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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sounds like I've been in quite the mood for sports romances lately! I absolutely enjoyed this one ššš the chemistry between Bri and Eric was the most undeniable thing about this book š„ they loved pushing each other's buttons and I was THERE FOR IT!! š¤£š
For a 29-year-old, Eric sounded like a bitter and grumpy old man. He was not a bad person by any means, but he didn't really try to be nice, either; at least not to Bri when they first met and even long after that. He was a great coach, much to the dismay of everyone who'd patiently waited to watch him fail. Eric had given it his all, trying to prove anyone who'd ever dared question his abilities wrong. The man was definitely NOT a "quitter" as the tabloids were trying to paint him. I don't think anyone could fully grasp the emotional wreckage he'd survived, and how that dark period of his life had shaped the man he became.
Bri, on the other hand, was working herself off day in and day out, out of guilt for her mother's bone-tiring shifts at work. She'd grown up in a family of two, one that was barely scraping by, but she was so grateful for her mother's lifelong sacrifices, to not only provide her with basic human necessities but also allow her to practice her passion. Bri was a very strong and very determined young gymnast who'd grown up with no father figure in sight, and although that had left a scar, she focused on the only person who'd ever stood by her and worked tirelessly to pay her tenfold what she'd given ā¤
These two were like two peas in a pot š both were very stubborn, very driven to succeed, and both were dealt quite the punch from dear old life, trying to stand on their own two feet against all odds.
For a 29-year-old, Eric sounded like a bitter and grumpy old man. He was not a bad person by any means, but he didn't really try to be nice, either; at least not to Bri when they first met and even long after that. He was a great coach, much to the dismay of everyone who'd patiently waited to watch him fail. Eric had given it his all, trying to prove anyone who'd ever dared question his abilities wrong. The man was definitely NOT a "quitter" as the tabloids were trying to paint him. I don't think anyone could fully grasp the emotional wreckage he'd survived, and how that dark period of his life had shaped the man he became.
Bri, on the other hand, was working herself off day in and day out, out of guilt for her mother's bone-tiring shifts at work. She'd grown up in a family of two, one that was barely scraping by, but she was so grateful for her mother's lifelong sacrifices, to not only provide her with basic human necessities but also allow her to practice her passion. Bri was a very strong and very determined young gymnast who'd grown up with no father figure in sight, and although that had left a scar, she focused on the only person who'd ever stood by her and worked tirelessly to pay her tenfold what she'd given ā¤
These two were like two peas in a pot š both were very stubborn, very driven to succeed, and both were dealt quite the punch from dear old life, trying to stand on their own two feet against all odds.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Gaslighting
Find this review and more kimberlyfaye reads.
I've been looking forward to reading Out of Bounds since finishing Settling the Score. There aren't nearly enough Olympic-themed romances out there, so I'm glad R.S. Grey decided to do something about that this year. If she continued this series further, I'd be all over each and every book.
When I think of R.S. Grey's books, I think of romance with humor. I don't necessarily think of smoking hot, steamy AF sexy times. That's DEFINITELY not the case here. Don't get me wrong, this one still has the humor and heart that makes her books unique, but this time things got HOT. Like, "OMG am I really reading this in public" HOT. And speaking of hot, she gives a whole new meaning to "hot yoga" in this book. *fans self* (This is probably the most I've ever used the word "hot" in one paragraph, BTW.)
Out of Bounds was flat out addictive. I didn't want to put it down once I started. First off, I loved the gymnastics aspect because I'm all about anything Olympics-related at this point. (Whyyyyyyy aren't there more Olympics romances?!) I really liked Brie. She was dedicated to her mom and her sport and I found her really easy to root for. She was sassy and spunky and I love that in a heroine. Erik wasn't the swooniest guy at the beginning ā to be honest, he was kind of a dick ā but I still liked him. Because we got glimpses of the story from both of their perspectives, I felt like I got to know him and I could see he wasn't really the guy he was coming off as.
I love a good antagonistic romance and that's definitely what I got here from Brie and Erik. Their chemistry was intense. The sexual tension was palpable. The sexy scenes were so freaking hot that I almost felt intrusive reading them. There was a lot of back and forth between them, but it made sense given their roles ā she as gymnast and he as her coach. But, at the end of the day, you can't ignore chemistry like they had... and I'm glad they finally gave in to it. It might seem weird to say this about such an antagonistic romance, but I truly do think they made each other better. With her, Erik softened. With him, Brie discovered there was more to life than gymnastics and embraced her desires more fully.
Out of Bounds was a great addition to The Summer Games series. I wish there were more books! The combination of R.S. Grey's trademark laugh out loud funny moments and swoony/sexy romance with the timeliness of the Olympics has made these books a highlight of my own summer.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
FAVORITE QUOTES
I've been looking forward to reading Out of Bounds since finishing Settling the Score. There aren't nearly enough Olympic-themed romances out there, so I'm glad R.S. Grey decided to do something about that this year. If she continued this series further, I'd be all over each and every book.
When I think of R.S. Grey's books, I think of romance with humor. I don't necessarily think of smoking hot, steamy AF sexy times. That's DEFINITELY not the case here. Don't get me wrong, this one still has the humor and heart that makes her books unique, but this time things got HOT. Like, "OMG am I really reading this in public" HOT. And speaking of hot, she gives a whole new meaning to "hot yoga" in this book. *fans self* (This is probably the most I've ever used the word "hot" in one paragraph, BTW.)
Out of Bounds was flat out addictive. I didn't want to put it down once I started. First off, I loved the gymnastics aspect because I'm all about anything Olympics-related at this point. (Whyyyyyyy aren't there more Olympics romances?!) I really liked Brie. She was dedicated to her mom and her sport and I found her really easy to root for. She was sassy and spunky and I love that in a heroine. Erik wasn't the swooniest guy at the beginning ā to be honest, he was kind of a dick ā but I still liked him. Because we got glimpses of the story from both of their perspectives, I felt like I got to know him and I could see he wasn't really the guy he was coming off as.
I love a good antagonistic romance and that's definitely what I got here from Brie and Erik. Their chemistry was intense. The sexual tension was palpable. The sexy scenes were so freaking hot that I almost felt intrusive reading them. There was a lot of back and forth between them, but it made sense given their roles ā she as gymnast and he as her coach. But, at the end of the day, you can't ignore chemistry like they had... and I'm glad they finally gave in to it. It might seem weird to say this about such an antagonistic romance, but I truly do think they made each other better. With her, Erik softened. With him, Brie discovered there was more to life than gymnastics and embraced her desires more fully.
Out of Bounds was a great addition to The Summer Games series. I wish there were more books! The combination of R.S. Grey's trademark laugh out loud funny moments and swoony/sexy romance with the timeliness of the Olympics has made these books a highlight of my own summer.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
FAVORITE QUOTES
"You're right, I've never been touched by someone like you. Show me what I've been missing."
"Clearly, Molly is into some Full House shit, whereas you and me, Brie, we're looking for the kind of love they can't show on daytime television."
I was playing with fireāno, I wasn't just playing with fire; I was rolling in it. I was so confident I wouldn't get burned, I didn't realize how deep into the flames I'd fallen.
It wasn't fair that I was the only one boiling up inside. I needed to know I wasn't alone. I needed one sign that he cared, something that told me he hadn't completely forgotten about me, something I could hold onto in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep and visions of him hot and sweaty after his run replayed in my mind.
Did not finish. This book had so much potential. I tried to push through after a certain scene but just couldn't. Really disappointed because I enjoyed some other books by this author a lot.
Spoiler
the yoga scene (this felt forced and honestly a little rapey to me)
3.5
This book had great potential, but I felt it was very drawn out. Each action seemed to have a lot of adverbs, and though I like description, knowing exact turns and movements is a little overkill for me and I felt like I was losing the story.
Also, the cat and mouse game between Erik and Bree was interesting but I felt that too was drawn out. It felt like they were losing maturity every time they changed their minds. And yes I am taking into consideration that Bree is only 20, while Erik is 28/29.
One character was really built up and barely used, I thought they would end up being part of the drama, but they werenāt.
The narrators didnāt do it for me. Breeās reader was over enthusiastic, while sounding very young and not having a lot of range making the side characters sound all the same. Erikās reader didnāt have a lot of passion and sounded a bit like he was trying to be William Shatner. Just above monotone for me.
I loved the idea of this book, and it truly had great potential and I hate that I canāt rate this HEA higher but in the end it just wasnāt for me. There wasnāt a ton of romance and the characters just didnāt click.
Forbidden love, gymnastics, Olympics, sports, Coach/Student, age gap.
This book had great potential, but I felt it was very drawn out. Each action seemed to have a lot of adverbs, and though I like description, knowing exact turns and movements is a little overkill for me and I felt like I was losing the story.
Also, the cat and mouse game between Erik and Bree was interesting but I felt that too was drawn out. It felt like they were losing maturity every time they changed their minds. And yes I am taking into consideration that Bree is only 20, while Erik is 28/29.
One character was really built up and barely used, I thought they would end up being part of the drama, but they werenāt.
The narrators didnāt do it for me. Breeās reader was over enthusiastic, while sounding very young and not having a lot of range making the side characters sound all the same. Erikās reader didnāt have a lot of passion and sounded a bit like he was trying to be William Shatner. Just above monotone for me.
I loved the idea of this book, and it truly had great potential and I hate that I canāt rate this HEA higher but in the end it just wasnāt for me. There wasnāt a ton of romance and the characters just didnāt click.
Forbidden love, gymnastics, Olympics, sports, Coach/Student, age gap.
*R.S. Grey, is that you? I couldnāt see you there through all that steam! Lol! I adore the lighthearted romantic comedies iāve come to synonymize with a Rachelās novels, this time however, the added edge was a huge surprise and a welcomed delight.
Quite frankly I was not expecting such a racy novel, but the brave girl I am, I did my best to muddle through. Out of Bounds was a fantastic enemies to lovers story with all the recognisable hallmarks of an R.S. Grey experience.
Literally what @icezoot said
Die moralischen Grundlagen fehlen diesem Buch.
Dazu war es nicht sonderlich gut geschrieben.
Es ist toxisch von vorne bis hinten und den einzigen Character die die Hauptfiguren haben ist ihr witziges GemĆ¼t.
Und was um alles in der Welt war diese Yoga Szene? Auch wenn es technisch gesehen kein r*pe war, hat es sich stark danach angefĆ¼hlt.
Die ganzen 64% des Buches habe ich mich nur schlecht gefĆ¼hlt.
Erstaunlich das ich Ć¼berhaupt solange durchhalten konnte ...
Die moralischen Grundlagen fehlen diesem Buch.
Dazu war es nicht sonderlich gut geschrieben.
Es ist toxisch von vorne bis hinten und den einzigen Character die die Hauptfiguren haben ist ihr witziges GemĆ¼t.
Und was um alles in der Welt war diese Yoga Szene? Auch wenn es technisch gesehen kein r*pe war, hat es sich stark danach angefĆ¼hlt.
Die ganzen 64% des Buches habe ich mich nur schlecht gefĆ¼hlt.
Erstaunlich das ich Ć¼berhaupt solange durchhalten konnte ...
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes