A review by laurenvoice
First Down by Grace Reilly

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

First Down had so much potential but, in the end, it lacked something. There were quite a few inconsistencies within the storyline and with the characters; too many to ignore. However, James was too cute; he was such a cinnamon roll; he saved this book!

First Down was too fast-paced; there were too many time jumps within the story, and it missed any story building. The relationship progression between James and Bex happened too quickly; they barely "fake dated" and practically dived headfirst into a relationship that neither of them felt ready for; they should have set boundaries and slowed the fake dating storyline to build tension.

Also, there was no proper build-up with the Darryl storyline; the story seemed to have skipped all the times he harassed and stalked Bex on campus and at her place of work. And the Sara storyline felt too forced and didn't quite have the impact on the story that it should have done. It was a missed opportunity not to build up the tension with the Darryl storyline, as the showdown between James and Darryl would have felt more impactful and less childish.

After finishing, First Down, I felt unsatisfied, which is a shame as I enjoyed reading this book as a lighthearted read. However, the ending felt too cheesy the way it wrapped up. We never saw why Bex's mum ended up doing a big U-turn with her personality and life; her gift to Bex at the end felt too out of character. The ending felt unfinished. But maybe these will be tied up in future books; however, I doubt the unanswered questions will get the answers.

Nonetheless, First Down was a fun read and has set up the rest of the Beyond the Play series well. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings