Tag: New York Leopards Series

Review: Imaginary Lines by Allison Parr

Posted July 24, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Rowena’s review of Imaginary Lines (New York Leopards #3) by Allison Parr.

Tamar Rosenfeld has been in love with New York Leopards linebacker Abraham Krasner since they were twelve years old. She’d always considered it destiny that they’d end up together…until Abe was drafted and she professed her feelings in a moment of blind excitement. The sting of his rejection was like nothing she’d ever felt before, and it’s nothing she’ll ever forget.

Older and wiser, Tamar has landed a dream job as a reporter for one of New York’s premier athletic websites. Determined to stop being the safe, boring girl she’s felt like for most of her life, Tamar makes a list of all the things she wants to do and see in her new city, and Getting Over Abraham is priority number one.

But destiny has finally chosen to interfere. Just as Tamar’s decided to move on, Abe’s realized she’s the only woman for him. When he confides the truth, Tamar has to decide if she can put her crush behind her, or take a chance on the very man who’s been holding her back all these years.

This is Book 3 of the New York Leopards series by Allison Parr and in my opinion, it was another great book.

Abraham and Tamar grew up together. They’re both Jewish and Abraham was a great friend to Tamar so of course she harbored the biggest crush on him imaginable. The year she turned 19, she went to visit Abraham at college and before she knows what is what, she confesses her love to him and he rejects her. Hurt and beyond humiliated, Tamar runs off and disappears to lick her wounds…and get over Abraham for good.

Then she gets a dream job as a sports journalist in New York and she moves there. Her job is to cover the New York Leopards and Abraham is a Leopard. Of course their paths cross and of course Tamar is going to get over Abraham but she wasn’t betting on Abraham not wanting her to get over him.

Abraham has spent the last few years feeling restless. He’s doing a job that he’s really good at but he doesn’t want that job to define him as a person and when Tamar moves to New York, he’s all about righting wrongs because having Tamar around again feels like home again and he’s not about to let anything stop him from going after the one girl who has always been his #1 fan.

I really liked how confident Abraham was about Tamar. I loved seeing the two of them battle each other, one to keep things light and easy, the other fighting for something more lasting. When things got hard between the two of them, I liked how sure Abraham was of his feelings for Tamar. When he started bringing the enemy (Tamar, a journalist) around the guys on his team, I loved how sure he was that she wouldn’t betray them and I really liked the way that Parr handled the whole breaking story that could jeopardize Abraham’s career. I liked that Tamar and Abraham were a team through most everything that they went through as a couple and when they went home and had to come out as a couple to their marriage minded family? I really loved Abraham’s attitude toward that whole thing.

I really felt for both Tamar and Abraham throughout this entire book and when it was finished, I was happy sighing all over the place. This book made me happy, it made me sad and in the end, I was completely satisfied with the outcome of everything.  I’m also thirsty for more. Please write more New York Leopards book, Ms. Parr! 🙂

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Review: Running Back by Allison Parr

Posted July 20, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Running Back by Allison ParrReviewer: Holly
Running Back by Allison Parr
Series: New York Leopards #2
Also in this series: Rush Me
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: October 21st 2013
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Pages: 229
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Natalie Sullivan is on the verge of a breakthrough most archaeology grad students only dream of: discovering a lost city. Her research points to a farm in Ireland, but to excavate she needs permission from the new owner: the Michael O'Connor, popular NFL running back.

On TV Mike seems so charming and good-natured that Natalie figures getting his cooperation will be a breeze. So she's not prepared to deal with the arrogant—and adamantly opposed—man she meets in person. Or the way one look from him sends shivers down her spine…

Determined to kick-start her career, Natalie travels across the Atlantic and finds herself sharing an inn with Mike, who has come to Ireland in search of his roots. She tells herself her interest is strictly professional, but the more she gets to know him, the harder it is to deny her personal attraction to the sexy sports star. And when Mike confides why he refuses to allow the dig, Natalie must decide if she can follow her heart without losing sight of her dreams.

Natalie is a grad student who is planning a dig in Ireland to search for the lost city of Ivernis, which would prove a connection between Ireland and Rome, something she and her mentor have been working toward for years. It’s become something of a wild goose chase, but she’s done a lot research and thinks they may actually find it there. Only problem? The landowner who agreed to let her do the dig died and left the land to his nephew – New York Leopard’s running back Mike O’Connor.  He denies her request, stating personal reasons.

She decides to go on her trip anyway. Even if she can’t dig – which she hopes will change – there’s still research to do and she doesn’t want to pass up a trip to Ireland. As it happens, Mike and his family are also going to Ireland for the wake of his uncle and they’re staying at the same inn (the only inn).  Despite the tension over the dig, Mike’s family draw her into the circle and the two of them form a solid friendship, which eventually turns into more. But Natalie’s parents have taught her that love doesn’t last, and with the dig still there she knows they can’t last.

This was a fairly enjoyable read. Natalie and Mike were both fixed on their careers and neither was looking for love. They developed a friendship that seemed genuine and included a lot of heavy sharing and emotional support, which made the relatively short timeline of the romance work.

In the beginning Natalie’s assertion that love was a myth rang true considering her upbringing. It started to sound hollow the more their relationship developed, considering the amount of time they spent together and how committed they both were to one another.  It was hard not to feel sorry for her, though, especially once her family dynamics changed. The way she felt about Mike’s family was sweet. He was embarrassed and annoyed with them (as we tend to be with our families) but she made him realize they were a tight, loving group.

Mike was dealing with his own set of issues, namely the drama that came with inheriting the land and a secret about his parents he’d held close for far too long. His pain came through well. It was lovely how Natalie pushed him to open up and let him do the same for her. Both were damaged, which really worked in the context of the story. Their upbringing shaped them both and their family dynamics were interesting.

What was missing was the football. Since this story takes place in Ireland during the off season, there were no games and little from the other players. One of the things I enjoyed most about Rush Me was the football backdrop. It was definitely missed here.

There were a lot of editing issues in this book. Mostly spelling errors, but some continuity issues as well. I was surprised, since I read Parr’s first book, Rush Me, and don’t remember seeing them.

The Irish backdrop, strong friendships and heady romance made this a read well worth falling into.

4 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. 

four-stars


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Review: Running Back by Allison Parr

Posted April 30, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Running Back
Rowena’s review of Running Back (New York Leopards #2) by Allison Parr.

Natalie Sullivan is on the verge of a breakthrough most archaeology grad students only dream of: discovering a lost city. Her research points to a farm in Ireland, but to excavate she needs permission from the new owner: the Michael O’Connor, popular NFL running back.

On TV Mike seems so charming and good-natured that Natalie figures getting his cooperation will be a breeze. So she’s not prepared to deal with the arrogant – and adamantly opposed – man she meets in person. Or the way one look from him sends shivers down her spine.

Determined to kick-start her career, Natalie travels across the Atlantic and finds herself sharing an inn with Mike, who has come to Ireland in search of his roots. She tells herself her interest is strictly professional, but the more she gets to know him, the harder it is to deny her personal attraction to the sexy sports star. And when Mike confides why he refuses to allow the dig, Natalie must decide if she can follow her heart without losing sight of her dreams.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, Rush Me but I wasn’t exactly blown away. Rachael got on my nerves and truth be told, so did Ryan. But still, the book was good enough and the writing was entertaining enough that I wanted to read more from this author. When this book came up for review, I was in.

This story follows Natalie Sullivan, an archeological grad student who is trying to make a name for herself in the archeology field. She has reason to believe that a lost city is hidden underneath an old Irish farm and she was all ready to dig until the owner of the land dies and she has to get the new owners approval (and signature) in order to start digging. The new owner just so happens to be the star running back for her favorite football team, the New York Leopards. Mike O’Connor is really good at his job and everything that Natalie has seen of him in the media paints him to be an easy going guy so Natalie takes heart with that before her meeting with him.

But the guy in the media is not who greets her at their meeting. And his answer to her proposal surprises her because he flat out says no. There will be no digging and as quick as snap of his fingers, Natalie’s dreams of finding the lost city she believes is underneath his farm go down the drain.

Left with no choice, Natalie takes the trip to Ireland anyway with plans to research any legal way she can and when she runs into Mike who is staying in the room directly across from hers, nobody is more surprised than the two of them when they become close and a relationship blossoms between them.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I enjoyed the first one…and I really came to love Ryan. But Mike? I thought he was adorable. I thought that Natalie was a great heroine. I thought the story was interesting, the characters we meet were charming (yes, even Mike’s family charmed me) and the romance was steamy enough to make me happy.

This was a straight up romance, no complicated plot or dramatic issues. Just two people getting to know each other and falling in love. It was perfect for what I was in the mood for and I’m glad that I read it. I definitely recommend this book to lovers of New Adult contemporary romances and I cannot wait for the next book.

Grade: 4 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Lightning Review: Rush Me by Allison Parr

Posted October 19, 2013 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Lightning Review: Rush Me by Allison ParrReviewer: Holly
Rush Me by Allison Parr
Series: New York Leopards #1
Also in this series: Running Back
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: April 8th 2013
Genres: Fiction, New Adult
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

When post-grad Rachael Hamilton accidentally gate-crashes a pro-athlete party, she ends up face-to-face with Ryan Carter, the NFL's most beloved quarterback.
While most girls would be thrilled to meet the attractive young millionaire, Rachael would rather spend time with books than at sporting events, and she has more important things to worry about than romance. Like her parents pressuring her to leave her unpaid publishing internship for law school.
But when Ryan's rookie teammate attaches himself to Rachael, she ends up cohosting Friday-night dinners for half a dozen football players.
Over pancake brunches, charity galas and Alexander the Great, Rachael realizes all the judgments she'd made about Ryan are wrong. But how can a Midwestern Irish-Catholic jock with commitment problems and an artsy, gun-shy Jewish New Englander ever forge a partnership? Rachael must let down her barriers if she wants real love—even if that opens her up to pain that could send her back into her emotional shell forever.
89,000 words

 Rachel accidentally walks into an NFL party one Saturday night and barges in on Ryan Carter in a compromising situation. After some terse words are exchanged, he pretty much tosses her out..which is just fine with her. She has no desire to party with the likes of Ryan and his ilk. Unfortunately she left a scarf at his place and really needs it back. When she shows up the next day to get it, she ends up forming an odd sort of friendship with some of the guys from Ryan’s team.

Ryan hates women like Rachael..the kind who judge without knowing a situation. He doesn’t want her anywhere near his teammates, but they sort of adopt her as their mascot and he he can’t send her away. As she works her way farther into their lives, Ryan comes to see her as more than just a girl who’s too proud for her own good.

I enjoyed the tension and antagonism between the main characters. This wasn’t always an easy read…both the hero and heroine are filled with pride and prejudice, but as the story went on I found myself fully immersed in their relationship and really rooting for them.

I especially liked the secondary relationships. The friendships seemed real and brought the story together.

3.75 out of 5

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

three-half-stars


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Review: Rush Me by Allison Parr.

Posted May 21, 2013 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Rowena’s review of Rush Me by Allison Parr.

Hero: Ryan Carter
Heroine: Rachael Hamilton

When post-grad Rachael Hamilton accidentally gatecrashes a pro-athlete party, she ends up face-to-face with Ryan Carter, the NFL’s most beloved quarterback.

While most girls would be thrilled to meet the attractive young millionaire, Rachael would rather spend time with books than at sporting events, and she has more important things to worry about than romance. Like her parents pressuring her to leave her unpaid publishing internship for law school. Or her brother, who’s obliviously dating Rachael’s high school bully. Or that same high school’s upcoming reunion. Read More


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