Review: The Game of Love by Jeanette Murray

Title: The Game of Love by Jeanette Murray
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary , Romance
Length: 85,000 words
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Chris St. James is ready for normal. After walking away from her pro tennis career and a toxic relationship with a star hockey player, she’s starting a new life as a teacher and tennis coach in a small town. Now all she needs is an average guy to share it with.

Brett Wallace is no average guy. Forced to retire from the NFL after an injury—and suddenly single after being dumped by his status-conscious wife—he’s returned to his hometown to coach the varsity football team. Wary of women interested only in his celebrity,

Brett finds Chris’s indifference to his former career refreshing.
The last thing Chris needs is to get involved with another pro athlete, but she can’t deny the sparks that fly between them. So she agrees to a purely physical, no-strings-attached affair. But the rules of the game change when she falls for him…

The Review:

In her debut novel, The Game of Love, Jeanette Murray brings her readers a romance that is sweet, playful and wickedly sexy.

The Game of Love is a fast paced novel with a delightful cast of characters. Chris St. James and Brett Wallace are vibrant and three dimensional protagonists who are flawed yet easy to relate to. The secondary cast of characters is a true joy and adds a great deal of depth and humor to this well-plotted story.

Chris and Brett’s romance unfolds at a leisurely and realistic pace which makes The Game of Love stand out from other novels in the romance genre. There are a few predictable moments when the emotional baggage from their previous romantic entanglements spills over into their current relationship. Lack of communication also comes into play at different times. These situations usually advance the plot, and Ms. Murray resolves the issues fairly quickly.

Jeanette Murray fully engages her readers in this romantic and heartwarming novel. Witty banter, close family ties and strong friendship make The Game of Love the perfect book to while away a lazy afternoon or evening. I will definitely be looking for future works from this talented new author.

My review was originally posted at The Reader’s Roundtable.