e-ARC, 288 pages
Release Date: May 28, 2024
Published by: Afterglow Books by Harlequin
Read from: May 6-24, 2024
Stand-alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a copy of this e-ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Misogyny, Classism, Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, Death
For Readers Interested In: Romance, Sports (Bowling), Realistic Fiction, Adult, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Black Romance), 2sLGBTQIAP+ (Lesbian)This is how love rolls…
For teacher Ava Williams, some subjects are not up for debate. Like history—specifically, the one she has with Grace Jones, bowling pro and local celeb. Who is now, for no identifiable reason, teaching at the same small-town Georgia high school as Ava. Once upon a time, they were thick as thieves, best friends, rivals who pushed each other, and total bowling nerds. Then they shared a kiss, sweet and confusing…and after that, they split and nothing was ever the same.
Ava is pretty sure she has every reason to hate Grace. Especially when the school’s soggy potato of a principal announces—finally—that the students can have the bowling team Ava has been pushing for, for years…only to hand it to Grace.
Now they’re expected to be partners and lead their new bowling team to victory in six months. And with that, their rivalry is back. Fierce, ultracompetitive…and with an undeniable attraction that pushes, pulls and crashes together. It’s history. It’s chemistry. And it’s just a matter of time before it explodes…one way or the other.
*MY THOUGHTS*
As expected, this book was everything I needed. All I saw was this super colorful cover, that there was a bowling ball on the cover, and that it was a Queer book and I knew I was going to enjoy it. An even tho there were some issues, it was still very much something that I enjoyed.
Ok so the number one thing I loved about this book was of course the sports. I’m a HUGE sports girlie (I’m talking I go to freakin football games for my birthday in the fall) HOWEVER, I’m not the biggest fan of bowling in real life, (I can’t stop thinking of people who don’t wash their hands with their fingers in those holes lol) but apparently if I’m reading it it’s fine lol And although they don’t exactly talk about the rules and the scoring, I definitely went to my sister, Google to find out more lol But that was another one of my issues. They weren’t actually playing, they were coaches and they played only once together. Idk, I was expecting more since Grace was so well known in the sport.
The romance was cute, but I think I spent a lot of the time frustrated at Ava. It definitely made me understand why I don’t like enemies to lovers if they’re enemies over a miscommunication. I was like girl, get a grip. If you’re going to be mad, at least hear her out so you know what you’re mad at. She was just mad at the assumptions she made and I didn’t understand it. At the very least wouldn’t you want to know? Aren’t you a little bit curious? It was so weird to me. And I think I was just sad for Grace. She was so freaking sweet and she was so smart! I can’t lie, I wanted her to be like girl, bye at one point lol She just waited out Ava’s moodiness and I didn’t understand why. Even when they got together Ava was just mean to her sometimes and Grace just took it. And all over a miscommunication. But when they got together, they were cute. I just wanted more of it. I think if the miscommunication and arguing was cut down a bit and the ending was longer, it would have been a 5 star book for me.
There’s a lot of things I didn’t care for in this book, but I DID like the way the author was able to mix a second chance romance and a small town romance. I was expecting tension and I definitely got it. Do I wish it was more balanced and less just like “sit down and talk?” Absolutely. But I liked the way they were “surprised” by running into each other and how they “didn’t seem to think” they’d have the same friends. That was very cute and done very well.
This book was very cute, but I do feel like this was a very basic romance. It was just ok to me, but it was still enjoyable. I don’t think I’d rush to read it again, but I would still definitely recommend it to those that don’t care about miscommunication or assumptions.
Overall, I give this
Have you read this? Do you like enemies to lovers? Do you care about miscommunication? Let me know in the comments!