Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey Series: Romancing the Clarksons, #3
Published by Forever Publication Date: April 25th 2017
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This time, she's calling the shots.
Peggy Clarkson is returning to her alma mater with one goal in mind: confront Elliott Brooks, the man who ruined her for all others, and remind him of what he's been missing. Even after three years, seeing him again is like a punch in the gut, but Peggy's determined to stick to her plan. Maybe then, once she has the upper hand, she'll finally be able to move on.
In the years since Peggy left Cincinnati, Elliott has kept his focus on football. No distractions and no complications. But when Peggy walks back onto his practice field and into his life, he knows she could unravel everything in his carefully controlled world. Because the girl who was hard to forget is now a woman impossible to resist.
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
This is the third book in the Romancing the Clarksons series and it is a standalone. It is a compelling story about Elliott, a college football coach and Peggy, a former cheerleader and student. Tessa Bailey is a wonderful storyteller and I think it was a great idea to write a story about a college football coach. However, the Elliott has a lot of issues and I found it difficult to connect to him. I don’t want to give too much away, but I didn’t like the way Elliott treated Peggy, especially in the first half of the book.
When Peggy was a senior in college she had an affair with Elliott, who was the football coach. Now, three years later, she decides to return for alumni weekend to resolve some issues between them. She is frustrated because she is still in love with Elliott and has not been able to move on.
When Peggy was in college, she and Elliott had a highly charged relationship. Unfortunately, Elliott was so racked with guilt he never allowed himself to enjoy the time they were together. Elliott is a revered coach but his personal life is a mess and he is a tortured man. He is deeply religious and believes what he feels for Peggy is wrong and his constant dismissal of Peggy hurts her. Elliott is closed off and has few expectations in life beyond winning football games. He has a daughter he has no idea what to do with and his feelings for Peggy scare the hell out of him. I admired Elliott as a coach, but he is so distant with the people he cares about, it drove me crazy. I can understand why Peggy was attracted Elliott but I also feel sorry for her because he continually makes her feel inconsequential.
