e-ARC, 396 pages
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Published by: Webster Avenue Publishing
Read from: June 20-July 20, 2023
Las Vegas Ramblers, #1
Source: Gifted from the author (I received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
TW: Fighting, Verbal Sexual Assault, Toxic Familial Relationship
For Readers Interested In: Sports, Romance, Basketball, Spice Level III, Indie Pubs, Realistic Fiction, AdultDeion McCabe is a veteran basketball player with an adversarial disposition. Following an altercation with a fan during a game, the league orders him to attend anger management. Deion’s behavior and subpar gameplay threatens to jeopardize his livelihood. He’s courting disaster and must demonstrate to the organization that he’s capable of turning his fate around. If not, he could face being traded or worse … the end of his basketball career.
Sloane Kaplan is a single mother and cocktail waitress who’s known to pack a mean punch. She’s earnestly trying to keep her life on the straight and narrow, but people around her seem to push the right buttons, igniting her short fuse. While she’s always been taught to go down fighting, her latest brawl lands her in an anger management course. Unbeknownst to her, this mandatory class will introduce her to a towering basketball player with a grumpy temperament and captivating smile.
Love is the only thing worth fighting for, even if that means not playing fair.
*MY THOUGHTS*
It really takes a lot for me to sit down and read physical books or e-books now a days because I’m always so busy. For the most part I rely on audiobooks to keep me sane. So when I find a book or e-book when that doesn’t matter and I will try to sneak in reading it as much as I can anywhere I can, I know I’ve found a winner. And that’s exactly what I did with this book.
First I wanna talk about the characters. I knew this was going to be a me book when I realized I had so much in common with them. Deion’s home town is Houston and that’s where I’m from. Both him and Sloane have to do some time at Anger Management and I also once had to spend some time there once before. It felt too much like right. And although I didn’t meet my husband there, I actually did meet my best friend there lmao So basically, I needed to read this lol But despite where they met, I thought they were good together. Sloane acted so tough because she had to all those years, it was interesting to see Deion break down her walls (not those, we haven’t gotten there yet lmao) I was happy she found someone willing to do that for her. And Deion was such a sapp! I was not expecting him to be so easily turned into a teddy bear. Sloane put it on him and he was ready to say I love you. And for whatever reason I found that to be the cutest shit ever lol
Now the romance between them was off the charts. And it was so cute! I won’t necessarily say believable since Deck was basically ready to propose after their first night together lol But I thought they were cute. It is spicy and doesn’t hold back on anything in those scenes. And they are written well. No cringey moments or anything.
I do wish there had been some more basketball in it tho. There’s a lot of team events and Sloane is flown out for the games, and there’s the opening scene where Deion is on the court and gets into that fight, but I would have loved to see him more on the court. Maybe a scene where they’re warming up on the court and he’s looking for her in the stands? Or something, Idk. I think I just wanted more basketball because when I started reading this is it timed almost perfectly with the NBA finals. I knew I had to start reading it right then, so I think I was just hoping for a scene with him strategizing the winning shot and then looking for Sloane in the confetti? Idk, I think this is my problem with all sports romances. As a female sports fan, I always look for more of the sport in the book lol It’s a little hard to remember not everyone is like me.
I also thought it ended too abruptly? it was like she was mad at him and then she just wasn’t and boom, she’s staying at his house again. It may have just been me, but I was like “That’s it?” I know you’re thinking, “But Nikki, you HATE third act break ups anyway!” But I just think, if you’re going to do it, make it good and make the make up even better. Does that make sense?
It’s no surprise that I loved this one since I also loved her other book, Sight Unseen. So if you decide to check Kasha Thompson out, make sure to read all her work too!
Overall, I give this
