FOURTH DOWN - Desiree Holt

#4 in the Game On romance series

GREAT CHARACTERS WHO FIND EACH OTHER - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Chase and Holly are both annoyed that their friends keep trying to fix them up with other people, and they want to get them off their backs. So they decide to pretend to date each other while really staying in the friend zone. The sparks they feel for each other, however, are leading them in a different direction, much to their concern.

Writing - 4 stars - I was able to jump right into this story, even though I haven't read any of the previous books in this series. It was easy to read, well into my comfort zone, and I enjoyed the warm feeling it gave me.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story really shone for me. Chase is a player (nicknamed The Hot Guy), a member of the Coast Guard (which is very hot--a man in uniform, after all), and a kids' football coach (makes him also warm and caring). But his abandonment issues keep him from getting close to a woman. Holly, with baggage of her own, is a firefighter who has to deal with family and friends who think she shouldn't be in a "man's job." But we get to know them intimately, and we realize that both are strong and kind and loving, just trying to find their way without getting hurt again. I loved their inner strength, yet they weren't afraid to admit their vulnerabilities (at least to themselves). Their camaraderie was great, and they both seem like a lot of fun.

Title - 4 stars - At first I felt this was misleading since it makes the reader think it's going to be a sports romance about football. But actually that's a peripheral part of the story, with the Coast Guard and firefighting being much more in the limelight. However, when we finally learn the meaning of the title (almost at the very end of the book), it makes perfect sense and is actually very clever.

Cover - 4 stars - Although this is a typical cover for this type of book, there's nothing wrong with looking at a great set of abs.

Overall - 4 stars - This is a new-to-me author, and I enjoyed it very much. She created wonderful characters that I would really love to hang around with. Yet they are realistic and approachable, with real problems and strong characters. I very much enjoyed learning more about the Coast Guard and the fire department and am very appreciative of the difficult work they do to protect us. It was interesting to learn a bit more about both fields, and the action scenes were exciting. I plan to go back and find the first three books in this series so I can catch up.

Rosalie's review:

Chase DeMarco is a former football player and now puts everything he has into being a Coast Guard and youth football coach. He has no desire to find a woman, who has time and who wants the hassle? Until he runs into hot as hell (in and out of gear) firefighter Holly Funchess. Working out in the same gym as her, watching how she handles the machines, makes him wonder exactly how hot the two can be together…..
Having left her home after a miserably failed relationship due to her career, Holly has no desire to even try again. All men will HAVE to have a problem with her being a tough firefighter, just like her ex, so why even set yourself up for heartache. When she meets Chase, however, he doesn’t seem to mind that she has a very demanding and “manly” type of career. She feels that all he really sees her for are her best assets,,,,ahem, focus on the ass here.
This was a great read that made me feel like I was part of the book myself. I felt like Holly and like I was going to “battle” with sexy as hell Chase. I didn’t want this one to end, although the ending was a good one…just bittersweet because it was over. If you love romance and sports combined, with a little bit of woman power, this is totally the read for you!