Maura Richards’ plan for her life is simply to not have a plan. From watching the clock at her temp job to ending relationships before they get serious, Maura can only commit to being noncommittal.
Enter Jet Knox, the starting quarterback of her beloved hometown pro football team. Maura dismisses their first encounter as merely a thrilling brush with celebrity, but Jet has other ideas. He’s made a living setting—and scoring—goals. Wooing Maura is his latest objective.
Everyone in Maura’s life seems to have an opinion about her relationship with Jet, but with so many ideas, rumors, and doubts, Maura must rely on the judgment of the last person she feels she can trust: herself. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)
This story is proof that one should never judge a book, or person, by its cover. Given Maura’s profession- helping others find work- you’d think she’d be a lot more focused and driven in finding her own way where a career is concerned. Yet she feels as though she’s stalling in life, and has a really hard time in committing to anything. On the flip side, everyone sees Jet as just another football star, riding the wave of celebrity. Yet he’s got a plan in place for the future, has a list of goals in place and is a lot more grounded than anyone gives him credit for. When the two different personalities collide, it’s an instant test on whether opposites can attract, or not.
I liked how vulnerable both characters are, not only with each other, but what we are privy to, as the reader. What you see is what you get with Maura, and Jet happens to be this gigantic build of a man, but has a tendency to pout if something isn’t going his way. It’s a childish behavior that softens his tough guy exterior, while Maura is honest in how she feels when tasked with a rather large project at work. She is overwhelmed and out of her league and we get to see those moments of meltdown, emotions that show that she’s flawed, in the best of ways.
As the synopsis states, Maura has to learn to trust herself. She doesn’t feel as though she makes the best decisions, and that could include her choice in allowing Jet into her life. He’s far beyond her where goals are concerned, and she’s not sure of where she fits or if she even wants to. Life is so much easier when we sit on the sidelines, allowing whatever comes our way to dictate where we end up. Without realizing it, both characters learn from one another, but are they healthy lessons, or ones they should walk away from?
I really liked the secondary characters, too. Colin was a lot of fun, the best bud for Maura. Their relationship made me wonder if they’d end up together at some point. Then there’s Rae, the most acerbic friend ever to grace the page. She could grate on nerves with her Oscar the Grouch personality, but deep down, there’s a heart of gold in there, somewhere. It was also interesting to get a glimpse behind the scenes of the football world, a sport I don’t ordinarily follow, but an enjoyable experience, nonetheless. Given the fantastic characters and how easily the chemistry flowed between them all, this was a worthy five-star read for me!
Thanks to Brea Brown for the book in exchange for an honest review. Out of My League can be purchased here.
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