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jensreads1983's review against another edition
5.0
What an EPIC way of ending such a wonderful series! I loved it so much! Kate Stewart wrote a beautiful story of first love, heartbreak and second chances. Lance and Harper’s journey was filled with obstacles and heartbreak, but it was also full of passion, faith and honesty. The Guy In The Middle takes a different tone from the previous two books. It’s full of angst with plenty of depth, which is necessary given the topics in this story. Kate doesn’t hold anything back but goes all in. This story left a huge impression on me because I’ve come to care so much about these characters and I totally resonated with them. The full on emotions weaved in this story hit me hard.
The Guy in the Middle is so much more than a sports romance. It is funny, entertaining, unique, sexy, emotional and heartbreaking. It was the absolute perfect way to end this beloved series that I have loved so dear and made me fall in love with these three underdogs and the women at their sides. Such outstanding characters, both men and women. AND THAT epilogue....OMG, it was the BEST end to a phenomenal series, seeing everything come full circle. Seriously, this epilogue was the best one I think I’ve ever read! The way Kate wrote it just made my heart full and I was literally overflowing with emotion. It showed just how incredible and unique each character in the series is. Witnessing their growth as individuals and as couples warmed my heart and getting a taste of the friendship they developed throughout the years was absolutely brilliant. I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye yet because I loved all of them so much. But I will say, I loved how Kate ended it. Perfection. Thank you Kate Stewart for this series that has completely stolen my heart.
The Guy in the Middle is so much more than a sports romance. It is funny, entertaining, unique, sexy, emotional and heartbreaking. It was the absolute perfect way to end this beloved series that I have loved so dear and made me fall in love with these three underdogs and the women at their sides. Such outstanding characters, both men and women. AND THAT epilogue....OMG, it was the BEST end to a phenomenal series, seeing everything come full circle. Seriously, this epilogue was the best one I think I’ve ever read! The way Kate wrote it just made my heart full and I was literally overflowing with emotion. It showed just how incredible and unique each character in the series is. Witnessing their growth as individuals and as couples warmed my heart and getting a taste of the friendship they developed throughout the years was absolutely brilliant. I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye yet because I loved all of them so much. But I will say, I loved how Kate ended it. Perfection. Thank you Kate Stewart for this series that has completely stolen my heart.
bookspaced's review against another edition
4.0
A great ending to a great bookseries.
Througout book 1 and 2 Lance was always in the back of my mind. He‘s the quiet one of the group and you desperatley wanted to know his secrets. He didn‘t disappoint.
The book is split up into 3 Rounds - the first round is the beginning of Harper and Lance and I loved them both fiercly! Harper is a strong, though woman and she keeps Lance on his toes. The love story between the two is just so good! I fell in love so quick with both of them.
Round 2 begins a few years after Round 1 ends and we see how both of the characters are doing after the events that happened in round 1. This is where the story picks up and you get pretty emotional reading it.
But my favorite was round 3! There was so much raw emotion in it and my heart broke for borh characters so much! I loved how we got to see a new side to Lance and get to know his family better. Harpers fight for Lance is just amazing and truly inspiring for me! She doesn‘t back away from a challenge as hard as Lance pushes her away.
The Epilogue was split up in to all different POV‘s from book 1 to book 3 and I enjoyed reading some final chapters of our beloved characters.
A great ending for a great series!
Througout book 1 and 2 Lance was always in the back of my mind. He‘s the quiet one of the group and you desperatley wanted to know his secrets. He didn‘t disappoint.
The book is split up into 3 Rounds - the first round is the beginning of Harper and Lance and I loved them both fiercly! Harper is a strong, though woman and she keeps Lance on his toes. The love story between the two is just so good! I fell in love so quick with both of them.
Round 2 begins a few years after Round 1 ends and we see how both of the characters are doing after the events that happened in round 1. This is where the story picks up and you get pretty emotional reading it.
But my favorite was round 3! There was so much raw emotion in it and my heart broke for borh characters so much! I loved how we got to see a new side to Lance and get to know his family better. Harpers fight for Lance is just amazing and truly inspiring for me! She doesn‘t back away from a challenge as hard as Lance pushes her away.
The Epilogue was split up in to all different POV‘s from book 1 to book 3 and I enjoyed reading some final chapters of our beloved characters.
A great ending for a great series!
loverofromance's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
The Guy in the Middle is the third book in the "Underdogs" series by Kate Stewart. This was also my first Kate Stewart. I was looking for a football romance, and this one was at the top of the list and I was intrigued enough as this is an author that I have been to read for ages and I know that this series is very highly loved. I did find it interesting to see how this story developed. I had no expectations going into this book but this one is a long one for sure so keep that in mind when reading it. And it didn't need to be almost 500 pages lol it definitely could have been shortened to 350. But overall I really enjoyed this couple and seeing them work their way towards their HEA. Even though this is the third in the series, I do think you can read these books as standalones as I didn't really feel lost or anything but I am intrigued by the other couples and would love to get to their stories.
First Line
Sweat skates down every muscle, every crevice, every solid indentation on the wall of his massive chest.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Lance
-Rancher
-College Student
-Struggling with aspects of PTSD and Anger Management
-MMA fighter in training
The Heroine: Harper
-Dancer/Ballerina
-College Student
-Daughter of Football Coach
-Jewish Faith
Summary
Harper and Lance meet in the most unlikely place...at night in the gym where their mutual friend owns and runs it. They have one entanglement but chemistry is strong between them and thus start a short fling but when Harper's father finds out she is dating one of his players, and the news gets out, Harper is forced to end things with Lance without giving him the full truth on why she is abandoning what they have. Lance is willing to fight for her but Harper leaves him to go dance in NYC and travel Europe. When Lance and Harper are brought back together, Harper will need to come clean to Lance and to prove that she is willing to fight for their relationship. But earning her way back into Lance's heart won't be easy after trampling on it...
What I Loved
First off this is a HEROINE having to do the grovel and I soaked it up like a sponge. We get so many books where the hero wrongs the heroine so it was just so refreshing to have the heroine being in the wrong and have to work at it to earn back that trust she lost with Lance. But also this is the second book in two weeks where the heroine has family in the Jewish faith and I really loved that. From my observation she isn't really in the faith or she wouldn't be having sexual flings with athletes lol But it was very interesting to see how this was being developed. The romance between them is so full of back to forth angst. Through more than half of it through the hero is fighting for the heroine. There are many things he doesn't know on why she keeps rejecting what they have together. So my heart bled for him because he puts his heart and soul out there for her and to be honest she does stomp on it. So I loved that Troy gets involved and becomes her "grasshopper" and convinces her to fight for Lance like he has been doing for her. But she has a battle, because she has lost all trust with him and he is working through many issues other than their relationship and she will have to fight hard to get him back with her but how she fights for him and his family was beyond endearing. I wasn't really a fan of how long this book was and the drawn out angst wasn't my favorite element in the story. But I just ended up loving this romance and this couple so its definitely a solid 4 stars for me.
Overall View
The Guy in the Middle is a story of working through trauma, fighting for love no matter the risk and coming out on top after facing adversity and embracing your heart's desire.....TRULY A SHINING STAR OF NA ROMANCE!
Favorite Quote(s)
“What if this moment, right here, is the moment that changes your life?”
But I’m no longer just a dancer in love with a football player. I’m a woman in love with a man I can’t and refuse to live without.
I am his. I’ll always be his. Since the day I met him, he boxed his way into my heart, my champion, my fighter, my nemesis, my undoing, my everything.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Groveling Heroine, Athlete, Dancer, Cowboy, Plain Jane
Themes: Football, Angst, Country/Ranch
Tropes: Forbidden Love
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix of Both
Song This Book Inspires
Never Met a Girl Like You Before by The Insects
Recommendation For Reading Order
Can be read as a standalone
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨
First Impressions
The Guy in the Middle is the third book in the "Underdogs" series by Kate Stewart. This was also my first Kate Stewart. I was looking for a football romance, and this one was at the top of the list and I was intrigued enough as this is an author that I have been to read for ages and I know that this series is very highly loved. I did find it interesting to see how this story developed. I had no expectations going into this book but this one is a long one for sure so keep that in mind when reading it. And it didn't need to be almost 500 pages lol it definitely could have been shortened to 350. But overall I really enjoyed this couple and seeing them work their way towards their HEA. Even though this is the third in the series, I do think you can read these books as standalones as I didn't really feel lost or anything but I am intrigued by the other couples and would love to get to their stories.
First Line
Sweat skates down every muscle, every crevice, every solid indentation on the wall of his massive chest.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Lance
-Rancher
-College Student
-Struggling with aspects of PTSD and Anger Management
-MMA fighter in training
The Heroine: Harper
-Dancer/Ballerina
-College Student
-Daughter of Football Coach
-Jewish Faith
Summary
Harper and Lance meet in the most unlikely place...at night in the gym where their mutual friend owns and runs it. They have one entanglement but chemistry is strong between them and thus start a short fling but when Harper's father finds out she is dating one of his players, and the news gets out, Harper is forced to end things with Lance without giving him the full truth on why she is abandoning what they have. Lance is willing to fight for her but Harper leaves him to go dance in NYC and travel Europe. When Lance and Harper are brought back together, Harper will need to come clean to Lance and to prove that she is willing to fight for their relationship. But earning her way back into Lance's heart won't be easy after trampling on it...
What I Loved
First off this is a HEROINE having to do the grovel and I soaked it up like a sponge. We get so many books where the hero wrongs the heroine so it was just so refreshing to have the heroine being in the wrong and have to work at it to earn back that trust she lost with Lance. But also this is the second book in two weeks where the heroine has family in the Jewish faith and I really loved that. From my observation she isn't really in the faith or she wouldn't be having sexual flings with athletes lol But it was very interesting to see how this was being developed. The romance between them is so full of back to forth angst. Through more than half of it through the hero is fighting for the heroine. There are many things he doesn't know on why she keeps rejecting what they have together. So my heart bled for him because he puts his heart and soul out there for her and to be honest she does stomp on it. So I loved that Troy gets involved and becomes her "grasshopper" and convinces her to fight for Lance like he has been doing for her. But she has a battle, because she has lost all trust with him and he is working through many issues other than their relationship and she will have to fight hard to get him back with her but how she fights for him and his family was beyond endearing. I wasn't really a fan of how long this book was and the drawn out angst wasn't my favorite element in the story. But I just ended up loving this romance and this couple so its definitely a solid 4 stars for me.
Overall View
The Guy in the Middle is a story of working through trauma, fighting for love no matter the risk and coming out on top after facing adversity and embracing your heart's desire.....TRULY A SHINING STAR OF NA ROMANCE!
Favorite Quote(s)
“What if this moment, right here, is the moment that changes your life?”
But I’m no longer just a dancer in love with a football player. I’m a woman in love with a man I can’t and refuse to live without.
I am his. I’ll always be his. Since the day I met him, he boxed his way into my heart, my champion, my fighter, my nemesis, my undoing, my everything.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Groveling Heroine, Athlete, Dancer, Cowboy, Plain Jane
Themes: Football, Angst, Country/Ranch
Tropes: Forbidden Love
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix of Both
Song This Book Inspires
Never Met a Girl Like You Before by The Insects
Recommendation For Reading Order
Can be read as a standalone
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
kdmcgrady's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
motin's review against another edition
2.0
This was seriously my least favorite book in the series. The plot was not great. There was a lot of repetitiveness where it just felt like it was dragging on. Other people that have read it have commented on representation issues which I have to agree. Rene’s is a (Hispanic or Latino) character and the depiction of him was very poorly written. In my opinion the best part of the book was the epilogue where all the characters from all three books reunited.
litloulou's review against another edition
3.0
I have learned that I really like Kate Stewart's writing, but this one just didn't land for me. I am taking one star off due to the epilogue (the three men weren't really close enough for them to be this close, it didn't come together well for me at all). I honestly Could Not understand or picture what she looked like beautiful but ugly but beautiful. Were her self image issues 'justifiable?' but like she loved performing for people. I mean I get you can be someone else on the stage than in real life... But the way she was portrayed just didn't align. I felt chemistry with them and actually did like the time pass, but meh. This just really didn't live up to the series in my mind. Did really like his brother and trainer tho!
inesfilipa's review against another edition
5.0
what can i say? just like Troy’s book, this is one of those books which stays with you long after you finished reading it. It had me smiling and sobbing.
And the epilogue was the perfect ending to this series
And the epilogue was the perfect ending to this series