Book Review: Best Year Ever by Kylie Skye

Official Synopsis: RORI

After a sizzling one night stand on New Years, I was ready to forget him. No distractions will get in the way of my tennis dreams - including pro football players that look like Greek gods.

Yet wherever I turn, there he is, refusing to be ignored. As he breaks down my walls, I propose we explore whatever this is between us, so long as it stays label-free and a secret.

But can anything stay a secret with the media frenzies surrounding us both?

LANDON

I can’t let go of our night together. As a pro athlete, I follow careful rules when it comes to the women I hook up with. She makes me want a different playbook this time around.

Only, she asks to keep our relationship casual and on the down low. On top of that, this year’s the biggest one yet for both of us professionally. She’s storming up the ranks in women’s tennis, and my team’s set to make major moves in the league.

Can I convince her that we’re the perfect match, even during the best year ever for our sports dreams?

If you are a frequent reader of this blog, then you know I love a sports romance book that involves tennis, even if it's just one of the main characters that plays. This story follows Rori Reilly, an up and coming tennis star who is fighting to make her name into the top 10 in the world. When she meets Landon Battle at a sponsor's New Years Eve party she is immediately smitten and they end up spending the night together. A very wild night that they can't seem to stop thinking about even after going their separate ways. When they see each other again at a photoshoot for a clothing brand, they decide to give it another go, another night can't hurt, especially since Rori is about travel the world for Grand Slam season.

After their second night together, and finally exchanging numbers, they decide to stay in communication, it can't hurt to have another athlete as a friend...right? Now they are texting and Facetiming, sharing their fears and likes with each other. As their connection grows, they start to realize they might feel more than a two-night stand, but both of them are weary of what a relationship could mean for their public identities. When they decide to keep it secret and keep their 'dates' private and away from the public, they think it will work. But keeping your feelings for someone private when you suddenly starting showing up to her tennis matches is hard, and there are sources that want to break the drama first.

Rori and Landon both have a lot on their plates, which is why we learn they don't usually go for a full relationship, but their connection is immediate and they decide to act on it. I liked how easily the characters connected, even with having their own things going on. I also enjoyed how they still both stayed in their sports and chasing their chances are championships. We definitely see more of Landon's off time, because its the summer and when a lot of the tennis stuff is happening, but that we also get to see them navigate the travel, time zones and other aspects of both being professional athletes.

Though the book does have two different sports as the character's jobs, there isn't too much sports talk overall. We get scenes of them of them at practice or tournaments, but nothing too crazy on the sports end overall. I think their relationship made a lot of sense and their concerns seemed pretty valid about how the public would perceive them. One thing is that I really thought we wouldn't have a full third act breakup, but as a certified hater of them, I must report that there is one.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but in the grand scheme of sports romance or just romance in general in fell into the middle of the pack of me. I didn't have too many complaints, I thought the characters were decent at communicating even in their busy lives and I enjoyed seeing how Landon fell first and gave her gifts and showed his love by doing acts of service. Even with the third act breakup, which I realize is used a lot in romance/sports romance, this book felt like it was perfectly in the middle of the ratings. For being a debut, indie published book it would definitely be worth checking out to support the author, especially if you do love an easy to read sports romance.

I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars!

Best Year Ever is out now!

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