Catch a Shooting Star by Olivia Ventura
Contemporary Romance
Released: March 15, 2012
Ellora’s Cave

Reviewed by Mandi

Jess quit her job as an elementary school teacher because she got tired of making the kids learn the boring stuff. Her passion is telling stories, so she now cleans houses part time, and uses her other free time to volunteer at the library or entertain with stories at birthday parties. She may have to eat toast for dinner, but at least she is happy. Her parents died when she was ten and after some brief stints in foster care, she spent her remaining youth years at a group home. She now has died black hair, tattoos and piercings.

Nathan is a star NFL player who can’t clean or cook. He basically needs a keeper. Jess takes over cleaning his house when his previous cleaner had to move away. Jess quickly learns that Nathan’s very warm and welcome personality leads to his friends coming over for big parties, leaving his house trashed. He is a simple guy, who likes donuts and has a secret love of books. He comes from a great, supporting family, and is just in a happy place in life. That is until he inadvertently gets caught up in a drug trafficking scandal. With Jess at his side, he faces the press and his friends.

I couldn’t let a book go by with a NFL hero and his cleaning lady. I love this set-up. I think the author does a really nice job with both of these characters. Nathan is kind of a dumb-dumb when it comes to cooking and taking care of his house, but he is so lovable and nice, that his sometimes doofus ways are very endearing. Jess seems like such an unlikely match for him. She is very shy, and stand-offish. She doesn’t like attention put on her. I think she finds Nathan exasperating at first because his house really is left in a disastrous state after late night parties. I really wasn’t sure if their romance was going to unfold believably, but it does. The author takes it slow, first having them become safe friends, sharing donuts and coffee before Jess gets to work, to an eventual romance.

As this is a ‘blush’ book from Ellora’s Cave, the sex scenes are more suggestive than explicit. *sobs* But I persevered. Conflict comes in when Nathan gets involved in a drug scandal, but otherwise Nathan and Jess have a pretty smooth road. His family immediately accepts her – they all seemed a little too perfect. I did like that he has a ‘normal’ family, as a lot of families/parents in romance books are portrayed as dysfunctional. But they are are a lot to take. I think the author does a nice job with keeping Jess consistent through the entire book with her awkward demeanor.  She really has that ‘don’t look at me, don’t talk to me’ vibe going, and with Nathan’s super warm, welcoming attitude, I just think they fit together well. Overall just a sweet book.

Rating: B

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