Under the Lights by Shannon Stacey (Boys of Fall #1)
Contemporary Romance
Released: May 26, 2015
Berkley
Reviewed by Mandi
Chase Sanders was a high school football star who went on to leave his hometown of Stewart Mills, move to New Jersey and start a life working in construction and having a serious girlfriend. But then things go south. His business partner drained most of his money out of their business. His girlfriend fell in love with someone else. So when he gets a phone call from Kelly McDonnell asking for help, Chase doesn’t have an excuse to say no. In high school, his football coach (Kelly’s dad) was the one man who kept him on track. Coach was and still is his mentor and his idol and Chase would do anything to lend a hand. Kelly informs Chase that their town is not doing well financially. People are out of jobs and spirits are low. Funding to the school has been cut, which means no more money to have a football team. Knowing the positive impact football had on his life, Chase drops his messed up life in New Jersey and heads back to his hometown to help with fundraising efforts, including an alumni football game against the current players.
Kelly is the daughter of Coach, and a police officer in Stewart Mills. She had a big crush on Chase in high school and when she pulls him over for blowing through a stop sign on his way back into town, she realizes the years have been good to him. Chase is staying at her parents house, so she will have lots of time to see him and fall in love with him.
I really enjoyed the town of Stewart Mills and the football aspect of the book. Being a huge fan of the television series, Friday Night Lights, I realized as I was reading thing that there are not enough books that center around high school football. The town of Stewart Mills is struggling, and I think the author does a nice job portraying this. The parents out of work struggling to keep their kids off the streets. The impact schools and after school programs have on youth. The nosy neighbors and the community spirit rallying around a football program to save it. All done very well.
I also enjoyed the old championship football team getting back together after years of adult life. The moaning and groaning of thinking of playing football against strong teenagers now that they are all older made me smile a lot as the older guys had to toughen up and play one more game for coach.
Finally, the romance. I really liked both Chase and Kelly and definitely felt their attraction to each other, but the romance needed to be kicked-up a notch. I needed more courtship during the book. There were the requisite 2-3 sex scenes but I needed more …togetherness … between them. They were on the road to love and HEA, but there wasn’t enough in the story to end their love story where it leaves off.
But this is a cute, feel-good read. I’ll try the next and hope for a little more romance.
Rating: B-
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