A review by kfriend
Decker: Changing the Play by Connor Crais, Kayley Loring
4.0
**4.5 stars**
Kayley Loring is my go-to for laugh-out loud, swoony romances, and I was so excited to see what my favorite sweet and funny author would do in a duo with Connor Crais. And, all in all, I really enjoyed their first outing together. Decker is heartfelt and sexy, a fun start to this series and this duo’s collaboration.
Our hero is the titular Decker, a seasoned professional footballer looking at the back end of his lustrous career playing quarterback. But his placid football bubble is rocked when the beloved team owner passed away unexpectedly, leaving ownership of the team to his somewhat estranged daughter, Hannah. Decker and Hannah have an immediate spark and quite a adorable meet cute, and all the flirty occurs, especially as Hannah struggles to manage a football organization when she knows very little about football.
This writing duo melds together so well- each character has a distinct and compelling voice, but the writing style is consistent and engaging across POVs. Both characters are really likable and compelling, and the chemistry sparkles. Crias’ influence is clear- there’s a crisp and magnetic male influence not just to the tone but to the content- this definitely is a sports story. This story is quite as raucous and laugh out loud funny as I’m used to with Kayley (and truth be told, I did miss that), but it’s got a whole lot of sweet charm, and we do have the usual lower-drama Kayley Loring story tone. And I appreciated this pairing finding their own collective voice and giving this series its own approach- not quite as novel as I’m used to from Kayley, but lovable and enjoyable nonetheless. I’m curious to see how this duo’s vibe evolves over time, and I’d be interested in reading some of the secondary characters' stories.
Overall, a strong outing for this first-time writing pair, and I’m excited for what is to come. Together they create a light, heartfelt, sincere, and playfully cute romance that has plenty of sizzle, and a couple I was invested in finding their HEA. Feel-good and fun and a solid start to what will most certainly be a one-click partnership between these two authors.
Kayley Loring is my go-to for laugh-out loud, swoony romances, and I was so excited to see what my favorite sweet and funny author would do in a duo with Connor Crais. And, all in all, I really enjoyed their first outing together. Decker is heartfelt and sexy, a fun start to this series and this duo’s collaboration.
Our hero is the titular Decker, a seasoned professional footballer looking at the back end of his lustrous career playing quarterback. But his placid football bubble is rocked when the beloved team owner passed away unexpectedly, leaving ownership of the team to his somewhat estranged daughter, Hannah. Decker and Hannah have an immediate spark and quite a adorable meet cute, and all the flirty occurs, especially as Hannah struggles to manage a football organization when she knows very little about football.
This writing duo melds together so well- each character has a distinct and compelling voice, but the writing style is consistent and engaging across POVs. Both characters are really likable and compelling, and the chemistry sparkles. Crias’ influence is clear- there’s a crisp and magnetic male influence not just to the tone but to the content- this definitely is a sports story. This story is quite as raucous and laugh out loud funny as I’m used to with Kayley (and truth be told, I did miss that), but it’s got a whole lot of sweet charm, and we do have the usual lower-drama Kayley Loring story tone. And I appreciated this pairing finding their own collective voice and giving this series its own approach- not quite as novel as I’m used to from Kayley, but lovable and enjoyable nonetheless. I’m curious to see how this duo’s vibe evolves over time, and I’d be interested in reading some of the secondary characters' stories.
Overall, a strong outing for this first-time writing pair, and I’m excited for what is to come. Together they create a light, heartfelt, sincere, and playfully cute romance that has plenty of sizzle, and a couple I was invested in finding their HEA. Feel-good and fun and a solid start to what will most certainly be a one-click partnership between these two authors.