Review: Fourth and Goal – Jami Davenport

In a game played on and off the field, only one of them will emerge the winner.

Armed with an uncanny ability for evaluating football talent, a dogged determination to succeed in a man’s world, and an empty bank account, Rachel McCormick agrees to help struggling wide receiver Derek Ramsey get his game back. Rachel believes Derek, her former best friend and lover, knows the truth behind the points-shaving scandal which ruined her father. She vows to expose the secret even if it destroys Derek in the process.

When Derek’s coach suggests sex as an excellent tension reliever the night before a game, Rachel takes one for the team. The next day, Derek has the best performance of his not-so illustrious pro football career. As Derek and Rachel rack up nights in bed and other places, the team racks up wins on the field. Rachel is torn between her loyalty to her father and her growing affection for Derek.

Now it’s fourth and goal, one second left on the clock. Their hearts are on the line. Do they trust each other enough to go for the long bomb or do they get dropped for a loss?

Series:  Seattle Lumberjacks #1
Release Date:  May 5, 2013
Publisher:  Boroughs Publishing Group
Source: Provided by Author’s Angels
Reviewer: Lucy
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

Derek Ramsey is an amazing athlete struggling to keep his job in the game he loves. He is an NFL wide receiver whose talent should make him a future hall of famer but after an injury during his rookie season he has continually struggled and knows that this season will be his last if he can’t turn his game around. The one woman who can help him is Rachel McCormick, former best friend and caretaker who knows football better than most men. A weekend rendezvous five years ago had left their friendship in tatters, but Rachel is willing to help her former friend improve his game. Using her unconventional method of sex as a pre-game tension reliever Derek has some of the best games he’s ever played, but how will he react when he finds out the real reason Rachel took the job?

Book one in Jami Davenport’s Lumberjack series provides a cast of characters that sets the backdrop of the series. Her first hero, Derek, is a prime example of great talent that hasn’t measured up to his potential. It is almost painful to watch his struggles with football, but it is admirable to see the lengths he will go to in order to improve himself and stay in the game. Rachel is a girl living in a man’s world, constantly trying to prove her knowledge of football and break into the industry as a scout. Rachel’s sudden reappearance in Derek’s life after five years is not accidental, and she struggles with her family loyalty and her renewed relationship. Davenport gives both characters their own obstacles to overcome while also making them loveable. Interwoven throughout are other characters such as Derek’s cousin, Tyler, and a special young man name Ryan that enhance the story between Derek and Rachel.