NOT MY ROMEO

A librarian meeting a blind date accidentally approaches the wrong man—the quarterback of the local NFL team.

After Elena Riley’s boyfriend dumps her for her own sister, she is determined to get back in the dating game. She allows her roommate to arrange a Valentine’s Day blind date at one of Nashville’s hottest restaurants. Jack Hawke is reeling from a devastating Super Bowl loss, and even though he realizes he’s not Elena’s date, he’s unable to resist this charming woman who is oblivious to his fame. After a sizzling one-night stand, Jack reveals his true identity but is determined to never see her again. Jack’s last girlfriend, furious after their breakup, wrote a tell-all memoir full of lies about him. His deep-seated trust issues make him wary of continuing to date a woman who refuses to sign his NDA, but Elena isn’t interested in continuing a relationship based only on sex. They seem to be at an impasse, but a series of coincidences, some more believable than others, keep throwing them together. The novel is full of quirky small-town characters who draw Jack and his teammates into their world. When Jack and Elena are cast as the leads in the local production of Romeo and Juliet, they can no longer fight their attraction. They are both likable and fully-developed, but random plot devices drive the story more than organic character growth. Nevertheless, the romance is pleasing and well paced.

A romance aiming to be cute and quirky hits its mark.