Loving Him Off the Field (Santa Fe Bobcats, #2)

by Jeanette Murray

[Cocktails and Books]

LOVING HIM OFF THE FIELD is an engaging story about Killian Reeves who is a kicker for the Bobcats, a professional football team. He’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t have any friends and keeps his distance from everyone, including his teammates. He’s not the typical high profile jock, he doesn’t have any interest in groupies, media attention or living the high life; he lives a simple, solitary life in a rented apartment.

Aileen Rogers is a hard working reporter, but is frustrated her boss doesn’t take her seriously and only gives her fluff pieces to write about. Even though her assignments aren’t meaty, Aileen still puts her heart into everything she writes. I admire Aileen’s perseverance. She always remains optimistic, doesn’t let anything get her down and continually tries to prove herself.

Killian and Aileen meet when Aileen expresses an interest in writing a story about Killian. Killian isn’t the typical ego driven athlete and immediately shuts down the idea. However, he soon finds out just how tenacious Aileen can be, when she continually hounds him, until he grudgingly agrees to the interview, just to get her out his hair.

It’s easy to empathize with Killian and Aileen because they are both nice, down to earth people. Killian’s not an arrogant athlete; he’s modest and feels guilty for making so much money, just for kicking a ball. I respect Aileen’s ethics, because she would never take advantage of anyone to get a story. Jeanette Murray writes a believable story that drew me in from the first page.

Reviewed by Karen for Cocktails and Books