Luke is even better than he looks.
I know you’ve seen the cover for Stealing Home but maybe you should study it again…
Look at those muscles. I mean he’s like a work of art. Guess what? Luke Archer is almost perfect on the inside too. I can confirm that Nicole Williams knows what boxes to tick to create the best hero.
Hmmm…let’s tick them off one by one and see if you agree with me.
- Luke Archer has three younger sisters. This means that Luke has lived and breathed females nearly his whole life. He knows we get hormonal, have very long memories and in general, can be a pain in the ass. Less training needed.
- Luke Archer has seen what true love looks like. Luke’s parents shared a deep and emotional connection. They did not hide it from their kids. This gives Luke something to aim for. He might mistakenly look in the wrong direction at first, but eventually he’ll recognise the real deal.
- Luke Archer has experienced great loss. Luke’s learnt to make the most of every situation and not waste time on the bad stuff. This also means he’ll fight for what he believes in.
- Luke Archer does not expect handouts. He works bloody hard to be the best on the field. He doesn’t want the perks involved with his career just a fair salary and good teammates. This means that the fame and fortune haven't gone to his head. He’s down to earth and doesn’t get his head turned by the pretties.
So, there you have it. Luke is a bloody good catch. Looks good, feels great (I’m guessing) and acts sweet. When we first meet him and get to know him, you realise that baseball is not his only focus. He is also the guardian of his 3 teenage sisters and their health and welfare are a top priority.
We meet Allie who is the new athletic trainer for the San Diego Shock’s baseball team. It’s not an easy job but it’s made even harder because she’s a chick walking into a role that is normally male dominated. Allie doesn’t mind working hard to achieve her goals. She’s focused and determined to succeed which means that work comes ahead of her social life and relationships. Allie’s just had another short term relationship go kaput which just reinforces her belief that her career and boyfriends just don’t mix. Allie has seen so many HOT bodies in her job that she doesn’t “see” them anymore…which in my opinion, is an absolute travesty. There is one man’s body that she does “see” though. Star of the team, clutch hitter, Luke Archer. Allie doesn’t realise that Luke sees her and likes what he sees. At first, Allie thinks he is pranking her when he shows interest. Why would someone as famous, gorgeous and rich as him be interested in her? Allie’s also a little hesitant to put her career in jeopardy for a player.
Stealing Home takes us behind the scenes of a professional baseball team. It’s not all fun and glory. It’s mostly hard work, lots of travel and making sure your head is in the game. There’s internal politics, egos and attitudes that Allie has to work against to do her job but she proves herself again and again. Luke is the star because of his skill but also because he’s such a great team player as well. He supports and encourages them to do their best…just more proof Luke’s a top bloke.
Now, Stealing Home was almost perfect. The characters were appealing, the storyline kept my attention from start to finish (HELLO…stayed up reading until one o’clock in the morning) and it was a love story that I really believed. What it missed for me was the gut punches, overwhelming swooning, heart flutters and tears flowing. Look, I’m not a writer so I don’t know how you add these into a story, but Stealing Home just missed it by a smidge. It had all the ingredients in the bowl but the mixer was stuck at a slow setting and not enough volume or depth was achieved. For some, this would probably make it perfect for them as the angst is low. I’m looking for more when I allocate a 5-star read. I should have busted a gut, shed a tear or felt like punching someone at least once.
Stealing Home is definitely worth trying out. I really enjoyed getting to know Luke and Allie, seeing their love blossom and watching them learn to trust each other. There are some steamy scenes that showed the connection between the characters. It was also nice to meet a superstar sports hero whose sports prowess is more important than who he’s sleeping with.
This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I can definitely say it won’t be my last.
To buy Stealing Home from Amazon - http://amzn.to/2a4HZeM
I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -