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Romancing the Zone
A successful business woman and single mother, Liz Elliott is fast approaching the age of forty. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Becca is a freshman at Chilton College in Ashton, Vermont. Becca also happens to be a rising star for the Lady Stingers basketball team – just as her mother had been twenty years ago. But back in those early days a dirty little secret had collapsed Liz’s world - a secret she has kept hidden from everyone - especially her daughter. Now Liz finds herself accepting her daughter’s challenge to return to college and finally earn the degree that has so long eluded her. As if that isn’t enough, Liz has also somehow found herself back in the gym – and playing out her final year of basketball eligibility. Soon sparks fly when Liz encounters resistance from the new head coach, Sheridan Ross.
Coach Ross has no patience for babysitting an over-the-hill athlete - not while she’s worried about her own plans to move up the career coaching ladder as quickly as possible. Now in addition to battling the coach, Liz’s world begins to crumble when the secret from her past returns to Ashton...
Coach Ross has no patience for babysitting an over-the-hill athlete - not while she’s worried about her own plans to move up the career coaching ladder as quickly as possible. Now in addition to battling the coach, Liz’s world begins to crumble when the secret from her past returns to Ashton...
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
7 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Kenna White
22 books90 followersAward winner, Kenna White, has been a best-selling romance author with Bella Books since 2004. She was born in a small town in Southwest Missouri, but has lived from the Colorado Rocky Mountains to New England. Splitting time between Puget Sound and the Ozarks where bare feet, faded jeans and lazy streams fill her life, she enjoys her writing, traveling, substitute teaching, making dollhouse miniatures and life's simpler pleasures.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 12, 2013
I selected this book fully craving a sports romance on par with the cheesiness of the book's title. In other words, the bar was set pretty low. Unfortunately, Kenna White had no trouble going even lower (think a midget in a limbo contest).
I was willing to forgive unimaginative description, emotional cliches, and repetition of words like "smirk" or "leer", often inappropriately used. I was willing to overlook the ridiculousness of a 39-year-old playing varsity college basketball after twenty years away from the sport. But in the end, I was not willing to pretend the inclusion of a crazy suspense subplot was anything more than poor decision-making on the part of the authour.
It's a shame, because there is a workable idea here that got hijacked by a lack of attention to craft, and the misguided belief that any story can benefit from then inclusion of a psycho killer.
Kenna, all you had to do was show a 39-year-old training hard to make her old varsity team, and winning the coach's respect and heart. That's it. A simple Rocky-style tale where your hero works hard and is rewarded accordingly. Maybe she's not the starting point guard playing virtually every minute of every game. Maybe she barely earns a spot on the roster, and it takes her all season just to get a few minutes of play time (taking a much more believable cue from the movie Rudy). Instead, you sent us to the circus (the kind where the elephants look so worn down it makes you sad).
Writing a book is hard, so kudos to you for actually putting this one to paper. Just wish it had been thought through and worked on a little more.
I was willing to forgive unimaginative description, emotional cliches, and repetition of words like "smirk" or "leer", often inappropriately used. I was willing to overlook the ridiculousness of a 39-year-old playing varsity college basketball after twenty years away from the sport. But in the end, I was not willing to pretend the inclusion of a crazy suspense subplot was anything more than poor decision-making on the part of the authour.
It's a shame, because there is a workable idea here that got hijacked by a lack of attention to craft, and the misguided belief that any story can benefit from then inclusion of a psycho killer.
Kenna, all you had to do was show a 39-year-old training hard to make her old varsity team, and winning the coach's respect and heart. That's it. A simple Rocky-style tale where your hero works hard and is rewarded accordingly. Maybe she's not the starting point guard playing virtually every minute of every game. Maybe she barely earns a spot on the roster, and it takes her all season just to get a few minutes of play time (taking a much more believable cue from the movie Rudy). Instead, you sent us to the circus (the kind where the elephants look so worn down it makes you sad).
Writing a book is hard, so kudos to you for actually putting this one to paper. Just wish it had been thought through and worked on a little more.
November 4, 2010
I love lesbian stories and I love women's basketball, so what's not to love?
March 3, 2021
You have to suspend logic a little with this sports romance. Liz Elliott is 39 and runs successful cafe. She played college basketball at the local Chilton College in Vermont before dropping out her senior year to have her daughter Becca. Becca who now plays for Chilton finds out that her moms scholarship is still in effect and challenges her to finish her degree and try out for the women's basketball team. She had been on track to set break the all-time scoring record. Coach Ross isn't thrilled with having an aging team member but of course the optics and PR are good. Ross is looking to move on to a bigger university. This is a fairly low angst romance with an added twist of a threat from the past. (Published 2006)
February 5, 2020
A quick lesbian love story of a division 2 coach and her 39 year old "senior" player. Not too heavy on content, not to intense , not too schmaltzy. It was an okay read when all you really want to do is read a book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2019
Nothing super lofty here, just a sports book that features lesbians falling for each other. Sometimes, you just need a good sports book filled with romance. :)
February 17, 2014
The book did not captivate me. Books on sports is not my thing. Still, I wanted to try it. The romance is sometimes good, but not enough to keep me interested. Since I still have a long to-read list, this was a waste of time for me.
February 28, 2016
I'm always a sucker for single parent tropes in romance novels, and this sweet little romance definitely fit the bill. Light and easy to read, it's easy to see the author put a lot of love into the subject.
January 19, 2011
The editing was terrible, but of course I enjoyed the basketball parts. Oh, all right! ... and the romance parts.
October 26, 2012
One of my favorite lesbian fictions. The characters are well written, and there are some interesting surprises. A must if you are a lesbian that enjoys basketball and romance.
February 22, 2012
this is my favorite keena white book. loved loved it
October 28, 2017
I love the mother and daughter relationship in this book and the underlying message of hardwork and dedication.
The romantic relationship and the assault twist in the story weren't greatly executed. Also there were a number of grammar or editing errors.
But all that faults aside, it was a book that engineered readers to support the main character.
The romantic relationship and the assault twist in the story weren't greatly executed. Also there were a number of grammar or editing errors.
But all that faults aside, it was a book that engineered readers to support the main character.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews