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Irving University #1
On the Rebound
Sabotaged by scandal, basketball coach Greg Miller can't find work in the men's division. Humble and defeated, he takes a job as an assistant coach for a women’s college team. Deciding that he's going to make the best of it and clear his name of any wrongdoing, Greg sets out to make a difference and prove himself to everyone who doubted him.
When circumstances arise and a valuable player needs some help, the coach begins working alongside elegant and determined academic advisor Ciara Monaghan. Soon, Greg finds he needs more than just a victory on the court.
Disgusted by his immoral reputation, Ciara steers clear of the basketball coach's full court press. However, as they are forced together and the truth comes out, Ciara realizes there is more to Greg than she ever realized.
With the season coming to an end and the clock running out, will one of them take the shot and finally change the game?
When circumstances arise and a valuable player needs some help, the coach begins working alongside elegant and determined academic advisor Ciara Monaghan. Soon, Greg finds he needs more than just a victory on the court.
Disgusted by his immoral reputation, Ciara steers clear of the basketball coach's full court press. However, as they are forced together and the truth comes out, Ciara realizes there is more to Greg than she ever realized.
With the season coming to an end and the clock running out, will one of them take the shot and finally change the game?
- GenresRomance
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2016
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 31, 2015
One of my goals for the Christmas Holiday was to try to get caught up on my reading. I'm so behind! Toward that end, I finally sat down to read On the Rebound, by Jim Cangany. Jim's book is set to release a week after mine on January 26.
Let me start by being honest: I was really worried about whether I'd like this book. I knew that Jim wrote sweet romances that women enjoyed, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that the Jim I'd come to know could write women's fiction.
Oh boy was I wrong! On the Rebound was wonderful!
The premise of the story is based around Coach Greg Miller whose career is in the toilet after a cheating scandal at his last university. He was totally innocent, but s*%! runs downhill, and he got caught up on the scandal, making him mostly unhirable just as his career was really taking off. He's offered a job as an assistant coach under a former college friend who needs a good coach to help with her collegiate women's basketball team. It's a huge step down in the world, but he's desperate to prove himself.
Things start off rocky at Irving University and Greg finds it difficult to fit in -- nobody wants him there, especially the athletic department's Academic Advisor, Ciara. She wants nothing to do with Greg, and wants him gone.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, so I'll just tell you that sparks fly between Greg and Ciara until they eventually embark on a romantic relationship.
Now, here's what I really enjoyed about this book:
★ The characters are real with real problems (realistic trust and breakup issues, depression/anxiety concerns, etc).
★ Much of it is written from the male perspective, and it's refreshing to see men be as awkward and unsure as women are in the dating world.
★ The characters are mature adults who really aren't into playing games. They may not be ready to settle down (or are they?) but they behave like adults.
★ The relationship develops naturally and, though I don't mind at all the depiction of intimacy between characters, the relationship was about getting to know and enjoy each other first and foremost.
★ The intimacy wasn't explicit. Let me explain: it's not that I don't read and enjoy my fair share of very graphic romance novels, but I'm always looking for something that wouldn't embarrass me to pass on to my 85 year old mother. There just aren't a lot of romance novels like that out there anymore. And, to be honest, as I told Jim: I'm not sure I'd ever be able to look him in the eye when we finally meet face-to-face if there was too much graphic intimacy in the novel. I can take it when "the girls" write it, but having to read it from Jim would be like playing voyeur to one of my bothers. Phew! Dodged that bullet, thank goodness!
Overall, this was a great read! With On the Rebound, Jim Cangany has definitely scored a home run...er...knocked it out of the ball park....er...um...scored a 3-pointer to win the game? You get the idea. It was a wonderful read and I give it an enthusiastic 4-stars!
Let me start by being honest: I was really worried about whether I'd like this book. I knew that Jim wrote sweet romances that women enjoyed, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that the Jim I'd come to know could write women's fiction.
Oh boy was I wrong! On the Rebound was wonderful!
The premise of the story is based around Coach Greg Miller whose career is in the toilet after a cheating scandal at his last university. He was totally innocent, but s*%! runs downhill, and he got caught up on the scandal, making him mostly unhirable just as his career was really taking off. He's offered a job as an assistant coach under a former college friend who needs a good coach to help with her collegiate women's basketball team. It's a huge step down in the world, but he's desperate to prove himself.
Things start off rocky at Irving University and Greg finds it difficult to fit in -- nobody wants him there, especially the athletic department's Academic Advisor, Ciara. She wants nothing to do with Greg, and wants him gone.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, so I'll just tell you that sparks fly between Greg and Ciara until they eventually embark on a romantic relationship.
Now, here's what I really enjoyed about this book:
★ The characters are real with real problems (realistic trust and breakup issues, depression/anxiety concerns, etc).
★ Much of it is written from the male perspective, and it's refreshing to see men be as awkward and unsure as women are in the dating world.
★ The characters are mature adults who really aren't into playing games. They may not be ready to settle down (or are they?) but they behave like adults.
★ The relationship develops naturally and, though I don't mind at all the depiction of intimacy between characters, the relationship was about getting to know and enjoy each other first and foremost.
★ The intimacy wasn't explicit. Let me explain: it's not that I don't read and enjoy my fair share of very graphic romance novels, but I'm always looking for something that wouldn't embarrass me to pass on to my 85 year old mother. There just aren't a lot of romance novels like that out there anymore. And, to be honest, as I told Jim: I'm not sure I'd ever be able to look him in the eye when we finally meet face-to-face if there was too much graphic intimacy in the novel. I can take it when "the girls" write it, but having to read it from Jim would be like playing voyeur to one of my bothers. Phew! Dodged that bullet, thank goodness!
Overall, this was a great read! With On the Rebound, Jim Cangany has definitely scored a home run...er...knocked it out of the ball park....er...um...scored a 3-pointer to win the game? You get the idea. It was a wonderful read and I give it an enthusiastic 4-stars!
January 31, 2016
This sweet sports romance is Jim Cangany's best yet. As another reviewer noted, it has a great romance, but also tells the story of a disgraced basketball coach's season of redemption. Greg Miller lost his job as an ass't. coach with a big-time men's basketball program when the entire program was caught up in a grade fixing scandal. He's been out of work for two years, however, as few people believe his innocence, although he was officially cleared in an investigation. An old friend who is now the head coach of a women's program at a small school, Irving University, needs an assistant fast and hires him over almost everyone's objections. And when he meets the team's academic advisor, a former women's player named Ciara, the sparks fly in more ways than one. There are so many things I love about this book. The characters, school, setting, are all really well drawn. The story is not predictable. The author really did his research on women's college basketball and makes his unusual setting some to life. The story of Irving's quest for a championship is riveting and I literally got chills in the climactic scene. The book also takes on some serious issues, too, such as anxiety and depressive disorders, in a realistic and compassionate way. Oh, and Marie, the heroine's best friend, cracked me up! Highly recommended.
January 4, 2016
I love sports (a lot) and romance. I don’t have an opportunity to read many books with sports in the forefront and especially not a romance novel, so I had been looking forward to reading this title for some time now. And even though I’m not a “sweet” romance type of girl, I really enjoyed it and didn’t feel that I was being ‘faded-to-black’ or missing out on a deeper romantic level. I was satisfied when I finished reading.
This is a sort-of-enemies to lovers romance between Greg and Ciara. I say ‘sort-of’ because Greg really holds no animosity towards Ciara, but her preconceived notions of him based on his reputation which was actually cleansed pits them as unnecessary adversaries. She finally spends enough actual time with him to discover what an incredible guy he really is only to throw it all away without even giving him a chance to explain.
This is the second novel I’ve read by this author and he creates such wonderful main characters that by the end, I’m rooting for them to find someone worthy of their love instead of the person they’re pursuing. It’s understandable that Ciara is cautious considering a past heartbreak, but good grief, the small mistake Greg makes solicits a completely unwarranted response. It doesn’t help that her best friend has never been able to see past Greg’s, well… past. The fact that Ciara chooses this woman as her best friend already makes me question her life choices.
In end… I’ll remember Greg Miller for years to come (as I do EJ from Jim Cangany’s first series). Their love interests? Not so much. And it’s not because their love interests are terrible people, they’re flawed just as we all are, but they’re just not good enough for our fellas.
The basketball game descriptions are compelling, especially in the game against “The Machine.” I felt as though I had been dropped into the field house on the tenth row, cheering for our team to pull out the win, experiencing the action as it unfolded. I even had a few pricks in the back of my eyes when Ciara gave her pre-game speech before the big one. But the sports action does not overwhelm what this book is – a romance. That’s always what’s in the forefront when reading this novel.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes sweet romances. Or even if that’s not your go-to, read anyway, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
This is a sort-of-enemies to lovers romance between Greg and Ciara. I say ‘sort-of’ because Greg really holds no animosity towards Ciara, but her preconceived notions of him based on his reputation which was actually cleansed pits them as unnecessary adversaries. She finally spends enough actual time with him to discover what an incredible guy he really is only to throw it all away without even giving him a chance to explain.
This is the second novel I’ve read by this author and he creates such wonderful main characters that by the end, I’m rooting for them to find someone worthy of their love instead of the person they’re pursuing. It’s understandable that Ciara is cautious considering a past heartbreak, but good grief, the small mistake Greg makes solicits a completely unwarranted response. It doesn’t help that her best friend has never been able to see past Greg’s, well… past. The fact that Ciara chooses this woman as her best friend already makes me question her life choices.
In end… I’ll remember Greg Miller for years to come (as I do EJ from Jim Cangany’s first series). Their love interests? Not so much. And it’s not because their love interests are terrible people, they’re flawed just as we all are, but they’re just not good enough for our fellas.
The basketball game descriptions are compelling, especially in the game against “The Machine.” I felt as though I had been dropped into the field house on the tenth row, cheering for our team to pull out the win, experiencing the action as it unfolded. I even had a few pricks in the back of my eyes when Ciara gave her pre-game speech before the big one. But the sports action does not overwhelm what this book is – a romance. That’s always what’s in the forefront when reading this novel.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes sweet romances. Or even if that’s not your go-to, read anyway, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
January 11, 2016
Let me first say, I have zero interest in most sports. So it took me a while to get into the novel, but once the romance kicked in my interest never wavered.
“Everybody makes mistakes, honey. Some larger than others. What matters is what we do afterward. And unless I’m mistaken, it sounds like this young man has owned up to his mistakes and is trying to do the right thing now. You only live once. Don’t let the past-his or yours-keep you apart.”
At first, we don’t know much about the hero and heroine. Our hero, Greg, has unknowingly been part of a scandal in his previous coaching job, and his reputation is on rocking ground. When Greg arrives at Irving to fulfill a temporary position with the women’s basketball team, he is met with suspicion, especially when it comes to Ciara, the academic advisor.
As the story progresses and a relationship forms between them, the reader begins to see more into these characters. I won’t reveal it all and expose the story, but let’s just say they’ve both have had their share of pain and disappointment in their pasts. This is where I, personally, was intrigued, because knowing more about the characters brings them to life.
Speaking of characters, I enjoyed Greg and Ciara. Most stories feature alpha males, so it was refreshing to read a romance novel with a beta male. No person is the same, and it gets tedious reading the same stereotypical characters over and over again. Betas need their time in the light as well. Greg was vulnerable in a realistic way, one that I don’t see often. And even though Ciara might first come across as stubborn and insensitive, there’s a softness about her as well. I liked how she was strong, but recognized that a man in her life doesn’t make her weak.
“You don’t need him, you–”
“What if I want him?”
So despite my lack of interest in basketball, the moment I learned more about Greg and Ciara was the moment I began to hope for them to win the championship. And even though I normally don’t pick up sweet romances, I enjoyed it and that’s what counts in the end. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy sweet romances.
“Everybody makes mistakes, honey. Some larger than others. What matters is what we do afterward. And unless I’m mistaken, it sounds like this young man has owned up to his mistakes and is trying to do the right thing now. You only live once. Don’t let the past-his or yours-keep you apart.”
At first, we don’t know much about the hero and heroine. Our hero, Greg, has unknowingly been part of a scandal in his previous coaching job, and his reputation is on rocking ground. When Greg arrives at Irving to fulfill a temporary position with the women’s basketball team, he is met with suspicion, especially when it comes to Ciara, the academic advisor.
As the story progresses and a relationship forms between them, the reader begins to see more into these characters. I won’t reveal it all and expose the story, but let’s just say they’ve both have had their share of pain and disappointment in their pasts. This is where I, personally, was intrigued, because knowing more about the characters brings them to life.
Speaking of characters, I enjoyed Greg and Ciara. Most stories feature alpha males, so it was refreshing to read a romance novel with a beta male. No person is the same, and it gets tedious reading the same stereotypical characters over and over again. Betas need their time in the light as well. Greg was vulnerable in a realistic way, one that I don’t see often. And even though Ciara might first come across as stubborn and insensitive, there’s a softness about her as well. I liked how she was strong, but recognized that a man in her life doesn’t make her weak.
“You don’t need him, you–”
“What if I want him?”
So despite my lack of interest in basketball, the moment I learned more about Greg and Ciara was the moment I began to hope for them to win the championship. And even though I normally don’t pick up sweet romances, I enjoyed it and that’s what counts in the end. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy sweet romances.
March 6, 2016
Not really my cup of tea. A sweet (too sweet for my taste) love story of a "disgraced" basketball coach who lands at a smaller school (the fictional Irving University in Indianapolis - go Lions!), hired by a friend to be an assistant coach for the Women's basketball team. The lovely academic advisor becomes his love interest.
A little too cliched and forced at times, e.g. when the protagonists hit a rough patch, it's caused by a gross overreaction to a too convenient "crisis." The "over protective best friend" wore on me a little too. I read the book since it's by an Indiana author and set in my home town and a neighborhood I used to live in, and the basketball backdrop story was nice too, if a bit predictable. having the basketball season as the backdrop for the story gave it a strong structure - the reader kind of knows when things will come to a conclusion.
A little too cliched and forced at times, e.g. when the protagonists hit a rough patch, it's caused by a gross overreaction to a too convenient "crisis." The "over protective best friend" wore on me a little too. I read the book since it's by an Indiana author and set in my home town and a neighborhood I used to live in, and the basketball backdrop story was nice too, if a bit predictable. having the basketball season as the backdrop for the story gave it a strong structure - the reader kind of knows when things will come to a conclusion.
September 18, 2016
Jim Cangany can write, and I was rooting for his characters. Dialogue was crisp, the settings were clear, and overall the story was told very well. I liked Greg, and Ciara and really wanted them to get their acts together and fall in love! I even laughed a couple times at a few parts. Jim does great characterization. I think it was interesting to read a romance from a mostly male point-of-view.
I'm really not a sports person so I couldn't get into that aspect, but I love a good romance, sweet or steamy (this is definitely sweet) I think fans of sports (especially, of course, basketball) and sweet romance, should definitely give this a go! Jim is an author I know, and respect, and I know he has a lot of exciting new works-in-progress.
3 stars for a heart-warming, fun story about overcoming obstacles and taking chances.
I'm really not a sports person so I couldn't get into that aspect, but I love a good romance, sweet or steamy (this is definitely sweet) I think fans of sports (especially, of course, basketball) and sweet romance, should definitely give this a go! Jim is an author I know, and respect, and I know he has a lot of exciting new works-in-progress.
3 stars for a heart-warming, fun story about overcoming obstacles and taking chances.
November 18, 2016
3.5/5.0
Set in the highly competitive college sports world, the twist of being about a girls’ team, not a boys’ is truly refreshing.
Read full review in the 2016 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Set in the highly competitive college sports world, the twist of being about a girls’ team, not a boys’ is truly refreshing.
Read full review in the 2016 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
April 18, 2016
Greg Miller was an assistant basketball coach for a major college men’s program when the entire staff was fired for a scandal involving grades and not going to classes. After two years the NCAA has cleared him of any wrong doing but he is not able to get any basketball job because of his association with the program. Plus people think was guilty. Now a friend of his who is the head coach for a women’s team in a small school league offers him a job. She could only get it for one year but he is grateful none the less. He feels good to be back. Though he does not know much about the Women’s game and has been studying up. No sooner than he gets to the school that he runs into the first person who does not want him there and thinks he is a cheater. She is the academic advisor, her name is Ciara. When they first met sparks fly both physically, and verbally. It stays this way for a while until she sees that he really is good at coaching, and he finds out that she was a former player for that same school. As you can imagine they begin to date and are actually liking one another, but as the half way point of the season passes he must start to look for a job for next year because the school board won’t tell the head coach if she can rehire him. Once Ciara finds she blows her top and not realizing that he wants to she breaks up with him. Now he must find a way to fix things as the team heads into the playoffs and championship. A good entertaining story with excellent characters. I got this book from Netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
February 3, 2016
Interesting Story
First of all, I'm not into any types of sports, but I found myself fascinated by the intricacies of basketball while reading this story. I enjoyed the progression of all of the characters. This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend this novel to both fans and non-fans of sports.
First of all, I'm not into any types of sports, but I found myself fascinated by the intricacies of basketball while reading this story. I enjoyed the progression of all of the characters. This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend this novel to both fans and non-fans of sports.
April 15, 2016
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a well written romantic comedy although the basketball detail was a bit much sometimes.
That said, it was an enjoyable read although predictable.
This was a well written romantic comedy although the basketball detail was a bit much sometimes.
That said, it was an enjoyable read although predictable.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews