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A review by katemc7
The Shake Off by Lulu Moore
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely LOVED this book yall! It is hands down my favorite of the series so far. I loved the banter. The characters. The age gap. The spice. The confidence of these two. The vulnerability. But mostly I loved how much this book made me LAUGH. I have read this series out of order which I normally don't like but was ok doing it in this case. So I knew Ace and Payton ended up together after reading the Baller. Ace Watson is the star pitcher for the New York Lions. He has a way with the ladies. Or at least he thinks he does until he has a one night stand with Payton Lopez who tells him in a few choice words that he didn't do it for her. This story follows him trying to get his mojo back because now he can't pitch. And Payton being looped into being a participant in this experiment all while trying to ignore the fact that they both like doing these things with EACH OTHER. I loved Payton's sass. I loved that she was older- we don't see a lot of books with the FMC being old. She was 30 to Ace's 23 (maybe 24?). I loved how that little gap made such a difference in her knowledge of things and her self confidence. And I loved reading when Ace realized this. Ace was hilarious. He was kind of a grump at first but him showing up at Payton's for round two and saying he felt like he was in school was perfect. These two just clicked. They were opposite in so many ways but watching them unravel each other was very sweet and fun to be a part of.
Payton has always had this fantasy of Ace Watson. It is involved and specific. So when she ends up having a one night stand with him on her birthday and things fall short of said fantasy- she is disappointed. But also kind of like oh well. See Payton is a dating girl. She doesn't do like full relationships but more likes the feeling of firsts while also really liking kissing. So when she sees Ace and let's him know how he stands with her. She recognizes it as a young man who still hasn't learned all the things. But then he shows up at her door with a proposition. He wants to try again and he comes with new lessons in his back pocket. Payton is surprised and pleasured in the best way. And now this is their thing. His pitching had dropped with his mojo but now it comes back after they spend the night together. The thing is though that Payton likes having all of these experiences with him. She likes learning new things and trying things together. She likes seeing his confidence grow. She likes that he brings her gifts and kind of dotes on her. But then someone tells her a harsh reality and she has to wonder if she will be brave enough to recognize that she LIKES Ace not just what they are doing together. Will she be brave enough to tell him before it's too late?
Ace is a man of many talents. He is the star pitcher of the team while also enjoying himself with different women regularly. He knows how good he is at all things women. But then a woman leaves him alone the next morning. She doesn't come back for seconds. And that has him thinking. When he sees her, Payton, at a party and confronts her- she gives it to him straight. He focused on himself more than her. Now he can't get out of his head. Have women been lying to him all this time? Is he just mediocre? And now he has the yips. Only one thing can fix it- a second chance. So he shows up at Payton's apartment and asks her. Can they try again? What she doesn't know is that he has found old Cosmo articles with insider info on how to make things great for your partner. So he brings that to the table and this time the experience is unlike anything he has experienced before. How did he never know kissing could be like that? Or just foreplay in general? He is determined to continue to see the look of satisfaction on Payton's face not only because his pitching is back but because he LIKES seeing that look. He likes surprising her. He likes how comfortable they are with each other to try new things. He starts to realize how much he actually likes her. He realizes he wants more with her. But she seems to be holding him at arm's length. When she breaks things off unexpectedly he starts to realize more is at play. He is determined to help her understand that he isn't going anywhere. He just needs her to catch up.
I just can't recommend this one enough. I have enjoyed all of the books in this series but this one just hit different for me in the best way! I am really looking forward to reading Parker and Tanner's stories coming soon :)
Payton has always had this fantasy of Ace Watson. It is involved and specific. So when she ends up having a one night stand with him on her birthday and things fall short of said fantasy- she is disappointed. But also kind of like oh well. See Payton is a dating girl. She doesn't do like full relationships but more likes the feeling of firsts while also really liking kissing. So when she sees Ace and let's him know how he stands with her. She recognizes it as a young man who still hasn't learned all the things. But then he shows up at her door with a proposition. He wants to try again and he comes with new lessons in his back pocket. Payton is surprised and pleasured in the best way. And now this is their thing. His pitching had dropped with his mojo but now it comes back after they spend the night together. The thing is though that Payton likes having all of these experiences with him. She likes learning new things and trying things together. She likes seeing his confidence grow. She likes that he brings her gifts and kind of dotes on her. But then someone tells her a harsh reality and she has to wonder if she will be brave enough to recognize that she LIKES Ace not just what they are doing together. Will she be brave enough to tell him before it's too late?
Ace is a man of many talents. He is the star pitcher of the team while also enjoying himself with different women regularly. He knows how good he is at all things women. But then a woman leaves him alone the next morning. She doesn't come back for seconds. And that has him thinking. When he sees her, Payton, at a party and confronts her- she gives it to him straight. He focused on himself more than her. Now he can't get out of his head. Have women been lying to him all this time? Is he just mediocre? And now he has the yips. Only one thing can fix it- a second chance. So he shows up at Payton's apartment and asks her. Can they try again? What she doesn't know is that he has found old Cosmo articles with insider info on how to make things great for your partner. So he brings that to the table and this time the experience is unlike anything he has experienced before. How did he never know kissing could be like that? Or just foreplay in general? He is determined to continue to see the look of satisfaction on Payton's face not only because his pitching is back but because he LIKES seeing that look. He likes surprising her. He likes how comfortable they are with each other to try new things. He starts to realize how much he actually likes her. He realizes he wants more with her. But she seems to be holding him at arm's length. When she breaks things off unexpectedly he starts to realize more is at play. He is determined to help her understand that he isn't going anywhere. He just needs her to catch up.
I just can't recommend this one enough. I have enjoyed all of the books in this series but this one just hit different for me in the best way! I am really looking forward to reading Parker and Tanner's stories coming soon :)