| Title | : | Fair Catch |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0615838057 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780615838052 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 342 |
| Publication | : | First published September 17, 2013 |
Recently retired from the NFL, Nick is more than ready to find a wife and start a family. He's tired of his high-profile lifestyle and moves to Pleasant Wood, Colorado, hoping to finally settle down and focus on his foundation Kids Come First. It would just feel nice to be a normal guy. Of course being rebuffed by Ellie the first few times he meets her makes him feel a little too normal.
As Nick and Ellie become acquainted, their mutual attraction is hard to ignore. But Ellie's been hurt before by her womanizing ex-husband. She's not sure that Nick has left behind his playboy reputation. Can she risk falling in love with the celebrity football player or will she miss her chance at scoring big in the game of love?
Fair Catch Reviews
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Two and a half stars. Standard chick-lit romance, squeaky clean, with a cardboard villain in the ex-husband. The plot kind of meandered and I found myself skimming a lot. Other than finding each other really physically attractive, it wasn't clear to me why the main characters even loved each other.
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2.5 MEH STARS
When recently retired NFL quarterback Nick Coulter meets his new neighbour Ellie Garrett he knows he has found a woman he can make a future with, and her 4-year old son Cade charms him, only if he could get Ellie to give him a chance. Badly burnt by her ex-husband Ellie is more than a little wary of the attraction she feels to Nick, but soon finds herself unable to keep away.
The heroine's ex was an ass and idiot, I really wish there had been a scene where he had been punched - hard! I also wish Ellie had cowered a little less when it came to her verbally abusive ex, especially early in the book, the cheating ass walked out on her and their little boy when he was three weeks old and had been acting like a tool ever since.
A tad too squeaky clean for the mood I was in, wanted more sizzle and spark/oomph in the romance, as well as a heroine with more of a spine.
Potential Trigger:
Acquired via KU. -
3.5 fun-to-read-stars
A really well-written sweet and tender romance that has a Christian-based theme to it. As always, I'm an easy mark for a sports-themed romance and Nick Coulter certainly fit the mold sending me to the one-click button.
When a recently retired NFL quarterback and recently converted playboy meets his new neighbor and her 4-year old son, he knows he is looking at his future. There are some rough times on the road to happily ever after but the trip is really an enjoyable reading experience.
A nice cast of secondary characters is an added plus, as well as the really sparkling Epilogue that will not disappoint a romance lover. -
Sweet PG type romance
I had no idea this was a "Christian Romance" when I began reading it. It was still cute. The plot and characters were a bit far-fethced and unrealistic for my preference though. If you are looking for a light, almost innocent type simple romance, with a HEA this one will do the trick. It did have some cliché moments, and felt overly long at times, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. -
Although the description indicates otherwise this is another case of two impossibly beautiful/handsome people falling in love at first sight. Here the obstacles holding them back from instant marriage are pretty much all on her side as she was married before to a man (also impossibly handsome) who turned out to be emotionally abusive, a philanderer, and probably a psychopath, so she is understandably shy of forming another attachment even if she does feel an instant connection. The main plot is decidedly repetitive: she sees him with another girl, becomes convinced he can't really be attracted to her, he convinces her otherwise, repeat two or three times until finally we get to happily ever after. At least the ex's shenanigans at the end jolted the story out of that rut, but it felt a little contrived.
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I ended up really liking this one. I thought the start was fun, Ellie is pretty skeptical when it comes to guys and is surprised when a very famous football player moves in across the street. Nick was a great guy and I loved that he was totally drawn to Ellie right from the start and didn't play games. As usual I thought the "love yous" were exchanged a bit early, but I was able to set that aside and just enjoy the story. It helped that they were such a cute couple. Overall, it was a cute story. I liked it more than
Discovering Sophie and look forward to reading more from Ms. Anderson.
Content: Clean, G. -
I just could not put this book down. I appreciated how the characters Ellie and Nick both had high moral standards and tried hard to avoid even the appearance of immorality. They were Christian, but not preachy, in their associations. Nick recognized the problems with excessive use of alcohol, but he did not condemn its use by his friends; however, when he invited friends over for a party, he did not offer alcoholic beverages. I relate to this lifestyle. The ex-husband, Thomas, was a real villain in the best storybook fashion. I will reveal no spoilers here, but the surprising climax of this tale was not entirely unexpected. This climatic event was so well executed that I could not put the book aside until it was resolved. I count Fair Catch as one of Ms. Anderson’s most outstanding achievements and, without reservation, recommend it to my romance reading friends.
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So, here's the deal:
I liked this book. I enjoyed reading it. BUT, I really wanted more depth for the MC. Look, I know being a mom is hard work, and being a stay-at-home mom is tough! I have 3 kids all under 4! I really would have liked to see Ellie as a something other than just a mom. She was very one dimensional to me. I really questioned why Nick would like her. It seemed very, very shallow. The only thing ever really said about her was that she was pretty, she had pretty hair. I wanted more.
I have never known a single mother who didn't have a job. It seemed really sad to me. I am not sure why, maybe I will have to look at how I think about the world. But, she seemed to really rely completely on others. She lived in her mom and dad's huge house. She lived off her husband's child support. She was always relying on her neighbor to babysit. Her neighbor cooked for her all the time. That's not really how the world works for most people and made her seem very spoiled in my mind. Just saying.
All that being said, I still enjoyed reading the book. I will most definitely be reading Discovering Sophie. I read the preview and there seems to be much more depth.
On a side note: I think I remember meeting this author (maybe) when delivering one of my babies! Crazy how small the world can be sometimes. -
Ellie falls for her famous football star neighbor, Nick. I liked how Nick likes Ellie right away and changes his game plan to win her.
I liked Ellie. She's beautiful without knowing it, thinking Nick is looking at her mismatched clothes instead of admiring her. She's fiercely loyal to her young son from her very short marriage. Her heart is broken and she struggles with trusting. I just wanted Ellie to have a stronger sense of her personal identity, it seems to get swallowed up in her role as mother. She's devoted, kind and loyal, with a touch of spunk as seen in dealing with media people. But I just wanted to see her do something for herself besides running and trying to look pretty. Pick a movie she wants to see, order her favorite food because she can, punch something when her ex makes her mad, take a class just because, go to a museum. -
This was a fun contemporary romance. It sure does hold your interest throughout the book. A fun story about a football player falling in love with his next-door neighbor. I had some issues with the leading lady, I really wanted her to gain a backbone. Yes, there is a place for forgiveness and being kind but as a Christian woman sitting there letting my X husband verbally abuse me is not loving of the self and not ok. I wish she would have realized her value as a daughter of God and not had to have a handsome football player and her brothers and the rest of the male population tell her she was beautiful before she got a small back bone. The writing was a little immature, but it was a funny light read, with a great leading man that was just a little too perfect. This is clean with lots of kissing scenes that are not too detailed. 16 and up.
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This was a great story of love, forgiveness, damage inflicted by spoken words, jealousy, and the importance of family. There were a few religious comments but nothing overly preachy. It was a delightfully heartwarming story. Good job.
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Fun story with a sweet and clean romance. Looking forward to more reads from this author.
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Synopsis: Single mother Ellie meets former NFL quarterback Nick, and sparks fly, in spite of the obstacles to their relationship and Ellie's reluctance to love again.
My Thoughts: I don't usually read straight romance books, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It's clean and sweet and fluffy and a total wish-fulfillment - until it threw me for a loop by swerving into some genres I wasn't expecting, but that kept the story interesting and fun for me.
Great book and lots of fun! -
This was a sweet and clean read.
What I liked:
1) The Christian message. As a Christian, I like finding a good book that doesn't thump the Bible at you. The message was incorporated in a gentle manner that fit in with the rest plot. Others might have found this book preachy, but compared to other Christian book I've read, it's pretty laid back in its message.
2) In the same vein as no. 1, how clean this book was, both in content and language.
3) The H. He was a real guy. He made mistakes, realized them for what they were, and was trying to live according to the Good Book.
4) The writing. It wasn't earth shattering, elegant or pretty, but it was very readable. I actually enjoyed the shorter chapters as it helped the plot move along. There wasn't too much action, so the plot definitely needed some help in that way.
5) The dual povs.
What I didn't like:
1) The h. I'm sorry to say, but she was sort of pathetic with all of her self doubt and insecurities. I know her ex was a mean jerk, but I wish that she was stronger at the beginning of the story instead of always undervaluing her worth.
2) I know the H has a playboy past, but I didn't really need him reminding me of that fact ALL THE TIME. -
Ellie has a new neighbor, a good looking neighbor who just happens to be single. Nick was known as a playboy but wants to settle down with a wife as kids, enter Ellie and her adorable son. I loved the first meet between them, so awkward and realistic! Their relationship blossomed and turned into something wonderful. Both had things to overcome, but love makes everything better
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I really enjoyed this book. I LOVE books that capture my interest within the first few pages and this book definitely fits into that category. I felt like the author was successful in making me invested in the characters and their story and I enjoyed the plot. I would recommend this book to anyone!
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Clean and sweet Christian romance. Nick a former NFL player moves across the street from Ellie and her son Cade. Ellie was left by her ex-husband soon after giving birth to her son. Her faith in men is low but her faith in Christ is strong. Nick is looking for the one but wants to stick to his Christian values.
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😃😃😃😃
A really nice clean romance: Nick and Ellie are an engaging couple, and the plot and writing are fast paced. There are places the plot seems thin, but this is still an enjoyable read with a nice thread of faith running through it. -
Cute and easy read. I liked the supporting cast as much as the main characters.
The only thing I didn’t like was that the main character is drop dead gorgeous but doesn’t believe she is pretty. It makes her totally up relatable—give her some flaws or some confidence about her looks. -
UGH, bratty- unlikeable-disobedient kid, with a TSTL permissive non-disciplinarian mother! I quit reading and returned at 36%,because I couldn't stand reading any more about them and the constant lustful thoughts from the "supposedly recommitted Christian hero, and the heroine.
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Good book. Good characters. Enjoyable storyline. Great epilogue.
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A very chaste, boring read.
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My very favorite book by this author! Loved it from beginning to end.
