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Settle the Score
Lost goals make way for new dreams. Two enemies must face their cold past and find new warmth in this wintry, forced proximity rom-com from Kris Ripper, author of Book Boyfriend.
Aspiring investigative reporter Des Cleary had dreams of a better world—one more accepting of people like him—when he broke the story of Orion Broderick’s relationship. A story that kicked Orion out of the soccer halls of fame and sent him careening into obscurity. Racked with shame, Des abandoned his own career for good.
Now working at an LA marketing firm, Des gets a daunting recruit Orion for a Pride campaign aiming to get LGBTQI+ kids into sports. But this is no shot at redemption—how could Des ever make up for what he’s done?
Des finds Orion’s cabin in the snowcapped mountains. His strategy? Keep it professional and get out quick. Nature has other plans. Snowed in together, Des and Orion have a chance to address past wrongs and lost goals. Time and shame have changed them both, but winter has a way of clearing the way for fresh beginnings.
Aspiring investigative reporter Des Cleary had dreams of a better world—one more accepting of people like him—when he broke the story of Orion Broderick’s relationship. A story that kicked Orion out of the soccer halls of fame and sent him careening into obscurity. Racked with shame, Des abandoned his own career for good.
Now working at an LA marketing firm, Des gets a daunting recruit Orion for a Pride campaign aiming to get LGBTQI+ kids into sports. But this is no shot at redemption—how could Des ever make up for what he’s done?
Des finds Orion’s cabin in the snowcapped mountains. His strategy? Keep it professional and get out quick. Nature has other plans. Snowed in together, Des and Orion have a chance to address past wrongs and lost goals. Time and shame have changed them both, but winter has a way of clearing the way for fresh beginnings.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2024
113 people are currently reading
4461 people want to read
About the author
Kris Ripper
89 books405 followersKris Ripper lives in the great state of California and zir pronouns are ze/zir. Kris shares a converted garage with a kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
August 15, 2024
Happy book birthday to this Ripper-does-sportsrom keeper that I feel like I read 18 years ago but *checks notes* was actually in March, wtf 2024??? Time for a re-read!
4.5 ⭐️
My head says 3.5 - 4 ⭐️ but my heart says 4.5 - 5 ⭐️, and in a head-heart battle, I do as Roxette demands.
Kris Ripper and sports romance are two of my favorite things, so it's no surprise that I loved this. (Although this is less sports romance in the jumpy-runny-skatey-kicky sense than in the backdrop/ context sense.) BUT: I also suspect that this is one of those books that will not work for everyone, and that some people will bounce off hard. And my 5-starring it does not imply that there aren't flaws -- there are. Overall, though, this book sucked me in from the first page and didn't let me go until I finished at 1:30 in the morning; and Des is such a flawed, funny, ultimately sympathetic narrator that I couldn't help but root for him and Orion.
This book is based on a huge ask, which we get hit with in the first chapter; no hidden surprises here. Des, our (1st person) POV character, is tasked by his boss/ fairy gaymother -- the only other queer in his corporate branding firm, where he is an entry-level grudge -- to recruit Orion, a retired and reclusive professional soccer player, to be the spokesperson for a client's campaign to encourage LGBTQI+ kids in sports. Great, right? The catch: Orion's retirement and reclusivity was caused by an article Des wrote as a college journalist that intentionally outed him -- an article that Des regretted immediately after it was published, and that was the last thing he's ever written.
The ask, then, is whether the reader can see a path to forgiveness and redemption for Des. And if you don't think you can, then I would advise giving this one a miss. Des's motives for writing the article -- which we never get the text of, but which we are made to understand is more broadly about the challenges of being queer in professional sports, but which includes a non-consensually taken/ published photo of Orion kissing his then-boyfriend -- are muddled even in his own attempts to articulate them. Ambition, idealism, and an almost unbelievable naivete all factor in; he somehow convinced himself that he was doing Orion a service, only to discover that his actions looked more like self-righteousness, malice, and jealousy. In shame and horror at his own blindness and stupidity, he didn't just abandon journalism, but also isolated himself from his friends (many of whom, we get in an aside, were dumbfounded and dismayed by his actions, which is a nice, realistic touch). Des is a character who caused irrevocable harm to someone else, and who has been living with that ever since. His reasons, at the time, may have been genuine -- if, again, head-shakingly high-handed and naive -- but he has grown up enough to realize that this doesn't really matter. Good reasons or bad, he still ruined someone's life.
So, yeah, a big ask for the reader in terms of rooting for Des and also believing in the eventual romance. Much like (past) bully romances (a la Alexis Hall's Pansies or Gregory Ashe's Hazard and Somerset series), this lives or dies on whether the reader can buy into the at-fault character's redemption.
(While I'm at it, the premise is also absurd. Why would Vix, Des's fairy gaymother, think he was the right one to try to convince Orion to join this campaign? She knows about the article; the rational response would be to send a straight, cross your fingers, and hope Des and Orion never cross paths. And given Orion's notorious reclusivity -- Des is given the name of a town and Cold Snap Cabin, but no phone number or address -- why does Vix think that springing the guy who ruined his life on Orion with no warning would be an ethical thing to do? We do eventually get a kind of reason for Vix's thinking (which involves collusion with one of Orion's friends), but let's face it: this premise makes no logical sense. File it under Romance Reasons and move on.)
So given that we have a ridiculous premise and a huge ask, how did this work so well? It boils down to Des, who is likeable, funny, and smart (but also incompetent in a "city slicker in the mountains" kind of way, #relatable). Des genuinely wants to make amends; selfishly, he also wants to explain his reasons for why he did what he did, in the hopes of gaining forgiveness. But -- and this is key -- he also knows that he is not entitled to forgiveness; the way forward, or not, is entirely up to Orion, and Des is willing to accept whatever decisions he makes. It also boils down to Ripper's clever, tropetastic setup: meet-cute (no, really: Des and Orion have a very flirty, adorable first encounter before Des springs the campaign on him and Orion realizes who he is), snowed in/ forced proximity, sickbed (caffeine withdrawal is a thing, man), one-sided enemies to lovers, and ONE-EYED DOG RESCUE!! Like all great romances, Settle the Score both leans hard into and transcends these tropes to bring us an emotionally resonant exploration of what it means to make amends, and the difference between things that can be forgiven and things that can only be accepted. And whether making a mistake -- even a massive one -- precludes all possibilities for redemption, (self-)forgiveness, liking, and love.
No spoilers here, but suffice to say that a large chunk of the book is dedicated to Des and Orion being snowed in -- with no phone or internet service -- at Orion's cabin, during which their relationship evolves from Orion's extreme (understandable) antipathy to a kind of grudging cooperation to tentative flirtation to (fade-to-black) intimacy; while the latter chunk explores the aftermath, both professional and personal, once the cabin bubble is broken. Orion's journey from hatred to liking (loving?) Des during their six enforced days together is not entirely explicable (and here is one of those things that I wish was done better, but which is difficult in the context of 1st person POV); I can very well see that some readers won't buy this switch, especially as Des himself is extremely skeptical that Orion could feel something for him other than derision, so we're getting Des's disbelief added on to our own. For me, it worked as a combination of the initial attraction, Des's care and determination in rescuing the dog, Des's acceptance of Orion's feelings (after his initial attempts at apology and explanation, Des does not keep advocating for forgiveness), and Orion's discovery that Des gave up writing after the article; that is, that Des's actions show genuine remorse even if Orion doesn't want to hear self-serving excuses about his motives. Orion is also honest enough to admit that he wasn't happy living the closeted life he felt forced into. To be clear: he does not thank Des for "liberating" him from the closet, nor does he think that his past unhappiness justifies Des's actions. Orion is not out to absolve Des or wash away his sins. But some distance from his past life has enabled him to see all the ways he was sacrificing himself, and what that did to him; while meeting Des helps him realize that, just as his own story is complex, so too is his "enemy's", and that neither of them are served by living without nuance or compassion.
This is not a perfect book. For some people, this will be an absolute no -- and that's ok. Forced outing is abhorrent, and Ripper sets zirself a pretty hard task in making this a story people will want to read and believe in. And while I think it was smart to keep us in Des's head the whole time, this means that Orion remains somewhat elusive: we never really get his side of the story, whether it's the emotional journey during the time at the cabin, or the life-changing decision Orion makes for both of them (albeit with an out) in the aftermath. Like I said many thousand words ago when I started this review: my head recognizes the flaws. But I really loved this despite (because?) of them. Not just because of the gentle, self-deprecating humor, and the familiar fish-out-of-water feeling of being simultaneously very smart and very dumb. And not just because of Des's resilience and (belated) self-awareness. But also because the big ask prompted some real reflection over what it means to forgive. And to not forgive, but to still see some goodness in someone and acknowledge past harm while accepting the possibility of a different future. This is a generous, empathetic book about what we owe each other and ourselves, and understanding the difference between the two. Can't wait to re-read.
Read as part of the Trans Rights Readathon to spotlight books written by authors who are trans, genderqueer, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, and 2Spirit.
I got an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
My head says 3.5 - 4 ⭐️ but my heart says 4.5 - 5 ⭐️, and in a head-heart battle, I do as Roxette demands.
Kris Ripper and sports romance are two of my favorite things, so it's no surprise that I loved this. (Although this is less sports romance in the jumpy-runny-skatey-kicky sense than in the backdrop/ context sense.) BUT: I also suspect that this is one of those books that will not work for everyone, and that some people will bounce off hard. And my 5-starring it does not imply that there aren't flaws -- there are. Overall, though, this book sucked me in from the first page and didn't let me go until I finished at 1:30 in the morning; and Des is such a flawed, funny, ultimately sympathetic narrator that I couldn't help but root for him and Orion.
This book is based on a huge ask, which we get hit with in the first chapter; no hidden surprises here. Des, our (1st person) POV character, is tasked by his boss/ fairy gaymother -- the only other queer in his corporate branding firm, where he is an entry-level grudge -- to recruit Orion, a retired and reclusive professional soccer player, to be the spokesperson for a client's campaign to encourage LGBTQI+ kids in sports. Great, right? The catch: Orion's retirement and reclusivity was caused by an article Des wrote as a college journalist that intentionally outed him -- an article that Des regretted immediately after it was published, and that was the last thing he's ever written.
The ask, then, is whether the reader can see a path to forgiveness and redemption for Des. And if you don't think you can, then I would advise giving this one a miss. Des's motives for writing the article -- which we never get the text of, but which we are made to understand is more broadly about the challenges of being queer in professional sports, but which includes a non-consensually taken/ published photo of Orion kissing his then-boyfriend -- are muddled even in his own attempts to articulate them. Ambition, idealism, and an almost unbelievable naivete all factor in; he somehow convinced himself that he was doing Orion a service, only to discover that his actions looked more like self-righteousness, malice, and jealousy. In shame and horror at his own blindness and stupidity, he didn't just abandon journalism, but also isolated himself from his friends (many of whom, we get in an aside, were dumbfounded and dismayed by his actions, which is a nice, realistic touch). Des is a character who caused irrevocable harm to someone else, and who has been living with that ever since. His reasons, at the time, may have been genuine -- if, again, head-shakingly high-handed and naive -- but he has grown up enough to realize that this doesn't really matter. Good reasons or bad, he still ruined someone's life.
So, yeah, a big ask for the reader in terms of rooting for Des and also believing in the eventual romance. Much like (past) bully romances (a la Alexis Hall's Pansies or Gregory Ashe's Hazard and Somerset series), this lives or dies on whether the reader can buy into the at-fault character's redemption.
(While I'm at it, the premise is also absurd. Why would Vix, Des's fairy gaymother, think he was the right one to try to convince Orion to join this campaign? She knows about the article; the rational response would be to send a straight, cross your fingers, and hope Des and Orion never cross paths. And given Orion's notorious reclusivity -- Des is given the name of a town and Cold Snap Cabin, but no phone number or address -- why does Vix think that springing the guy who ruined his life on Orion with no warning would be an ethical thing to do? We do eventually get a kind of reason for Vix's thinking (which involves collusion with one of Orion's friends), but let's face it: this premise makes no logical sense. File it under Romance Reasons and move on.)
So given that we have a ridiculous premise and a huge ask, how did this work so well? It boils down to Des, who is likeable, funny, and smart (but also incompetent in a "city slicker in the mountains" kind of way, #relatable). Des genuinely wants to make amends; selfishly, he also wants to explain his reasons for why he did what he did, in the hopes of gaining forgiveness. But -- and this is key -- he also knows that he is not entitled to forgiveness; the way forward, or not, is entirely up to Orion, and Des is willing to accept whatever decisions he makes. It also boils down to Ripper's clever, tropetastic setup: meet-cute (no, really: Des and Orion have a very flirty, adorable first encounter before Des springs the campaign on him and Orion realizes who he is), snowed in/ forced proximity, sickbed (caffeine withdrawal is a thing, man), one-sided enemies to lovers, and ONE-EYED DOG RESCUE!! Like all great romances, Settle the Score both leans hard into and transcends these tropes to bring us an emotionally resonant exploration of what it means to make amends, and the difference between things that can be forgiven and things that can only be accepted. And whether making a mistake -- even a massive one -- precludes all possibilities for redemption, (self-)forgiveness, liking, and love.
No spoilers here, but suffice to say that a large chunk of the book is dedicated to Des and Orion being snowed in -- with no phone or internet service -- at Orion's cabin, during which their relationship evolves from Orion's extreme (understandable) antipathy to a kind of grudging cooperation to tentative flirtation to (fade-to-black) intimacy; while the latter chunk explores the aftermath, both professional and personal, once the cabin bubble is broken. Orion's journey from hatred to liking (loving?) Des during their six enforced days together is not entirely explicable (and here is one of those things that I wish was done better, but which is difficult in the context of 1st person POV); I can very well see that some readers won't buy this switch, especially as Des himself is extremely skeptical that Orion could feel something for him other than derision, so we're getting Des's disbelief added on to our own. For me, it worked as a combination of the initial attraction, Des's care and determination in rescuing the dog, Des's acceptance of Orion's feelings (after his initial attempts at apology and explanation, Des does not keep advocating for forgiveness), and Orion's discovery that Des gave up writing after the article; that is, that Des's actions show genuine remorse even if Orion doesn't want to hear self-serving excuses about his motives. Orion is also honest enough to admit that he wasn't happy living the closeted life he felt forced into. To be clear: he does not thank Des for "liberating" him from the closet, nor does he think that his past unhappiness justifies Des's actions. Orion is not out to absolve Des or wash away his sins. But some distance from his past life has enabled him to see all the ways he was sacrificing himself, and what that did to him; while meeting Des helps him realize that, just as his own story is complex, so too is his "enemy's", and that neither of them are served by living without nuance or compassion.
This is not a perfect book. For some people, this will be an absolute no -- and that's ok. Forced outing is abhorrent, and Ripper sets zirself a pretty hard task in making this a story people will want to read and believe in. And while I think it was smart to keep us in Des's head the whole time, this means that Orion remains somewhat elusive: we never really get his side of the story, whether it's the emotional journey during the time at the cabin, or the life-changing decision Orion makes for both of them (albeit with an out) in the aftermath. Like I said many thousand words ago when I started this review: my head recognizes the flaws. But I really loved this despite (because?) of them. Not just because of the gentle, self-deprecating humor, and the familiar fish-out-of-water feeling of being simultaneously very smart and very dumb. And not just because of Des's resilience and (belated) self-awareness. But also because the big ask prompted some real reflection over what it means to forgive. And to not forgive, but to still see some goodness in someone and acknowledge past harm while accepting the possibility of a different future. This is a generous, empathetic book about what we owe each other and ourselves, and understanding the difference between the two. Can't wait to re-read.
Read as part of the Trans Rights Readathon to spotlight books written by authors who are trans, genderqueer, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, and 2Spirit.
I got an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2024
Settle the Score is a real treat. A fun take on the forced proximity and enemies to lovers tropes, Kris Ripper's newest novel is about Des, a journalist who's languishing doing PR, and Orion, a former pro soccer player who's hiding from the world in a secluded cabin in the California mountains. On what's supposed to be a day trip to find Orion and offer him a campaign deal, Des gets caught in a snow storm and has to hole up with Orion at his cabin. The catch here is that the reason Orion no longer plays soccer professionally is because he was non-consensually outed by a journalist and was effectively ousted by the sport; the journalist who outed Orion is, you guessed it, Des.
Honestly, this felt like a really risky premise to me during the first few chapters of the book, and I had no idea how Ripper was going to get these two messes together. But ze did it. Well, it worked for me, anyway. This seems like a real YMMV situation, though. Like, Des made a huge mistake -- HUGE, the fallout of which pretty much ruined Orion's life. But, these characters are also really sweet together, and I believed their emotional connection and sexual attraction.
The writing was great, the characters were great (Des isn't necessarily likable, but he's really lovable), and the story was really engaging. Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Honestly, this felt like a really risky premise to me during the first few chapters of the book, and I had no idea how Ripper was going to get these two messes together. But ze did it. Well, it worked for me, anyway. This seems like a real YMMV situation, though. Like, Des made a huge mistake -- HUGE, the fallout of which pretty much ruined Orion's life. But, these characters are also really sweet together, and I believed their emotional connection and sexual attraction.
The writing was great, the characters were great (Des isn't necessarily likable, but he's really lovable), and the story was really engaging. Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
September 18, 2024
On sale for 99¢ today only for Amazon Australia!
“If you freak out, I can’t ethically have sex with you, so if that’s your objective, take some deep breaths.”
4 stars, even though I'm still mad at Des
This was a tough swallow for me, and I think for some it will understandably be a hard No. Des, the single POV in the book, forcibly outs Orion; a pro soccer (football) player. It's inexplicable that a gay college journalist (studying journalism) would use a nonconsensual photo taken of Orion kissing his bf in a car and use it to out him. The naïveté, the absolute dumbfuckery privilege, the narrow-sightedness, honestly, it pushed all my buttons and if this wasn't written by Ripper, I most likely would have DNFed immediately.
I stuck with it and enjoyed it. There isn't a glowing redemption arc here; Des is not forgiven, and when he absolutely ambushes the reclusive cabin-dwelling ex-athlete with a marketing pitch and tries to word-vomit a heartfelt but chaotic apology, Orion shuts him down. I'm not a fan of noncon apologies and Ripper handled that well.
I was stuck now. In a blizzard. In a one-bedroom cabin. With a grumpy Orion Broderick.
Uhh, only not in a fun porn story way, like he’d be grumpy until suddenly he couldn’t help himself and ripped my clothes off and ravished me deliciously because the grumpiness was just a mask for his uncontrollable lust and emotional intimacy issues. Dammit, I was looking forward to that!
Despite all of that, I did enjoy the book; I never really forgave Des (Orion didn't either), but the snowed-in forced proximity was fun.
I do think this book would have been better as a dual POV and with a little more depth added to why/how Orion fell for Des. The audiobook is included with KU!
Some fun soccer/football commentary, although Americans better know they have a pro league, Messi is there in his pink jersey!!
“They want the face of their campaign to belong to a sport that not everyone even knows exists?”
“People know soccer exists.”
“Americans don’t know we have a pro league!”I countered.
Even though I'm not usually a fan of goofy inept characters, Des did grow on me, or maybe I just liked the way Orion dealt with him. I think part of it is I just like everything Ripper writes.
Orion rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but ableism doesn’t reflect on the subject of the ableist language used; it reflects on the person using that language.”
My jaw dropped. “Oh my god, I’m not ableist!”
“Are you sure?”
Plus there was a dog rescue, and dog-naming and dog-cuddling time.
“What about Gizmo?”
“Gizmo?” I frowned. He couldn’t mean like in Gremlins, could he?
The fact that we’d both seen the same obscure eighties movie felt a lot more meaningful than it probably should have. Gremlins is considered obscure? 👀
It was pretty hilarious when the power went out and Des was terrified and panicky, and solid, stable, prepared Orion took over.
“Oh, is that how it is? Am I supposed to be threatening to take you over my knee if you misbehave?” Y-es? How is that even a question.
“You’re . . . leading from behind? Is that like topping from the bottom?”
Apparently I can read slightly comedic romance, it must depend on the author.
What was happening to me? I’d been in the sticks for six hours, and suddenly I was thinking about sex and quiche in the same sentence.
“In order to humiliate me like I’d humiliated you? Because it’s a real wild revenge plot.” Indeed.
My tags may be spoilers, don't read below this if that bothers you.
Tags:
CR, ex-journalist entry level at marketing firm/forcibly retired soccer (football) player, sports-themed romcom, snowed in, forced proximity, puppy rescue, flawed MC, forcibly outing a professional athlete, enemies-to-lovers, not a redemption arc story, diverse side characters, well-written women (as usual for Ripper), reflection, reclusive MCs (both, in different ways), caffeine withdrawal, pink pickup truck, California
“If you freak out, I can’t ethically have sex with you, so if that’s your objective, take some deep breaths.”
4 stars, even though I'm still mad at Des
This was a tough swallow for me, and I think for some it will understandably be a hard No. Des, the single POV in the book, forcibly outs Orion; a pro soccer (football) player. It's inexplicable that a gay college journalist (studying journalism) would use a nonconsensual photo taken of Orion kissing his bf in a car and use it to out him. The naïveté, the absolute dumbfuckery privilege, the narrow-sightedness, honestly, it pushed all my buttons and if this wasn't written by Ripper, I most likely would have DNFed immediately.
I stuck with it and enjoyed it. There isn't a glowing redemption arc here; Des is not forgiven, and when he absolutely ambushes the reclusive cabin-dwelling ex-athlete with a marketing pitch and tries to word-vomit a heartfelt but chaotic apology, Orion shuts him down. I'm not a fan of noncon apologies and Ripper handled that well.
I was stuck now. In a blizzard. In a one-bedroom cabin. With a grumpy Orion Broderick.
Uhh, only not in a fun porn story way, like he’d be grumpy until suddenly he couldn’t help himself and ripped my clothes off and ravished me deliciously because the grumpiness was just a mask for his uncontrollable lust and emotional intimacy issues. Dammit, I was looking forward to that!
Despite all of that, I did enjoy the book; I never really forgave Des (Orion didn't either), but the snowed-in forced proximity was fun.
I do think this book would have been better as a dual POV and with a little more depth added to why/how Orion fell for Des. The audiobook is included with KU!
Some fun soccer/football commentary, although Americans better know they have a pro league, Messi is there in his pink jersey!!
“They want the face of their campaign to belong to a sport that not everyone even knows exists?”
“People know soccer exists.”
“Americans don’t know we have a pro league!”I countered.
Even though I'm not usually a fan of goofy inept characters, Des did grow on me, or maybe I just liked the way Orion dealt with him. I think part of it is I just like everything Ripper writes.
Orion rolled his eyes. “Yeah, but ableism doesn’t reflect on the subject of the ableist language used; it reflects on the person using that language.”
My jaw dropped. “Oh my god, I’m not ableist!”
“Are you sure?”
Plus there was a dog rescue, and dog-naming and dog-cuddling time.
“What about Gizmo?”
“Gizmo?” I frowned. He couldn’t mean like in Gremlins, could he?
The fact that we’d both seen the same obscure eighties movie felt a lot more meaningful than it probably should have. Gremlins is considered obscure? 👀
It was pretty hilarious when the power went out and Des was terrified and panicky, and solid, stable, prepared Orion took over.
“Oh, is that how it is? Am I supposed to be threatening to take you over my knee if you misbehave?” Y-es? How is that even a question.
“You’re . . . leading from behind? Is that like topping from the bottom?”
Apparently I can read slightly comedic romance, it must depend on the author.
What was happening to me? I’d been in the sticks for six hours, and suddenly I was thinking about sex and quiche in the same sentence.
“In order to humiliate me like I’d humiliated you? Because it’s a real wild revenge plot.” Indeed.
My tags may be spoilers, don't read below this if that bothers you.
Tags:
CR, ex-journalist entry level at marketing firm/forcibly retired soccer (football) player, sports-themed romcom, snowed in, forced proximity, puppy rescue, flawed MC, forcibly outing a professional athlete, enemies-to-lovers, not a redemption arc story, diverse side characters, well-written women (as usual for Ripper), reflection, reclusive MCs (both, in different ways), caffeine withdrawal, pink pickup truck, California
July 21, 2024
Audio ARC received from NetGalley, thanks!
Happy sigh… Pete Cross so totally did this book justice with his fantastic narration. Really elevated it, and gave Des and Orion so much depth, it was really great.
4.5 stars
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
CW: suicidal ideation
I am SO happy to have a new Kris Ripper book to read! And did I ever devour this.
While it's not my favourite Ripper book, it is still so, so good. It's incredibly readable and I loved both of the characters. Plus, I think this is the first book I've read that has a character names Orion in it??? (that may be the name of one of my children, so I'm a bit biased)
Going into the book, I wasn't really sure about the premise; how could anything happen between a former reporter who publicly outed the then star soccer/football player? But, it worked. Ripper made me believe it, and in a totally real way, too. Des and Orion both struggled with their past and their current feelings for each other and how to deal with all of that. While maybe not entirely realistic, it felt real enough to me and I totally bought it.
I am also a huge sucker for forced proximity as a trope, which is basically all this book is. Well, the majority of it, anyway. Des ends up trapped at Orion's secluded cottage after a freak snow storm in April. I think that everything that happened while they were forced to share a space was realistic and something that could actually happen. Maybe finding a limping, nearly blind dog in the middle of a snow storm is a bit less likely, but I don't care, it worked for me. Rescuing a stray dog as a plot device to bring the two characters together 100% worked for me.
I'll say it again, I am SO happy to have a new Kris Ripper to read and I can't wait to have the actual book in my hands so that I can add it to my ever-growing mountain of KR books.
Happy sigh… Pete Cross so totally did this book justice with his fantastic narration. Really elevated it, and gave Des and Orion so much depth, it was really great.
4.5 stars
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
CW: suicidal ideation
I am SO happy to have a new Kris Ripper book to read! And did I ever devour this.
While it's not my favourite Ripper book, it is still so, so good. It's incredibly readable and I loved both of the characters. Plus, I think this is the first book I've read that has a character names Orion in it??? (that may be the name of one of my children, so I'm a bit biased)
Going into the book, I wasn't really sure about the premise; how could anything happen between a former reporter who publicly outed the then star soccer/football player? But, it worked. Ripper made me believe it, and in a totally real way, too. Des and Orion both struggled with their past and their current feelings for each other and how to deal with all of that. While maybe not entirely realistic, it felt real enough to me and I totally bought it.
I am also a huge sucker for forced proximity as a trope, which is basically all this book is. Well, the majority of it, anyway. Des ends up trapped at Orion's secluded cottage after a freak snow storm in April. I think that everything that happened while they were forced to share a space was realistic and something that could actually happen. Maybe finding a limping, nearly blind dog in the middle of a snow storm is a bit less likely, but I don't care, it worked for me. Rescuing a stray dog as a plot device to bring the two characters together 100% worked for me.
I'll say it again, I am SO happy to have a new Kris Ripper to read and I can't wait to have the actual book in my hands so that I can add it to my ever-growing mountain of KR books.
June 14, 2024
⁀➷ 3 ★ ´ˎ˗
des cleary, the mess that you are…
i feel like i need to state that off the bat, the main reason my rating of this book is as high as it is only related to my enjoyment of the author’s writing. that’s it. i’ve already written down a little note to myself to pick up more of zir’s books because i feel like i jived well with the writing — just not the story.
it’s no secret that i’m a big fan of sports romances, but this book feels… sports romance adjacent. we’re supposed to be rooting for our mc who made one of the worst decisions you can ever make as a human being — outing someone. while i can feel the remorse radiating from the mc, des. it truly never felt like the conflict was properly resolved. this only made the romance between the mc and the love interest that he outed a bit uncomfortable and out of left field for me. i don’t understand what made orion feel differently about des, especially since the whole snowed-in experience between them was full of awkward silence, arguments, and tension. it truly felt like pulling teeth to get past that portion of the book.
but, i don’t want to complain too much about this book because it’s clear that kris ripper put a lot of heart into it. i just don’t personally think this was the book for me, especially as a queer individual that was also forcibly outed in high school as an athlete. there is no redemption arc that i would’ve bought into.
thank you to netgalley, montlake, and kris ripper for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
des cleary, the mess that you are…
i feel like i need to state that off the bat, the main reason my rating of this book is as high as it is only related to my enjoyment of the author’s writing. that’s it. i’ve already written down a little note to myself to pick up more of zir’s books because i feel like i jived well with the writing — just not the story.
it’s no secret that i’m a big fan of sports romances, but this book feels… sports romance adjacent. we’re supposed to be rooting for our mc who made one of the worst decisions you can ever make as a human being — outing someone. while i can feel the remorse radiating from the mc, des. it truly never felt like the conflict was properly resolved. this only made the romance between the mc and the love interest that he outed a bit uncomfortable and out of left field for me. i don’t understand what made orion feel differently about des, especially since the whole snowed-in experience between them was full of awkward silence, arguments, and tension. it truly felt like pulling teeth to get past that portion of the book.
but, i don’t want to complain too much about this book because it’s clear that kris ripper put a lot of heart into it. i just don’t personally think this was the book for me, especially as a queer individual that was also forcibly outed in high school as an athlete. there is no redemption arc that i would’ve bought into.
thank you to netgalley, montlake, and kris ripper for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
August 14, 2024
Cute, in that way where I’m happy for them but didn’t necessarily need to be there for it all.
Objectively pretty good, especially from a plot perspective and in terms of convincing you that Des is in any way sympathetic, but a little too online/self-conscious for my taste (which you can mostly, but I don’t think entirely, blame on Des as a character), and I never really got what Orion saw in Des.
I liked the realism of how the plot played out both during and after the snowed-in-cabin situation. Kris Ripper is a fantastic author, and much of zir work is not exactly trope-y palatable fluff - m this book felt in general like a surprisingly organic combo between zir usual tone/setting/characters and the trope-forward parts of the romance genre.
But I felt like there were aspects of the characters’ emotional arcs that weren’t really ever wrapped up - which is I guess the downside of that realism! (I say “the characters” but I really only mean Des because I don’t think Orion got an emotional arc.) I got a little impatient toward the end because there was so much time being devoted to plot points along the path to the HEA but which… it got a little predictable, is I guess what I’m saying, and not in a cozy satisfying way but in a “I know they’re going to get there so why is it taking me this many pages for *me* to get there” way. Maybe it felt a little bit like - here’s all this work to get these characters to a place where they’re declaring their love for each other… and then everything else in the story was immediately dropped.
I was more interested in/convinced by this as a story about Des getting his life together than as a romance, I guess, and as a romance it does technically check the boxes but as a story about Des it gets a lot of the way there and then just stops.
Objectively pretty good, especially from a plot perspective and in terms of convincing you that Des is in any way sympathetic, but a little too online/self-conscious for my taste (which you can mostly, but I don’t think entirely, blame on Des as a character), and I never really got what Orion saw in Des.
I liked the realism of how the plot played out both during and after the snowed-in-cabin situation. Kris Ripper is a fantastic author, and much of zir work is not exactly trope-y palatable fluff - m this book felt in general like a surprisingly organic combo between zir usual tone/setting/characters and the trope-forward parts of the romance genre.
But I felt like there were aspects of the characters’ emotional arcs that weren’t really ever wrapped up - which is I guess the downside of that realism! (I say “the characters” but I really only mean Des because I don’t think Orion got an emotional arc.) I got a little impatient toward the end because there was so much time being devoted to plot points along the path to the HEA but which… it got a little predictable, is I guess what I’m saying, and not in a cozy satisfying way but in a “I know they’re going to get there so why is it taking me this many pages for *me* to get there” way. Maybe it felt a little bit like - here’s all this work to get these characters to a place where they’re declaring their love for each other… and then everything else in the story was immediately dropped.
I was more interested in/convinced by this as a story about Des getting his life together than as a romance, I guess, and as a romance it does technically check the boxes but as a story about Des it gets a lot of the way there and then just stops.
March 24, 2024
This was a mess. A mostly entertaining mess, for sure, but a mess nonetheless. I picked this up because I've enjoyed some of Kris Ripper's other work a lot. And I did again really enjoy the writing, which was super fun. But I liked the actual romance a lot less.
I was afraid I'd have trouble rooting for the main character, considering he was the one who outed the love interest in the past, but I was hoping this would be adequately resolved. It isn't. I never felt like the main character truly redeemed himself, and he always centered himself in every (very sparse) conversation they had about it.
I did understand why the MC was attracted to the love interest, but never did it become clear to me what the love interest saw in our MC. Had this been dual POV, this would have been a real problem for the book, but as it is, it's easy to get distracted by the fun writing to actually consider if the romance holds up. The love interest goes from saying he "detests" the MC to kissing him over the span of a few days, when nothing has really seemed to change between them, which really confused me. The story kind of lost me there, and it lost me even more after the snowed-in-together situation ends and our MC goes back home. This part of the book took way too long and was way too boring to read.
I was afraid I'd have trouble rooting for the main character, considering he was the one who outed the love interest in the past, but I was hoping this would be adequately resolved. It isn't. I never felt like the main character truly redeemed himself, and he always centered himself in every (very sparse) conversation they had about it.
I did understand why the MC was attracted to the love interest, but never did it become clear to me what the love interest saw in our MC. Had this been dual POV, this would have been a real problem for the book, but as it is, it's easy to get distracted by the fun writing to actually consider if the romance holds up. The love interest goes from saying he "detests" the MC to kissing him over the span of a few days, when nothing has really seemed to change between them, which really confused me. The story kind of lost me there, and it lost me even more after the snowed-in-together situation ends and our MC goes back home. This part of the book took way too long and was way too boring to read.
August 15, 2024
Kris Ripper continues to impress.
This one, however, did not start out very impressively. Ex-journalist Des Cleary's voice did not click with me right away, the way the protagonists of The Hate Project and Book Boyfriend did. I did eventually find him sympathetic and likeable. And I get he's impulsive and not so great at making the decisions. But not for one second did I buy the idea that anyone in that situation, who's pulled back to the extent Des has out of regret and self-loathing over the outcome of a past action, would cave in and accept the assignment he's handed in chapter one with so little resistance.
Yes, the whole premise of the book hangs on that assignment. But he should have refused until he had absolutely no option, and self-sabotaged all the way up until the moment he and Orion were face to face, and the story just utterly failed to sell that.
But on the strength of Ripper's previous works, I plugged on.
There's another point much later in the story where something similar happens. Des recieves a call, , and his response , is just the stupidest, most unbelievable action possible given what has gone on in the story so far and his feelings about Orion.
Yet somehow neither of these things ruined the story for me. Both could easily be fixed without major plot surgery in my opinion.
And the plot is why I'm rounding this one up instead of down like The Hate Project.
By chance, I happened to read this right after a work by the grandmaster of romcoms, P.G. Wodehouse, which shared the same core plot element: an ex-journalist falling for someone they'd badly hurt and made an enemy of with an article they'd written years earlier. (Piccadilly Jim) And despite working with only Des's point of view (Wodehouse was writing omniscient), this book totally sold me on the reconciliation where the Wodehouse failed to.
This is much more satisfyingly plotted than my previous Kris Ripper book, The Hate Project, and the absence of Orion's pov wasn't such a glaring hole as the absence of Jack's was in that novel.
So... flawed, but satisfying. I'm looking forward to seeing what Kris Ripper does next.
This one, however, did not start out very impressively. Ex-journalist Des Cleary's voice did not click with me right away, the way the protagonists of The Hate Project and Book Boyfriend did. I did eventually find him sympathetic and likeable. And I get he's impulsive and not so great at making the decisions. But not for one second did I buy the idea that anyone in that situation, who's pulled back to the extent Des has out of regret and self-loathing over the outcome of a past action, would cave in and accept the assignment he's handed in chapter one with so little resistance.
Yes, the whole premise of the book hangs on that assignment. But he should have refused until he had absolutely no option, and self-sabotaged all the way up until the moment he and Orion were face to face, and the story just utterly failed to sell that.
But on the strength of Ripper's previous works, I plugged on.
There's another point much later in the story where something similar happens. Des recieves a call, , and his response , is just the stupidest, most unbelievable action possible given what has gone on in the story so far and his feelings about Orion.
Yet somehow neither of these things ruined the story for me. Both could easily be fixed without major plot surgery in my opinion.
And the plot is why I'm rounding this one up instead of down like The Hate Project.
By chance, I happened to read this right after a work by the grandmaster of romcoms, P.G. Wodehouse, which shared the same core plot element: an ex-journalist falling for someone they'd badly hurt and made an enemy of with an article they'd written years earlier. (Piccadilly Jim) And despite working with only Des's point of view (Wodehouse was writing omniscient), this book totally sold me on the reconciliation where the Wodehouse failed to.
This is much more satisfyingly plotted than my previous Kris Ripper book, The Hate Project, and the absence of Orion's pov wasn't such a glaring hole as the absence of Jack's was in that novel.
So... flawed, but satisfying. I'm looking forward to seeing what Kris Ripper does next.
May 5, 2024
"I was some flavor of terrible person. Not the worst type of terrible— I didn’t serial kill anyone or torture baby animals, and no one was going to make a true crime episode about how my sad childhood had made me a murderer— but being a milder brand of terrible still wasn’t great."
I can understand, why this book might be not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it. Imagine a character, who did something really awful - unintentionally ruined another person's life, but the writing is so good, so captivating that you can feel sympathy for him and you're rooting for him to find happiness. The story is told in first person and single POV, so the reader spends a lot of time in his head, and it's a messy business - insecurities, guilt, hopefulness, self-flagellation, but I didn't mind it at all. Add great banter, snowed-in trope, stray dog, opposites attract, small town, and you get a beautiful story about redemption and forgiveness. What did I miss? Just a little bit of Orion's POV. 4.5/5
I can understand, why this book might be not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it. Imagine a character, who did something really awful - unintentionally ruined another person's life, but the writing is so good, so captivating that you can feel sympathy for him and you're rooting for him to find happiness. The story is told in first person and single POV, so the reader spends a lot of time in his head, and it's a messy business - insecurities, guilt, hopefulness, self-flagellation, but I didn't mind it at all. Add great banter, snowed-in trope, stray dog, opposites attract, small town, and you get a beautiful story about redemption and forgiveness. What did I miss? Just a little bit of Orion's POV. 4.5/5
December 6, 2024
This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. The characters are relatable and well-developed. It is nuanced and never over the top with the drama. The narration is marvelous and made me add a star. Only one, personal, complaint: I like more feelings, while reading. I could have had more angst, pining and longing.
February 17, 2025
If I didn't already trust Ripper as an author, I would have stayed far away from this premise. It's a big lift to begin with: a romance between a retired soccer star and the college journalist who publicly outed him. However, some of the best romances are those that seem impossible at the start, where you question on how on earth an author is going to make you believe in the characters' HEA. So I crossed my fingers and gave it a go. Alas, Ripper was not able to make a believer out of me.
This is in large part because we only get Des's POV. And well, I did not really care for him, even beyond what he did to Orion. I was left questioning what Orion saw in Des. Des doesn't seem to have grown at all since his lapse in judgment and seemed more focused on his guilt, than the way he blew up Orion's entire life. He'd say he knew he wasn't entitled to forgiveness but then focus on what apologizing meant to him vs. how much he was inconveniencing Orion by repeatedly bringing up the past. I felt horrible for Orion being stuck with Des during a snowstorm and I couldn't see where and how and why he turned from despising Des to wanting to kiss him. It never felt believable to me, nor did
At least Des had the correct opinion about Lipton tea; it is indeed the worst.
Characters: Des is a 25 year old queer white brand development copywriter and former college journalist. Orion is a gay white baker and retired soccer player. This is set in Bakers Mine, Conquistos, and Los Angeles, CA.
Content notes: brief suicidal ideation, past forced outing of Orion by Des in his college newspaper, invasion of privacy (paparazzi), Des shows up at Orion's house uninvited, past death of Des's father (heart attack), Des's father was an alcoholic and his mother possibly abuses prescriptions, rescue of injured dog with one eye, internalized fatphobia, parental estrangement, Orion's parents were homophobic when he came out, past intimate partner violence and concern new partner is emotionally abusive (Des's mom), past death of secondary character's husband, past professional ethics violation (Orion dated his physical therapist), caffeine discussed as an addictive substance, off page sex, ageist jokes, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
This is in large part because we only get Des's POV. And well, I did not really care for him, even beyond what he did to Orion. I was left questioning what Orion saw in Des. Des doesn't seem to have grown at all since his lapse in judgment and seemed more focused on his guilt, than the way he blew up Orion's entire life. He'd say he knew he wasn't entitled to forgiveness but then focus on what apologizing meant to him vs. how much he was inconveniencing Orion by repeatedly bringing up the past. I felt horrible for Orion being stuck with Des during a snowstorm and I couldn't see where and how and why he turned from despising Des to wanting to kiss him. It never felt believable to me, nor did
At least Des had the correct opinion about Lipton tea; it is indeed the worst.
Characters: Des is a 25 year old queer white brand development copywriter and former college journalist. Orion is a gay white baker and retired soccer player. This is set in Bakers Mine, Conquistos, and Los Angeles, CA.
Content notes: brief suicidal ideation, past forced outing of Orion by Des in his college newspaper, invasion of privacy (paparazzi), Des shows up at Orion's house uninvited, past death of Des's father (heart attack), Des's father was an alcoholic and his mother possibly abuses prescriptions, rescue of injured dog with one eye, internalized fatphobia, parental estrangement, Orion's parents were homophobic when he came out, past intimate partner violence and concern new partner is emotionally abusive (Des's mom), past death of secondary character's husband, past professional ethics violation (Orion dated his physical therapist), caffeine discussed as an addictive substance, off page sex, ageist jokes, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
March 22, 2024
Ah I loved this so much. Such a great story about love, redemptions, and forgiveness.
Plot: Des was tasked to recruit former pro soccer player to join a Pride campaign that his boss was doing to get kids into sports. Unfortunately he outed this player in a college paper years ago. And soon after Orion left soccer and lived in the mountains. Des finds him and planned for a quick turnaround home, but unexpectedly got stranded in the cabin for days in a snowstorm.
The interaction between them was beautiful. I found the story to be humorous at times due to Des. I loved Des. I felt for him and yet wanted to shake him at times. Orion had every right to be upset. Yet, I don’t understand why he didn’t sue his soccer club of sexual discrimination. It was maddening that nothing happen to the upper management that “fired” Orion. I also love any love story with a dog in it! The ending was adorable! I definitely wanted more. Overall, this was a special gem of a book that I highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.
Plot: Des was tasked to recruit former pro soccer player to join a Pride campaign that his boss was doing to get kids into sports. Unfortunately he outed this player in a college paper years ago. And soon after Orion left soccer and lived in the mountains. Des finds him and planned for a quick turnaround home, but unexpectedly got stranded in the cabin for days in a snowstorm.
The interaction between them was beautiful. I found the story to be humorous at times due to Des. I loved Des. I felt for him and yet wanted to shake him at times. Orion had every right to be upset. Yet, I don’t understand why he didn’t sue his soccer club of sexual discrimination. It was maddening that nothing happen to the upper management that “fired” Orion. I also love any love story with a dog in it! The ending was adorable! I definitely wanted more. Overall, this was a special gem of a book that I highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.
November 7, 2024
Actual rating: 4,5
If you don’t like flawed characters then this is absolutely not for you, do stay away.
But if you like realistic characters that do stupid things sometimes, try their best but also fail half the time then I 100% recommend this.
Des did a very very stupid thing indeed. Outing a star soccer player with an article he wrote in college, because he got too excited and didn’t understand why it should be different for the men league than it is for the woman wasn’t his best moment. When years later his boss sends him on a mission to find said player for a campaign he thinks he can make things right again. Getting snowed in with him for days, after he send him to the curb wasn’t part of the plan.
I loved Kris Rippers books before and I‘m glad I loved this one too.
When I saw the words „outing him“ I was so shocked I didn’t even want to start it, but I just can’t say no to a sports romance.
Des didn’t only mess with Orion’s life that day, he also swore off writing and let his own dream life slide.
I don’t know how Kris did it, but I fell in love with Des immediately. He’s just haunted by bad luck it seems, anxious and maybe just a bit of an idiot, but a very lovable one. We all know the feeling when you think nothing is going right and I just felt so bad for him.
The chemistry between these two was on fire and I think this was is my new favourite „snowed in“ trope book!
Is it realistic that after only a week people fell so hard that they still yearn for each other months later? Maybe not, but I just ignored it because the story just worked so well for me. I loved these two together and how a mistake maybe turned both their lives upside down, but maybe also pushed them in the right direction and towards each other. It’s about forgiveness, not only forgiving someone else, but yourself. Getting out of your comfort bubble you built and look for new goals again. I thought this was a beautiful flawed story.
If you don’t like flawed characters then this is absolutely not for you, do stay away.
But if you like realistic characters that do stupid things sometimes, try their best but also fail half the time then I 100% recommend this.
Des did a very very stupid thing indeed. Outing a star soccer player with an article he wrote in college, because he got too excited and didn’t understand why it should be different for the men league than it is for the woman wasn’t his best moment. When years later his boss sends him on a mission to find said player for a campaign he thinks he can make things right again. Getting snowed in with him for days, after he send him to the curb wasn’t part of the plan.
I loved Kris Rippers books before and I‘m glad I loved this one too.
When I saw the words „outing him“ I was so shocked I didn’t even want to start it, but I just can’t say no to a sports romance.
Des didn’t only mess with Orion’s life that day, he also swore off writing and let his own dream life slide.
I don’t know how Kris did it, but I fell in love with Des immediately. He’s just haunted by bad luck it seems, anxious and maybe just a bit of an idiot, but a very lovable one. We all know the feeling when you think nothing is going right and I just felt so bad for him.
The chemistry between these two was on fire and I think this was is my new favourite „snowed in“ trope book!
Is it realistic that after only a week people fell so hard that they still yearn for each other months later? Maybe not, but I just ignored it because the story just worked so well for me. I loved these two together and how a mistake maybe turned both their lives upside down, but maybe also pushed them in the right direction and towards each other. It’s about forgiveness, not only forgiving someone else, but yourself. Getting out of your comfort bubble you built and look for new goals again. I thought this was a beautiful flawed story.
Read
June 2, 2024Kris Ripper is one of those authors whose books somehow always work for me. The characters are so well-drawn, and flawed, and relatable, and they always seem to stick in my mind.
While sports romances generally aren’t my thing, I would say Settle the Score is more sports-adjacent. The story centers on a retired pro soccer player and the reporter who had outed him years earlier, a true enemies to lovers premise (so much so that I was a tiny bit skeptical about how Ripper would pull it off).
All in all, I thought it was great. Forced proximity in a cabin in a snowstorm gets me every time, and ultimately I found the romance arc to be genuinely believable. Throw in a cute dog and a character whose biggest concern in a storm is lack of caffeine, and I’m sold.
I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Ripper, but there’s a lot of competition.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.
While sports romances generally aren’t my thing, I would say Settle the Score is more sports-adjacent. The story centers on a retired pro soccer player and the reporter who had outed him years earlier, a true enemies to lovers premise (so much so that I was a tiny bit skeptical about how Ripper would pull it off).
All in all, I thought it was great. Forced proximity in a cabin in a snowstorm gets me every time, and ultimately I found the romance arc to be genuinely believable. Throw in a cute dog and a character whose biggest concern in a storm is lack of caffeine, and I’m sold.
I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Ripper, but there’s a lot of competition.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.
March 15, 2025
5 stars not bc this book is flawless, there are some big asks and maybe a hole or two that could have used seeing to, but I just … couldn’t put it down.
I’m so against forced outing that I avoided this for a few months, but when I gave page one a glance it was impossible not to keep going.
There are 3-4 fellow goodreaders who seem to share my taste very closely that made me give this book a chance and I’m So Glad bc I’ve read alllll the KJ Charles (at least 3x each book) and this height of quality in MM romance is not found everywhere. Adding Kris Ripper to the auto read pile! Excited to check out more of zir work
I’m so against forced outing that I avoided this for a few months, but when I gave page one a glance it was impossible not to keep going.
There are 3-4 fellow goodreaders who seem to share my taste very closely that made me give this book a chance and I’m So Glad bc I’ve read alllll the KJ Charles (at least 3x each book) and this height of quality in MM romance is not found everywhere. Adding Kris Ripper to the auto read pile! Excited to check out more of zir work
January 5, 2025
cute rom com but the enemies to lovers switch happened very quickly ? and seemingly had no other tensions ? would’ve liked to see a bit more emotional drama in that change i think
January 7, 2025
This was my first Kris Ripper and it won't be my last.
It was really hard for me to land on my rating for this book. I think it's very well-written book for the most part, especially since it was a pretty bold premise we are expected to buy (and it won't work for everyone).
I blew through the first two-thirds, it was compelling and charming and clever and up my alley. Because of that, I looked away at the gaping hole that made it hard for me to better understand why Orion makes the first move and kept on enjoying. I mean, in some ways I totally got it. And it's definitely a function of having a single POV. But usually you will get enough from the non-POV character later in the book to help fill in the gaps but I didn't really get that here. If not for that gap, and an above-average amount of required suspension of disbelief, I probably would have rounded this up to five.
That said, this was a very solid four stars. Highly enjoyable (although I found the low point to be pretty darn low and fairly long) and endearing. I will for sure be digging into Kris Ripper's back catalogue.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review.
It was really hard for me to land on my rating for this book. I think it's very well-written book for the most part, especially since it was a pretty bold premise we are expected to buy (and it won't work for everyone).
I blew through the first two-thirds, it was compelling and charming and clever and up my alley. Because of that, I looked away at the gaping hole that made it hard for me to better understand why Orion makes the first move and kept on enjoying. I mean, in some ways I totally got it. And it's definitely a function of having a single POV. But usually you will get enough from the non-POV character later in the book to help fill in the gaps but I didn't really get that here. If not for that gap, and an above-average amount of required suspension of disbelief, I probably would have rounded this up to five.
That said, this was a very solid four stars. Highly enjoyable (although I found the low point to be pretty darn low and fairly long) and endearing. I will for sure be digging into Kris Ripper's back catalogue.
I received a digital Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2024
I loved this - I really had no choice but to keep reading until I finished and avoid the list of tasks I had planned for this morning 😊 This had all the fun angst and tension I want from the enemies to lovers/snowed in tropey plot, but also had real heart and sadness and deeper feelings. Highly recommend!
Arc received from NetGalley
Arc received from NetGalley
October 27, 2024
Narration - A / Story - B+; 4.5 stars
Every so often, you come across a story that feels as though it shouldn’t really work – and yet it somehow just does. Maybe the premise requires too great a stretch or simply doesn’t make sense, or maybe there’s something that gets a big side-eye - but the overall story is so good, the characters so charming that you can just go with it and enjoy the ride. Kris Ripper’s Settle the Score is one such book. The narration is excellent and the antagonists-to-lovers/snowed-in romance is so cute that I didn’t really think too much about the holes in the storyline until I’d finished it and came to write this review!
Our protagonist is Des Cleary, a twenty-something former journalist who’s doing entry level/grunt work at a PR/Corporate Branding firm. His immediate boss is the only other queer person working there, and it’s she who tasks him with recruiting retired soccer player Orion Broderick to be the face of a new campaign designed to encourage LGBTQ+ kids to become involved in sports. It’s a great opportunity – or it would be, if Des hadn’t been the reason Orion is retired in the first place. Back in college, he’d written an article about the challenges faced by queer sportspersons that intentionally outed Orion and included a photograph of Orion kissing his then-boyfriend that was taken and published without consent. Des regretted it immediately after it was published but the damage was done; Orion lost both boyfriend and career and he disappeared from the public eye. Disgusted and horrified at his hubris and stupidity, and full of remorse for what he’d done, Des firmly shut the door on the idea of a journalistic career and hasn’t written anything since.
(Side-eyes #1&2 – 1. why would Des’s boss think sending the guy who’d tanked Orion’s career with the job offer was a good idea? 2. the reasons given later make no sense.)
Des isn’t thrilled at the idea of making a job offer to the man whose life he’d ruined, but his arm is twisted and he sets off, with only the vaguest idea of where Orion lives now, on the six hour drive from LA to the small town of Baker’s Mine. The townsfolk are very cagey when asked for directions to Cold Snap Cabin, but Des finally locates it, cautiously driving along the approach road in the deteriorating weather conditions. He finally pulls up outside the cabin as Orion steps onto the porch and offers him a friendly wave; Orion invites him inside and a cheerful – even flirty – conversation ensues until the point at which Des decides it’s time to do the job he’s there to do, tells him about the campaign and hands over a folder containing the details – which also has his name on it. Orion’s manner changes instantly and he (unsurprisingly) orders Des to get out. It’s only as he’s stumbling to his car that Des admits to himself that he’d hoped to explain, perhaps even to obtain forgiveness. But then he realises he’s got a bigger problem. The wind has picked up and the sleet has turned to snow – and as he tries to reverse and turn the car around, the wheels start spinning and he ends up slipping and sliding along the lane – and crashing into Orion’s garage door.
It’s snowing really hard now; they try, but can’t move the car, and the phones are down so there’s no way of calling for help. They’re stuck with each other for the duration.
The early part of the story is as awkward and uncomfortable as you’d expect, with Des and Orion trying to avoid each other (not easy when they’re holed up in a one-bedroom cabin) and the elephant in the room that is their shared past. But the antagonism begins to fade over the next couple of days and a mutual attraction starts to blossom as Des and Orion let their guards down around one another. It’s true that they go from that initial antipathy to liking and possibly more than liking each other quite quickly but it works; Des and Orion are flawed, yet likeable, and the author does a really good job of balancing the deeper emotions of the story with humour and snappy dialogue. I particularly liked that ze shows that while Orion is attracted to Des, attraction is a separate thing from being ready to forgive him for upending his life. Orion can see that Des is a good person who did a shitty thing, but he’s not out to absolve Des for what he did or make it easy for him, even though he’s honest enough with himself to admit that the closeted life he felt he had to lead had made him miserable. Meeting Des also gives Orion the chance to see that what happened hasn’t worked for Des either, to understand the complexities that lay behind his decision to publish the article and that he’s living with the fallout too, albeit in a different way.
Of course, being snowbound can’t last forever, and with the thaw comes unwanted attention that damages the threads of affection and trust that have started to build between the pair and which are, understandably, still a bit fragile on Orion’s part. The third-act break-up is not for nothing and makes sense – but it still hurts.
Given everything that still lies between these two, it’s probably necessary for them to spend some time apart working out things for themselves and deciding what they want to do with their lives. The thing is, this takes way too long - almost the entire final 40% of the story - and the book changes from romance to ‘Des Gets His Life Together’. He needed to do it and I liked him a lot, but I confess to getting a teeny bit bored. Not having Orion’s perspective means we have no sense of his emotional arc, and while I was pleased that he was finally able to take back control of his life, we never see him actually doing any of it, which was a bit disappointing.
(Side-eye #3. The article. No spoilers, but given the premise of this story, what happens here is really dumb.)
But despite the wobbly premise and the side-eyeing, Settle the Score worked pretty well for me in large part due to Des – who is smart, funny, likeable, and hapless in a city-slicker-in-the-wilderness kind of way. Being in his head is entertaining – he’s a mess of guilt and insecurities – and even though he genuinely wants to apologise, he knows he’s not entitled to forgiveness and that whatever happens, he needs to follow Orion’s lead. Another large part of my enjoyment was down to Pete Cross’s fantastic narration. He captures Des’s chatty, fast-talking and snarky personality really well and expertly contrasts it with Orion’s deeper tones and slightly more considered way of speaking. His performance is well-paced and he does a great job with the quieter, more introspective moments in the story as well as bringing out the humour and conveying a genuine warmth and real sense of connection between the leads. The secondary cast isn’t large, but the female characters are convincingly voiced and the differentiation is clear, so there’s never any problem working out who is speaking.
I understand why the overall premise of Settle the Score may be off-putting for some – forced outing is never something to be taken lightly – but the book worked for me. The forced proximity romance is delightful, Des has a terrific narrative voice and the underlying themes of forgiveness and acceptance, of understanding that it’s possible for good people to do bad things, are all really well done. I enjoyed the listen despite my reservations.
Every so often, you come across a story that feels as though it shouldn’t really work – and yet it somehow just does. Maybe the premise requires too great a stretch or simply doesn’t make sense, or maybe there’s something that gets a big side-eye - but the overall story is so good, the characters so charming that you can just go with it and enjoy the ride. Kris Ripper’s Settle the Score is one such book. The narration is excellent and the antagonists-to-lovers/snowed-in romance is so cute that I didn’t really think too much about the holes in the storyline until I’d finished it and came to write this review!
Our protagonist is Des Cleary, a twenty-something former journalist who’s doing entry level/grunt work at a PR/Corporate Branding firm. His immediate boss is the only other queer person working there, and it’s she who tasks him with recruiting retired soccer player Orion Broderick to be the face of a new campaign designed to encourage LGBTQ+ kids to become involved in sports. It’s a great opportunity – or it would be, if Des hadn’t been the reason Orion is retired in the first place. Back in college, he’d written an article about the challenges faced by queer sportspersons that intentionally outed Orion and included a photograph of Orion kissing his then-boyfriend that was taken and published without consent. Des regretted it immediately after it was published but the damage was done; Orion lost both boyfriend and career and he disappeared from the public eye. Disgusted and horrified at his hubris and stupidity, and full of remorse for what he’d done, Des firmly shut the door on the idea of a journalistic career and hasn’t written anything since.
(Side-eyes #1&2 – 1. why would Des’s boss think sending the guy who’d tanked Orion’s career with the job offer was a good idea? 2. the reasons given later make no sense.)
Des isn’t thrilled at the idea of making a job offer to the man whose life he’d ruined, but his arm is twisted and he sets off, with only the vaguest idea of where Orion lives now, on the six hour drive from LA to the small town of Baker’s Mine. The townsfolk are very cagey when asked for directions to Cold Snap Cabin, but Des finally locates it, cautiously driving along the approach road in the deteriorating weather conditions. He finally pulls up outside the cabin as Orion steps onto the porch and offers him a friendly wave; Orion invites him inside and a cheerful – even flirty – conversation ensues until the point at which Des decides it’s time to do the job he’s there to do, tells him about the campaign and hands over a folder containing the details – which also has his name on it. Orion’s manner changes instantly and he (unsurprisingly) orders Des to get out. It’s only as he’s stumbling to his car that Des admits to himself that he’d hoped to explain, perhaps even to obtain forgiveness. But then he realises he’s got a bigger problem. The wind has picked up and the sleet has turned to snow – and as he tries to reverse and turn the car around, the wheels start spinning and he ends up slipping and sliding along the lane – and crashing into Orion’s garage door.
It’s snowing really hard now; they try, but can’t move the car, and the phones are down so there’s no way of calling for help. They’re stuck with each other for the duration.
The early part of the story is as awkward and uncomfortable as you’d expect, with Des and Orion trying to avoid each other (not easy when they’re holed up in a one-bedroom cabin) and the elephant in the room that is their shared past. But the antagonism begins to fade over the next couple of days and a mutual attraction starts to blossom as Des and Orion let their guards down around one another. It’s true that they go from that initial antipathy to liking and possibly more than liking each other quite quickly but it works; Des and Orion are flawed, yet likeable, and the author does a really good job of balancing the deeper emotions of the story with humour and snappy dialogue. I particularly liked that ze shows that while Orion is attracted to Des, attraction is a separate thing from being ready to forgive him for upending his life. Orion can see that Des is a good person who did a shitty thing, but he’s not out to absolve Des for what he did or make it easy for him, even though he’s honest enough with himself to admit that the closeted life he felt he had to lead had made him miserable. Meeting Des also gives Orion the chance to see that what happened hasn’t worked for Des either, to understand the complexities that lay behind his decision to publish the article and that he’s living with the fallout too, albeit in a different way.
Of course, being snowbound can’t last forever, and with the thaw comes unwanted attention that damages the threads of affection and trust that have started to build between the pair and which are, understandably, still a bit fragile on Orion’s part. The third-act break-up is not for nothing and makes sense – but it still hurts.
Given everything that still lies between these two, it’s probably necessary for them to spend some time apart working out things for themselves and deciding what they want to do with their lives. The thing is, this takes way too long - almost the entire final 40% of the story - and the book changes from romance to ‘Des Gets His Life Together’. He needed to do it and I liked him a lot, but I confess to getting a teeny bit bored. Not having Orion’s perspective means we have no sense of his emotional arc, and while I was pleased that he was finally able to take back control of his life, we never see him actually doing any of it, which was a bit disappointing.
(Side-eye #3. The article. No spoilers, but given the premise of this story, what happens here is really dumb.)
But despite the wobbly premise and the side-eyeing, Settle the Score worked pretty well for me in large part due to Des – who is smart, funny, likeable, and hapless in a city-slicker-in-the-wilderness kind of way. Being in his head is entertaining – he’s a mess of guilt and insecurities – and even though he genuinely wants to apologise, he knows he’s not entitled to forgiveness and that whatever happens, he needs to follow Orion’s lead. Another large part of my enjoyment was down to Pete Cross’s fantastic narration. He captures Des’s chatty, fast-talking and snarky personality really well and expertly contrasts it with Orion’s deeper tones and slightly more considered way of speaking. His performance is well-paced and he does a great job with the quieter, more introspective moments in the story as well as bringing out the humour and conveying a genuine warmth and real sense of connection between the leads. The secondary cast isn’t large, but the female characters are convincingly voiced and the differentiation is clear, so there’s never any problem working out who is speaking.
I understand why the overall premise of Settle the Score may be off-putting for some – forced outing is never something to be taken lightly – but the book worked for me. The forced proximity romance is delightful, Des has a terrific narrative voice and the underlying themes of forgiveness and acceptance, of understanding that it’s possible for good people to do bad things, are all really well done. I enjoyed the listen despite my reservations.
September 9, 2024
DNF at 55%
I tried. I really did. I don’t think I have disliked an MC more, but Des is everything I don’t like in a person. He is selfish, stupid, self absorbed and whinny and being in his head was in no way shape or form fun.
It is also not helpful that the book is single POV (which I normally love) cause Des POV sucked to read. Also zero sympathy for a dude that lives alone and doesn’t know how to cook anything. Grow up.
He not only outed someone without his permission and ruined his life, but now he wants to recruit him for a job? Great set up for redemption and making me believe the MC feels remorse /s
I kept reading cause some friends had loved it and I wanted to see how the author pulled off the romance. The answer was not at all. The other MC despises him and suddenly a couple of days later he kisses him? Without zero build up, or understanding why he falls for Des.
Do not recommend unless you want to spend a few hours inside a whiny, selfish MC POV.
Two things that made me DNF faster but that’s all me
- Orion gets the science wrong about cold showers. Don’t claim to have an evidence based MC if they are going to get stuff wrong.
- Coffee. Granted I don’t drink caffeine, so maybe I don’t get it. But their addiction to it? It was so over the top. Drinking old Lipton tea you microwave to get a caffeine kick? Putting coffee beans in the freezer and then smashing them to make the most disgusting coffee when the temptation gets too much? Please. It’s coffee not cocaine.
I tried. I really did. I don’t think I have disliked an MC more, but Des is everything I don’t like in a person. He is selfish, stupid, self absorbed and whinny and being in his head was in no way shape or form fun.
It is also not helpful that the book is single POV (which I normally love) cause Des POV sucked to read. Also zero sympathy for a dude that lives alone and doesn’t know how to cook anything. Grow up.
He not only outed someone without his permission and ruined his life, but now he wants to recruit him for a job? Great set up for redemption and making me believe the MC feels remorse /s
I kept reading cause some friends had loved it and I wanted to see how the author pulled off the romance. The answer was not at all. The other MC despises him and suddenly a couple of days later he kisses him? Without zero build up, or understanding why he falls for Des.
Do not recommend unless you want to spend a few hours inside a whiny, selfish MC POV.
Two things that made me DNF faster but that’s all me
- Orion gets the science wrong about cold showers. Don’t claim to have an evidence based MC if they are going to get stuff wrong.
- Coffee. Granted I don’t drink caffeine, so maybe I don’t get it. But their addiction to it? It was so over the top. Drinking old Lipton tea you microwave to get a caffeine kick? Putting coffee beans in the freezer and then smashing them to make the most disgusting coffee when the temptation gets too much? Please. It’s coffee not cocaine.
August 3, 2024
This definitely had some aspects I enjoyed. I found the banter smile inducing and loved the snowed in setting. I also liked both MC's, at least for the most part. I appreciate that it's closed door, because closed door romance can be hard to find and I like all levels of heat. Unfortunately, the relationship development and pacing didn't really work for me. I'd recommend it to someone asking for snowed in or closed door recs, but otherwise this wasn't one of my favorites by this author.
*ARC provided by NetGalley
*ARC provided by NetGalley
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April 1, 2024Okay, I decided to leave this one early … I requested it on a whim because I had liked some (not all) of Kris Ripper’s books before and even more because of the premise. I only saw the text ‘outed soccer player,’ and I pressed on request.
I have to admit that I already read a review from a friend and, therefore, suddenly got scared to read this one. They didn’t like it, and when I started reading, I constantly thought of their review. And, well … I immediately disliked Des.
So please don’t mind my review; just check out other positive ones.
Thank you, Montlake and NetGalley, for this ARC!
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I have to admit that I already read a review from a friend and, therefore, suddenly got scared to read this one. They didn’t like it, and when I started reading, I constantly thought of their review. And, well … I immediately disliked Des.
So please don’t mind my review; just check out other positive ones.
Thank you, Montlake and NetGalley, for this ARC!
Follow me on Instagram
March 23, 2024
Des Cleary, once an inspiring investigative journalist, works for a marketing firm in LA. His decision to leave journalism for good during college was the result of the public outing he wrote in an article of a professional soccer star, Orion Broderick. Orion ended up losing his career, sponsorships, and his boyfriend. Now Des is tasked with bringing Orion back into the spotlight by teaming up with. a sports company for a Pride Campaign to help bring more LGBTQ+ kids to team sports. A surprise visit from Des to Orion's cabin leads to a forced proximity rom-com reckoning during a snowstorm that strands them together.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. This was my first novel by Kris Ripper and went in with no expectations. I really felt the writing style fit Des as a character. This book had. a singular first-person POV, Des, and it was a definite peak into his rambling thoughts, insecurities, and ultimately his triumphs. Although I do read more dual POV books, having the POV of just Des made the story. I didn't feel that anything was missing from the story--mainly a more thorough examination of Orion's response to the article at time of publication--because, yes, the story was about their romance, but it was fueled by Des's story and growth as a person. I found myself smiling through the comedic moments at the cabin and appreciated that some time needed to occur before this couple could get their HEA.
I will gladly pick up another of Kris's books. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this story.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. This was my first novel by Kris Ripper and went in with no expectations. I really felt the writing style fit Des as a character. This book had. a singular first-person POV, Des, and it was a definite peak into his rambling thoughts, insecurities, and ultimately his triumphs. Although I do read more dual POV books, having the POV of just Des made the story. I didn't feel that anything was missing from the story--mainly a more thorough examination of Orion's response to the article at time of publication--because, yes, the story was about their romance, but it was fueled by Des's story and growth as a person. I found myself smiling through the comedic moments at the cabin and appreciated that some time needed to occur before this couple could get their HEA.
I will gladly pick up another of Kris's books. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this story.
August 7, 2024
I wanna thank netgalley for this ARC in exhange of an honest review. And I also wanna thank the author for this copy of the book:
I really liked this book. It was entertaning and so funny.
Des was all over the place and I loved him for it. That man represents all of us when we overthink. His monologues were everything, I was living for them.
He was also sweet and a good person. The mistakes we make don't define us, just like he showed us.
Orion was awesome too, I loved how grumpy he was in the beggining. Having to share the cabin with the person who outed you to the world, can't be easy. But the way their relationship grew, I loved it.
I loved them together, they were so cute and just chaos, it was hilarious
I really liked this book. It was entertaning and so funny.
Des was all over the place and I loved him for it. That man represents all of us when we overthink. His monologues were everything, I was living for them.
He was also sweet and a good person. The mistakes we make don't define us, just like he showed us.
Orion was awesome too, I loved how grumpy he was in the beggining. Having to share the cabin with the person who outed you to the world, can't be easy. But the way their relationship grew, I loved it.
I loved them together, they were so cute and just chaos, it was hilarious
May 28, 2024
Aaaaw. What a thoroughly enjoyable sport-adjacent story!
Cw: historical outing of a main character, suicidal ideation
Settle the score starts with the brave premise of one of the protagonists, Des, having done an awful thing to the other main character, Orion. Like in a real breach of trust, life and career and potentially safety messing way. Des is an aspiring journalist with ambitions about the world as it ought to be in his eyes - I.e. that no sports star should have to be closeted, though other hidden motivations are gradually revealed too - whose piece on Orion, a rising football (or soccer if you’re that way inclined) star kissing a boy outs Orion way before he is ready to consider anything of the sort. Long story short, both Des and Orion end up losing their dream careers and becoming slightly lost hermits in their own ways.
Des and Orion are thrown together again in a cabin up a snowy mountain forced proximity plot as Des is sent - seemingly, though an additional ulterior motive is at play here too but I won’t spoil that for you - to try to convince Orion to front an advertising campaign for an Althleisure brand, a new account Des will presumably write copy for. A surprise snow storm traps the two men in a less than ideal circumstance with shelter but uncertain access to food, electricity, a rescue mission, and no comms with the outside world.
So far so tasty. And the early part of the book is just as uncomfortable as you’d imagine, as Des and Orion try to tolerate each other’s presence and the elephant in the room that is their shared history. History that is really tricky to talk about and grapple with, especially given the clear mutual attraction. Both are obviously a bit of a mess - though we naturally get to know much more of Des’ inner dialogue as the POV character. I really resonated with his voice in all his insecurities and self blame and doubts. He’d done a bad but his immense regret about it was never in doubt. Orion was also a delight: a former sport star who seemed more interested in the common good than stardom. The focus here wasn’t on six packs and sweaty changing rooms, but being decent and hard working and kind and I was really really here for it. Ripper’s characterisation and dialogue between Des and Orion and with the supporting cast was a delight throughout: credible, emotive, funny, coherent and deliciously queer.
Des vocalises the topsy turvy building of their nascent relationship later on in the book from this premise of a big fuck up to speedily developing warm feelings and attraction in close forced proximity, all the way to love in the outside world. The life bits all need to be negotiated later. Given the bruisingly exposing and public nature of their paths crossing at the start of the story, I really appreciated the privacy Ripper gave zir main characters in their moments of intimacy.
This is clearly one of those stories where a lot of work needs to go into convincing the reader that this love story is credible. And for it to be credible, it kind of felt necessary that both characters get to work out stuff for themselves separately too. So, unavoidably, all good snowstorms must come to an end. I’m never a fan of love sorting things out and curing all ills, but Ripper navigated this tension quite beautifully acknowledging that sometimes it does take a bit of a nudge from someone who cares about us to get us on the right track. And at the same time nobody else can really be the entire solution for anyone. You still have to work out a way to tolerate living with yourself before you can even contemplate sharing that life with someone else. So brace for time apart. And trust that it’s needed. While the book ends in a satisfying work-in-progress place for the main couple, where Orion gets to control his own story and what he gives people access to, and Des finds his way back to writing and sport, not everything is of course sorted out and perfect. Like it never is in life.
ARC received with thanks from NetGalley/Montlake
Cw: historical outing of a main character, suicidal ideation
Settle the score starts with the brave premise of one of the protagonists, Des, having done an awful thing to the other main character, Orion. Like in a real breach of trust, life and career and potentially safety messing way. Des is an aspiring journalist with ambitions about the world as it ought to be in his eyes - I.e. that no sports star should have to be closeted, though other hidden motivations are gradually revealed too - whose piece on Orion, a rising football (or soccer if you’re that way inclined) star kissing a boy outs Orion way before he is ready to consider anything of the sort. Long story short, both Des and Orion end up losing their dream careers and becoming slightly lost hermits in their own ways.
Des and Orion are thrown together again in a cabin up a snowy mountain forced proximity plot as Des is sent - seemingly, though an additional ulterior motive is at play here too but I won’t spoil that for you - to try to convince Orion to front an advertising campaign for an Althleisure brand, a new account Des will presumably write copy for. A surprise snow storm traps the two men in a less than ideal circumstance with shelter but uncertain access to food, electricity, a rescue mission, and no comms with the outside world.
So far so tasty. And the early part of the book is just as uncomfortable as you’d imagine, as Des and Orion try to tolerate each other’s presence and the elephant in the room that is their shared history. History that is really tricky to talk about and grapple with, especially given the clear mutual attraction. Both are obviously a bit of a mess - though we naturally get to know much more of Des’ inner dialogue as the POV character. I really resonated with his voice in all his insecurities and self blame and doubts. He’d done a bad but his immense regret about it was never in doubt. Orion was also a delight: a former sport star who seemed more interested in the common good than stardom. The focus here wasn’t on six packs and sweaty changing rooms, but being decent and hard working and kind and I was really really here for it. Ripper’s characterisation and dialogue between Des and Orion and with the supporting cast was a delight throughout: credible, emotive, funny, coherent and deliciously queer.
Des vocalises the topsy turvy building of their nascent relationship later on in the book from this premise of a big fuck up to speedily developing warm feelings and attraction in close forced proximity, all the way to love in the outside world. The life bits all need to be negotiated later. Given the bruisingly exposing and public nature of their paths crossing at the start of the story, I really appreciated the privacy Ripper gave zir main characters in their moments of intimacy.
This is clearly one of those stories where a lot of work needs to go into convincing the reader that this love story is credible. And for it to be credible, it kind of felt necessary that both characters get to work out stuff for themselves separately too. So, unavoidably, all good snowstorms must come to an end. I’m never a fan of love sorting things out and curing all ills, but Ripper navigated this tension quite beautifully acknowledging that sometimes it does take a bit of a nudge from someone who cares about us to get us on the right track. And at the same time nobody else can really be the entire solution for anyone. You still have to work out a way to tolerate living with yourself before you can even contemplate sharing that life with someone else. So brace for time apart. And trust that it’s needed. While the book ends in a satisfying work-in-progress place for the main couple, where Orion gets to control his own story and what he gives people access to, and Des finds his way back to writing and sport, not everything is of course sorted out and perfect. Like it never is in life.
ARC received with thanks from NetGalley/Montlake
April 4, 2024
I loved everything about this swoony enemies-to-lovers, snowed-in romance. I sat down to read a few chapters and suddenly realized I was over half way through with the book and probably needed to go to bed. I inhaled the rest.
Des is a former journalist, emphasis on "former", since he quit writing soon after ruining the life of a super star soccer player by outing him in an ill-advised attempt to encourage soccer to recognize its queer players. Orion is a former soccer star, emphasis on "former", since he was asked to resign due to the scandal following his forced outing. Needless to say Orion hates Des, and Des does not want to confront Orion. Ever. But when his boss sends him off to do just that, in order to convince Orion to join a worthy cause, Des doesn't expect any miracles. He hopes he can escape with his dignity in tact. But fate, and rom-com plot goodness, have other plans. A snow storm buries the two in a remote cabin where they have nothing but time to pick at each other and maybe realize they aren't the enemies they've always believed.
The way I related to Des and the many mistakes he made along the way. There was a scene where he frantically attempts to dig himself out, only to find more snow in the forecast, and I stg I lived that exact scene one time--totally different circumstances--but I could viscerally feel every bead of snow-shoveling sweat and panic. The humor in this was perfection, and the romance, while no big surprise considering the genre, even factoring in relative insta-lust, snuck up on me with great big butterflies in my stomach. There are just so many aw moments (and a dog) that had me invested. I needed the HEA. And again, despite the insta-lust built into the framework, the HEA is hard earned.
There've been some strong contenders already this year for my favorite, but Settle the Score easily moves into the lead because it had all the butter, comfort, humor, sexy times, and sweetness packed into a compelling premise. I'll be re-reading this when it releases later this year.
Des is a former journalist, emphasis on "former", since he quit writing soon after ruining the life of a super star soccer player by outing him in an ill-advised attempt to encourage soccer to recognize its queer players. Orion is a former soccer star, emphasis on "former", since he was asked to resign due to the scandal following his forced outing. Needless to say Orion hates Des, and Des does not want to confront Orion. Ever. But when his boss sends him off to do just that, in order to convince Orion to join a worthy cause, Des doesn't expect any miracles. He hopes he can escape with his dignity in tact. But fate, and rom-com plot goodness, have other plans. A snow storm buries the two in a remote cabin where they have nothing but time to pick at each other and maybe realize they aren't the enemies they've always believed.
The way I related to Des and the many mistakes he made along the way. There was a scene where he frantically attempts to dig himself out, only to find more snow in the forecast, and I stg I lived that exact scene one time--totally different circumstances--but I could viscerally feel every bead of snow-shoveling sweat and panic. The humor in this was perfection, and the romance, while no big surprise considering the genre, even factoring in relative insta-lust, snuck up on me with great big butterflies in my stomach. There are just so many aw moments (and a dog) that had me invested. I needed the HEA. And again, despite the insta-lust built into the framework, the HEA is hard earned.
There've been some strong contenders already this year for my favorite, but Settle the Score easily moves into the lead because it had all the butter, comfort, humor, sexy times, and sweetness packed into a compelling premise. I'll be re-reading this when it releases later this year.
December 25, 2024
After finishing A Nightmare Before Kissmas, which had some of the best audiobook narration I may have *ever* heard, Bethany filled me in that it was narrated by Pete Cross (under a different name) and I had to go hunting for more.
I think Kris Ripper should teach a masterclass in writing complex and uncomfortable characters because oh boy. Ripper certainly does not make things easy for this pairing. I honestly had some serious doubts early in this book about this pairing working out because they are the absolute definition of enemies to lovers and are utter opposites on top of that. Des is an absolute disaster of a mess to the point where I was shaking my head and going, "Omg Des no" continuously and Orion is absolutely the complete opposite - put together to a fault, depriving himself of even the simple joy of a cup of coffee because he is too self righteous. On top of this they LOATHE each other. And not just a mild dislike, but Des DESTROYED Orion's career and hates himself for it. And now he is snowed in and TRAPPED IN ORION'S CABIN.
But after all that this somehow turned into such a surprisingly sweet and tender romance? HOW? I am in awe of how human and flawed Ripper's characters continue to be. This is my second book by zir after The Hate Project, which was also complex and uncomfortable and oh so good. I highly recommend it. Settle the Score was definitely on the fluffier side of things in comparison but still a very satisfying read and a great pick for a snowy December theme.
I will say I enjoyed the snowed in portions of the book much more than the conclusion. Somehow after the storm, it felt like the bubble burst a little bit and the book was no longer the same, though it did wrap up nicely. I know the end needed to happen somehow but it felt like a tonal disconnect compared to the cozy bubble of the cabin.
🎧 Narration: I specifically picked up this book to listen to Pete Cross' narration and it was absolutely excellent, I highly recommend you listen to pretty much any of his audiobook narrations.
I think Kris Ripper should teach a masterclass in writing complex and uncomfortable characters because oh boy. Ripper certainly does not make things easy for this pairing. I honestly had some serious doubts early in this book about this pairing working out because they are the absolute definition of enemies to lovers and are utter opposites on top of that. Des is an absolute disaster of a mess to the point where I was shaking my head and going, "Omg Des no" continuously and Orion is absolutely the complete opposite - put together to a fault, depriving himself of even the simple joy of a cup of coffee because he is too self righteous. On top of this they LOATHE each other. And not just a mild dislike, but Des DESTROYED Orion's career and hates himself for it. And now he is snowed in and TRAPPED IN ORION'S CABIN.
But after all that this somehow turned into such a surprisingly sweet and tender romance? HOW? I am in awe of how human and flawed Ripper's characters continue to be. This is my second book by zir after The Hate Project, which was also complex and uncomfortable and oh so good. I highly recommend it. Settle the Score was definitely on the fluffier side of things in comparison but still a very satisfying read and a great pick for a snowy December theme.
I will say I enjoyed the snowed in portions of the book much more than the conclusion. Somehow after the storm, it felt like the bubble burst a little bit and the book was no longer the same, though it did wrap up nicely. I know the end needed to happen somehow but it felt like a tonal disconnect compared to the cozy bubble of the cabin.
🎧 Narration: I specifically picked up this book to listen to Pete Cross' narration and it was absolutely excellent, I highly recommend you listen to pretty much any of his audiobook narrations.
September 5, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and Kris Ripper for the advanced copy of Settle the Score.
I DNFed this book at about 51%.
I initially liked the idea of the main character being young and irresponsible, resulting in chaos and ill feelings from the other main character. However, I could not stand the main character. His inner monologue constantly gave me the ick. He wanted to be forgiven for his mistakes, but then in the next breath understood that it's not really something that can be forgiven, and I honestly felt like he had no actual remorse for what he did. He knew it was wrong and just tried to run away from it instead of taking accountability.
As I continued reading, I felt as though the main character and love interest had absolutely no chemistry. I felt like their conversations went nowhere. The whole plot of saving the dog and arguing over the dog's name felt pointless. There was a whole scene where they argued about pasta water???? Their first kiss came out of nowhere and then suddenly on the next page they were talking about having sex. I had to stop reading for my own sanity.
I DNFed this book at about 51%.
I initially liked the idea of the main character being young and irresponsible, resulting in chaos and ill feelings from the other main character. However, I could not stand the main character. His inner monologue constantly gave me the ick. He wanted to be forgiven for his mistakes, but then in the next breath understood that it's not really something that can be forgiven, and I honestly felt like he had no actual remorse for what he did. He knew it was wrong and just tried to run away from it instead of taking accountability.
As I continued reading, I felt as though the main character and love interest had absolutely no chemistry. I felt like their conversations went nowhere. The whole plot of saving the dog and arguing over the dog's name felt pointless. There was a whole scene where they argued about pasta water???? Their first kiss came out of nowhere and then suddenly on the next page they were talking about having sex. I had to stop reading for my own sanity.
September 8, 2024
I could see Orion falling in love with the version of Des that Ripper portrays in the last 25% of this book, but I couldn't believe that he felt so strongly for the miserable self-loathing mess that is Des 1.0 in just a few days of being stranded together.
January 9, 2025
I LOVED. I cried. Full review to come.
PS Pete Cross is my FAVE narrator!!!
PS Pete Cross is my FAVE narrator!!!
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