him off his/her mind” annoying stuff. Rebecca built their attraction quickly but without me feeling it was rushed. And once their attraction is shown to us, you will feel it.I recommend Love In Straight Sets to everyone looking for an easier read from the emotionally heavy, erotic, thriller books. This was a great break for me. Like a palette cleanser. A sorbet. It’s short but sweet and didn’t disappoint with the romance part.~ Mara, 4 stars