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noemi1010's review against another edition
3.0
3 STARS
When I saw that this book was on Kindle Unlimited, I was super excited. It's not a secret that Tijan is one of my favorite authors.
I couldn't wait to read this book. Like her Fallen Crest series, I expected to devour the book, but even though I was awake until 2 a.m. to finish reading it, I didn't have the feeling of excitement, interest and euphoria like her books used to make me feel.
By all means, it is NOT a bad book, I just felt like it missed the 'Tijan spark' that I felt with her other books.
Spoiler Alert:
It's the story of Charlie, a twenty-something woman, who gets to spend few weeks at the camp where she used to work when she was a teenager. She doesn't want to come back there because once she left, she tried to distance herself from all of her friends due to her boyfriend's illness: dementia.
However, Charlie's friends don't know about it because her boyfriend didn't want anybody to know. She secluded herself and spent 4 of the 7 years taking care of her boyfriend until she couldn't do it anymore and asked his mom for help.
Come Reese Forster, a basketball legend whose team is training at the same camp where Charlie works. Of course, Charlie is a basketball fan and a Reese Forster super fan. So I'll let to your imagination her reaction to meeting him.
Despite the odds, the two become friends. Reese likes Charlie's inability to keep her mouth shout and firing random questions after questions. In fact, he's the only one who always replies to her. He is also the first person to whom Charlie admits what happened, and Reese helps her move on.
Both Charlie and Reese have a dark past, with problems that they are still carrying on their shoulder. Their love story doesn't happen overnight. They start as friends, for them moving to friends with benefits to lastly becoming a couple.
I enjoyed how the main characters were developed, their personalities and their interactions with the other characters. I especially enjoyed how Tijan brought in the book the topic of dementia, and how she developed the story around it. Not many fiction books have struggles with mental illnesses, and if they have one, it is usually on the main character. Tijan lighten up another important topic and that is how the illness affects the family and the people around. While Charlie's boyfriend had dementia, she had to see her love one disappearing to an illness while alone. She had to see him suffer without a way to help him. The illness impacted her too.
Tijan also mentions the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace, with Charlie's boss being the harasser. She is the only one whom he harass, and she had to deal with it for years because she was too scared that nobody would have listen to her if she said something. Her friends got fed up with him, and told everything to the stockholders, but even then they didn't want to listen to them until Reese and his training got involved. Only then, when two famous and important people got they word in, the stockholder took action. And unfortunately that is something that doesn't happen only in fiction.
Tijan wrote a book centered on many real issues that each one of us can face or already faced in our life. She is a great writer, and I'm happy how she developed the plot, but as I said before there is that je ne sais quoi that is missing from her usual voice and writing.
When I saw that this book was on Kindle Unlimited, I was super excited. It's not a secret that Tijan is one of my favorite authors.
I couldn't wait to read this book. Like her Fallen Crest series, I expected to devour the book, but even though I was awake until 2 a.m. to finish reading it, I didn't have the feeling of excitement, interest and euphoria like her books used to make me feel.
By all means, it is NOT a bad book, I just felt like it missed the 'Tijan spark' that I felt with her other books.
Spoiler Alert:
It's the story of Charlie, a twenty-something woman, who gets to spend few weeks at the camp where she used to work when she was a teenager. She doesn't want to come back there because once she left, she tried to distance herself from all of her friends due to her boyfriend's illness: dementia.
However, Charlie's friends don't know about it because her boyfriend didn't want anybody to know. She secluded herself and spent 4 of the 7 years taking care of her boyfriend until she couldn't do it anymore and asked his mom for help.
Come Reese Forster, a basketball legend whose team is training at the same camp where Charlie works. Of course, Charlie is a basketball fan and a Reese Forster super fan. So I'll let to your imagination her reaction to meeting him.
Despite the odds, the two become friends. Reese likes Charlie's inability to keep her mouth shout and firing random questions after questions. In fact, he's the only one who always replies to her. He is also the first person to whom Charlie admits what happened, and Reese helps her move on.
Both Charlie and Reese have a dark past, with problems that they are still carrying on their shoulder. Their love story doesn't happen overnight. They start as friends, for them moving to friends with benefits to lastly becoming a couple.
I enjoyed how the main characters were developed, their personalities and their interactions with the other characters. I especially enjoyed how Tijan brought in the book the topic of dementia, and how she developed the story around it. Not many fiction books have struggles with mental illnesses, and if they have one, it is usually on the main character. Tijan lighten up another important topic and that is how the illness affects the family and the people around. While Charlie's boyfriend had dementia, she had to see her love one disappearing to an illness while alone. She had to see him suffer without a way to help him. The illness impacted her too.
Tijan also mentions the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace, with Charlie's boss being the harasser. She is the only one whom he harass, and she had to deal with it for years because she was too scared that nobody would have listen to her if she said something. Her friends got fed up with him, and told everything to the stockholders, but even then they didn't want to listen to them until Reese and his training got involved. Only then, when two famous and important people got they word in, the stockholder took action. And unfortunately that is something that doesn't happen only in fiction.
Tijan wrote a book centered on many real issues that each one of us can face or already faced in our life. She is a great writer, and I'm happy how she developed the plot, but as I said before there is that je ne sais quoi that is missing from her usual voice and writing.
ashreads11's review against another edition
3.25
Charlie and Reese. Charlie recently lost her boyfriend due to him cheating on her, and she also lost her job. Forced to acknowledge that she is stuck, an old friend contacts her and offers her an opportunity to work at her old job for a couple of weeks. She takes the opportunity and she discovers that a basketball team will be at the camp. She has always been a fan of basketball, an even bigger fan of Reese Forster, who will be at the camp. She freaks out about the possibility of meeting her favorite basketball player. They form an unlikely friendship that eventually turns into more.
I really enjoyed this audiobook. Savannah Peachwood was the main narrator for this book. Dan had one chapter which was a little disappointing, but I digress. Savannah is one of my favorite female narrators so I enjoyed it. The spice was okay, it was more fade to black than I would like, but I still enjoyed it. The book was more about two people who had a lot of baggage coming together to form a relationship beyond the odds. Their relationship started as friendship that grew into something beautiful. Reese and Charlie are both characters who had been through a lot and somehow their broken pieces match each other.
justmyfantasyworld's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
5.0
𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Technically, this was a reread, but the last time I read it was years ago. Some parts felt familiar, but it didn't mess with my enjoyment. I loved this book so much, the silly yet the emotions run so deeply. It made me tear up some times. I love how the characters build their connection and how the side characters are woven into it as well. It has some heavy moments and focuses a lot on healing (in our own way).
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
Technically, this was a reread, but the last time I read it was years ago. Some parts felt familiar, but it didn't mess with my enjoyment. I loved this book so much, the silly yet the emotions run so deeply. It made me tear up some times. I love how the characters build their connection and how the side characters are woven into it as well. It has some heavy moments and focuses a lot on healing (in our own way).
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
merilizabeth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It was a good book maybe even amazing? But it hit too close to home. Alcoholics and all. Also dementia somewhere off in my family, but still book was written good. Made me feel and maybe not the best things through it. I acrually did not like Charly at first. Her given up and asking stupid questions thing was annoying. I would give it 4 stars if it would have ripped me to shreds like some CoHo books do. A bit too depressing for my rock and hard place type of being now.
cladis's review against another edition
3.0
That was weird and cute and sad? I wasn’t expecting the whole background from both of them but I think his story was sad only to balance their romance. I don’t know. I liked the book though, it caught my attention since the first chapter and I absolutely loved Charlie’s random questions.
1bookobsessionconfessions's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 ⭐️
I went into this book thinking it was a sports romance, which it is. I wasn’t expecting to laugh and cry many times throughout this book.
Charlie spews random questions at a rate that had me laughing and also actually trying to figure out what I thought of her crazy questions.
She’s in a transitional time in her life and pretty broken. It was easy to feel for her especially when I discovered the full story of her past.
She reconnects with old friends and takes a short term job out of desperation. On the job she meets the professional basketball player she’s idolized for years.
I love a girl that knows her sports stats and
she does!
Reese is cocky, private and a bit harsh at first. But very early on he “gets” Charlie and immediately I fell for him. As the only man that could stay straight faced and keep up with her random questions he melted my cynical heart.
There’s more to the story than the friendship and chemistry between a broken woman and a closed off ball player. I really enjoyed the banter and the raw emotions.
The secondary characters rounded it out for me.
I liked that misunderstandings and angst weren’t over the top or drawn out. There was maturity even in their stubbornness.
A sports romance with adults(very refreshing)and lots of heart!
I loved it!!
I went into this book thinking it was a sports romance, which it is. I wasn’t expecting to laugh and cry many times throughout this book.
Charlie spews random questions at a rate that had me laughing and also actually trying to figure out what I thought of her crazy questions.
She’s in a transitional time in her life and pretty broken. It was easy to feel for her especially when I discovered the full story of her past.
She reconnects with old friends and takes a short term job out of desperation. On the job she meets the professional basketball player she’s idolized for years.
I love a girl that knows her sports stats and
she does!
Reese is cocky, private and a bit harsh at first. But very early on he “gets” Charlie and immediately I fell for him. As the only man that could stay straight faced and keep up with her random questions he melted my cynical heart.
There’s more to the story than the friendship and chemistry between a broken woman and a closed off ball player. I really enjoyed the banter and the raw emotions.
The secondary characters rounded it out for me.
I liked that misunderstandings and angst weren’t over the top or drawn out. There was maturity even in their stubbornness.
A sports romance with adults(very refreshing)and lots of heart!
I loved it!!
abbyreads2's review against another edition
4.0
One of my absolute favorite books this year. It's really early and I was feeling really anxious reading this book. It helped a lot. I liked her random question whenever she was nervous. I loved that. It was different and definitely funny. I liked the romance between them, the story, the plot. One of the issues were new, not something you see in a lot of romance books. I really really liked this book. I felt the connection and the sparks between them. I loved the ending as well as every part of it. It didn't feel forced. The writing was great. It was amazing. I can see myself reading this book repeatedly. Definitely worth it! I didn't spoil anything in this review! YAY!
hecklaurac's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kaydanielsromance's review against another edition
5.0
Tijan writes beautiful stories with big feelings and big moments where we witness the character slowly grow through little life moments and it's so glorious to read. I don't know how she does it, but her characters crawl into my soul and set up a permanent camp where I remember them long after I've finished reading them.
Charlie lost herself in a relationship years ago. She has recently resurfaced and thankfully her old friends won't let her disappear again, even though every instinct inside her says to run and hide. It is with pure desperation, due to lack of job, lack of funds, and some small voice that says she really needs to get her life back in order, that Charlie says yes to the job that her old friend, Trent, offers her.
Working back at the summer camp wasn't exactly her idea of a dream job, but little did she know that her dream team, The Seattle Thunder, would be the ones occupying the grounds for the next several weeks. The one problem Charlie has...weird question vomit. She was kind of a hot mess. Her life, her finances, and yeah...her questioning when she was nervous. Aside from that, everything was great. At least that is what she told herself.
"You're a little odd, aren't you?" I snorted. "Fantastically so."
Meeting Reese Forester was a dream come true, becoming his friend, was an added bonus, becoming more than friends....that was complicated. Charlie wasn't looking for a relationship. She is a shell of her former self and doesn't need further complications. She warns him time and again, but Reese has a pull she wasn't expecting, he continues to open up her heart and mend her broken wounds. Between Charlie's old friends and her new ones, it's nearly impossible to stay hidden and damaged, but she has to make a choice to make, run away and keep hurting or run towards a new beginning.
Teardrop Shot is quirky, emotional, romantically steamy and full of all the feels. It's mending old friendships, mending one's self, and forming new bonds. This entire book is such a fantastic read, it will stay with you long after you finish it.
Charlie lost herself in a relationship years ago. She has recently resurfaced and thankfully her old friends won't let her disappear again, even though every instinct inside her says to run and hide. It is with pure desperation, due to lack of job, lack of funds, and some small voice that says she really needs to get her life back in order, that Charlie says yes to the job that her old friend, Trent, offers her.
Working back at the summer camp wasn't exactly her idea of a dream job, but little did she know that her dream team, The Seattle Thunder, would be the ones occupying the grounds for the next several weeks. The one problem Charlie has...weird question vomit. She was kind of a hot mess. Her life, her finances, and yeah...her questioning when she was nervous. Aside from that, everything was great. At least that is what she told herself.
"You're a little odd, aren't you?" I snorted. "Fantastically so."
Meeting Reese Forester was a dream come true, becoming his friend, was an added bonus, becoming more than friends....that was complicated. Charlie wasn't looking for a relationship. She is a shell of her former self and doesn't need further complications. She warns him time and again, but Reese has a pull she wasn't expecting, he continues to open up her heart and mend her broken wounds. Between Charlie's old friends and her new ones, it's nearly impossible to stay hidden and damaged, but she has to make a choice to make, run away and keep hurting or run towards a new beginning.
Teardrop Shot is quirky, emotional, romantically steamy and full of all the feels. It's mending old friendships, mending one's self, and forming new bonds. This entire book is such a fantastic read, it will stay with you long after you finish it.