Having loved Dirty Secret, I was very interested in reading more of Emma Hart's books, and a cocky athlete/daughter of Hollywood's sweetheart story seemed like a good place to start. And this sexy and funny story definitely was.
Leah Veronica knows what it's like to be in the spotlight. As the daughter of the Grace Veronica, her name and face are easily recognizable. But she's determined to make her own way, which is why she's so secretive about her career as fashion's newest star.
Corey Jackson has no reason to be secretive. He's young, good-looking and, as the quarterback for the LA Vipers, a hot commodity. When he spies Leah, he knows he has to have her. But sassy Leah isn't about to give in to his arrogant charm. Her career is on the line and she can't afford anyone to know that she's the force behind her upcoming clothing line.
Corey's working on winning her heart when Hollywood's elite are targeted by a celebrity hacker and secrets threaten to break; now Corey has to prove to his girl that he can be trusted and that football is the only game he's playing.
I wanted to love Blindsided. I liked it, very much, but there was something about Leah I struggled to connect with. I never really understood her urgency about keeping her secret. It seemed....*hmmm* unrealistic? I found it difficult to believe no one else knew (if she's as "famous" as it's made out, I feel like the connection would have been made well beforehand). Plus, the fact she didn’t confide in her best friends bothered me. Why not trust them, especially Cole?
However, I found her banter and chemistry with Corey to be exceptional. Her sass and feisty, kind of prickly attitude toward Corey were fun and kept Leah interesting. Blindsided was an excellent book when it focused on them together, both before and after they started getting it on. And a lot of that has to do with Corey. He says it best himself:
“I’m the best kind of gentleman, darlin’. I’m polite in public and filthy in private.”
And he was that. He was definitely that. His cocky demeanor was charming and I really wanted a bit more, a bit better for him at times than the seemingly ungrateful Leah.
In the end, I found myself thoroughly invested in this book. I kept reading it long after I should have stopped and thought about it during those moments when I wasn't. I loved the secondary characters enough to want to read more from them and I smiled a happy smile when I reached the end of Leah and Corey's story. Yep, I definitely want to read even more of Ms. Hart's work.
Blindsided is the first book in the By His Game series. No cliffhanger. ~ Beth, 4 stars
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Leah Veronica, daughter of America’s sweetheart, secret designer of the highly anticipated Lea V fashion line, needs more publicity as much as she needs a hole in her head. Leah can’t buy a cup of coffee without paparazzi in her face, so she avoids being in the public as much as possible.
Corey Jackson, star quarterback of the LA Vipers, self-proclaimed man-whore, wants to get Leah underneath him and in his bed. He’s about to step up his game to make it happen.
So, what happens when Leah and Corey find themselves truly attracted to each other? Is there really a winner and a loser in this game? Has the game changed from bedding the babe and leaving the quarterback to something more like winning in love?
Leah and Corey are like oil and water, fire and ice—but when mixed or melted together, sparks fly, pithy barbs are thrown and their relationship is magic. I LOVED their playful interactions and damn if Leah doesn’t hand Corey his ass on a regular basis!
Not so magical is the level of trust Leah has for her supposed best friends of many, many years. Why does Leah keep her fashion line such a big secret? Have her friends done something in the past that she doesn’t trust them enough to share the information with them? It just doesn’t seem genuine—especially with her relationship with Cole as they’ve known each other most of their lives.
All in all, I did really enjoy this book! I can’t wait to see what Emma has in store for us for the rest of the series! ~ Missy, 4 stars