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The Saints Team #1
Team Lucas
**An enemies to lovers romance (Stand-alone Saints book 1)**
Mia Carter never thought getting suspended from her part-time job for having attitude could be the best thing to ever happen ... maybe.
When Lucas Ainswright—one of the world’s biggest sporting stars—needs a 'minder', it just so happens that attitude is just what is needed to keep Lucas in line.
Now Mia’s job is to manage the sporting world’s bad boy and keep him at the top of his game for the season. Game on!
Mia Carter never thought getting suspended from her part-time job for having attitude could be the best thing to ever happen ... maybe.
When Lucas Ainswright—one of the world’s biggest sporting stars—needs a 'minder', it just so happens that attitude is just what is needed to keep Lucas in line.
Now Mia’s job is to manage the sporting world’s bad boy and keep him at the top of his game for the season. Game on!
330 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
56 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Ally Adams
17 books45 followersAlly Adams is a journalist and writer, postgraduate qualified in Literature and Communications, and with a diploma in Counselling! She has worked in television, print newspapers, magazines, radio and online media.
Website - www.allyadamsbooks.com/
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Website - www.allyadamsbooks.com/
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Pinterest - http://bit.ly/2MdsqZ3
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 20, 2015
This debut novel by author Ally Adams was amazing in all aspects!It was hot, sexy and passionate. I wasn't expecting to fall in love with this novel so much but I did and I love the author even more for doing just that!
You can't help but fall in love with the writing style, characters and the plotline! The humour within this novel just adds that much more to it, just making the reader smile and laugh along the way.
Mia and Lucas are immeasurably suited to each other and you see their chemistry right from the beginning.
Overall, this is a fantastic novel that you can't miss out on! Everything you're looking for starts at page one!
Novel provided for free in exchange of an honest review.
You can't help but fall in love with the writing style, characters and the plotline! The humour within this novel just adds that much more to it, just making the reader smile and laugh along the way.
Mia and Lucas are immeasurably suited to each other and you see their chemistry right from the beginning.
Overall, this is a fantastic novel that you can't miss out on! Everything you're looking for starts at page one!
Novel provided for free in exchange of an honest review.
January 14, 2016
Thoughts January 2016
This is one of the best sports romances I ever read. I have re-read it now a couple of times and each time I fall in love with it a bit more. Although we only have Mias POV I never get the feeling that something is missing. The story is written so beautifully that I melt every time.
I adore this book and can't recommend it high enough for everyone.
Review May 2015
WOW!!! "Team Lucas" is the first book by Ally Adams I read, but definitely not the last!
Mia is asked to step in as a Minder for Lucas Ainswright, a soccer star, who slipped and did some drugs a year ago. now he is made Captain of his Team and everybody wants to keep him happy and away from drugs. But - as one can imagine - Lucas is not really amused by having a minder and Mia is the fifth in a very short time and he is giving her a hard time. Can she make the two weeks mark? and see behind his front to the real man?
This book is written from Mia POV and normally I miss the second POV ... I think I did miss it here as well but it did not matter because it is just so well written! I loved the characters and side characters. Mia is a tough character who is relatively secure in herself. she likes her education and the prospect of her future jobs. according to the book she is 21 but she seems much more mature than that.
Lucas is a difficult character but he grew on me in the first half and after the "Sperm incident", where he is a real ass he started to develop even more. when I started seeing more of the real him, I could totally understand why Mia fell for him.
the emotions in this book are so tangible, honest and raw that it was heart-wrenching. and I think this is the reason why I loved this book! really, really loved it!
I loved both characters and to be honest, I am not sure if I want to read the next book in this series, as I can't imagine that Pez and Alicia are able to be as good as Lucas and Mia
nevertheless, I will read it as I can't wait to see more of Lucas and Mia!
This is one of the best sports romances I ever read. I have re-read it now a couple of times and each time I fall in love with it a bit more. Although we only have Mias POV I never get the feeling that something is missing. The story is written so beautifully that I melt every time.
I adore this book and can't recommend it high enough for everyone.
Review May 2015
WOW!!! "Team Lucas" is the first book by Ally Adams I read, but definitely not the last!
Mia is asked to step in as a Minder for Lucas Ainswright, a soccer star, who slipped and did some drugs a year ago. now he is made Captain of his Team and everybody wants to keep him happy and away from drugs. But - as one can imagine - Lucas is not really amused by having a minder and Mia is the fifth in a very short time and he is giving her a hard time. Can she make the two weeks mark? and see behind his front to the real man?
This book is written from Mia POV and normally I miss the second POV ... I think I did miss it here as well but it did not matter because it is just so well written! I loved the characters and side characters. Mia is a tough character who is relatively secure in herself. she likes her education and the prospect of her future jobs. according to the book she is 21 but she seems much more mature than that.
Lucas is a difficult character but he grew on me in the first half and after the "Sperm incident", where he is a real ass he started to develop even more. when I started seeing more of the real him, I could totally understand why Mia fell for him.
the emotions in this book are so tangible, honest and raw that it was heart-wrenching. and I think this is the reason why I loved this book! really, really loved it!
I loved both characters and to be honest, I am not sure if I want to read the next book in this series, as I can't imagine that Pez and Alicia are able to be as good as Lucas and Mia
nevertheless, I will read it as I can't wait to see more of Lucas and Mia!
March 4, 2016
Ally Adams Team Lucas is a great start to the Saints Team Series. Mia Carter gets a new job trying to keep soccer star/bad boy, Lucas Ainswright, out of trouble. This contemporary sport romance takes place in Santa Ana, California. It is suitable for new adult and adult audiences.
I enjoyed the plot. It was clever and held my interest. The story was well executed, and the characters are believable. I like Lucas. He is an elite athlete; captain of his team and World Cup player. Mia has her work cut out for her minding Lucas. She has the perfect personality to do her job. I enjoyed her humor. I love their verbal banter. I enjoyed when they are in a car together, Mia’s driving is amusing. I like Luke’s friends. There are some interesting conflicts in the story. I enjoyed Ally Adams writing style. The book flowed well and was an enjoyable read.
Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the plot. It was clever and held my interest. The story was well executed, and the characters are believable. I like Lucas. He is an elite athlete; captain of his team and World Cup player. Mia has her work cut out for her minding Lucas. She has the perfect personality to do her job. I enjoyed her humor. I love their verbal banter. I enjoyed when they are in a car together, Mia’s driving is amusing. I like Luke’s friends. There are some interesting conflicts in the story. I enjoyed Ally Adams writing style. The book flowed well and was an enjoyable read.
Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2015
Warning: don’t start “Team Lucas” unless you have ample time to read the whole book in one setting. ... and you might want to go ahead and pick up Saints team book 2, “Team Tomas” while you’re shopping... it’s that good! Sure wish I’d gotten it at the same time!
But, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Ally Adams’ “Team Lucas.” I mean I’m not usually one to jump on “team” anything. But something about the description called to me, so I clicked that little request button on NetGalley and, what do you know, I got approved.
After downloading the advance reader copy to review, I figured I’d just read a few pages to relax, a couple of chapters at most, then go to sleep. However, once I started, I couldn’t put this book down. “Team Lucas” should come with an advisory warning: once you start you won’t be able to put this Saints team novel down until the last chapter proclaims “the end.” It’s that good.
I really enjoy spunky characters whose sense of humor and outlook are a bit twisted, and characters who grow, both emotionally, individually and as a couple. Adams’ Mia Carpenter does not disappoint. This girl from the word go is fun, witty and tells you right up front her BS meter only goes so high and spoiled, rich superstar athletes, musicians and posers are already pushing the measure just by existing in her orbit.
In fact, one client’s oddball, crackpot behavior pushes Mia right over the edge, causing her to tell him exactly what he can do with his crazy. She, in the process, is temporarily suspended from her part-time job. But, not to worry.That same attitude lands her a high-paying job administering daily tests — urine, cheek swab, blood samples for substance testing — to soccer captain Pukus... er... Lucas Ainswright.
Mia loves her temporary digs as live-in minder. She has her own wing on the ground floor of Luke’s three-story mansion, complete with two bedrooms and baths, a nice kitchen area and bathtub perfect to unwind in with warm bubbles at the end of a particularyl stressful day. The ocean view from her windows and beach access are fabulous. The surrounding area even has plenty of variety to meet her daily running needs during the four-week trial job.
The location is great, but she’s gonna need as much moxie and snark as she can get to keep the British stud in line.
However, Mia quickly learns that there are quite a few drawbacks to being Lucas Ainswright’s minder. He’s surly at best, and down-right nasty in a snit. Despite the size, the walls at Luke’s place are thin. She could stand not hearing his frequent bedroom activities with an endless parade of ever-changing women.
She can deal with Luke’s attitude, it’s those fleeting moments when he’s friendly, considerate .... almost nice that get to her. She glimpses beneath that rough playboy superstar athlete exterior to the lonely boy he was...
He slowly brings her into his world, makes her trust him, even if he can’t quite fully trust her. He introduces her to his friends, flirts in that playboy way he has, talks, takes her with him to work so she can get more experience in the physio world she’s training for. One minute he’s a pal, the next he’s hard as steel and mean as a pissed off rattler. She wants the guy behind the face, the youth he was. But, no matter how much he lowers his guard and reaches for her with one arm, he shoves her away twice that hard with the other.
Despite her best intentions, she begins to like the Luke he is with his BFFs. Dangling over the ledge becomes that much harder for Mia. When he accuses her of being just like the bubble-headed actresses and models who just want to say they slept with the soccer captain and to be part of his large than life persona, throws a cup of sperm at her after handing over his test sample, he crosses the line.
She threatens to leave. He comes after her. They reach and tentative understanding, and he tries to renegotiate her contract. She returns to her “wing” but doesn’t budge on the job. He’s... mostly nicer to her. Then, he starts acting possessive, almost ... jealous? She explains to hi exactly what she won’t accept and challenges him to step up and reach, to completely trust her. He thinks he can be a jerk, give her stuff and that meets terms.
Things come to an explosive head. He has to decide who he wants to be, what he wants, who he wants. Grow up or give up time.
My one gripe about this was that it’s set in the U.S., and although there are players from multiple continents, most of the characters are from the states, but many of the terms or descriptions they use are most definitely not typical of young American adults — even rich ones. True Lucas isn’t from the U.S. originally, but he was schooled from junior high on in the U.S. But Mia is 21 from the U.S.A., so she and Luke’s BFFs and upstairs neighbors should speak accordingly.
Granted, the book was written by a very talented Australian. But, the speech should fit the setting.
Aside from that, I’m all in “Team Lucas” and definitely plan to check out Team Tomas and Team Nik... especially Nik. Adams really knows how to hook readers. I read until I had to grab an hour or so of sleep before work, then finished it during lunch at work the next day.
Ally Adams’ “Team Lucas” was released July 1 on Kindle and other outlets where Atlas Productions publications are sold.“Team Tomas” was also released July 1. If you haven’t gotten your copy of “Team Lucas,” what are you waiting for? Go, now. I’ve got Tomas lined up next and can’t wait for Nik’s story.
But, I wasn’t sure I was going to like Ally Adams’ “Team Lucas.” I mean I’m not usually one to jump on “team” anything. But something about the description called to me, so I clicked that little request button on NetGalley and, what do you know, I got approved.
After downloading the advance reader copy to review, I figured I’d just read a few pages to relax, a couple of chapters at most, then go to sleep. However, once I started, I couldn’t put this book down. “Team Lucas” should come with an advisory warning: once you start you won’t be able to put this Saints team novel down until the last chapter proclaims “the end.” It’s that good.
I really enjoy spunky characters whose sense of humor and outlook are a bit twisted, and characters who grow, both emotionally, individually and as a couple. Adams’ Mia Carpenter does not disappoint. This girl from the word go is fun, witty and tells you right up front her BS meter only goes so high and spoiled, rich superstar athletes, musicians and posers are already pushing the measure just by existing in her orbit.
In fact, one client’s oddball, crackpot behavior pushes Mia right over the edge, causing her to tell him exactly what he can do with his crazy. She, in the process, is temporarily suspended from her part-time job. But, not to worry.That same attitude lands her a high-paying job administering daily tests — urine, cheek swab, blood samples for substance testing — to soccer captain Pukus... er... Lucas Ainswright.
Mia loves her temporary digs as live-in minder. She has her own wing on the ground floor of Luke’s three-story mansion, complete with two bedrooms and baths, a nice kitchen area and bathtub perfect to unwind in with warm bubbles at the end of a particularyl stressful day. The ocean view from her windows and beach access are fabulous. The surrounding area even has plenty of variety to meet her daily running needs during the four-week trial job.
The location is great, but she’s gonna need as much moxie and snark as she can get to keep the British stud in line.
However, Mia quickly learns that there are quite a few drawbacks to being Lucas Ainswright’s minder. He’s surly at best, and down-right nasty in a snit. Despite the size, the walls at Luke’s place are thin. She could stand not hearing his frequent bedroom activities with an endless parade of ever-changing women.
She can deal with Luke’s attitude, it’s those fleeting moments when he’s friendly, considerate .... almost nice that get to her. She glimpses beneath that rough playboy superstar athlete exterior to the lonely boy he was...
He slowly brings her into his world, makes her trust him, even if he can’t quite fully trust her. He introduces her to his friends, flirts in that playboy way he has, talks, takes her with him to work so she can get more experience in the physio world she’s training for. One minute he’s a pal, the next he’s hard as steel and mean as a pissed off rattler. She wants the guy behind the face, the youth he was. But, no matter how much he lowers his guard and reaches for her with one arm, he shoves her away twice that hard with the other.
Despite her best intentions, she begins to like the Luke he is with his BFFs. Dangling over the ledge becomes that much harder for Mia. When he accuses her of being just like the bubble-headed actresses and models who just want to say they slept with the soccer captain and to be part of his large than life persona, throws a cup of sperm at her after handing over his test sample, he crosses the line.
She threatens to leave. He comes after her. They reach and tentative understanding, and he tries to renegotiate her contract. She returns to her “wing” but doesn’t budge on the job. He’s... mostly nicer to her. Then, he starts acting possessive, almost ... jealous? She explains to hi exactly what she won’t accept and challenges him to step up and reach, to completely trust her. He thinks he can be a jerk, give her stuff and that meets terms.
Things come to an explosive head. He has to decide who he wants to be, what he wants, who he wants. Grow up or give up time.
My one gripe about this was that it’s set in the U.S., and although there are players from multiple continents, most of the characters are from the states, but many of the terms or descriptions they use are most definitely not typical of young American adults — even rich ones. True Lucas isn’t from the U.S. originally, but he was schooled from junior high on in the U.S. But Mia is 21 from the U.S.A., so she and Luke’s BFFs and upstairs neighbors should speak accordingly.
Granted, the book was written by a very talented Australian. But, the speech should fit the setting.
Aside from that, I’m all in “Team Lucas” and definitely plan to check out Team Tomas and Team Nik... especially Nik. Adams really knows how to hook readers. I read until I had to grab an hour or so of sleep before work, then finished it during lunch at work the next day.
Ally Adams’ “Team Lucas” was released July 1 on Kindle and other outlets where Atlas Productions publications are sold.“Team Tomas” was also released July 1. If you haven’t gotten your copy of “Team Lucas,” what are you waiting for? Go, now. I’ve got Tomas lined up next and can’t wait for Nik’s story.
August 3, 2015
Team Lucas by Ally Adams
Book #1: Saints Team Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:
Lucas Ainswright is a total and complete asshat!! As one of the world’s elite soccer players, Lucas has a most enviable life and he damn sure knows it. He has more money than he knows what to do with, he has talent oozing out every orifice, he has a home that would make most men weep and, he has “companionship” with little to no effort on his part. Lucas also has a dark past and an addiction that haunts him on a very regular basis.
Lucas Ainswright has a natural talent that time and practice have only improved upon. He has absolutely earned his place as the Saints team captain and his salary is well-deserved but he is not a pleasant person to be around. To make matters far, far worse, it is imperative that Lucas be kept happy and doted upon so he isn’t tempted to fall back into his addiction. Another measure to keep Lucas in line are daily drug tests and a minder, a person who lives with him to ensure he behaves himself. Enter Mia Carter.
Mia Carter is a feisty sports physiology student whose part-time job requires her to visit clients for random and frequent drug tests. Every once in a while, a client gets nasty and Mia is compelled to put them right back in their place. Which is how Mia has found herself bored out of her mind and with nothing to do. Enter Lucas Ainswright’s father. With the promise of a hefty salary, bonuses and, living quarters in a multi-million dollar mansion on the beach, Mia jumps at the opportunity to be Lucas’s latest minder. Different from nearly everyone else in the world, Mia has no idea who Lucas is so she is completely unaffected by his celebrity. Additionally, Mia is accustomed to dealing with assholes so whatever attitude Lucas has to throw at her, Mia is skilled and quick enough to throw right back. Bring. It. On.
With the ground rules established, Mia begins to settle into Lucas’s world even if the settling is rather uncomfortable. Lucas is resentful of Mia’s presence and even more resentful that she is technically his father’s employee. At every turn, Mia tries to do her job, get in and get out before Lucas can lob some new form of awful at her. Lucas may be hot as hell but his attitude is cold as ice and Mia often finds herself off balance and scrambling to keep up. A place the normally confident Mia has rarely ever found herself. The only real bonus to working with Lucas is her access to the Saints’ team doctor’s and the opportunity to broaden her physio skills. Mia soaks up every moment of work with the team and is completely oblivious to the fact that Lucas is ever so slowly allowing her into his inner sanctum. Others however, are noticing.
Lucas’s attitude runs hot and cold and with every negative event, Mia considers packing it in and leaving him to his own ruin. Lucas’s friends, however see something totally different happening and beg Mia to continue on in her role as minder. Those who know Lucas best know there is a nice and relatively decent guy beneath the assholish façade. They give Mia insight into Lucas and his past though they never excuse his bad behavior. In fact, Lucas’s friends often hold him accountable for his behavior and refuse to allow his celebrity to factor into their own actions and judgements. Mia learns quickly and coupled with her own feistiness is mostly able to handle Lucas. Mostly.
The Bottom Line: Team Lucas is, in many ways as funny as it is sad. Lucas has a life anyone would want but he is desperately unhappy and often acts like a spoiled brat. His behavior has nearly cost him everything and though he resents Mia’s presence, he also knows she is necessary. Mia is instantly likeable and quite funny with her strong will and generally unedited mouth. I appreciate immensely that Mia doesn’t behave as most girls would in the presence of someone like Lucas. Mia is certainly attracted to Lucas and she likes him the longer she is with him but she refuses to dote on him as nearly everyone else does. She is respectful of Lucas and his abilities but she has a job to do and she will not fail. Mia never throws herself at Lucas, never begs for his attention and that is most refreshing. I would have very much like to have seen the relationship between the two develop a bit more quickly (it doesn’t happen until the 90% mark!) but overall, the pacing of the story and the unfolding of the plot is good. Team Lucas is filled with interesting characters that are generally full-bodied and well-developed. The dialogue (mostly between Lucas and Mia) is the highlight of this read and drives the story from start to finish. In all, Team Lucas is a good start to what I hope will be a very solid series.
Book #1: Saints Team Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4/5 stars
My Review:
Lucas Ainswright is a total and complete asshat!! As one of the world’s elite soccer players, Lucas has a most enviable life and he damn sure knows it. He has more money than he knows what to do with, he has talent oozing out every orifice, he has a home that would make most men weep and, he has “companionship” with little to no effort on his part. Lucas also has a dark past and an addiction that haunts him on a very regular basis.
Lucas Ainswright has a natural talent that time and practice have only improved upon. He has absolutely earned his place as the Saints team captain and his salary is well-deserved but he is not a pleasant person to be around. To make matters far, far worse, it is imperative that Lucas be kept happy and doted upon so he isn’t tempted to fall back into his addiction. Another measure to keep Lucas in line are daily drug tests and a minder, a person who lives with him to ensure he behaves himself. Enter Mia Carter.
Mia Carter is a feisty sports physiology student whose part-time job requires her to visit clients for random and frequent drug tests. Every once in a while, a client gets nasty and Mia is compelled to put them right back in their place. Which is how Mia has found herself bored out of her mind and with nothing to do. Enter Lucas Ainswright’s father. With the promise of a hefty salary, bonuses and, living quarters in a multi-million dollar mansion on the beach, Mia jumps at the opportunity to be Lucas’s latest minder. Different from nearly everyone else in the world, Mia has no idea who Lucas is so she is completely unaffected by his celebrity. Additionally, Mia is accustomed to dealing with assholes so whatever attitude Lucas has to throw at her, Mia is skilled and quick enough to throw right back. Bring. It. On.
With the ground rules established, Mia begins to settle into Lucas’s world even if the settling is rather uncomfortable. Lucas is resentful of Mia’s presence and even more resentful that she is technically his father’s employee. At every turn, Mia tries to do her job, get in and get out before Lucas can lob some new form of awful at her. Lucas may be hot as hell but his attitude is cold as ice and Mia often finds herself off balance and scrambling to keep up. A place the normally confident Mia has rarely ever found herself. The only real bonus to working with Lucas is her access to the Saints’ team doctor’s and the opportunity to broaden her physio skills. Mia soaks up every moment of work with the team and is completely oblivious to the fact that Lucas is ever so slowly allowing her into his inner sanctum. Others however, are noticing.
Lucas’s attitude runs hot and cold and with every negative event, Mia considers packing it in and leaving him to his own ruin. Lucas’s friends, however see something totally different happening and beg Mia to continue on in her role as minder. Those who know Lucas best know there is a nice and relatively decent guy beneath the assholish façade. They give Mia insight into Lucas and his past though they never excuse his bad behavior. In fact, Lucas’s friends often hold him accountable for his behavior and refuse to allow his celebrity to factor into their own actions and judgements. Mia learns quickly and coupled with her own feistiness is mostly able to handle Lucas. Mostly.
The Bottom Line: Team Lucas is, in many ways as funny as it is sad. Lucas has a life anyone would want but he is desperately unhappy and often acts like a spoiled brat. His behavior has nearly cost him everything and though he resents Mia’s presence, he also knows she is necessary. Mia is instantly likeable and quite funny with her strong will and generally unedited mouth. I appreciate immensely that Mia doesn’t behave as most girls would in the presence of someone like Lucas. Mia is certainly attracted to Lucas and she likes him the longer she is with him but she refuses to dote on him as nearly everyone else does. She is respectful of Lucas and his abilities but she has a job to do and she will not fail. Mia never throws herself at Lucas, never begs for his attention and that is most refreshing. I would have very much like to have seen the relationship between the two develop a bit more quickly (it doesn’t happen until the 90% mark!) but overall, the pacing of the story and the unfolding of the plot is good. Team Lucas is filled with interesting characters that are generally full-bodied and well-developed. The dialogue (mostly between Lucas and Mia) is the highlight of this read and drives the story from start to finish. In all, Team Lucas is a good start to what I hope will be a very solid series.
July 9, 2015
This started out with plenty of potential, and the first few chapters of interactions between Mia and Lucas were actually pretty funny. But after a few more chapters, Lucas' behavior began to grate on my nerves. I can understand how his childhood really, really messed him up, but that in no way excuses his treatment towards Mia. There is a particular incident that occurs somewhere around mid-book that involves a flying projectile (if you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about) that had me almost ready to not finish the story , I was that disgusted. Although yay for Mia for wanting to get out; but I was taken aback again when Lucas' friend begged her to stay. WTF? They're all lucky she didn't sue.
I know, I know, it's fiction. But argh, so damn frustrating!
Lucas' behavior did seem to calm down after the flying projectile incident, although he still had moments where you feel like throttling him, but at least Mia gave it right back to him and didn't cower and be intimidated by him. I would have liked to see some type of resolution with Lucas and his parents.
Unfortunately, a big issue for me is the dialog. I know the author is Australian, and that Lucas is British, but with the story taking place in Cali, the author had Mia (who's American BTW), using either British or Australian terminology. One other issue is the whole X-chromosome/Y-chromosome for Mia. Mia claims to not be a girly-girl, but yet when she does something feminine, the author keeps stating that Mia does have some Y-chromosome. Pretty sure the Y-chromosome doesn't make you girly.
Overall, it's still an enjoyable story, and I'm actually looking forward to the next story in the series about Mia's BFF Alice and her potential love interest Pez.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.
I know, I know, it's fiction. But argh, so damn frustrating!
Lucas' behavior did seem to calm down after the flying projectile incident, although he still had moments where you feel like throttling him, but at least Mia gave it right back to him and didn't cower and be intimidated by him. I would have liked to see some type of resolution with Lucas and his parents.
Unfortunately, a big issue for me is the dialog. I know the author is Australian, and that Lucas is British, but with the story taking place in Cali, the author had Mia (who's American BTW), using either British or Australian terminology. One other issue is the whole X-chromosome/Y-chromosome for Mia. Mia claims to not be a girly-girl, but yet when she does something feminine, the author keeps stating that Mia does have some Y-chromosome. Pretty sure the Y-chromosome doesn't make you girly.
Overall, it's still an enjoyable story, and I'm actually looking forward to the next story in the series about Mia's BFF Alice and her potential love interest Pez.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.
July 8, 2015
I'm very pleased to be taking part in the blog tour for Team Lucas. When I first read the summary of this book, I figured it would be a cute read with a simple story line. It was that, but it was also so much more. It wasn't your typical bad boy meets sweet girl type book that I was expecting. First of all, although Mia is sweet, she can also give as good as she gets, and therein lies what made this book such a winner for me.
Lucas doesn't want a minder, and so he resents Mia's presence. He makes it very well known too by treating her like she's an inconvenience and an insult to his life. She doesn't take it though, and the interplay between these two was my favorite part of the story. Their dialogue together, their interactions, and the sexual tension was amazing and off the charts. I love how Mia doesn't let him get away with anything. She meets him word for word, look for look, and attitude for attitude. I loved her.
This is a determined girl who has a heart but is also working toward her own personal goal. Lucas is someone you could very easily dislike when reading this story, if you didn't sense that there's more to him than what the surface shows. Watching Mia peel back the layers of Lucas to reveal who he truly is was very gratifying to watch. And underneath that, you just have to love Lucas.
The writing was extremely well done. There's no insta-love here. It was very slow-building, and very heart-felt. I flew through the pages, and was left with a lasting impression of what it means to find someone who can look past your surface and truly see you, and to find someone who will love you and stand by you no matter how hard your trust issues move you to push them away.
An excellent story! Definitely check it out.
Lucas doesn't want a minder, and so he resents Mia's presence. He makes it very well known too by treating her like she's an inconvenience and an insult to his life. She doesn't take it though, and the interplay between these two was my favorite part of the story. Their dialogue together, their interactions, and the sexual tension was amazing and off the charts. I love how Mia doesn't let him get away with anything. She meets him word for word, look for look, and attitude for attitude. I loved her.
This is a determined girl who has a heart but is also working toward her own personal goal. Lucas is someone you could very easily dislike when reading this story, if you didn't sense that there's more to him than what the surface shows. Watching Mia peel back the layers of Lucas to reveal who he truly is was very gratifying to watch. And underneath that, you just have to love Lucas.
The writing was extremely well done. There's no insta-love here. It was very slow-building, and very heart-felt. I flew through the pages, and was left with a lasting impression of what it means to find someone who can look past your surface and truly see you, and to find someone who will love you and stand by you no matter how hard your trust issues move you to push them away.
An excellent story! Definitely check it out.
August 28, 2015
When a tragedy at a young age mars your youth it alters it for life unless you have good people around your to change it. When that tragedy is a loss of a sibling that’s even worse, when it’s your identical twin you are left with a big hole too big to fill, and a life that feel forever broken. Now add to that a mother who basically shuts down so at age 12 when it all goes to dung, she cannot handle you. So your father steps in and ships you off to boarding school.
Year after year Lucas (Luke) Ainswright, 26, would cry and plead with his parents to be allowed to come home to be with them when he was right there in there in the UK. On holidays and vacations the same answers, NO! So when high school came he was excited because he was going to the states with his father. That didn’t work out either for his father arranged for a boarding school for him in the states too. He at least thought his father would spend time with him. But no he had found another out that his father had that he could use his business kept him busy and couldn’t see him. All the time in high school he never once went to see him.
In no time at all though Luke excelled in soccer which made him grow up some he changed and made due where he was. The saddest part was that Luke had to be farmed out every holiday because he had no family to go home to.
Cam and Jase he knew since he was 12. Cam, Jase, Sarah, and Luke all went to college after their senior year at high school together. Cam: Doctor, Jase: Lawyer, Sarah: Psychology, and Luke: Sports scholarship. During all that time Sarah and Jase are engaged. Last year Cam and Jessica got married (Jessica a teacher) and it was on that day the might Lucas took his fatal step. Luke hooked up with two of Jesse’s party hard cousins who turned him on to drugs. It got so bad he almost lost everything that’s important to him.
His sport but most of all the only family he ever has had Cam, and Jase with Sarah and Jessica too.
It hit the worst of the worst nights and now he has to have what is called a “Minder.” Which is a person who checks your saliva, urine, or blood at random for drugs. His father assigned her to him which is what pisses him off the most. If it had been anyone else it would have been embarrassing but he would have done it because he did the crime but that it is his father…
So far there have been 5 other minders making Mia Catherine Carter, 21, number 6 on Luke’s hit list. Only one more semester then she will be a sports physiotherapist. The minute he meets her he insults, badgers, and is just plain rude to Mia.
Never fear Mia gives it right back though. Never really giving him the upper hand in their banter until he can find a weak point and then he goes for the jugular. He will pour in the salt by the buckets. His best friends give Mia the inside scoop to keep her as Luke’s minder for they notice the very small changes, for the good, in him with her around. Not to mention the way he watches her when he thinks that no one can see him doing it. Long before they can even speak to each other like civil human beings people start asking if they are a couple. Which makes him totally edgy. But tickles her.
Mia jokes it off saying things like, “Miranda, Chloe, or Cassie may not like to hear that.” Or say, “I am no supermodel so could never be in the running.” One night at a get to know you dinner for the house guest that live in his mansion. Luke went after Mia viciously and continuously until Jase got tired of correcting and defending Luke to protect Mia. Luke’s childish behavior had Jase telling Luke to come with him into the spare bedroom and told him he could not come back to the dinner unless he apologized to Mia for his bad behavior. He and Jase had it out verbally in that room on the third floor. Then Jase locked Luke in the room where he just started tearing up the room and then it got quiet. Mia wanted to go downstairs to level one to her wing but they asked her to stay that he needed to learn better behavior. Superstar or not he could not act out any longer.
Jase went back to look Luke was sound asleep just like a small child. They all chose to leave him. During that time waiting for Luke, Sarah did tell Mia that Luke had all the characteristics of PTSD for abandonment. Not to mention that if he was feeling like he was starting to trust Mia, it would make him fearful and therefore, be forced to push her away, or act out.
This book engulfed me so much I stayed up reading it until 5:45 a.m. and still had half a chapter to read but couldn’t keep my eyes open. I give this 5 stars. Provided by netgalley.com
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Year after year Lucas (Luke) Ainswright, 26, would cry and plead with his parents to be allowed to come home to be with them when he was right there in there in the UK. On holidays and vacations the same answers, NO! So when high school came he was excited because he was going to the states with his father. That didn’t work out either for his father arranged for a boarding school for him in the states too. He at least thought his father would spend time with him. But no he had found another out that his father had that he could use his business kept him busy and couldn’t see him. All the time in high school he never once went to see him.
In no time at all though Luke excelled in soccer which made him grow up some he changed and made due where he was. The saddest part was that Luke had to be farmed out every holiday because he had no family to go home to.
Cam and Jase he knew since he was 12. Cam, Jase, Sarah, and Luke all went to college after their senior year at high school together. Cam: Doctor, Jase: Lawyer, Sarah: Psychology, and Luke: Sports scholarship. During all that time Sarah and Jase are engaged. Last year Cam and Jessica got married (Jessica a teacher) and it was on that day the might Lucas took his fatal step. Luke hooked up with two of Jesse’s party hard cousins who turned him on to drugs. It got so bad he almost lost everything that’s important to him.
His sport but most of all the only family he ever has had Cam, and Jase with Sarah and Jessica too.
It hit the worst of the worst nights and now he has to have what is called a “Minder.” Which is a person who checks your saliva, urine, or blood at random for drugs. His father assigned her to him which is what pisses him off the most. If it had been anyone else it would have been embarrassing but he would have done it because he did the crime but that it is his father…
So far there have been 5 other minders making Mia Catherine Carter, 21, number 6 on Luke’s hit list. Only one more semester then she will be a sports physiotherapist. The minute he meets her he insults, badgers, and is just plain rude to Mia.
Never fear Mia gives it right back though. Never really giving him the upper hand in their banter until he can find a weak point and then he goes for the jugular. He will pour in the salt by the buckets. His best friends give Mia the inside scoop to keep her as Luke’s minder for they notice the very small changes, for the good, in him with her around. Not to mention the way he watches her when he thinks that no one can see him doing it. Long before they can even speak to each other like civil human beings people start asking if they are a couple. Which makes him totally edgy. But tickles her.
Mia jokes it off saying things like, “Miranda, Chloe, or Cassie may not like to hear that.” Or say, “I am no supermodel so could never be in the running.” One night at a get to know you dinner for the house guest that live in his mansion. Luke went after Mia viciously and continuously until Jase got tired of correcting and defending Luke to protect Mia. Luke’s childish behavior had Jase telling Luke to come with him into the spare bedroom and told him he could not come back to the dinner unless he apologized to Mia for his bad behavior. He and Jase had it out verbally in that room on the third floor. Then Jase locked Luke in the room where he just started tearing up the room and then it got quiet. Mia wanted to go downstairs to level one to her wing but they asked her to stay that he needed to learn better behavior. Superstar or not he could not act out any longer.
Jase went back to look Luke was sound asleep just like a small child. They all chose to leave him. During that time waiting for Luke, Sarah did tell Mia that Luke had all the characteristics of PTSD for abandonment. Not to mention that if he was feeling like he was starting to trust Mia, it would make him fearful and therefore, be forced to push her away, or act out.
This book engulfed me so much I stayed up reading it until 5:45 a.m. and still had half a chapter to read but couldn’t keep my eyes open. I give this 5 stars. Provided by netgalley.com
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May 13, 2015
I really loved this book, Lucas sometimes doesn't realize his own strength, "you’re squashing me.” I got the words out. Not to mention he was about to impale me on his erection." He likes to tease Mia, "you’ve done enough on my chest. Move to the groin,” Lucas repeated. “Common area for injuries with sports players, especially soccer players." He may like to get dirty in the bedroom and on the field but after a shower he doesn't like dirty things, "I don’t like to put dirty stuff back on,” he explained and left them near the door. That meant he was going commando under those jeans." He really could be a perve at times but I kinda found it sexy, "no.” He shuffled slightly and turned his head to look at me. “Morning wood... so heavy it’s pinning me down." I really loved this book I'm going to love this series.
June 30, 2015
I have a few issues with this book. Well three, but they’re kind of important. My issues are: Lucas, Mia and the sport of football (or soccer if you want to be irritating about it). So let’s start at the top…
What was my problem with Lucas? Well, he’s a dick. Right from the start, right to the end, the man is an arrogant asshole who isn’t redeemed in any way, shape or form. Sure, he has a tragedy in his background and he feels abandoned by his parents, but that does not excuse the way he treats Mia. It’s abuse. He basically trains her to believe that every time they have a meaningful moment it will be followed by something hurtful and dickish. Not only does she come to expect this, she near enough takes responsibility for it.
Dear Mia, you are not responsible for his bad behaviour. Not even when his friends are knocking down the door, begging you to stay so he doesn’t go off the rails again. And do you know why? Because he was seriously offensive to you and he isn’t even attempting to apologise!
So yeah, safe to say Lucas is not my favourite hero. It’s obvious he’s attracted to Mia throughout the book, but that just leads him to disrespectful, hurtful behaviour – even right at the end when they’re finally having sex. He has no respect for women, absolutely none for Mia, and he doesn’t even realise he has serious problems.
Then there’s Mia. She’s very immature at the start of this book and though she does grow up a little, that maturity turns into a pathetic longing for Lucas that excuses the worst of excesses and basically waves away his awful behaviour because he’s just so handsome. Urgh. I did like that she doesn’t stand for his jealous nonsense and she does call him out on some of his rudeness, but the constant lusting over him undermined everything else. Given another hero, one who was worth a modicum of effort, and I probably would have liked her. However, she has Lucas and so clearly doesn’t have any self-respect left.
Finally to the football. If I’d known this was a book about football set in the US, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. Not that there aren’t any US fans, ’cause I know there are, but in the wider scheme of the sport it’s unlikely to be as accurate or as interesting as a US-based book on any of the US-favoured sports. And I would have been right not to bother because this is not a book about football! Fair warning, I’m about to rant about this, so if you have no interest in this sport you might want to skip the next few paragraphs.
Everything about Lucas’ sport is wrong. I get that the terminology for soccer in the US might be different to football here (UK), but it feels off and wrong. Firstly, if Lucas really is the next David Beckham, why is he playing in the States? Doesn’t he have any ambition to win the important things in his sport? Doesn’t he want to play at the best clubs? With the best players? Earn the top money? He’s British born, so why isn’t he over here? Or in Spain playing for Barcelona? Or in Germany at Bayern Munich? Or finding out that he isn’t nearly as good as he thinks he is by trying to play in South America? There is absolutely no explanation for this (such as his bad boy ways getting him kicked out) and I found it ridiculously unbelievable. Sure, there are big name players playing in the US these days, but usually at the end of their careers. The same goes for his “coach” Johan, who is one of the best in the world, playing in a country where the sport might be growing in popularity but is far, far behind other places in the world in terms of prestige.
Speaking of coaches… yeah, in football we tend to call the big boss man the manager. There is a coaching staff, a whole team of people dedicated to fitness and training, but the one who calls the shots and picks the team is the manager (again this might be different in the US). Something that isn’t different is the fact that Lucas should definitely not be praised for the use of his hands in a game. Unless he wants to be sent off for hand ball. And what is all this about an oval? What oval? A football pitch is rectangular, and if he really scored a goal from 60 yards out (on a 90 yard pitch) that would be a goal of a lifetime, well worth celebrating (it is possible, just uncommon).
As would scoring a hat-trick (three goals) in the first match of the season, especially against last season’s champions. Then again I’m not entirely sure just what position Lucas plays – attacker is the most I got. Is that a striker? Or maybe, if he really is like Beckham he might be a winger, or maybe he’s a midfielder who likes to press forward. Feel free to guess! At 6’3 he’s also pretty tall for a footballer, while his midfield team mate was 6’5! There are tall players in football, but they tend to be goalkeepers and defenders (or Peter Crouch, who is wonderfully misnamed, and also unusual because of his height). As for him not training at the ground every day (he has weight training every other day, which seemed a little… odd to me), well, I guess that’s why he’s not playing at the best clubs (Google Cristiano Ronaldo’s training regime if you want to know more). He doesn’t even have any particular dietary needs. I find it hard to believe he’s a professional sportsman of any stripe.
Add in the whole (completely incorrect) chromosome thing that Mia keeps banging on about – she thinks she’s not feminine, which she puts down to having too many X chromosomes. Er, really? She says she needs more Y… which I’m pretty sure is the other way around. This isn’t just a one time, possible typo, it’s referred to three times – and let’s just say my confidence in the believability of this book was severely compromised. Then comes the ending which is abrupt to say the least and a letdown compared with everything that’s gone before. After putting up with Lucas’ behaviour the reader deserves a decent ending, not this rushed, glossed over note thing.
In short, if you don’t care about football (or soccer as you might call it), don’t mind a lust-driven heroine who should have more self-respect and like your hero to be a complete asshole, then you’ll likely find something to enjoy in this book. It is readable and kind of enjoyable in a swearing-at-the-stupid-people kind of way. There were times when I came close to DNFing it, but I wanted to see if Lucas was ever redeemed. He wasn’t. If any of the above annoys you, however, then you’ll know what you’re letting yourself in for. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Good luck with the rest of the series. Pez seems a sweet guy, but unless the football levels improve I won’t be coming back.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
What was my problem with Lucas? Well, he’s a dick. Right from the start, right to the end, the man is an arrogant asshole who isn’t redeemed in any way, shape or form. Sure, he has a tragedy in his background and he feels abandoned by his parents, but that does not excuse the way he treats Mia. It’s abuse. He basically trains her to believe that every time they have a meaningful moment it will be followed by something hurtful and dickish. Not only does she come to expect this, she near enough takes responsibility for it.
Dear Mia, you are not responsible for his bad behaviour. Not even when his friends are knocking down the door, begging you to stay so he doesn’t go off the rails again. And do you know why? Because he was seriously offensive to you and he isn’t even attempting to apologise!
So yeah, safe to say Lucas is not my favourite hero. It’s obvious he’s attracted to Mia throughout the book, but that just leads him to disrespectful, hurtful behaviour – even right at the end when they’re finally having sex. He has no respect for women, absolutely none for Mia, and he doesn’t even realise he has serious problems.
Then there’s Mia. She’s very immature at the start of this book and though she does grow up a little, that maturity turns into a pathetic longing for Lucas that excuses the worst of excesses and basically waves away his awful behaviour because he’s just so handsome. Urgh. I did like that she doesn’t stand for his jealous nonsense and she does call him out on some of his rudeness, but the constant lusting over him undermined everything else. Given another hero, one who was worth a modicum of effort, and I probably would have liked her. However, she has Lucas and so clearly doesn’t have any self-respect left.
Finally to the football. If I’d known this was a book about football set in the US, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. Not that there aren’t any US fans, ’cause I know there are, but in the wider scheme of the sport it’s unlikely to be as accurate or as interesting as a US-based book on any of the US-favoured sports. And I would have been right not to bother because this is not a book about football! Fair warning, I’m about to rant about this, so if you have no interest in this sport you might want to skip the next few paragraphs.
Everything about Lucas’ sport is wrong. I get that the terminology for soccer in the US might be different to football here (UK), but it feels off and wrong. Firstly, if Lucas really is the next David Beckham, why is he playing in the States? Doesn’t he have any ambition to win the important things in his sport? Doesn’t he want to play at the best clubs? With the best players? Earn the top money? He’s British born, so why isn’t he over here? Or in Spain playing for Barcelona? Or in Germany at Bayern Munich? Or finding out that he isn’t nearly as good as he thinks he is by trying to play in South America? There is absolutely no explanation for this (such as his bad boy ways getting him kicked out) and I found it ridiculously unbelievable. Sure, there are big name players playing in the US these days, but usually at the end of their careers. The same goes for his “coach” Johan, who is one of the best in the world, playing in a country where the sport might be growing in popularity but is far, far behind other places in the world in terms of prestige.
Speaking of coaches… yeah, in football we tend to call the big boss man the manager. There is a coaching staff, a whole team of people dedicated to fitness and training, but the one who calls the shots and picks the team is the manager (again this might be different in the US). Something that isn’t different is the fact that Lucas should definitely not be praised for the use of his hands in a game. Unless he wants to be sent off for hand ball. And what is all this about an oval? What oval? A football pitch is rectangular, and if he really scored a goal from 60 yards out (on a 90 yard pitch) that would be a goal of a lifetime, well worth celebrating (it is possible, just uncommon).
As would scoring a hat-trick (three goals) in the first match of the season, especially against last season’s champions. Then again I’m not entirely sure just what position Lucas plays – attacker is the most I got. Is that a striker? Or maybe, if he really is like Beckham he might be a winger, or maybe he’s a midfielder who likes to press forward. Feel free to guess! At 6’3 he’s also pretty tall for a footballer, while his midfield team mate was 6’5! There are tall players in football, but they tend to be goalkeepers and defenders (or Peter Crouch, who is wonderfully misnamed, and also unusual because of his height). As for him not training at the ground every day (he has weight training every other day, which seemed a little… odd to me), well, I guess that’s why he’s not playing at the best clubs (Google Cristiano Ronaldo’s training regime if you want to know more). He doesn’t even have any particular dietary needs. I find it hard to believe he’s a professional sportsman of any stripe.
Add in the whole (completely incorrect) chromosome thing that Mia keeps banging on about – she thinks she’s not feminine, which she puts down to having too many X chromosomes. Er, really? She says she needs more Y… which I’m pretty sure is the other way around. This isn’t just a one time, possible typo, it’s referred to three times – and let’s just say my confidence in the believability of this book was severely compromised. Then comes the ending which is abrupt to say the least and a letdown compared with everything that’s gone before. After putting up with Lucas’ behaviour the reader deserves a decent ending, not this rushed, glossed over note thing.
In short, if you don’t care about football (or soccer as you might call it), don’t mind a lust-driven heroine who should have more self-respect and like your hero to be a complete asshole, then you’ll likely find something to enjoy in this book. It is readable and kind of enjoyable in a swearing-at-the-stupid-people kind of way. There were times when I came close to DNFing it, but I wanted to see if Lucas was ever redeemed. He wasn’t. If any of the above annoys you, however, then you’ll know what you’re letting yourself in for. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Good luck with the rest of the series. Pez seems a sweet guy, but unless the football levels improve I won’t be coming back.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
July 22, 2015
Talk about an amazingly fabulous debut novel that had me obsessed with some really fantastic characters from the introduction to the final word in this addicting story. Can I say GOAL!!!! Soccer players were hot before but they just got hotter thanks to Ally Adams great story about the Saints Captain Lucas Ainswright. Can I get one of those?
We are introduced to Mia who has the unfortunate job of being a Minder for the captain of the Saints soccer team. What is a minder you might ask, basically she gets to live in a posh beach pad and has to randomly drug test this beautiful specimen of a man. Tough job right? Well it turns out it’s more mentally challenging than anything with his constant difficulties relating and trusting people, getting things from Lucas is just not that easy sometimes. But the banter between the two from the very beginning was entertaining to say the least. I love it when characters argue with one another back and forth, to me it’s just their foreplay and makes the anticipation grow even more for when they finally realize what they have.
Anticipation is definitely very apparent in this book though and that made me love it even more. You are so used to characters falling into insta love right away and getting it on but these two had quite a while before their lives shifted, and I loved it. Not only were the interactions between these two electric but it was entertaining and quite funny. Don’t get me wrong there was definitely one moment well my heart went out to Mia, but I won’t tell you about it because really you need to pick this book up and read it, there are some great things in here that you will remember for quite a while.
Mia and Lucas were fabulous, but there are also other characters, members of the team that I’m dying to get to know better. Especially Pez (which thankfully he is the focus of the next book) and Niklas as well, he seemed to like to egg Lucas on a little when it came to Mia but indirectly with smug looks. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. Another great character was Harry, he’s new to the team and with new things come new experiences so I hope there is definitely a book about him (crosses fingers). Lets not forget Mia’s best friend Alice, I want to know what her story is too she seems to work too hard that’s for sure.
But I digress, back to the main characters. Love! Can’t really say much more than that. The story was great, humorous, engaging and when they finally give in to one another it was blistering and just all smiles all around. This book had me smiling, laughing, tearing up and just overall happy I enjoyed it so much that I had to read it all in one day because I couldn’t put it down. That’s how good it was. I love the cover, because I’m totally Team Lucas and trust is a major thing in this book. Trust, it’s hard to obtain but worth the wait. Go read this series, I can’t wait for the next book!
We are introduced to Mia who has the unfortunate job of being a Minder for the captain of the Saints soccer team. What is a minder you might ask, basically she gets to live in a posh beach pad and has to randomly drug test this beautiful specimen of a man. Tough job right? Well it turns out it’s more mentally challenging than anything with his constant difficulties relating and trusting people, getting things from Lucas is just not that easy sometimes. But the banter between the two from the very beginning was entertaining to say the least. I love it when characters argue with one another back and forth, to me it’s just their foreplay and makes the anticipation grow even more for when they finally realize what they have.
Anticipation is definitely very apparent in this book though and that made me love it even more. You are so used to characters falling into insta love right away and getting it on but these two had quite a while before their lives shifted, and I loved it. Not only were the interactions between these two electric but it was entertaining and quite funny. Don’t get me wrong there was definitely one moment well my heart went out to Mia, but I won’t tell you about it because really you need to pick this book up and read it, there are some great things in here that you will remember for quite a while.
Mia and Lucas were fabulous, but there are also other characters, members of the team that I’m dying to get to know better. Especially Pez (which thankfully he is the focus of the next book) and Niklas as well, he seemed to like to egg Lucas on a little when it came to Mia but indirectly with smug looks. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. Another great character was Harry, he’s new to the team and with new things come new experiences so I hope there is definitely a book about him (crosses fingers). Lets not forget Mia’s best friend Alice, I want to know what her story is too she seems to work too hard that’s for sure.
But I digress, back to the main characters. Love! Can’t really say much more than that. The story was great, humorous, engaging and when they finally give in to one another it was blistering and just all smiles all around. This book had me smiling, laughing, tearing up and just overall happy I enjoyed it so much that I had to read it all in one day because I couldn’t put it down. That’s how good it was. I love the cover, because I’m totally Team Lucas and trust is a major thing in this book. Trust, it’s hard to obtain but worth the wait. Go read this series, I can’t wait for the next book!
October 28, 2015
A very sassy and entertaining book, with a Big headed arrogant untrusting male, and a will not back down, knows how to give the sass back female. That in my view is a GREAT book.
I went into reading this book expecting not to fall in love with it but BOY was i wrong, right off the go Ally Adams had me wrapped around her little finger. I was hocked and it was bad, as in reading all night even though i have a 9am lecture bad. However TOTALLY worth every second!
Mia is the girl that has got saddled with Lucas, the jock. He's a professional soccer player, she is a student still at college, who recently got banned from her job, due to telling a client where he can stick it. Mia you see is a sample collector/tester. Checking up on clients who have addictions, how you are wondering does this lead to Lucas? Well Lucas had some drug problems and is in need of his 5th 'minder' as he fondly refers to them. In comes Mia, and he thinks he can get rid of her in day one, she's not sure she will last. But against the odds she hangs on, sometimes just by the tips of her fingers.
Mia moves into Lucas Guess suite, the 'Posh Pad' as her and BFFL Alice like to call it. This Posh Pad is a darn sight more attractive than Mia's Student studio flat, thats for sure.
However living with Lucas who is hell bent on making her job as hard as possible is not all rainbows and sunshine. I will not lie they have there super cute and funny moments too as well as there mean and shitty ones.
My favourite if you can call it that 'mean' moment was when Lucas decided to be a real dick. Mia asked for a sample, meaning he needed to pee in a pot. She got her pot back as well as another pot with some 'swimmers' in. Lucas being Lucas told her she could go inseminate her self so she could sponge child benefits of him. That my dear friend Lucas is low of the low.
However by some miracle Lucas manages to start trusting Mia, and the tension between them before is now very much sexual tension. And you know what they say about sexual tension...Well when it explodes is crazy, and yes Mia's and Lucas's does indeed. FINALLY i was singing in my head FINALLY FINALLY, because lets face it, it had to happen. You can't not fall in love with Mia and Lucas. And having them together makes the cake that much sweeter i have to say.
Overall it was an ADDICTIVE book i think i need my own 'minder' so i don't keep reading it over and over!
You love Mia straight away, and Lucas has his oven Bad boy Jock charm which are always my weakness, so it was practically the perfect book for me, the only way it could have been better is if it had of been about the NFL. But we can't have everything in life i guess ;(
I went into reading this book expecting not to fall in love with it but BOY was i wrong, right off the go Ally Adams had me wrapped around her little finger. I was hocked and it was bad, as in reading all night even though i have a 9am lecture bad. However TOTALLY worth every second!
Mia is the girl that has got saddled with Lucas, the jock. He's a professional soccer player, she is a student still at college, who recently got banned from her job, due to telling a client where he can stick it. Mia you see is a sample collector/tester. Checking up on clients who have addictions, how you are wondering does this lead to Lucas? Well Lucas had some drug problems and is in need of his 5th 'minder' as he fondly refers to them. In comes Mia, and he thinks he can get rid of her in day one, she's not sure she will last. But against the odds she hangs on, sometimes just by the tips of her fingers.
Mia moves into Lucas Guess suite, the 'Posh Pad' as her and BFFL Alice like to call it. This Posh Pad is a darn sight more attractive than Mia's Student studio flat, thats for sure.
However living with Lucas who is hell bent on making her job as hard as possible is not all rainbows and sunshine. I will not lie they have there super cute and funny moments too as well as there mean and shitty ones.
My favourite if you can call it that 'mean' moment was when Lucas decided to be a real dick. Mia asked for a sample, meaning he needed to pee in a pot. She got her pot back as well as another pot with some 'swimmers' in. Lucas being Lucas told her she could go inseminate her self so she could sponge child benefits of him. That my dear friend Lucas is low of the low.
However by some miracle Lucas manages to start trusting Mia, and the tension between them before is now very much sexual tension. And you know what they say about sexual tension...Well when it explodes is crazy, and yes Mia's and Lucas's does indeed. FINALLY i was singing in my head FINALLY FINALLY, because lets face it, it had to happen. You can't not fall in love with Mia and Lucas. And having them together makes the cake that much sweeter i have to say.
Overall it was an ADDICTIVE book i think i need my own 'minder' so i don't keep reading it over and over!
You love Mia straight away, and Lucas has his oven Bad boy Jock charm which are always my weakness, so it was practically the perfect book for me, the only way it could have been better is if it had of been about the NFL. But we can't have everything in life i guess ;(
July 1, 2015
This review has first been published on .{ ink.eaters }.!
Count me on "Team Lucas"!
I can't believe this is only her début novel! Ally Adams has done a tremendous job on Team Lucas - I will have to treat myself to a paperback at some point and cannot wait for the next books in the Saints Series! When I first picked up my ARC, it was only to get a little sneak-peek - to get a feel of Ally's writing before diving into it a few days later - but I actually ended up postponing finishing the book I was reading at the time, because I couldn't put Team Lucas down - it was captivating from the start.
Ally's writing makes it easy to feel instantly connected to the protagonist, Mia Carter, which makes it easy to thoroughly enjoy the story. Team Lucas is a fast-paced read and an absolute page-turner, filled with well-developed, complex characters. In addition, the novel also includes a lot of pop-culturual references that make it easy to feel right at home in Mia's world.
And Lucas... oh my... don't even get me started about Lucas. BIG SIGH.
Lucas Ainswright has, I mean... is ..., Lucas Ainswright is the whole package - tall, all muscle, inked, handsome, moody and flawed enough to be interesting beyond his looks, yet as perfect as they come. Nyumm overload.
While I am not usually a fan of insta-smitten, I didn't mind Mia's immediate attraction to Lucas at all. Why? Because it's believable. It's not insta-love, and the development of her feelings for Lucas is so well described, I completely understand Mia's infatuation with him. Hell, I can partly feel it - even if and when she tries not to, which results in some of the best banter two almost lovebirds could have.
Throughout the witty remarks they're firing at each other, you tend to forget time - and my only dislike, which cannot even really be considered one, was how fast I ended up being done reading the book. While it delivered an ending that was nothing but beautiful, I would have liked to see more from Lucas and Mia, and am hoping that some day, Ally will deliver their story from Lucas's point of view.
I'd say Team Lucas is not only an amazing début novel, but also a summer must-read - whether you're the typical sports romance genre reader, or someone who'll just enjoy a great lovestory, I'm sure you'll enjoy Mia's and Lucas's journey either way! (:
*** I was generously provided with an ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review! ***
Count me on "Team Lucas"!
I can't believe this is only her début novel! Ally Adams has done a tremendous job on Team Lucas - I will have to treat myself to a paperback at some point and cannot wait for the next books in the Saints Series! When I first picked up my ARC, it was only to get a little sneak-peek - to get a feel of Ally's writing before diving into it a few days later - but I actually ended up postponing finishing the book I was reading at the time, because I couldn't put Team Lucas down - it was captivating from the start.
Ally's writing makes it easy to feel instantly connected to the protagonist, Mia Carter, which makes it easy to thoroughly enjoy the story. Team Lucas is a fast-paced read and an absolute page-turner, filled with well-developed, complex characters. In addition, the novel also includes a lot of pop-culturual references that make it easy to feel right at home in Mia's world.
And Lucas... oh my... don't even get me started about Lucas. BIG SIGH.
Lucas Ainswright has, I mean... is ..., Lucas Ainswright is the whole package - tall, all muscle, inked, handsome, moody and flawed enough to be interesting beyond his looks, yet as perfect as they come. Nyumm overload.
While I am not usually a fan of insta-smitten, I didn't mind Mia's immediate attraction to Lucas at all. Why? Because it's believable. It's not insta-love, and the development of her feelings for Lucas is so well described, I completely understand Mia's infatuation with him. Hell, I can partly feel it - even if and when she tries not to, which results in some of the best banter two almost lovebirds could have.
Throughout the witty remarks they're firing at each other, you tend to forget time - and my only dislike, which cannot even really be considered one, was how fast I ended up being done reading the book. While it delivered an ending that was nothing but beautiful, I would have liked to see more from Lucas and Mia, and am hoping that some day, Ally will deliver their story from Lucas's point of view.
I'd say Team Lucas is not only an amazing début novel, but also a summer must-read - whether you're the typical sports romance genre reader, or someone who'll just enjoy a great lovestory, I'm sure you'll enjoy Mia's and Lucas's journey either way! (:
*** I was generously provided with an ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review! ***
November 23, 2021
The couple: Lucas and Mia
Romance genre: sports
Series: The Saints Team
Length:271 pages
Plot: Lucas is a big-time soccer star who descended into drug and alcohol abuse. He's clean now, but his father and management want to keep him that way. They hire Mia, a college student who is very close to graduating, to be his minder. She'll run random drug tests on him and will generally keep up with his behavior. She's studying to be a physical therapist, so she'll also get experience working with his team. Lucas is not happy at all. He doesn't like the intrusiveness and he hates his father, so this is a double whammy. Lucas is determined to be as mean as possible to Mia, and Mia is determined to stick it out. But eventually, maybe Lucas will decide that he wants to keep Mia around a little longer.
Commentary: These are just my opinions (obviously, that's what a review is - I just don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to re-define things). When I think of main male characters, they fall into a few categories. There is the typical guy who may be clueless, might not be; maybe goes through women quickly, might be looking for true love; could be a businessman, blue-collar, any number of types, including occasionally, mafia and MC. They mess up sometimes, and sometimes they are slow to offer commitment, but they are pretty normal relationship partners, despite the occasional billionaire or celebrity.
But then there's the anti-hero. He unapologetically takes what he wants. He doesn't necessarily offer a real relationship, but sometimes he demands it. He is a bad guy - he kills, he takes over, he schemes, kidnaps, imprisons, ties up - you get the idea. And maybe he is still doing all of that at the end of the book - he doesn't change who he is. But he redeems himself where the heroine is concerned. He is the person she needs, no matter what kind of person he is for everyone else. He loves her, and he takes care of her, even if he's been horrible to her throughout the rest of the book. He has figured out that he wants her in his life, he wants her love, and he wants to love her in return.
Then there's the asshole. He's awful to the heroine, and usually to others in the story as well. He has no reason - or no good reason (I mean, other people have suffered trauma and can still dredge up some manners). He sometimes goes beyond just being a jerk and causes physical harm or real emotional damage. And usually, the jerk doesn't make any change until very late in the book, often past 80% into the story. Because it's all left too late, the redemption does not feel real - you don't get to see it in action. You just have to trust that it will stick.
Our hero in this story was that asshole. He was awful to the heroine. He had childhood trauma. The poor little rich boy had parents who abandoned him at boarding school - like every other kid at boarding school. I'm not trying to downplay the trauma of parental abandonment, in this case, after the trauma of losing his brother, but look at his friends: they managed to be nice people. Lucas refuses to call Mia by her name, he makes sure to tell her she's not welcome at every turn, he brings home a different girl every night and has loud sex that Mia can hear through the walls (which to be honest is what he was doing before she showed up, but he teases her about it, so, rude). And in one spectacular scene, when he's mad that she's asking for a sample to drug test, he .
He left her at the clubhouse and the coach had to come out and give her a ride home:
Then there's this:
Is she supposed to be grateful that he caught her? He's the one who knocked her over. And it's not the only time he knocks into her on purpose.
At one point an intruder breaks into the house and hides in her room. She's in shock and he makes her spend the night in his guest room. And then the next day says this:
At a dinner party with his friends, he calls her a bitch, and instead of getting up and walking out, she barks.
It is 93% into the book before he admits that he likes her. That's not even a commitment. So we just have to trust that he'll start treating her better. He creates a new contract for her at the very, very end, and it's sweet, but after building up his character in a certain way for the entire book, I can't buy the sudden shift. If we were to believe that he had changed, it would have helped to see that; couldn't he have changed in more than one area of his life? Or done something like therapy? Or made a grand gesture? Or they could have had a big talk where he apologized for all the terrible things he said and did? I could not for the life of me fathom why she wanted him. His only redeeming feature, if you can call it that, is that he was good-looking. And for that she wanted to be in his life permanently.
The character development/motivation made no sense to me. The writing was technically fine (there were some major problems, as listed below, but sentence structure and grammar/syntax weren't an issue) but the story just made me mad because I was expecting redemption - after all, he wasn't an anti-hero - and I got none.
Grammar/formatting: The author mentioned X and Y chromosomes (in a bid to prove that Mia is "not like other girls), but she consistently mixed them up. Once would have been a mistake or a typo, but multiple times is poor research (shouldn't have relied on a memory of high school biology!) and poor editing (someone should have caught that). Also, Mia is American - but I'm sure the author isn't, because there was British (Australian) wording on nearly every page - words and mannerism. The story was set in America and was being told by an American character, so that was a big misstep. Also, there were things that didn't add up as far as the soccer itself (soccer oval (?), the popularity of the sport and its players - in the US (?)).
Next book in the series: Team Tomás
Romance genre: sports
Series: The Saints Team
Length:271 pages
Plot: Lucas is a big-time soccer star who descended into drug and alcohol abuse. He's clean now, but his father and management want to keep him that way. They hire Mia, a college student who is very close to graduating, to be his minder. She'll run random drug tests on him and will generally keep up with his behavior. She's studying to be a physical therapist, so she'll also get experience working with his team. Lucas is not happy at all. He doesn't like the intrusiveness and he hates his father, so this is a double whammy. Lucas is determined to be as mean as possible to Mia, and Mia is determined to stick it out. But eventually, maybe Lucas will decide that he wants to keep Mia around a little longer.
Commentary: These are just my opinions (obviously, that's what a review is - I just don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to re-define things). When I think of main male characters, they fall into a few categories. There is the typical guy who may be clueless, might not be; maybe goes through women quickly, might be looking for true love; could be a businessman, blue-collar, any number of types, including occasionally, mafia and MC. They mess up sometimes, and sometimes they are slow to offer commitment, but they are pretty normal relationship partners, despite the occasional billionaire or celebrity.
But then there's the anti-hero. He unapologetically takes what he wants. He doesn't necessarily offer a real relationship, but sometimes he demands it. He is a bad guy - he kills, he takes over, he schemes, kidnaps, imprisons, ties up - you get the idea. And maybe he is still doing all of that at the end of the book - he doesn't change who he is. But he redeems himself where the heroine is concerned. He is the person she needs, no matter what kind of person he is for everyone else. He loves her, and he takes care of her, even if he's been horrible to her throughout the rest of the book. He has figured out that he wants her in his life, he wants her love, and he wants to love her in return.
Then there's the asshole. He's awful to the heroine, and usually to others in the story as well. He has no reason - or no good reason (I mean, other people have suffered trauma and can still dredge up some manners). He sometimes goes beyond just being a jerk and causes physical harm or real emotional damage. And usually, the jerk doesn't make any change until very late in the book, often past 80% into the story. Because it's all left too late, the redemption does not feel real - you don't get to see it in action. You just have to trust that it will stick.
Our hero in this story was that asshole. He was awful to the heroine. He had childhood trauma. The poor little rich boy had parents who abandoned him at boarding school - like every other kid at boarding school. I'm not trying to downplay the trauma of parental abandonment, in this case, after the trauma of losing his brother, but look at his friends: they managed to be nice people. Lucas refuses to call Mia by her name, he makes sure to tell her she's not welcome at every turn, he brings home a different girl every night and has loud sex that Mia can hear through the walls (which to be honest is what he was doing before she showed up, but he teases her about it, so, rude). And in one spectacular scene, when he's mad that she's asking for a sample to drug test, he .
He left her at the clubhouse and the coach had to come out and give her a ride home:
I didn’t say anything; it was his move. He’d left me at an empty clubhouse in the dark.
Then there's this:
He rose quickly and shoved me intentionally, knocking me off balance. I grabbed for the island and missed, as adrenaline and fear coursed through me. With super-fast reflexes Lucas reached for me and caught me, his arms wrapped around my back, pressing me close to his bare chest. He steadied me on my feet.
Is she supposed to be grateful that he caught her? He's the one who knocked her over. And it's not the only time he knocks into her on purpose.
At one point an intruder breaks into the house and hides in her room. She's in shock and he makes her spend the night in his guest room. And then the next day says this:
‘In your dreams,’ I said. It was really my dream. ‘You are such a bighead. When have I ever hung off you?’ ‘Ah, last night,’ he said. It was cruel of him to make fun of me needing him. ‘Not a bad way to work your way into my guest room,’ he scoffed.
At a dinner party with his friends, he calls her a bitch, and instead of getting up and walking out, she barks.
It is 93% into the book before he admits that he likes her. That's not even a commitment. So we just have to trust that he'll start treating her better. He creates a new contract for her at the very, very end, and it's sweet, but after building up his character in a certain way for the entire book, I can't buy the sudden shift. If we were to believe that he had changed, it would have helped to see that; couldn't he have changed in more than one area of his life? Or done something like therapy? Or made a grand gesture? Or they could have had a big talk where he apologized for all the terrible things he said and did? I could not for the life of me fathom why she wanted him. His only redeeming feature, if you can call it that, is that he was good-looking. And for that she wanted to be in his life permanently.
The character development/motivation made no sense to me. The writing was technically fine (there were some major problems, as listed below, but sentence structure and grammar/syntax weren't an issue) but the story just made me mad because I was expecting redemption - after all, he wasn't an anti-hero - and I got none.
Grammar/formatting: The author mentioned X and Y chromosomes (in a bid to prove that Mia is "not like other girls), but she consistently mixed them up. Once would have been a mistake or a typo, but multiple times is poor research (shouldn't have relied on a memory of high school biology!) and poor editing (someone should have caught that). Also, Mia is American - but I'm sure the author isn't, because there was British (Australian) wording on nearly every page - words and mannerism. The story was set in America and was being told by an American character, so that was a big misstep. Also, there were things that didn't add up as far as the soccer itself (soccer oval (?), the popularity of the sport and its players - in the US (?)).
Next book in the series: Team Tomás
July 4, 2015
We all know that sport stars can be temperamental, opinionated and egotistical; well Lucas Ainswright is no exception. He oozes sex appeal, has women literally flocking to his door and a secret heartache that would probably explain his crappy attitude if he let anyone close enough to care.
Mia is a strong, independent, caring and out-spoken young woman, who does’t take shit from anyone. She has almost completed her physiotherapy degree, but her lack of tack has cost her another part-time job, so the opportunity to work with Lucas for an enticing amount of money and guaranteed bonus if she can last 4 weeks, is to good to pass up.
Lucas` character is physically every woman’s wet dream, but his sexual exploits and obnoxious personality made him hard to love. I detested his total lack of discretion, knowing that Mia could hear every moan from his bedroom and flaunting his prowess constantly.
Mia was always professional, and continued to display indifference to Lucas and his outrageous behaviour in the hope of keeping her distance. But while she held her own in every sarcastic confrontation with Lucas and his venomous tongue; it was obvious to everyone but Lucas, that her heart was on the line.
His personal issues and fear of rejection, made it hard not to have a soft spot for Lucas even though he was an arse, and I hoped that he would open his eyes and see Mia for the precious gift she could be, before it was too late.
Team Lucas is an emotional rollercoaster that will keep readers on the edge of their seat, with an endearing support cast and plenty of sassy banter to provide some lighter moments. The story was thoroughly enjoyable, well written and flowed smoothly from start to finish. A great first in the series!!
Mia is a strong, independent, caring and out-spoken young woman, who does’t take shit from anyone. She has almost completed her physiotherapy degree, but her lack of tack has cost her another part-time job, so the opportunity to work with Lucas for an enticing amount of money and guaranteed bonus if she can last 4 weeks, is to good to pass up.
Lucas` character is physically every woman’s wet dream, but his sexual exploits and obnoxious personality made him hard to love. I detested his total lack of discretion, knowing that Mia could hear every moan from his bedroom and flaunting his prowess constantly.
Mia was always professional, and continued to display indifference to Lucas and his outrageous behaviour in the hope of keeping her distance. But while she held her own in every sarcastic confrontation with Lucas and his venomous tongue; it was obvious to everyone but Lucas, that her heart was on the line.
His personal issues and fear of rejection, made it hard not to have a soft spot for Lucas even though he was an arse, and I hoped that he would open his eyes and see Mia for the precious gift she could be, before it was too late.
Team Lucas is an emotional rollercoaster that will keep readers on the edge of their seat, with an endearing support cast and plenty of sassy banter to provide some lighter moments. The story was thoroughly enjoyable, well written and flowed smoothly from start to finish. A great first in the series!!
June 10, 2015
**I was provided an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for providing my opinion.**
OMG….Team Lucas by Ally Adams is AMAZING!!!! I can’t wait to read more of this series. I am HOOKED!!!! This book is well-written and had the right amount of humor, drama, lust and love. It is a story about letting go of fears and opening your heart. It is also a story about forgiveness and understanding. It doesn’t hurt that the story was quite steamy in spots either.
Team Lucas is about Mia Carter, a physical therapy student that is one term from graduation and is asked to take on the job of a live-in minder for a hot soccer star, and Lucas Ainswright, a sexy soccer star with a past history of drug abuse who is a playboy due to his inability to trust and let people in. These two characters are great together. I got sucked right into the push and pull between them. Their chemistry is fabulous. I want more!!!
The plot of this novel moved along at a great pace and there wasn’t so much going on that it was overwhelming. There were no flat spots in the storyline and the characters were developed fully. I am so glad that this is a series because I want more of some of the secondary characters. The only thing I wished this book had was an alternating point of view. I would have loved to get a feel for what was going on in Lucas’ head.
This book was fabulous and I would highly recommend it. I have a feeling this is going to be one heck of a series and I can’t wait.
For more reviews, visit my blog at http://heathersbookreviews.com/
Buy this book on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Gzu917
OMG….Team Lucas by Ally Adams is AMAZING!!!! I can’t wait to read more of this series. I am HOOKED!!!! This book is well-written and had the right amount of humor, drama, lust and love. It is a story about letting go of fears and opening your heart. It is also a story about forgiveness and understanding. It doesn’t hurt that the story was quite steamy in spots either.
Team Lucas is about Mia Carter, a physical therapy student that is one term from graduation and is asked to take on the job of a live-in minder for a hot soccer star, and Lucas Ainswright, a sexy soccer star with a past history of drug abuse who is a playboy due to his inability to trust and let people in. These two characters are great together. I got sucked right into the push and pull between them. Their chemistry is fabulous. I want more!!!
The plot of this novel moved along at a great pace and there wasn’t so much going on that it was overwhelming. There were no flat spots in the storyline and the characters were developed fully. I am so glad that this is a series because I want more of some of the secondary characters. The only thing I wished this book had was an alternating point of view. I would have loved to get a feel for what was going on in Lucas’ head.
This book was fabulous and I would highly recommend it. I have a feeling this is going to be one heck of a series and I can’t wait.
For more reviews, visit my blog at http://heathersbookreviews.com/
Buy this book on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Gzu917
September 27, 2015
"I prefer blonds and bigger tits,” Lucas Ainswright said in a posh British accent as he opened the front door of his multi-million mansion on Laguna Beach to find me and his manager, James, on the doorstep. “Ah, the agency was out of those.” I smirked at him. “I prefer blonds too but it seems the only egotistical, addicted assholes available this week were all brunets.”
Off to a fine start, the love was flowing between us. “I’m not an addict.” He scowled at me"
this is just the start of the banter between Mia and Lucas.
I did enjoy the storyline, the characters, the writing there was just a few things that stopped me from giving 5*.
first was I felt at some points the book was just going on and on, it became a little on the boring side and felt things were going slowly but I stuck with it and I did enjoy the story.
second thing was that once these two got together bam the book was done, I would have liked to see these two as a couple and letting everyone know it, instead we got a few sex scenes and a nice little note wasn't much, even if the epilogue was a few pages of them going to the game and everyone knowing Lucas has finally stepped up his game and sorted his shit out with Mia.
lastly Lucas, yes I get he's a selfish character and loves himself way too much but we hardly got to see the good side of him, where's he's finally acting like an adult. we got to see him around his friends and that was a a glimpse of good Lucas.
Overall I really did enjoy this book :)
Off to a fine start, the love was flowing between us. “I’m not an addict.” He scowled at me"
this is just the start of the banter between Mia and Lucas.
I did enjoy the storyline, the characters, the writing there was just a few things that stopped me from giving 5*.
first was I felt at some points the book was just going on and on, it became a little on the boring side and felt things were going slowly but I stuck with it and I did enjoy the story.
second thing was that once these two got together bam the book was done, I would have liked to see these two as a couple and letting everyone know it, instead we got a few sex scenes and a nice little note wasn't much, even if the epilogue was a few pages of them going to the game and everyone knowing Lucas has finally stepped up his game and sorted his shit out with Mia.
lastly Lucas, yes I get he's a selfish character and loves himself way too much but we hardly got to see the good side of him, where's he's finally acting like an adult. we got to see him around his friends and that was a a glimpse of good Lucas.
Overall I really did enjoy this book :)
May 26, 2015
4 goal happy stars for Team Lucas. I loved Lucas, even if he tended to be a hot and cold mess majority of the book. I even liked the heroine, Mia, quite a bit. This book had 5 star potential but received a red card for three major issues: the ending felt overly rushed, the two were actually only a couple for maybe the last three chapters of the book, and it felt like the sex was just thrown in to shut people up instead of being worked into the story.
Now that I've aired out my negative feelings I can focus on what made me happy to give Team Lucas four strong stars. Did I mention that I loved Lucas? He was like a pretty head of lettuce where you have to peel away the top layer to get to the delicious inside. He was complicated, witty, sensual, fun, and funny. I laughed at his antics more than once. He is redeemable in every sense of the word, my kind of hero!
Mia was easy to like. She's headstrong, sassy, spirited, intelligent, and compassionate. She doesn't take any of Lucas's crap which makes her good for him. She has her own issues and finds it hard to not like Lucas, regardless if he can go from a sweetheart to a douche in ten seconds flat.
Overall, I liked the story. I find I like sports related books lately so this fit in nicely. I loved Lucas, loved, loved, loved, freaking LOVED him! The supporting characters were good and well placed which helped give the story some more depth and a look at Lucas from a different light. I just had some issues with the ending which I stated early which is why this doesn't receive a perfect 5 stars.
Now that I've aired out my negative feelings I can focus on what made me happy to give Team Lucas four strong stars. Did I mention that I loved Lucas? He was like a pretty head of lettuce where you have to peel away the top layer to get to the delicious inside. He was complicated, witty, sensual, fun, and funny. I laughed at his antics more than once. He is redeemable in every sense of the word, my kind of hero!
Mia was easy to like. She's headstrong, sassy, spirited, intelligent, and compassionate. She doesn't take any of Lucas's crap which makes her good for him. She has her own issues and finds it hard to not like Lucas, regardless if he can go from a sweetheart to a douche in ten seconds flat.
Overall, I liked the story. I find I like sports related books lately so this fit in nicely. I loved Lucas, loved, loved, loved, freaking LOVED him! The supporting characters were good and well placed which helped give the story some more depth and a look at Lucas from a different light. I just had some issues with the ending which I stated early which is why this doesn't receive a perfect 5 stars.
July 9, 2015
I've always had a soft spot for athletes. Especially footie players...I blame it to growing up a die-hard Red Devils fan. Anyways, when I think Lucas Ainswright, I think David Beckham. This novel just got that much better :) So we have the hotshot captain of the Saints being paired up with a strong-minded and driven minder. LOVED how the two characters played off each other. Definitely chemistry right off the bat. I also liked how there was no insta-love here--the relationship developed nice and slowly. It made for a much relateable story.
Mia totally steps up to the plate. She may be young and somewhat inexperienced but she makes up for that in grit and determination to succeed where others have failed before her. I love that she doesn't take shit from anyone regardless of who they are. I think that's what makes her a good match for Lucas' egotistical and defensive nature. She calls him out on his bullshit and keeps him in check, holding him accountable for his actions. She gains the respect of those around her and that's what I like to see in female leads!
The story is a good one. It definitely keeps you wanting more and was easy to get through. Great debut novel by Ally Adams. I didn't love how abruptly the story ended as it left a lot of questions (mainly to do with what happens with Lucas and Mia after they get together). Regardless, still an enjoyable read. Can't wait for the next book in this series!
Mia totally steps up to the plate. She may be young and somewhat inexperienced but she makes up for that in grit and determination to succeed where others have failed before her. I love that she doesn't take shit from anyone regardless of who they are. I think that's what makes her a good match for Lucas' egotistical and defensive nature. She calls him out on his bullshit and keeps him in check, holding him accountable for his actions. She gains the respect of those around her and that's what I like to see in female leads!
The story is a good one. It definitely keeps you wanting more and was easy to get through. Great debut novel by Ally Adams. I didn't love how abruptly the story ended as it left a lot of questions (mainly to do with what happens with Lucas and Mia after they get together). Regardless, still an enjoyable read. Can't wait for the next book in this series!
September 5, 2015
I absolutely LOVED Team Lucas, and I am so happy to see that I can read on in the next book Team Thomas, with some of the same characters. I escaped to Mia's world and even wanted to start jogging - she's an inspiration! Ally Adams has done an excellent job writing her debut. It was so cute, fun and romantic, with plenty of emotional tugs. I don't know anything about soccer, and thank goodness there wasn't too much of it - just a lovely story about a very likeable girl and a VERY unlikeable soccer superstar, with some beautiful poetry and a just-right sex scene. I hope we see more of Mia. And maybe Ally can do a 'Grey' and give us the story from the perspective of Lucas???
February 11, 2016
I enjoyed this read and was really satisfied considering it was free on Kindle Unlimited. The issues this guy had were a bit different than most other of my recent reads so a change was nice even though the issues in themselves were unpleasant. I appreciated the patience and strong backbone of the chick.
What was distracting to me was the constant Australian references in a book that had no characters from Australia. And for a few chapters, I had to stop and think, "wait, where is this book taking place? did I miss something earlier?" Despite realizing that the author was Australian, the constant use of Australian terms, phrases and sentence structure threw me off and took me out of the moment. I have now read all three books in this series and my best guess is that they author is writing for an Australian audience because I just can't imagine that someone hasn't made her aware of all the non-American terms. And that's fine- I just tend to notice these things so probably just my own thing.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book and had I known ahead of time that the intended audience wasn't American's, I wouldn't have had those moments of separation from the story itself.
What was distracting to me was the constant Australian references in a book that had no characters from Australia. And for a few chapters, I had to stop and think, "wait, where is this book taking place? did I miss something earlier?" Despite realizing that the author was Australian, the constant use of Australian terms, phrases and sentence structure threw me off and took me out of the moment. I have now read all three books in this series and my best guess is that they author is writing for an Australian audience because I just can't imagine that someone hasn't made her aware of all the non-American terms. And that's fine- I just tend to notice these things so probably just my own thing.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book and had I known ahead of time that the intended audience wasn't American's, I wouldn't have had those moments of separation from the story itself.
September 26, 2015
IDK, Lucas seemed real to me considering his background and the way society has revered sports celebrities plus media. Why they take drugs when they are worth so much money???! The friends were good for Lucas as they grounded him or he would of continued being a douche. Great story and I love strong women main characters!!!
October 12, 2015
Super loved it!!!!
June 18, 2021
I loved this book! So fun and addictive. I'm definitely looking for the next one.
January 22, 2024
Loved it! I read it in 3 days which is a new record for me as I have young children….so makes reading more of a challenge these days!
I loved the characters and the depth she went into on character development, especially Lucas! His back story made his behaviour understandable at times.
The sperm incident was both shocking and freaking hilarious!
Lucas is a down right ass to begin with but I’m a hopeless romantic and love to seeing his softer side came out at times with Mia!
I love that Mia wasn’t fan girling and stayed true to herself and values and adored Lucas for him and not his money or fame.
Highly recommend anyone who wants a fun, sexy read!
Thank you ally Adam’s for introducing me to the saint boys! Now onto book 2 😀
I loved the characters and the depth she went into on character development, especially Lucas! His back story made his behaviour understandable at times.
The sperm incident was both shocking and freaking hilarious!
Lucas is a down right ass to begin with but I’m a hopeless romantic and love to seeing his softer side came out at times with Mia!
I love that Mia wasn’t fan girling and stayed true to herself and values and adored Lucas for him and not his money or fame.
Highly recommend anyone who wants a fun, sexy read!
Thank you ally Adam’s for introducing me to the saint boys! Now onto book 2 😀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2021
Go Team Lucas
I wasn't sure I was going to care for this book when I started reading it. But the more I read, the more it drew me in. Mia is such a strong woman who took more from Lucas than any person should. She gave back as well. Her trust in Lucas saved Lucas from himself. Absolute great read!
I wasn't sure I was going to care for this book when I started reading it. But the more I read, the more it drew me in. Mia is such a strong woman who took more from Lucas than any person should. She gave back as well. Her trust in Lucas saved Lucas from himself. Absolute great read!
August 10, 2023
OMG what a great love story!!
This Hockey enemies to lovers romance was surprisingly wonderful!! Ally Adams is my new favorite writer! Her ability to develop the characters and weave the story is amazing. This has book everything banter, laughter, conflict, friendship, and love. I could read this over again! Thank you for sharing this story with us !!
This Hockey enemies to lovers romance was surprisingly wonderful!! Ally Adams is my new favorite writer! Her ability to develop the characters and weave the story is amazing. This has book everything banter, laughter, conflict, friendship, and love. I could read this over again! Thank you for sharing this story with us !!
July 27, 2017
Team Lucas is the first book in The Saints Team series by Ally Adams. Very solid sports romance book that had a great storyline. The characters had depth, emotion and lots of chemistry. All in all a solid book and I look forward to more by this author.
January 19, 2022
I loved the trope, the characters, the push and pull and Luca and Mia!
July 15, 2015
This book was a fun fairly lighthearted read that I basically devoured in one sitting. After finishing a few emotionally intense books recently, Team Lucas was exactly what I needed to just enjoy the words on the page without being completely wrung out.
Mia is in college studying sports physiology and working part time jobs to make ends meet. When those 2 parts of her life combine to offer her an opportunity of a lifetime, she can't say no even if Lucas Ainswright promises to be a Grade A pain in the arse. From the moment they meet, he lives up to her expectations of a spoiled little rich boy sports star who gets what he wants when he wants and lord help anyone who tries to stop him. Of course Mia responds in kind with the sass and snark that got her suspended from her last job, dishing it out as well as she received it - and I loved her sense of humor. Lucas may be an Adonis but every time he opens his mouth he spoils the image and she isn't afraid to let him know it with a good dose of sarcasm.
Mia is determined not to let him get to her or push her out the door before the 4 week contract is over; the lucrative assignment will allow her to make her payments for the rest of the semester and be comfortable but Lucas is definitely going to make her earn every penny. Their interactions border on comical at times. He pushes and she pushes back, neither willing to give an inch. It was like the little boy on the playground pulling the little girl's pigtails to show he liked her except in this case Lucas could get a little too mean and nasty in his comebacks.
As she gets to know his friends and teammates, they give her a little insight into his childhood and family life that explains so much to her. Then slowly Lucas himself shares bits and pieces with her, but for every step forward, they take 2 steps back it seems. He has been let down by too many people he trusted, so now his instinctive initial reaction is to start pushing away anyone who may get too close and be a danger to his heart. Unfortunately without good role models in his life, he has gone off the rails recently and can take his reactions too far into the hurtful zone as Mia finds out firsthand.
I enjoyed watching his evolution as he first tried to identify his feelings, then struggled to figure out how to handle them and how to demonstrate them. He is a 26 year old guy stuck in a teenager's mindset at times and there was one particular scene with his best friend Jase that just highlighted it in Technicolor in the way Jase handled him. Then the media gets wind off a possible connection between Lucas and Mia which just adds a whole new layer of crazy to their relationship even as they try to define it themselves. Fortunately his two closest friends (and family for all intents and purposes) provide a much needed support system for Mia as she tries to avoid a severe case of whiplash from Lucas's erratic mood swings. Everyone around them can see what's happening except Lucas and Mia themselves, and bets are placed on how long it will take for them to become an official item even as they scoff at it.
This was a great book that I will likely read again but a few things stood out that kept the rating at 4 stars. First Lucas really could be a mean piece of work when he got riled and took it over the top a few times. Second, the story is set in the US and Mia is a US citizen, but the terms used by everyone including her throughout the story were distinctly British or Australian in origin. At times it made sense when she was busting Lucas up about one thing or another since he is a British born US transplant, but other times when she was just thinking or carrying on a conversation with someone else the same terms would be used and it just felt out of place. Of course it wasn't enough to completely detract or distract from the story so don't let that hold you back from grabbing a copy of this book! The version of Lucas at the end of the story is 180 degrees away from the version we first meet and I hope you enjoy watching the transformation happen too.
Mia is in college studying sports physiology and working part time jobs to make ends meet. When those 2 parts of her life combine to offer her an opportunity of a lifetime, she can't say no even if Lucas Ainswright promises to be a Grade A pain in the arse. From the moment they meet, he lives up to her expectations of a spoiled little rich boy sports star who gets what he wants when he wants and lord help anyone who tries to stop him. Of course Mia responds in kind with the sass and snark that got her suspended from her last job, dishing it out as well as she received it - and I loved her sense of humor. Lucas may be an Adonis but every time he opens his mouth he spoils the image and she isn't afraid to let him know it with a good dose of sarcasm.
Mia is determined not to let him get to her or push her out the door before the 4 week contract is over; the lucrative assignment will allow her to make her payments for the rest of the semester and be comfortable but Lucas is definitely going to make her earn every penny. Their interactions border on comical at times. He pushes and she pushes back, neither willing to give an inch. It was like the little boy on the playground pulling the little girl's pigtails to show he liked her except in this case Lucas could get a little too mean and nasty in his comebacks.
As she gets to know his friends and teammates, they give her a little insight into his childhood and family life that explains so much to her. Then slowly Lucas himself shares bits and pieces with her, but for every step forward, they take 2 steps back it seems. He has been let down by too many people he trusted, so now his instinctive initial reaction is to start pushing away anyone who may get too close and be a danger to his heart. Unfortunately without good role models in his life, he has gone off the rails recently and can take his reactions too far into the hurtful zone as Mia finds out firsthand.
I enjoyed watching his evolution as he first tried to identify his feelings, then struggled to figure out how to handle them and how to demonstrate them. He is a 26 year old guy stuck in a teenager's mindset at times and there was one particular scene with his best friend Jase that just highlighted it in Technicolor in the way Jase handled him. Then the media gets wind off a possible connection between Lucas and Mia which just adds a whole new layer of crazy to their relationship even as they try to define it themselves. Fortunately his two closest friends (and family for all intents and purposes) provide a much needed support system for Mia as she tries to avoid a severe case of whiplash from Lucas's erratic mood swings. Everyone around them can see what's happening except Lucas and Mia themselves, and bets are placed on how long it will take for them to become an official item even as they scoff at it.
This was a great book that I will likely read again but a few things stood out that kept the rating at 4 stars. First Lucas really could be a mean piece of work when he got riled and took it over the top a few times. Second, the story is set in the US and Mia is a US citizen, but the terms used by everyone including her throughout the story were distinctly British or Australian in origin. At times it made sense when she was busting Lucas up about one thing or another since he is a British born US transplant, but other times when she was just thinking or carrying on a conversation with someone else the same terms would be used and it just felt out of place. Of course it wasn't enough to completely detract or distract from the story so don't let that hold you back from grabbing a copy of this book! The version of Lucas at the end of the story is 180 degrees away from the version we first meet and I hope you enjoy watching the transformation happen too.
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