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GUARDING SOPHIE
Love and Football #5.5
Julie Brannagh
Releasing Nov 10th, 2015
Avon Books
Seattle Sharks wide receiver Kyle Carlson needs to escape and Noel, Washington, is the perfect place for him to do it and figure out his next step. He likes the seclusion and predictability of the small town…until the biggest surprise of his life turns up in the local grocery store.
Sophie Hayes has her own reasons for disappearing without a trace and moving to Noel. This mountain town makes her feel safe for the first time in a long time. But her quiet routine is threatened when Kyle walks back into her life. Growing up in the same Florida town, she always had a little thing for the sexy football player. This tie to her old life, though, could mean she has to run again, even if her heart wants to stay.
When the reason she fled shows up in Noel, Kyle and Sophie, with a little extra help from his teammates, must decide to stay and fight for the life, and love, they’ve found together.
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Kyle Carlson wore sunglasses, but
they were no match for the brilliance of Noel, Washington’s
late-spring sunshine. Noel was a mountain pass and a ninety-minute
drive away from his life in Seattle. The small town was the perfect
place to get lost for a while.
He shielded his eyes with one hand
as the real estate agent and interior decorator he’d hired drifted
into view. The real estate agent held out a shiny new set of house
keys to him.
“It’s all yours, Kyle.
Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Everything’s
ready to go?”
“Of course,” the decorator said.
“You wanted simple but comfortable and earth tones. I hope you’ll
love it. If you have questions or need anything else, please give me
a call right away.” She dug into what Kyle knew was an expensive
designer handbag and extended her brightly-patterned business card to
him. “Thank you for the business and enjoy.”
“Take a look inside,” the real
estate agent said. “I think you’ll love it.”
“I’ll do that,” Kyle said.
“Thanks again.”
The real estate agent and interior
designer shook hands with him and got into their car. He raised a
hand in farewell as they followed the winding, narrow road back to
downtown Noel, I-90 and civilization as quickly as possible.
Kyle longed for privacy like other
people wanted drugs or alcohol. He hadn’t always been so
anti-social. The past seven years of dealing with scores of family
members, “friends” and others who thought he was their personal
ATM machine since he was drafted into the NFL had finally taken its
toll. He realized that his profession didn’t really lend itself to
anonymity. Maybe he should have become a plumber or an auto mechanic
instead of the starting wide receiver for the world champion Seattle
Sharks. If he’d had a more unobtrusive life, he’d go to work from
seven to four or so, go home, put his feet up, have a beer and quit
worrying about the problems that came when one was lucky enough to
earn a staggering income for catching a football six months a year.
Kyle walked up the front path and
climbed two stairs to the A-line’s wraparound front porch. The
front door of his new cabin was hardwood inlaid with baguettes of
beveled, leaded glass. Two stories featured floor-to-ceiling windows
that looked out over a view of blue skies, puffy white clouds, and
endless evergreens. Instead of the rustic, unfinished structure most
people would imagine when hearing the word “cabin”, his new place
was as luxurious as the stylish Seattle hotel he’d just checked out
of. It was also the perfect place to hide out for a couple of months.
He stepped over the threshold of the
cabin he’d spent a shocking amount of money on and took a deep
breath. Sun-warmed, lemon-scented air surrounded him. The front door
shut behind him as he glanced around.
The floors were hardwood. The
furnishings were earth tones, man-sized, with a few brightly colored
accents to draw the eye. A gas fireplace with a stone surround
dominated most of one wall in the living room. A long staircase led
to a loft that overlooked the first story and three bedrooms. He’d
thought long and hard about the extra two bedrooms before buying the
place. If he had nowhere for anyone else to sleep, they’d be a lot
less likely to visit, which worked for him.
He let out a contented sigh as he
realized the only sound was his breathing. He’d bought the house in
the name of a trust his family and friends knew nothing about. He’d
moved out of his huge house in Newcastle two days ago and used the
proceeds from its sale to fund the house he was currently standing in
and a one-bedroom condo in a Bellevue high rise, also in the name of
the trust. It was his choice who found out where he was and what he
was doing from now on.
He’d have almost two months of
solitude before training camp started. He couldn’t wait.
Reprinted
Courtesy of HarperCollinsPublishers
I received a free copy for an honest review. But I went ahead and bought it because this is my usual fare. I love sports romances! And this is no exception.
I personally found Sophie a bit of a scaredy cat because I felt that she went to the extreme right at the start. Yeah I know she was frightened at her attack but I still felt she took an extreme decision right off the bat. Otherwise I found her to be likeable with her inner strength and her indecisiveness. She came across as realistic in the romance department. As for Kyle, he totally rocked my boat with his sensitiveness and yearning. I preferred Kyle to Sophie though.
The story was very easy to read and it was a very fast one too. It was over too soon in my opinion. The author caught my attention from the start and I loved the fun tale. It had a mix of happiness and fear and sadness. Overall, though, it was a satisfactory book.
My one line review : A fun sports romance with loveable protagonists
My rating : 4/5
My reread factor : 5/5
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Today Bestselling Author, Julie Brannagh has been writing since she was old
enough to hold a pencil. She lives in a small town near Seattle, where she once
served as a city council member and owned a yarn shop. She shares her home with
a wonderful husband, two uncivilized Maine Coons and a rambunctious chocolate
Lab.
When
she’s not writing, she’s reading, or armchair-quarterbacking her favorite NFL
team from the comfort of the family room couch. Julie is a Golden Heart
finalist and the author of contemporary sports romances.
Great review!
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