UK Publishing Date: 8 Mar 2016. 274 pages
In many ways Lexington and 42nd was a bit of a surprise. The title and the cover give you the impression that it is going to be a fairly run of the mill chick lit story however it is actually quite a punchy and engaging sports romance.
Emma Lexington is an Australian media specialist who joins the New York Warriors American Football club on a one year exchange programme. Coming from an Aussie Rules background she has a steep learning curve to get to grips with the intricacies of her newly adopted sport. When she finds out that she’s going to be the main media support for the star quarterback Will Jensen she knows that it is the opportunity of her career and one that won’t be without its challenges.
Fighting the attraction between them Emma keeps Will at arm’s length while he tries to prove that there is more than lust at play here. While there is an element of the insta-love relationship so beloved of romance authors it feels like Lexington and 42nd has a bit more depth to it. A lot of time and effort is put into creating the characters and the world they inhabit. You do feel quite invested in the world that Carmody has woven in quite an exceptional debut novel.
Not knowing very much about the intricacies of the NFL myself I was quite happy to discover that a vast knowledge of the game wasn’t really necessary. As long as you can conjure up a mental image of a big hunky quarterback you’re pretty much sorted! I liked the fact that the publisher chose an artier shot for the cover rather than the bog-standard beefcake that tends to be the case on this type of romance. It is a hot read although nothing exceptionally explicit. The relationship between the two and the ensuing angst is a bigger pull than the erotica.
Interesting to note that this is book one from the Off Field series and that there will be more to come from the New York Warriors.
Supplied by Net Galley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Lexington and 42nd (The Off Field Series Book 1)
Categories: 4 Stars Book Review
angelnet69
Prolific reader, enthusiastic theatre and movie-goer and ex-Olivier Awards judge who spent twenty years working in the music industry in London. Sharing my house with a gorgeous cockapoo called Harry who has taken over completely.
I love sharing my favourite books with friends - nearly always spoiler-free as I hate reading a synopsis of the whole book in other reviews.
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