Fair Game

At last, Darcy Clarke’s dream of playing professional football had come true. The new Women’s Aussie Rules league is now a reality, and nothing will dampen Darcy’s enthusiasm, not even the fact that her ex-boyfriend, Tony Cameron, is the team coach. Darcy is over him, but is Tony over her? Meanwhile, Darcy’s roommate of seven years, Levi Phillips, has been pining, and mentally damning Tony for the five years Tony and Darcy were together. Levi has been suffering from a huge case of unrequited love … or so he thought … Amy Andrews. First, men’s rugby, now women’s Aussie rules football, and just as brilliant! I couldn’t wait to read this book, because a female athlete: please, give me more! I could so identity with Darcy; she was a heroine very close to my heart. I felt I experienced every one of her challenges; I wanted her to make it in football, I wanted her to see how much Levi loved her, I wanted her to have everything. And Levi? Best book boyfriend ever! Caring, considerate, attentive; there was not a sliver of the alpha a-hole manwhore in this superb hero. I was in heaven while reading FAIR GAME! I also Ms. Andrews’ depiction of Tony. I swooned, I bit my nails a bit, and Amy Andrews even made me giggle on a day that was not the happiest for me. I loved the role reversals in FAIR GAME: how wonderful to read about a female athlete, one who really cares about her sport, whose sport is not a plot device but her reason for living. Levi is the massage therapist, and I also appreciated that there was no ethical fine line to be thread. I lived Levi and Darcy’s friendship as if it were my own; I loved the camaraderie between the female footballers; I loved how Levi and Darcy behaved like responsible adults in every aspect of their lives. Just a tiny little thing: would it be possible to have Genevieve’s story, even if only a short story, fifty pages? She was awesome! I just want more of the Women of W.A.R. What more can I say? Super fast-paced; beautifully written as always; the sex scenes are steamy, passionate, and tender; the dialogues feel genuine, and the banter is great; and the romance happens in a realistic timeframe. FAIR GAME is yet another fabulous book by Amy Andrews! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Four and a half stars. So, last year I got mentioned by Amy Andrews in her newsletter because of my comments on one of her books (and not in a good way), TBH I was flattered but it did make me hesitate over requesting this book from NetGalley - would I be disappointed by the sex to plot ratio? Good news for me, I lurved this book, maybe not so good for those who like Amy at her raunchiest ... Anyway, this is the third book in the series Women of W.A.R. (Women's Australian Rules football), each book is by a different author, I loved the first book but wasn't thrilled by the blurb for the second so I gave it a miss but liked the blurb for this and, usually, love Amy Andrews' books so I requested it and I can confirm that you can easily read these books as stand-alone novels. The back-story (which is explained) is that a brand new women's league has been created and the women in each novel are players in the inaugural season. Darcy Clarke has shared a house with Levi Phillips, her ex-boyfriend Tony's ex-friend, since she and Tony were an item and for two years after that. In a bit of a gender stereotype reversal Darcy has a hard physical job as a market-gardener (think lugging huge sacks of compost) and plays the physically demanding game of Australian Rules football (which is not soccer) whereas Levi is a yoga teacher and is all about the wheatgerm and eating clean. However, he is also a total hotty and just the descriptions of him and his messy man-bun brought me out in a hot flush (although these days walking upstairs does that too!). Darcy and Levi have spent the last two years in a great platonic friendship, eating cheese and Vegemite toasties while watching Netflix on their giant sofa is their go-to evening in. But everything starts to change when Darcy finds out she has been selected to play for the Brisbane Banshees. Everything looks good until Darcy discovers that the coach for the Banshees is none other than her ex, Tony Cameron. I'm not going to spoil the development of the romance between Darcy and Levi, I mean who doesn't love a friends to lovers novel? Let me just say, I loved Levi passionately, he was kind, generous and totally deserving of Darcy. The sex was hawt (fans self) AND romantic and totally balanced with the plot. I loved the camaraderie between the women on the team, the interactions with Tony were brilliantly done and never strayed into unrealistic territory. Overall, this was sublime. After giving out two and a half stars left right and centre for most of 2018 so far it was a joy to read this fast-paced, funny and romantic novel - I only wish it had been twice as long! I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.