Kate Stewart (4)

I really liked this second chance romance that takes place during the week before Christmas. Whitney and Eli dated for 8 months in college. We don't really know what happened between them back then, but we do know that there are definitely feelings remaining and truths that need to be told. Eli gets a job working for Whitney's brother who knows nothing of their past relationship when he invites Eli to the family Christmas getaway at the family cabin. Eli, however, DID know his boss's connection to Whitney and sees this as a chance to tell her what was really going on with him when he broke her heart 17 years earlier. There are also some little side stories going on with Whitney's siblings and their significant others. We get to watch all kinds of emotions come to a head just in time for Christmas. As soon as Eli appeared on the scene, I was completely invested in the story. I thought the details about their past were doled out in just the right amounts to keep me reading. The side stories didn't feel tacked on and all had their place in the final outcome and message about relationships over time. While there are some very emotional aspects to this story, the love and family fun gave plenty of fuzzy warm feelings as well. I really loved this book.… (mehr)

“We’re still breathing and our hearts are still beating. So no, I don’t think it’s too late.”

I absolutely adore holiday rom coms like I don’t even care they are all amazing. I thought this one was really cute. I think it definitely nailed the humor element. It had me laughing so hard at times… and a couple other times I spit out my drink from laughing so I mean I loved it. Whitney is hilarious right from the start. I mean all the characters are phenomenal and so well written but the real MVPs of the book are Allen and Peyton. I’ve never laughed so hard.

Okay so funniness aside, one thing I loved about this book was how real it was. I mean a giant family get together always has some issues and this book made the ones we encountered so believable. We have all the underlying problems but everyone trying to put on a happy face for the holidays. I really enjoyed how real it all was. Like yes, this is what a family looks like. Not to mention all the conflicts were so legit. Like painfully so.

I think this book was good and if you enjoyed Happy Place at all you would like this. It is very much a slow burn and it switches back and forth in the present and past. I would have liked the switches to the past to have been a little clearer, the only distinction is they are in italics. I also wish the book had been just a little bit shorter. I felt like sometimes it got so wrapped up in details that weren’t really important: like I don’t need a 5 paragraph description of the house. I also felt like the reconciliation element felt a bit rushed, given how long we spent focused on the everything else. I think I also would have liked to see the other characters issues more resolved in detail. However, overall this is an amazing Christmas read!… (mehr)

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
The Guy in the Middle is the third book in the "Underdogs" series by Kate Stewart. This was also my first Kate Stewart. I was looking for a football romance, and this one was at the top of the list and I was intrigued enough as this is an author that I have been to read for ages and I know that this series is very highly loved. I did find it interesting to see how this story developed. I had no expectations going into this book but this one is a long one for sure so keep that in mind when reading it. And it didn't need to be almost 500 pages lol it definitely could have been shortened to 350. But overall I really enjoyed this couple and seeing them work their way towards their HEA. Even though this is the third in the series, I do think you can read these books as standalones as I didn't really feel lost or anything but I am intrigued by the other couples and would love to get to their stories.

First Line
Sweat skates down every muscle, every crevice, every solid indentation on the wall of his massive chest.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Lance
-Rancher
-College Student
-Struggling with aspects of PTSD and Anger Management
-MMA fighter in training

The Heroine: Harper
-Dancer/Ballerina
-College Student
-Daughter of Football Coach
-Jewish Faith

Summary
Harper and Lance meet in the most unlikely place...at night in the gym where their mutual friend owns and runs it. They have one entanglement but chemistry is strong between them and thus start a short fling but when Harper's father finds out she is dating one of his players, and the news gets out, Harper is forced to end things with Lance without giving him the full truth on why she is abandoning what they have. Lance is willing to fight for her but Harper leaves him to go dance in NYC and travel Europe. When Lance and Harper are brought back together, Harper will need to come clean to Lance and to prove that she is willing to fight for their relationship. But earning her way back into Lance's heart won't be easy after trampling on it...

What I Loved
First off this is a HEROINE having to do the grovel and I soaked it up like a sponge. We get so many books where the hero wrongs the heroine so it was just so refreshing to have the heroine being in the wrong and have to work at it to earn back that trust she lost with Lance. But also this is the second book in two weeks where the heroine has family in the Jewish faith and I really loved that. From my observation she isn't really in the faith or she wouldn't be having sexual flings with athletes lol But it was very interesting to see how this was being developed. The romance between them is so full of back to forth angst. Through more than half of it through the hero is fighting for the heroine. There are many things he doesn't know on why she keeps rejecting what they have together. So my heart bled for him because he puts his heart and soul out there for her and to be honest she does stomp on it. So I loved that Troy gets involved and becomes her "grasshopper" and convinces her to fight for Lance like he has been doing for her. But she has a battle, because she has lost all trust with him and he is working through many issues other than their relationship and she will have to fight hard to get him back with her but how she fights for him and his family was beyond endearing. I wasn't really a fan of how long this book was and the drawn out angst wasn't my favorite element in the story. But I just ended up loving this romance and this couple so its definitely a solid 4 stars for me.

Overall View
The Guy in the Middle is a story of working through trauma, fighting for love no matter the risk and coming out on top after facing adversity and embracing your heart's desire.....TRULY A SHINING STAR OF NA ROMANCE!

Favorite Quote(s)
“What if this moment, right here, is the moment that changes your life?”

But I’m no longer just a dancer in love with a football player. I’m a woman in love with a man I can’t and refuse to live without.

I am his. I’ll always be his. Since the day I met him, he boxed his way into my heart, my champion, my fighter, my nemesis, my undoing, my everything.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Groveling Heroine, Athlete, Dancer, Cowboy, Plain Jane
Themes: Football, Angst, Country/Ranch
Tropes: Forbidden Love

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix of Both

Song This Book Inspires
Never Met a Girl Like You Before by The Insects

Recommendation For Reading Order
Can be read as a standalone

Steam/Spice Explanations

Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.… (mehr)