Title: The Summer Games: Out of Bounds
Author: R.S. Grey
Release Date: Aug 1, 2016
I despise Erik Winter.
He’s arrogant and cruel—a man I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy—and by some twisted turn of fate, he’s my new Olympic gymnastics coach.
I’ve had to contend with gruff coaches in the past, but Erik is far worse. His stern demeanor complements a body built for intimidation, and his reprimands come from a mouth so cunning, I know it could strip me of my defenses—if I let it.
Though each of us would love to be rid of the other forever, we are bound to each other by need and necessity. I’m his rising star, his best shot at proving himself to his critics. And without a coach, I have zero chance of winning gold in Rio.
The easiest way forward would be to wave a white flag and make peace with the man I’ll be sharing close quarters with for the foreseeable future, but he is intent on war.
Fine. By. Me.
If he pushes me, I’ll push back harder. If he wants to test me, to play with my head, I’ll show him just how many boundaries I’m willing to cross. Because I know it’s not a choice between winning or warring—not if you can have them both. At the end of it all, I plan on leaving Rio with gold around my neck and his icy heart in the palm of my hand.
My Review
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Brie is a gymnast headed to the Olympics. She loves her sport and has tremendous talent, but for her there is more to winning Gold than the glory. Brie wants to win so that she can pay her mom back for everything she sacrificed so that she could pursue her passion for gymnastics. A month before the Olympic games, the USA team coach falls ill, and his son Erik is named as his replacement. Erik is sexy, but difficult. Brie is determined not to let this challenging relationship with her coach throw her off course. It's tough to train for an elite event when there are intense feelings and prickly personalities in play.
Yet again, I can count on this author to give me the sexual tension and engaging story I'm looking for. I don't even need to know what one of her books is about before I read it because I've never been let down so far. Brie is an easy character to care about even though I was frustrated by her behavior more than once. Erik is most definitely hot, but he too had me gnashing my teeth in frustration at his behaviors. I wanted to scream at both of them, but I was also desperate for them to sort out their issues and just let themselves be happy.
The themes are fun and engaging and this book has many elements that I enjoy. Mild taboo and power differential in play with the coach/athlete relationship, elite-level athlete life, stubborn personalities and serious lust clashing, and many more. The story is engaging and I read straight through once I started. I will gladly read more by this author in the future!
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review
I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.
I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.
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