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A review by torilovesheas
Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I read really ranty reviews of this book before I started it and I was expecting the worst. But while I didn’t love this, it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it was going to be. I just…once again…think it needed better editing.
Pippa and Jamie end up being really cute together. Jamie is a bit of an ass in the very beginning but once that drops off (early on), he’s a big ole simp and is really supportive of Pippa and her dreams of becoming a professional singer. There’s great close proximity (she’s his love in assistant/dog sitter). There’s a cute rescue dog and interesting side characters and it’s honestly pretty low angst for how many obstacles are built up in the beginning.
Which leads me to why this ended up being kinda meh despite the parts I really enjoyed. There’s multiple obstacles set up for why Jamie can’t be in a relationship. A bad breakup when he was 19, his mother suffering from untreated anxiety/panic attacks, and the whole boss/assistant situation are built up as these HUGE problems he can’t get past in order to date and then….everyone of them is resolved super quick after not ever being an ACTUAL problem throughout the whole book. His mom’s anxiety? Pippa handles it with him like a champ. The breakup? One conversation with the ex and it’s resolved. The boss/assistant relationship? Literally never a problem. What was the point?
This felt so long and it was only 400 pages or about 7 hours on audio (I listen at 1.7 speed). Lots of repetitive discussions and scenes and waffling back and forth over being with each other. The whole “he/she doesn’t remember me from high school” plot line? Resolved so fast. Every obstacle is really nonexistent and it made this feel so freaking long when it’s just Pippa going to the games, Pippa walking the dog, Pippa and Jamie being sweet together. On repeat. Lots of this could have been edited out and not hurt the story at all.
I’m also continuing a theme of restricting nickname privileges because “songbird” was used 67 times (yes I counted) and I got so tired of it so fast. Plus “bossy” and “my pretty assistant” were used over and over again. Just so repetitive to the degree that it’s noticeable.
There’s not really any hockey for this to be a hockey romance. There’s cringy one liners that ended up sounding like bad 80’s porn dialogue. “Do you have a fever? Cause you’re burning up” is straight from a porno and you can’t convince me otherwise. And the sweet moments get overrun by cringy conversations that no real human being would say.
I can see why people like this one. Jamie is a teddy bear once he stops being a hard ass and Pippa is likeable (if very not like other girls). But I think this was written too fast with too little editing. Which really could have made this a great read. Archer is talented but I think the need to hop on the hockey romance trend may have pushed her to churn out a book that wasn’t really ready for release.
Will I read the next one? Probably because she roped me in with teasers about Pippa’s sister and the cocky hockey star and the coach and the bartender. But I won’t be rushing to preorder it, for sure.
Pippa and Jamie end up being really cute together. Jamie is a bit of an ass in the very beginning but once that drops off (early on), he’s a big ole simp and is really supportive of Pippa and her dreams of becoming a professional singer. There’s great close proximity (she’s his love in assistant/dog sitter). There’s a cute rescue dog and interesting side characters and it’s honestly pretty low angst for how many obstacles are built up in the beginning.
Which leads me to why this ended up being kinda meh despite the parts I really enjoyed. There’s multiple obstacles set up for why Jamie can’t be in a relationship. A bad breakup when he was 19, his mother suffering from untreated anxiety/panic attacks, and the whole boss/assistant situation are built up as these HUGE problems he can’t get past in order to date and then….everyone of them is resolved super quick after not ever being an ACTUAL problem throughout the whole book. His mom’s anxiety? Pippa handles it with him like a champ. The breakup? One conversation with the ex and it’s resolved. The boss/assistant relationship? Literally never a problem. What was the point?
This felt so long and it was only 400 pages or about 7 hours on audio (I listen at 1.7 speed). Lots of repetitive discussions and scenes and waffling back and forth over being with each other. The whole “he/she doesn’t remember me from high school” plot line? Resolved so fast. Every obstacle is really nonexistent and it made this feel so freaking long when it’s just Pippa going to the games, Pippa walking the dog, Pippa and Jamie being sweet together. On repeat. Lots of this could have been edited out and not hurt the story at all.
I’m also continuing a theme of restricting nickname privileges because “songbird” was used 67 times (yes I counted) and I got so tired of it so fast. Plus “bossy” and “my pretty assistant” were used over and over again. Just so repetitive to the degree that it’s noticeable.
There’s not really any hockey for this to be a hockey romance. There’s cringy one liners that ended up sounding like bad 80’s porn dialogue. “Do you have a fever? Cause you’re burning up” is straight from a porno and you can’t convince me otherwise. And the sweet moments get overrun by cringy conversations that no real human being would say.
I can see why people like this one. Jamie is a teddy bear once he stops being a hard ass and Pippa is likeable (if very not like other girls). But I think this was written too fast with too little editing. Which really could have made this a great read. Archer is talented but I think the need to hop on the hockey romance trend may have pushed her to churn out a book that wasn’t really ready for release.
Will I read the next one? Probably because she roped me in with teasers about Pippa’s sister and the cocky hockey star and the coach and the bartender. But I won’t be rushing to preorder it, for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent