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iam 's review for:
The Backup Plan
by Eden Finley
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great start to a new sports romance series by Eden Finley, full with old and new faces!
Read this review and more on the blog!
I love a good interconnected ‘verse, and the one Eden Finley (partially with Saxon James) has built up starting from the Fake Boyfriend series is one of my favourite romance ones. (Series in the ‘verse include: Mike Bravo Ops, Famous, Puckboys, CU Hockey and more!)
Fake Out’s Damon has built up a Sports Agency, the series titular King Sports, and this new series is centered around the characters working there. Thad, the sports agent protagonist, already had his first appearance in Can’t Say Goodbye, as did Kelley, a baseball player and second protagonist.
Their romance had a hate-to-love and forbidden romance vibe. Thad wanted to play baseball professionally too, and harbours a lot of resentment about not making it, while watching Kelley live his dream – not a good attitude for a sports agent. Kelley meanwhile isn’t just a client of That’s firm, but also struggles with an anxiety disorder.
The forbidden romance aspect stems from this being technically a workplace romance and there being some ethical concerns about their dating, though only on paper, not in their dynamic.
The hate-to-love aspect is not too overdone, and it relates to a lot of very satisfying to read character development.
I wish the character development had been more consistent throughout the book, rather than being mostly over and done with in the first half. Similarly, I appreciated the anxiety rep, but it almost felt forgotten in the later parts. I also found the way the characters text (or rather, don’t text or interact) while supposedly being in love/wanting to but just not doing it kind of weird, especially as their young age (and thus internet literacy) was highlighted. This felt more like a device to keep the pining tension up than an organic choice for the characters, so it stood out as weird to me.
I loved the character interactions with the side characters, as well as the entire cast, which featured both familiar faces and introduced plenty of new ones. I cannot wait to see who of the cast will get a book next, and I kind of hope it will be all of them: Wylder, Thad’s stealing, runaway brother; Jeremiah, who only appears off-page, but hello, an out NASCAR driver?? Yes Please!; Lincoln and/or Archer, King Sports agents at the LA office who seem to have a lot of drama going on between them. Or Merek, who I unfairly almost forgot, who to be fair also only appears off-page and is another King Sports agent who’s clients unfortunately seem to prefer the interns over him. Due to the series title I assume it’s one (or two) of the latter ones!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Read this review and more on the blog!
I love a good interconnected ‘verse, and the one Eden Finley (partially with Saxon James) has built up starting from the Fake Boyfriend series is one of my favourite romance ones. (Series in the ‘verse include: Mike Bravo Ops, Famous, Puckboys, CU Hockey and more!)
Fake Out’s Damon has built up a Sports Agency, the series titular King Sports, and this new series is centered around the characters working there. Thad, the sports agent protagonist, already had his first appearance in Can’t Say Goodbye, as did Kelley, a baseball player and second protagonist.
Their romance had a hate-to-love and forbidden romance vibe. Thad wanted to play baseball professionally too, and harbours a lot of resentment about not making it, while watching Kelley live his dream – not a good attitude for a sports agent. Kelley meanwhile isn’t just a client of That’s firm, but also struggles with an anxiety disorder.
The forbidden romance aspect stems from this being technically a workplace romance and there being some ethical concerns about their dating, though only on paper, not in their dynamic.
The hate-to-love aspect is not too overdone, and it relates to a lot of very satisfying to read character development.
I wish the character development had been more consistent throughout the book, rather than being mostly over and done with in the first half. Similarly, I appreciated the anxiety rep, but it almost felt forgotten in the later parts. I also found the way the characters text (or rather, don’t text or interact) while supposedly being in love/wanting to but just not doing it kind of weird, especially as their young age (and thus internet literacy) was highlighted. This felt more like a device to keep the pining tension up than an organic choice for the characters, so it stood out as weird to me.
I loved the character interactions with the side characters, as well as the entire cast, which featured both familiar faces and introduced plenty of new ones. I cannot wait to see who of the cast will get a book next, and I kind of hope it will be all of them: Wylder, Thad’s stealing, runaway brother; Jeremiah, who only appears off-page, but hello, an out NASCAR driver?? Yes Please!; Lincoln and/or Archer, King Sports agents at the LA office who seem to have a lot of drama going on between them. Or Merek, who I unfairly almost forgot, who to be fair also only appears off-page and is another King Sports agent who’s clients unfortunately seem to prefer the interns over him. Due to the series title I assume it’s one (or two) of the latter ones!
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
anxiety disorder