Review: “First Down”
I chose this book from an ARC program because I liked a previous book by the author well enough, but thought it could have used a bit more “oomph”, so I wanted to give the author another try.
The Premise
NFL player Mark has finally hit it big as a pro football player, when a blast from his past shows up at one of his games — Tessa, his high school sweetheart. To his shock, she has a young boy in tow — and as it turns out, five-year-old Angus is his son. He swiftly has to adapt to a paternal role to his son. Having hid the child from him to give him a chance at the career he’d always dreamed of, Tessa now struggles to readjust her life to include Mark. However, his late entry into their little family leads others to believe that she’s a gold-digger, and unwelcome press attention soon follows. As her integrity gets called into question at her job as a teacher at a religious school, Mark also begins to question if his financial outlook as a pro ball player is secure enough to commit to family responsibilities.
The Pros
This was a quick read with a simple, predictable storyline and few surprises. The couple was cute, the banter was endearing, and the raunchy scenes were a good fit around the overall storyline. I also liked the inclusion of the family drama on Tessa’s side, and Mark’s scenes with his teammates. Angus also made for an adorable scene or two, and his youthful exuberance permeated and gave a nice feel-good emotion to the story.
The Cons
There wasn’t anything specifically to dislike in the story, and there was just enough substance to keep me reading all the way through, but just about. The conflict was minimal, and not in any way shocking. He slipped easily into “daddy” mode with no problems, it appears, and the son accepted him without question. As with my last read by the same author, the plot was fair enough but the writing is not my preferred style. I believe it could have been written differently to get me more enthused. Significant occurrences were glossed over — Mark’s family’s reactions, and then the culminating point was lacklustre. Facts were shared without getting the reader to really experience it, and overall I was underwhelmed.
Conclusion
As with my last book by this author, I had a similar sensation of waiting for something “more” that just never came. I would be willing to give it one more try (third time’s the charm!) before giving up and deciding this author’s style is just not for me. In terms of recommending for others — if you’re look for a quick, cute read to keep you entertained for a bit, this is a good pick. If you want a novel to touch your heart and rock your world (i.e. if you’re a picky reader like me), this may not be the best choice.
