Draw Play by Tia Lewis

There was a familiarity about the story setting that while it may have bothered some actually comforted me, I love a sports story…the arrogant jock that meets his match in a studious nerd and gets his ass handed to him on a plate, what isn’t to like about that!

Initially I didn’t think there was anything on this planet that was going to have me rooting for Jake, he was a class one pr**k and from what I could see he deserved all he got but Claire on the other hand while I found the whole highly intelligent, studious girl quite predictable somewhat I thought that she was a breath of fresh air as a person.

Appointed as a tutor to Jake, Claire is happy to make the extra money but not so happy with the company she will have to keep, they have nothing in common or so it would seem. While Jake is studying English, which just happens to be the very same subject he is failing miserable, Claire really is a swat, she’s in Pre-Law and doing a darn fine job of it too, but a little extra money is not to be sniffed at, so it’s a case of sucking it up and getting on with the task.

IAs expected Claire really does have a loathing for football players but I liked the fact that she wasn’t condescending to Jake, mind you I think she may have had her hands full if she had been, he was far from stupid, he just had his priorities muddled. I think having Claire around was always going to clear his head so to speak in more ways than one because it didn’t take long for the fizzle of something more to take hold.

I loved the fact that they were willing to form a friendship, to accept the time they were being forced to spend together and to put it to good use, yes it might have been at the behest of someone else to begin with but in the end they each found a confidante and as time passed they were able to open up a little more to each other. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, what did you expect but it was more than I thought it was going to be.

I liked the way the author way willing to show that despite the fact that Jake appeared to have the world at his feet he had issues that he kept to himself , a feeling of inadequacy almost, the fact that while those around him had everything he aspired too, it was an aspiration because nothing he had or would ever have had come off the back of anything but hard graft…he might have come from a single parent family with barely a dollar to their name but he was a man that was determined to make his way in the world and I liked that about him, he was resilient, tough and determined but he had heart and was a sharp cookie.

The verbal sparring between the two of them was a joy to read, they really bounced off each other and the author was able to slip in a spot or two of steam!

Overall, nothing really to dislike, the book was a little more than I had anticipated but I liked the authors approach, her writing style and her character development. I’ll certainly look out for more of her work.