Second String

I usually don't go for sports themes, this one hit its mark with me. I loved the characters and I wanted to read about them way into the night.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not what I expected, but a very memorable story


I started this book anticipating a sports romance and intrigued by the blurb promising a second string quarterback. I don't know that I would call this a true sports romance as there is very little sports discussion in the book, but it was an engaging story nonetheless. I found the characters had depth and were interesting. They were each battling their own demons and pasts, so putting them together increased the questions and tension. I did get frustrated with the heroine giving so many mixed signals, but it was never done in such a way that she became unlikable and there was a solid reason for her actions. I really liked the hero. He was so different from the typical alpha hero, and the way the author slowly revealed his character and self doubt was perfect. I also was intrigued by the secondary characters, and would definitely read more in the series. The pace was pretty fast with lots of side stories. However, it didn't feel rushed at all, but rather kept my interest peaked throughout the book. I liked that things were somewhat messy with both characters and within their romance at times. It made the story a bit different and kept the story relatable. There were a number of editing misses, but they didn't take away from the story. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, and will be looking for more of her books in the future.

Second String by M.C.Webb lured me into the story then pulverized my emotions. Two lost souls...but it doesn't feel like that story. This one is so well written that it sneaks up on you. The power in the characters, in their resistance to each other, their growth throughout the story and their ability to share with each other makes for a powerful story and a feeling of hope.

Jett has always been second best in everything. He has been cut from his second string on his NFL team. Needing to get away he drives til he comes upon a bar in a small town? Beaux is the owner of the bar and in the military and about to be deployed, he's worried about his sister in law Jesse doing to much so he asks Jett to manage the bar will he's gone. Jesse is a young grieving widow who lost her husband while he was deployed, she is living day to day. She is the local veterinarian and co-owner of the bar. The day she meets Jett she gets a funny feeling that she hasn't had in years and runs from him. The chemistry between them can't be denied, Jesse wants to sleep with him but feels she cheating on her husband and Jett wants Jesse to be his woman and he's not sure how he's supposed to fight a ghost. This is a fast paced, quick read that had me laughing and crying.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Jett is newly released from his position in the NFL and is aimlessly driving around, looking to escape the reality that is his being fired from the team. He stumbles upon a small town, and quickly makes friends with the co-owner and bartender Beaux, who suggests that he stay to help run the bar while he is deployed. The big roadblock is Jesse, the other owner, sister-in-law of Beaux, town Vet and still grieving widow. While Jesse is not thrilled to have Jett's help she gives in and thats where the attraction gets stronger.

However, Jesse is still married to her deceased husband in mind and spirit, and has a hard time getting close to anyone romantically, yet that doesn't stop Jesse and Jett from having a physical relationship. Throughout the book, the two have highs and lows, and struggle to be with each other without really being with each other. However, in the end the struggle to keep Jett emotionally far from her backfires, and Jesse falls in deeper than she expected. At the same time, in his effort to make their relationship work, there are other issues that appear. Whether they can stay together or drift apart is up to them.

I really did enjoy this book, and I couldn't put it down. It was an easy read, with lovable characters and realistic emotions that had me laugh and want to cry right along with them. It had a strong focus on respecting military, while at the same time provided a great insight to what happens when a famous person puts down roots in a small town. I can't wait to see what else this author has in store.

Second string tells the story of Jett and Jesse - two people who are trying to find their path in life.

Jett has just been cut from his NFL team where he was the second string quarterback. While having a successful college career, he doesn't make it in the pros (to much of the dismay from his brother who is a current NFL starting quarterback and their father, a former NFL star). He feels lost after this chapter of his life is over - "literally drifting in the wind" -he has no clue which direction his life needs to head in next. As he is driving through a small Texas town on the way to his hometown, he stops at a local bar for a drink. There, he meets the owner who jokingly offers him a job and with nothing left to loose, he accepts.

Jesse is the small town's local vet and co-owner of the bar - and happens to be a widow at a very young age. She meets Jett the day he is hired at the bar and is reluctant to accept help. There is attraction between the two, but Jesse can't even imagine moving on from her late husband. Even when Jesse finally admits her connection to Jett, she is ashamed and feels guilty. Jett on the other hand is ecstatic of their relationship, but when he is given an opportunity for his future he must decide what direction he wants really wants in his life.

This was a quick, short read that was fast-paced. I'm interested to see if some of the other characters (Walker or Beaux) will get their own books.

This was a cute romance. I just loved these two together. I always love a good sports romance. This book has romance and sex.

There was a small town in Texas where the military meant something to its residents and visitors alike. I really liked that aspect. Jesse was the town vet and part owner of a bar in this small town where Jett blunders into one day after being cut from his NFL team. Jett likes the town and the bar and the vet.

The book seems short but richly developed with characters that make sense. We get their motivation and understand where they are coming from. One of my favorite characters was Jett's brother, Walker. He almost steals the show with his Alpha swagger. Good thing Jesse sees right through him. Whew, our girl does work HEA.

Good light read, likable characters, good story. I wish there was a bar like that close to where I live!

I really enjoyed this novel. It grabbed my heart from the first page to the last. The characters touched my heart. I love opening the first page of a novel and being taken on a journey of love and self discovery. This novel was so good. I loved the Jesse and Jett as a couple and loved their happily ever after.

This book was a good second chance at love romance read with some steamy sex parts. I enjoyed not only the book a lot, but all of the characters within the story and the epilogue was perfect. I would love to read a follow up book about Walker and Beau. This is the first book I've read from this author and it definitely wont be my last.

Jett is at a crossroads when he meets Jesse. When he accepts a job managing the bar she co-owns, he feels like he has found a home. Jett is falling for Jesse but he never comes in first, not with his family, not with his work in pro football, and now not with Jesse, who is still in love with her dead husband. Will he ever be able to convince here to give him a chance? This is a touching, well-written story with characters you care about. I really enjoyed this sweet romance.

I was provided with a free copy of this book by NetGalley.

Second String is an emotional journey through discovering yourself and learning to love. Jett is a backup quarterback just let go and Jesse is a widow lost in her grief. Lost, Jett ends up in a bar in small town in Texas. He just wants to drink and forget - forget being fired, forget the pressure put on him by his family and hide from their disappointment. Instead he meets Beau who offers him kindness, friendship and a job. And when Jett see Jesse from across the bar he jumps at Beau's offer. Jesse is a grieving widow and no one would be as good as her Jonny. But Jesse can't deny her reaction to Jett and so they, reluctantly, start their journey toward love and healing. This story has something for everyone - football, marines, cowboys, hot sex, some religious/spiritual explorations, and of course an HEA. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more by M.C. Webb.

I received this book for free from the author/publisher via NetGalley and I'm voluntarily giving an honest review.

This is a great story about second chances and rediscovering your dreams.

Jett is part of a football dynasty, in which both his father and his older brother played or coached in the NFL, and he is expected to do the same. Unfortunately, his talent and interests are not in football, so when he is cut from the team, he begins to explore other opportunities.

Jesse is a small-town vet and widow, whose high school sweetheart and husband was killed in the military. Despite her brother-in-law's desire for her to get back out there and date, Jesse spends her time in her vet practice and tending the books of the bar she co-owns with her brother-in-law.

Jett and Jesse begin a slow romance, where Jett sweetly pursues Jesse and tenderly waits for her to come to grips with her loss and moving on. The events of the story are both comical and touching, as challenges and obstacles that are sometimes visible and sometimes a surprise occur.

This was an original and creative story with a tender romance. I would recommend Second String as a short but fulfilling romance.

4.5 stars. It took me a little bit to become engaged in this story but I think that's because the author paints such a complete landscape with her words. Later I came to realize that that is the beauty of it. This is a coming-of-age book more than it is a sports book and it might also be considered a military book. Jett is a professional quarterback from a famous football family who was just cut from his team. The striking thing is that he doesn't really care all that much about it. He didn't really love football to begin with. His choices were driven by his family. Jett starts driving with no destination in mind to get away from it all especially from his father and brother and ends up in a small bar, called Slop Chute. "It's a military thing" Jett is told. The bar is jointly owned by Beaux and his sister-in-law Jesse, the wife of his deceased brother. Beaux is soon to be deployed and Jesse has more than she can handle as a practicing veterinarian and bar owner.
This is the story of Jett coming to better understand his relationship with his father and his brother. Jett has never really considered his own personal life goals. It is also the first time Jett has been attracted to a woman for something other than beauty. " ...it had everything to do with the magnetic pull of my heart toward hers". The author's descriptions of emotions are so compelling that you feel the emotions immediately. "There isn't a situation that I can think of where I don't want her. There isn't a word profound enough for what it is I'm feeling and that realization makes me crazy."
It is also the story of widow Jesse coming to understand that her husband Jonny has been dead five years and he's not coming back and that she has the potential to love someone else as much or more but differently.
The author brings us very beautiful love story with a little football, interesting veterans, a few social issues and lots of camaraderie in the setting of a military bar in rural Texas.
This was my very first read by this author but it won't be my last! A beautiful story!