The second book in the Manchester Athletic series focuses on
Ryan, the striker for the team who’s secretly a genius computer coder with a
part-time side business in the tech world, and Otter who’s an actress with a
lot of talent and ambition. They happen to meet while stuck in Houston because
of a tropical storm, and right away sparks fly, though neither of them actually
know who the other is. They have a monumental fling and part ways never having
even exchanged real names much less phone numbers or any other way of
contacting each other. They happen upon each other yet again back in England
weeks later and pick up where they left off in the US. Only by chance do their true
identities eventually come out. It’s then that the story gets really
interesting, and we see how they go from a fling to much more over the course
of the book.
Something I loved about this book is that it’s in a sense a
slow burn but without making us wait for something to happen at the start.
Right from the beginning, there’s an immediate attraction between Ryan and
Otter, and their chemistry is oh-so hot! This is one steamy story for sure, but
then there’s also a sweetness to how well their personalities (and hearts) fit
together. It’s a fantastic blend of spiciness, tension, and feeling, and I completely
enjoyed Ryan and Otter’s journey.
And Ryan and Otter are phenomenal characters both together
and separately. He’s genuine and laid back, and his character has a lot of depth.
Ryan’s absolutely book-boyfriend material. I love, love, LOVE that he’s super
smart and accomplished for that reason but then the hot athlete, too. It’s hands
down one of (maybe IS) my favorite ways an author can write a character, and
Dyer has outdone herself with Ryan. Then
there’s Otter who’s just about as adorable as it gets while still being career
driven and witty. She’s certainly sassy and confident, but she has a vulnerable
side to her as well. It’s that vulnerability that makes her character so endearing,
which is an aspect to Otter that I really liked. The multilayered quality to both
their characters kept them feeling real and likable, and I couldn’t have
imagined better characters for this book.
This is a complex love story that’s filled with solid storytelling
and amazingly well-done characters. I absolutely recommend it, and I can’t wait
for Nate’s story next.
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