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Suspense #1
Out Of Her League
She’s on the verge of realizing her dream.
Christa Bailey is one cut away from making the Olympic softball team when threats from an obsessed fan jeopardize her dream and her safety. Forced to put her life on hold until the risk is eliminated, she reluctantly turns to ERT officer Rayne Hutchinson for help, praying the police catch her stalker before she is cut from the team or does something stupid… like fall in love with her unattainable protector.
But her dream has turned into a nightmare.
Having served in the Marine Corps before becoming a cop, Rayne is no stranger to threats. But Christa is worth fighting for, and her stalker is something far more sinister than either of them could have imagined. When the worst happens and her life at stake, Rayne will be forced to put everything on the line to save her.
Christa Bailey is one cut away from making the Olympic softball team when threats from an obsessed fan jeopardize her dream and her safety. Forced to put her life on hold until the risk is eliminated, she reluctantly turns to ERT officer Rayne Hutchinson for help, praying the police catch her stalker before she is cut from the team or does something stupid… like fall in love with her unattainable protector.
But her dream has turned into a nightmare.
Having served in the Marine Corps before becoming a cop, Rayne is no stranger to threats. But Christa is worth fighting for, and her stalker is something far more sinister than either of them could have imagined. When the worst happens and her life at stake, Rayne will be forced to put everything on the line to save her.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2008
256 people are currently reading
3744 people want to read
About the author
Kaylea Cross
99 books1,802 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylea Cross writes edge-of-your-seat military romantic suspense. Her work has won many awards and has been nominated for both the Daphne du Maurier and the National Readers’ Choice Awards. A Registered Massage Therapist by trade, Kaylea is also an avid gardener, artist, Civil War buff, Special Ops aficionado, belly dance enthusiast and former nationally-carded softball pitcher. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and family.
Kaylea loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to drop me a line and say hello.
Kaylea loves to hear from readers, so please feel free to drop me a line and say hello.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
October 21, 2014
4.5 stars
This is more romance than suspense. Seeing that the cop hero, Rayne only whisk the heroine, Christa away and being all knight in shining armor. He was not actually involved with the investigation into the stalker issue. I don't really feel the suspense much until the last minute during the showdown.
Love the romance that started off slow and steady, their easy camaraderie, the humor behind every conversation. Christa is a the good-girl, the girl you bring home to meet your mother. Rayne is the ladies man, the man your mom warns you about. They knew each other through their mutual friends, but were never close until Christa had a stalker issue and might just need Rayne's help.
Christa was constantly at edge about her stalker/potential murderer. Initially I was too worried that Christa was a little too unhinged with her situation to be in the mood for romance with Rayne, but everything works out perfectly well. The girl is a survivor. Rayne, oh he's such a sweetheart. He had some of those Southern charm and ever the gentleman. He can charm your pants off and you will start thinking whether is he serious?
The secondary characters in this book were awesome too. From their friends, Drew and Teryl, to Bryn and even Rayne's parent. I swear I want to read the last book in the series, which is about Rayne's parent story. There is a scene with Rayne and his dad that brought tears to my eyes.
I laughed so much and cried some while reading this one. This book is definitely a keeper and I might just be motivated to see through the rest of the series.
This is more romance than suspense. Seeing that the cop hero, Rayne only whisk the heroine, Christa away and being all knight in shining armor. He was not actually involved with the investigation into the stalker issue. I don't really feel the suspense much until the last minute during the showdown.
Love the romance that started off slow and steady, their easy camaraderie, the humor behind every conversation. Christa is a the good-girl, the girl you bring home to meet your mother. Rayne is the ladies man, the man your mom warns you about. They knew each other through their mutual friends, but were never close until Christa had a stalker issue and might just need Rayne's help.
Christa was constantly at edge about her stalker/potential murderer. Initially I was too worried that Christa was a little too unhinged with her situation to be in the mood for romance with Rayne, but everything works out perfectly well. The girl is a survivor. Rayne, oh he's such a sweetheart. He had some of those Southern charm and ever the gentleman. He can charm your pants off and you will start thinking whether is he serious?
The secondary characters in this book were awesome too. From their friends, Drew and Teryl, to Bryn and even Rayne's parent. I swear I want to read the last book in the series, which is about Rayne's parent story. There is a scene with Rayne and his dad that brought tears to my eyes.
I laughed so much and cried some while reading this one. This book is definitely a keeper and I might just be motivated to see through the rest of the series.
May 29, 2015
Right.My first attempt to create a book cover for this book.
(Heh. David Gandy is a hot papa so I used him to be the hero)
First things first. I don't like the cover of this book which is such a waste because this novel is an enjoyable read. Honestly,if I saw this one on a bookstore,I wouldn't buy it unless the author is an auto-buy or if you've already heard of this book.
I know I know. We shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.But would it really be hassle if you'd just took a random hot guy picture, add some texts and paste it as a book cover?
Anyway, the book is an entertaining read. Thank you for this Kaylea Cross.
No fast hookups.
No idiotic stunts by the heroine.
Thoroughly planned evil steps by the stalker.
And a happily ever after to boot.
Just please please please.Change the cover.
June 12, 2019
3 Slightly Unstable Stars
Christa Bailey is one cut away from making the Olympic softball team when threats from an obsessed fan jeopardize her dream, and her safety. On the plus side the threats mean she and Rayne (the guy she has crushed on since she met him) end up spending more and more time together. Christa is super insecure about having a relationship due to past experiences (a cheating douchebag of an ex), ad Rayne finds himself being very patient as he tries to coax Christa into acknowledging and acting on her feelings for him.
There were moments in this where Christa really frustrated me, you know when you watch a horror movie or a thriller, and you know that a character shouldn’t answer the damn door or go outside, but stupidly does? Well Christa doesn’t seem to have learnt anything from the movies she’s watched – she goes outside alone, when she shouldn’t and then shit happens. Shock…. not.
At times Christa was depicted a tad too Martha Stewart like, but she was a nice character -seriously not trying to kill her with dull praise, she was nice, but I wanted more fire. That being said there are moments in this that her resilience/strength is clear. RT officer Rayne Hutchinson, was charming, loyal and patient, and in Christa he sees a future he never thought hard about, but truly wants, as long as it’s with her.
At the start of this I was drawn in and engaged, but as the book progressed and I reached about 52%, I felt like I had been reading forever (and not in a good way), I don’t know why since the writing was fine, but the story felt painfully slow paced as did the romance. I’m all for slow burn romances, but after a while I wasn’t feeling it in this book. But then as luck would have it, I enjoyed the last 20% or so of the book. Plenty of potential here, so will be trying something else by the author.
Overall the story was predictable, yet it did have enjoyable parts and thus I may re-read it some point in the future, far in the future.
Triggers:
99p on amazon on 4th June 2019.
Christa Bailey is one cut away from making the Olympic softball team when threats from an obsessed fan jeopardize her dream, and her safety. On the plus side the threats mean she and Rayne (the guy she has crushed on since she met him) end up spending more and more time together. Christa is super insecure about having a relationship due to past experiences (a cheating douchebag of an ex), ad Rayne finds himself being very patient as he tries to coax Christa into acknowledging and acting on her feelings for him.
There were moments in this where Christa really frustrated me, you know when you watch a horror movie or a thriller, and you know that a character shouldn’t answer the damn door or go outside, but stupidly does? Well Christa doesn’t seem to have learnt anything from the movies she’s watched – she goes outside alone, when she shouldn’t and then shit happens. Shock…. not.
At times Christa was depicted a tad too Martha Stewart like, but she was a nice character -seriously not trying to kill her with dull praise, she was nice, but I wanted more fire. That being said there are moments in this that her resilience/strength is clear. RT officer Rayne Hutchinson, was charming, loyal and patient, and in Christa he sees a future he never thought hard about, but truly wants, as long as it’s with her.
At the start of this I was drawn in and engaged, but as the book progressed and I reached about 52%, I felt like I had been reading forever (and not in a good way), I don’t know why since the writing was fine, but the story felt painfully slow paced as did the romance. I’m all for slow burn romances, but after a while I wasn’t feeling it in this book. But then as luck would have it, I enjoyed the last 20% or so of the book. Plenty of potential here, so will be trying something else by the author.
Overall the story was predictable, yet it did have enjoyable parts and thus I may re-read it some point in the future, far in the future.
Triggers:
99p on amazon on 4th June 2019.
November 24, 2010
This is a really good romantic suspense novel by a new-to-me author, Kaylea Cross. It certainly won't be the last time I look up her work. The story is edge of your seat suspenseful and gritty and very realistic, almost too realistic at times.
Christa is your average girl next door: she's a landscape gardener struggling to get her own business off the ground, a nationally ranked softball player and a fabulous cook. She's also the unnatural obsession of a crazed stalker/murderer who quickly escalates from being a "weird cheering section" at her ballgames to intense violent behavior towards Christa.
Former US Marine and now ERT (think SWAT) cop Rayne has known Christa for a few years through mutual friends. He's always liked her but kept his distance because Christa isn't the love em and leave em type. Rayne is a bit of a playboy and likes his freedom. While having dinner with said mutual friends, Christa tells him about her freaky fan and Rayne advises her to be careful. Rayne ends up being a witness to the stalker's creepy behavior at a ballgame of Christa's and inadvertently sets off a chain of events that culminates in a horrifying experience for everyone involved.
The violence isn't glossed over in this book. Its pretty much in your face and terrifying. If you're squeamish or spook easily, this isn't the book for you. The romance arc between Rayne and Christa is drawn out and a few times I wanted to smack Christa and tell her to get with the program. Christa also made some amazingly stupid mistakes with her own safety which just made me want to scream, but I suppose until you are someone's shoes you can't really know how you'd react yourself in a given situation.
Christa is 29 but at times acts much younger, or maybe a better phrase would be more immature than most 29 year olds would be, but the author blends that immaturity into the storyline by revisiting Christa's unfeeling, cold mother and less than loving childhood. Rayne also has his share of behaviors to outgrow, with everyone he knows advising him not to "hurt" Christa with his playboy ways. I felt a bit sorry for him because when he finally admitted to himself how he felt about her, no one really believed him.
Overall, I'd give this a 4.5 star rating with the deduction being for Christa's head smacking attitude towards her own safety. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author!
Christa is your average girl next door: she's a landscape gardener struggling to get her own business off the ground, a nationally ranked softball player and a fabulous cook. She's also the unnatural obsession of a crazed stalker/murderer who quickly escalates from being a "weird cheering section" at her ballgames to intense violent behavior towards Christa.
Former US Marine and now ERT (think SWAT) cop Rayne has known Christa for a few years through mutual friends. He's always liked her but kept his distance because Christa isn't the love em and leave em type. Rayne is a bit of a playboy and likes his freedom. While having dinner with said mutual friends, Christa tells him about her freaky fan and Rayne advises her to be careful. Rayne ends up being a witness to the stalker's creepy behavior at a ballgame of Christa's and inadvertently sets off a chain of events that culminates in a horrifying experience for everyone involved.
The violence isn't glossed over in this book. Its pretty much in your face and terrifying. If you're squeamish or spook easily, this isn't the book for you. The romance arc between Rayne and Christa is drawn out and a few times I wanted to smack Christa and tell her to get with the program. Christa also made some amazingly stupid mistakes with her own safety which just made me want to scream, but I suppose until you are someone's shoes you can't really know how you'd react yourself in a given situation.
Christa is 29 but at times acts much younger, or maybe a better phrase would be more immature than most 29 year olds would be, but the author blends that immaturity into the storyline by revisiting Christa's unfeeling, cold mother and less than loving childhood. Rayne also has his share of behaviors to outgrow, with everyone he knows advising him not to "hurt" Christa with his playboy ways. I felt a bit sorry for him because when he finally admitted to himself how he felt about her, no one really believed him.
Overall, I'd give this a 4.5 star rating with the deduction being for Christa's head smacking attitude towards her own safety. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more by this author!
July 25, 2011
Too much heroine stupidity. Too many frustrating delays before the couple admitted they liked each other.
STORY BRIEF:
Christa has a landscaping business and plays baseball. She hopes to make the Olympic team. Seth is stalking her. He comes to every game and yells comments. One night he gets too close, following her to her truck. She drives to Teryl’s house (a friend) in fear. Rayne happens to be at Teryl’s home that night. Christa and Rayne start spending time together. Rayne is a local policeman. He advises and protects Christa from the stalker.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is the first book in a series. Other reviewers recommend reading them in order. They also say the later books are better than the first two.
This was ok, but nothing special. It took too long for them to become intimate. I’m ok with delays, but the reasons here weren’t good enough. Christa is insecure about having a relationship due to past experiences. She has always been drawn to Rayne, but she doesn’t act like it. She thinks she’s not good enough for him. She fears he will hurt her emotionally. She acts disinterested and tells herself “No clinging, Christa. Clinging is the surest way to make a man run in the opposite direction.” So Rayne thinks she only wants a platonic relationship. Rayne wants to kiss Christa but is walking on eggshells trying to be patient. I was tired of the delay. It went on too long. Finally when Rayne started to kiss Christa for the first time, Teryl interrupts them (on purpose). Rayne should have kissed her after that, but he didn’t. So the delay continued, and I was frustrated. Then after Christa was attacked and nearly dies, her fears caused more delay in their getting together. Eventually there are some sex scenes, but they are lukewarm.
I was angry at the heroine’s stupidity. She is staying in special places due to fear of the stalker. Yet three times she goes outside alone and bad things happen. She even admitted later she should never have gone outside.
DATA:
Story length: 288 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 17. Setting: current day mostly Vancouver, Canada, plus a few places in the United States (Oregon, Charleston, New Orleans). Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.
STORY BRIEF:
Christa has a landscaping business and plays baseball. She hopes to make the Olympic team. Seth is stalking her. He comes to every game and yells comments. One night he gets too close, following her to her truck. She drives to Teryl’s house (a friend) in fear. Rayne happens to be at Teryl’s home that night. Christa and Rayne start spending time together. Rayne is a local policeman. He advises and protects Christa from the stalker.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
This is the first book in a series. Other reviewers recommend reading them in order. They also say the later books are better than the first two.
This was ok, but nothing special. It took too long for them to become intimate. I’m ok with delays, but the reasons here weren’t good enough. Christa is insecure about having a relationship due to past experiences. She has always been drawn to Rayne, but she doesn’t act like it. She thinks she’s not good enough for him. She fears he will hurt her emotionally. She acts disinterested and tells herself “No clinging, Christa. Clinging is the surest way to make a man run in the opposite direction.” So Rayne thinks she only wants a platonic relationship. Rayne wants to kiss Christa but is walking on eggshells trying to be patient. I was tired of the delay. It went on too long. Finally when Rayne started to kiss Christa for the first time, Teryl interrupts them (on purpose). Rayne should have kissed her after that, but he didn’t. So the delay continued, and I was frustrated. Then after Christa was attacked and nearly dies, her fears caused more delay in their getting together. Eventually there are some sex scenes, but they are lukewarm.
I was angry at the heroine’s stupidity. She is staying in special places due to fear of the stalker. Yet three times she goes outside alone and bad things happen. She even admitted later she should never have gone outside.
DATA:
Story length: 288 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 17. Setting: current day mostly Vancouver, Canada, plus a few places in the United States (Oregon, Charleston, New Orleans). Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense.
February 23, 2014
The first book in the Suspense series by Kaylea Cross. Set in Vancouver, Canada, Christa Bailey is a landscape gardener and in the running for the Olympic softball team. She also has a fan that shows up at every game and it is creeping her out. Rayne Hutchinson is an ERT officer and good friends with Chris' friends, Drew and Teryl. Chris is attracted to Rayne but feels he is out of her league. When the situation with her crazed fan heats up, Rayne is there to offer protection and more.
My first book by this author and I'm sure it won't be the last. Intense and a bit of a tearjerker at times but overall I enjoyed the read.
My first book by this author and I'm sure it won't be the last. Intense and a bit of a tearjerker at times but overall I enjoyed the read.
August 22, 2011
This was a pleasant read, with some aspects which I really enjoyed, and others that just didn't quite make it for me.
What I liked about this:
- I liked the plot - the stalker plot is an old one, but it works, and I haven't read one for a while.
- The hero - he just proves that the person you were in the past is not necessarily the person you are now, and that's it's possible for people to change dramatically in the blink of an eye, including when they meet someone with whom they have a connection (lover or not), start a new job, move house or even change their hair color. I love how everyone gets his intentions wrong, and that he is so sure of himself, but not in an arrogant way. There is no uncertainty in his mind, nor does the author imply there should be any. It works really well, and I do like to be able to read a book with the simplification of knowing that you get what you see with the hero, pretty much.
- The heroine - she proves that people with issues emotionally aren't necessarily emotional cabbages, and can be strong in other ways as well as in ways they don't expect. The heroine thinks she's slightly bonkers, but she clearly isn't. She's just had a tough time of it, and has found her own ways of coping. The emotional skeletons in her cupboard felt totally real to me. I did particularly like how she's a really nice person (although there were a few moments when she veered towards icky do-gooder type), and you wish her well, but you don't ever really know if she'll completely conquer her demons, and, quite frankly, I'm fine with that, since most people never completely do resolve a lot of their emotional baggage, but they function anyway.
- The romance develops slowly - yes, yes, we see only a small part of the romance (they've been friends for a couple of years), but they manage to both hold back for a long time, and the author does a fabulous job of writing about two people who want to make it right and not hop into bed within the first five pages (I always find that slightly frustrating in contemporaries - don't get me wrong, I love a bit of earthy smut, but a lot of people are more cautious and restrained, as long as they're not drunk as a skunk). I think what I love most about about their romance was the feeling I got that even if they hadn't been thrown into this stalker plot, they would have got their HEA regardless. The romance was that strong and special.
Things I didn't like so much:
- The plot kinda loses its way in the second half. There is a whole world tour of the hero's parents that I didn't quite get, and one of the hero's operations gets thrown in there. It complicated the plot, brought in secondary characters we really don't need to know about and messed up the pacing for me. And, TBH, if we were going to bring in the hero's mother, did she need to be a paragon of virtue that the heroine got on with straight away? Does anyone get on with their MIL that well??
- There was a feeling that too many loose ends needed to be resolved for the story to end. I like a story which leaves some stuff undone. It makes it more real for me, and the hero's parents relationship was one of those for me. Why not just leave him estranged from his Dad? Why bring in his Mom other than as a phone call?
- The psycho-nutter's internal dialogue was introduced too soon IMO - kinda ruined some of the suspense for me.
- The return of The Front Clasp Bra - this is a whole personal thing I have (I have even hijacked other reviews to whinge about this, although I do try and apologize..), but I hate front clasp bras. OK, some people do wear them, and I'm sure they are lovely for them, but most people don't, and they just make heroes' lives too damn easy IMO. I mean, to find them you have to really hunt around the store for them, and they're usually way in the back, well behind the sports bras and big girl pants, usually next to the section with the naughty underwear that stores think normal people don't want to buy (rats - I'm going way off topic here, but stores wander why online lingerie sites do a roaring trade??!) A lot of men do find women's bras akin to chastity belts in terms of ease of disrobing, but they are what they are, so why do authors still include The Front Clasp species?
So, 3 stars. I liked it, particularly the hero and heroine, whom I both loved, and I also got it free through booklending.com.
What I liked about this:
- I liked the plot - the stalker plot is an old one, but it works, and I haven't read one for a while.
- The hero - he just proves that the person you were in the past is not necessarily the person you are now, and that's it's possible for people to change dramatically in the blink of an eye, including when they meet someone with whom they have a connection (lover or not), start a new job, move house or even change their hair color. I love how everyone gets his intentions wrong, and that he is so sure of himself, but not in an arrogant way. There is no uncertainty in his mind, nor does the author imply there should be any. It works really well, and I do like to be able to read a book with the simplification of knowing that you get what you see with the hero, pretty much.
- The heroine - she proves that people with issues emotionally aren't necessarily emotional cabbages, and can be strong in other ways as well as in ways they don't expect. The heroine thinks she's slightly bonkers, but she clearly isn't. She's just had a tough time of it, and has found her own ways of coping. The emotional skeletons in her cupboard felt totally real to me. I did particularly like how she's a really nice person (although there were a few moments when she veered towards icky do-gooder type), and you wish her well, but you don't ever really know if she'll completely conquer her demons, and, quite frankly, I'm fine with that, since most people never completely do resolve a lot of their emotional baggage, but they function anyway.
- The romance develops slowly - yes, yes, we see only a small part of the romance (they've been friends for a couple of years), but they manage to both hold back for a long time, and the author does a fabulous job of writing about two people who want to make it right and not hop into bed within the first five pages (I always find that slightly frustrating in contemporaries - don't get me wrong, I love a bit of earthy smut, but a lot of people are more cautious and restrained, as long as they're not drunk as a skunk). I think what I love most about about their romance was the feeling I got that even if they hadn't been thrown into this stalker plot, they would have got their HEA regardless. The romance was that strong and special.
Things I didn't like so much:
- The plot kinda loses its way in the second half. There is a whole world tour of the hero's parents that I didn't quite get, and one of the hero's operations gets thrown in there. It complicated the plot, brought in secondary characters we really don't need to know about and messed up the pacing for me. And, TBH, if we were going to bring in the hero's mother, did she need to be a paragon of virtue that the heroine got on with straight away? Does anyone get on with their MIL that well??
- There was a feeling that too many loose ends needed to be resolved for the story to end. I like a story which leaves some stuff undone. It makes it more real for me, and the hero's parents relationship was one of those for me. Why not just leave him estranged from his Dad? Why bring in his Mom other than as a phone call?
- The psycho-nutter's internal dialogue was introduced too soon IMO - kinda ruined some of the suspense for me.
- The return of The Front Clasp Bra - this is a whole personal thing I have (I have even hijacked other reviews to whinge about this, although I do try and apologize..), but I hate front clasp bras. OK, some people do wear them, and I'm sure they are lovely for them, but most people don't, and they just make heroes' lives too damn easy IMO. I mean, to find them you have to really hunt around the store for them, and they're usually way in the back, well behind the sports bras and big girl pants, usually next to the section with the naughty underwear that stores think normal people don't want to buy (rats - I'm going way off topic here, but stores wander why online lingerie sites do a roaring trade??!) A lot of men do find women's bras akin to chastity belts in terms of ease of disrobing, but they are what they are, so why do authors still include The Front Clasp species?
So, 3 stars. I liked it, particularly the hero and heroine, whom I both loved, and I also got it free through booklending.com.
April 4, 2012
This one was a bit frustrating for me.
Some very reliable Goodreads friends have warned me that this is the weakest book of the bunch, and I am very happy to hear this. This was an okay read at best, but I read it quickly and it was entertaining.
My biggest issue was Christa. I just think that she is pehaps not the brightest bulb in the box. It's kind of like when you're watching a horror movie and the victim should be running out of the house instead of up the stairs! I felt like this pretty much the entire book. Christa was being stalked by a deranged, psychotic killer, and yet she was always making the stupidest decisions when it came to her own safety. I felt sorry for the very fine looking Rayne. He was trying to protect Christa, and yet she kept making decisions that made his job so difficult!
This book also introduces Luke and Emily of Absolution (Suspense Series, #5), which is the book that prompted me to binge on buying this entire series. I am glad I read Out of Her League for this reason alone, as it gives a nice background on what happened to this couple who are obviously still very much in love.
Out of Her League was a suspenseful, albeit predictable story. The killer was super creepy, but I did appreciate the background information we are given related to his own abusive past. Rayne was an incredible hero, and if not for Christa's character, my rating would've been higher. To bad my namesake character wasn't one that I could be more proud of :-(
Some very reliable Goodreads friends have warned me that this is the weakest book of the bunch, and I am very happy to hear this. This was an okay read at best, but I read it quickly and it was entertaining.
My biggest issue was Christa. I just think that she is pehaps not the brightest bulb in the box. It's kind of like when you're watching a horror movie and the victim should be running out of the house instead of up the stairs! I felt like this pretty much the entire book. Christa was being stalked by a deranged, psychotic killer, and yet she was always making the stupidest decisions when it came to her own safety. I felt sorry for the very fine looking Rayne. He was trying to protect Christa, and yet she kept making decisions that made his job so difficult!
This book also introduces Luke and Emily of Absolution (Suspense Series, #5), which is the book that prompted me to binge on buying this entire series. I am glad I read Out of Her League for this reason alone, as it gives a nice background on what happened to this couple who are obviously still very much in love.
Out of Her League was a suspenseful, albeit predictable story. The killer was super creepy, but I did appreciate the background information we are given related to his own abusive past. Rayne was an incredible hero, and if not for Christa's character, my rating would've been higher. To bad my namesake character wasn't one that I could be more proud of :-(
January 3, 2013
It's a pity this author's Suspense series started off with this book. The stalker plot device is so over-done and unless you have an interesting twist to it, it's way too passé to offer to RS fans these days.
Unfortunately, there is no twist and OOHL is a straightforward, ho-hum stalker story with no suspenseful moments and a lacklustre romance between two nice individuals, one them the typical TSTL heroine that most romantic suspense authors can't do without, it seems. Rayne is such a nice guy - one you'd have no qualms bringing home to meet Daddy - and I felt more could have been done to give him an edgier tone. Instead, his romance with Christa progressed steadily and uneventfully without any hitches or highs because Rayne is too good and too nice to cause any sleepless or breathless moments.
I found that I was more interested in Rayne's parents' relationship and was sad that his dad never resolved his issues and went back to Rayne's mom. I was surprised, too, that this thread was simply dropped and forgotten when it was clearly something that mattered a great deal to Rayne up to now and the mystery behind Luke's sudden abandonment of his wife and son was played up enough to intrigue me.
All told, I thought this was a disappointing debut to a series I was excited about and hope the rest will fare better.
Unfortunately, there is no twist and OOHL is a straightforward, ho-hum stalker story with no suspenseful moments and a lacklustre romance between two nice individuals, one them the typical TSTL heroine that most romantic suspense authors can't do without, it seems. Rayne is such a nice guy - one you'd have no qualms bringing home to meet Daddy - and I felt more could have been done to give him an edgier tone. Instead, his romance with Christa progressed steadily and uneventfully without any hitches or highs because Rayne is too good and too nice to cause any sleepless or breathless moments.
I found that I was more interested in Rayne's parents' relationship and was sad that his dad never resolved his issues and went back to Rayne's mom. I was surprised, too, that this thread was simply dropped and forgotten when it was clearly something that mattered a great deal to Rayne up to now and the mystery behind Luke's sudden abandonment of his wife and son was played up enough to intrigue me.
All told, I thought this was a disappointing debut to a series I was excited about and hope the rest will fare better.
October 8, 2011
A very good romantic suspense that I enjoyed reading. This is my second book by Kaylea Cross, the other being the first book in her "Bagram Special Ops" series. The major flaw for me in "Out of Her League" was the excessive use of the word "kiddo" by Rayne when referring to Christa. It really bugged me after awhile. Maybe a silly complaint to make, but I just found it juvenile and very unromantic in most of the situations where it was used. There were some editing problems throughout the book but nothing so dramatic as to interrupt my enjoyment of the storyline. All in all, a well-thought out plot, strong characters, and very believable villain who turned my stomach.
April 12, 2012
A solid 3 starsbecause it's still better than some of the new cr*p bombarding GR.
I rated this some time ago, and while looking at comparisons of ratings amongst others, I wondered why initially I gave it only 2 stars. So, I went back to the book and did a refresher.
This book involved a heroine (Christa) who is an athlete and Susie-homemaker (sport=softball and some plays described in detail), a hero (Hutch or Rayne) who is a cop (SWAT or SRU), and a psychopath villain with a fixation. Though I appreciated Christa's being a "mean" baller, I wasn't really enthused about the contrast of her being such a sweet person. She'd been hurt in a previous relationship, so she was a little wary of relationships, but I expected more wit and charisma from her. She fell for Hutch right away and wore her heart on her sleeve. On the other hand, Hutch, followed by his lothario rep, seemed first to be "just kickin it" with Christa (understandable) until he starts playing knight to her "distress"(a stalker who is her over-zealous fan at ball games), which left a big question as to why he falls in love with her.
The biggest climax and most disturbing scene that garnered enough reaction from me happened the 1st time stalker-boy gets hold of Christa. Hutch gets serious about his protection and takes Christa away, so the reader is introduced to his friends (Bryn being highlighted) and later, his parents (Enter: a serious subplot dealing with separation issues and PTSD that was interesting, but didn't flow well with rest of plot for reasons of timing or balance of focus).
I had a hard time switching focus back on Christa's POV after having been treated to Hutch's POV (more interesting) and his father's(even moreinteresting), um...and his mother's! AND, I thought the love story btwn Hutch's father and mother was more interesting than that of Hutch and Christa. I got more involved with these secondary characters.
Bottom line, everything has potential and wants to work in this plot, but ...doesn't. It seemed unfinished and maybe gave the villain too much thinking time with his POV (yes, the reader runs through his mind as well as the other four). Some authors are good at multiple POVs, some have good intentions.
The ingredients in this novel were all my favorites, but the taste of it didn't satisfy.2 1/2 3 stars
I will read more of Kaylea Cross because I am interested to see if any of her works gets better and I like suspense. PLUS Hutch's father, Luke, gets his story in bk #5 of this series. I may have to skip to that.LOL
I rated this some time ago, and while looking at comparisons of ratings amongst others, I wondered why initially I gave it only 2 stars. So, I went back to the book and did a refresher.
This book involved a heroine (Christa) who is an athlete and Susie-homemaker (sport=softball and some plays described in detail), a hero (Hutch or Rayne) who is a cop (SWAT or SRU), and a psychopath villain with a fixation. Though I appreciated Christa's being a "mean" baller, I wasn't really enthused about the contrast of her being such a sweet person. She'd been hurt in a previous relationship, so she was a little wary of relationships, but I expected more wit and charisma from her. She fell for Hutch right away and wore her heart on her sleeve. On the other hand, Hutch, followed by his lothario rep, seemed first to be "just kickin it" with Christa (understandable) until he starts playing knight to her "distress"(a stalker who is her over-zealous fan at ball games), which left a big question as to why he falls in love with her.
The biggest climax and most disturbing scene that garnered enough reaction from me happened the 1st time stalker-boy gets hold of Christa. Hutch gets serious about his protection and takes Christa away, so the reader is introduced to his friends (Bryn being highlighted) and later, his parents (Enter: a serious subplot dealing with separation issues and PTSD that was interesting, but didn't flow well with rest of plot for reasons of timing or balance of focus).
I had a hard time switching focus back on Christa's POV after having been treated to Hutch's POV (more interesting) and his father's(even moreinteresting), um...and his mother's! AND, I thought the love story btwn Hutch's father and mother was more interesting than that of Hutch and Christa. I got more involved with these secondary characters.
Bottom line, everything has potential and wants to work in this plot, but ...doesn't. It seemed unfinished and maybe gave the villain too much thinking time with his POV (yes, the reader runs through his mind as well as the other four). Some authors are good at multiple POVs, some have good intentions.
The ingredients in this novel were all my favorites, but the taste of it didn't satisfy.
I will read more of Kaylea Cross because I am interested to see if any of her works gets better and I like suspense. PLUS Hutch's father, Luke, gets his story in bk #5 of this series. I may have to skip to that.LOL
March 14, 2012
Wow...what a great book!! I don't know why in the world i waited so long to read this, but i am so glad i finally decided to take the plunge! Such good things were being said about this series and at least with this first book, since it's all i've read so far..it was not an exaggeration..it was soooo good!!
A lot of times the first book in a series is not the most exciting for me..it's almost as if it takes an author a book or two to pick up the momentum for me to really catch on but that was not the case with this book! I will admit, at first I wasn't so sure about the whole obsessive fan/stalker theme but it def. worked for me..the guy was ultra creepy and the fact that he was out in the open, from the very beginning..not hiding, but playing with Crista and the police..only added to the suspense!
The romance between Crista and Rayne..OMG!..YUM! This was no slam bam thank you mam love story...it was soooo sweet and romantic! It was one of those where the hot "player" falls hard for the somewhat innocent girl who's secretly been in love with him for a good couple years. ~sigh~ I know...it's not technically anything new and original but what was so great about this relationship was the build up to their eventual coupling...they started off as friends and because of all the circumstance surrounding their situation they were not able to take it to the next level for a LONG TIME. Kaylea Cross did such a great job of creating romantic tension and really made these two work for their HEA so it made it all the more special and believable in the end! I loved loved loved the romance in this book!!
Out of Her League was an exciting, fast paced romantic suspense novel that i had a hard time putting down..obviously a sign of a good book! Kaylea Cross has earned herself a huge fan, one who will most definitely be moving on to the rest of the books in this series
A lot of times the first book in a series is not the most exciting for me..it's almost as if it takes an author a book or two to pick up the momentum for me to really catch on but that was not the case with this book! I will admit, at first I wasn't so sure about the whole obsessive fan/stalker theme but it def. worked for me..the guy was ultra creepy and the fact that he was out in the open, from the very beginning..not hiding, but playing with Crista and the police..only added to the suspense!
The romance between Crista and Rayne..OMG!..YUM! This was no slam bam thank you mam love story...it was soooo sweet and romantic! It was one of those where the hot "player" falls hard for the somewhat innocent girl who's secretly been in love with him for a good couple years. ~sigh~ I know...it's not technically anything new and original but what was so great about this relationship was the build up to their eventual coupling...they started off as friends and because of all the circumstance surrounding their situation they were not able to take it to the next level for a LONG TIME. Kaylea Cross did such a great job of creating romantic tension and really made these two work for their HEA so it made it all the more special and believable in the end! I loved loved loved the romance in this book!!
Out of Her League was an exciting, fast paced romantic suspense novel that i had a hard time putting down..obviously a sign of a good book! Kaylea Cross has earned herself a huge fan, one who will most definitely be moving on to the rest of the books in this series
June 10, 2011
What an emotional book! I'm pretty excited to have found a new and amazing romantic suspense author, as it happens to be my favorite genre! I've heard great things about Kaylea Cross, and they have all turned out to be true.
Poor, poor Christa....she goes throgh so much. The book starts out pretty sweet, with just a few discordant moments that really give it a cinematic feel. As her stalker gets more and more violent, we see Christa begin to break down. I absolutely love that Rayne is there for her through it all. He is so patient and sweet with her...all his reactions to her trauma were spot-on and made me and Christa love him more. They get together pretty early in the book, earlier than usual for a romance novel, and it's really nice to see them work through issues together. About 3/4 of the way through, Rayne experiences some trauma of his own, and Christa steps up to the plate to help him out. I thought it was nice that the author showed both sides, and that it WASN'T all about Christa. The love scenes were smokin' and the secondary characters were all great. I wish there had been a happier ending for Rayne's parents, but I guess I can understand why there wasn't.
The villain was extremely creepy, and the big attack scene was terrifying to me. The way he kept pulling her around by her braid and the fact that he BIT her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. I am seriously wondering if I might have nightmares about it. Of course he got what he deserved in the end, and I only slightly wish it had been a more violent death.
I am sooooo looking forward to the other books by Ms. Cross....if this is any indication, I have some good reading ahead!
ETA: I'm super excited now because after reading some reviews for other books in the series, it seems we will get more story with Rayne's parents, Luke and Em. I hope it turns out well!
Poor, poor Christa....she goes throgh so much. The book starts out pretty sweet, with just a few discordant moments that really give it a cinematic feel. As her stalker gets more and more violent, we see Christa begin to break down. I absolutely love that Rayne is there for her through it all. He is so patient and sweet with her...all his reactions to her trauma were spot-on and made me and Christa love him more. They get together pretty early in the book, earlier than usual for a romance novel, and it's really nice to see them work through issues together. About 3/4 of the way through, Rayne experiences some trauma of his own, and Christa steps up to the plate to help him out. I thought it was nice that the author showed both sides, and that it WASN'T all about Christa. The love scenes were smokin' and the secondary characters were all great. I wish there had been a happier ending for Rayne's parents, but I guess I can understand why there wasn't.
The villain was extremely creepy, and the big attack scene was terrifying to me. The way he kept pulling her around by her braid and the fact that he BIT her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. I am seriously wondering if I might have nightmares about it. Of course he got what he deserved in the end, and I only slightly wish it had been a more violent death.
I am sooooo looking forward to the other books by Ms. Cross....if this is any indication, I have some good reading ahead!
ETA: I'm super excited now because after reading some reviews for other books in the series, it seems we will get more story with Rayne's parents, Luke and Em. I hope it turns out well!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2013
Even though I felt the story never reached its full potential, I enjoyed reading "Out of her league".
Christa has had a crush on Raine for 2 years, but traumatized by a previous relationship she never acted on it.
I liked that in addition to owning a landscape business, Christa is part of a softball team competing to be selected for the Olympic games. Unfortunately this aspect of her life is quickly relegated to the background, and to my disappointment the high level sport part of her life was more a pretext to plant the plot of the stalker than a real character trait in itself.
Also, not once but twice she had those TSTL moments that I hate in romantic suspense stories.
Raine is part of a SWAT unit and a yummy alpha hero alright. Though he has a Casanova reputation, he is sensitive and handle Christa with care. That being said, I don't understand
They relationship is sweet and I know that with Christa's past and her current stalker problems and trauma as well as his own reputation Raine was kind of walking on eggshells, but for me the romance per se was long to come and there was no real sexual tension to make up for.
I also would have loved more development in the secondary characters as well as a little longer talk between Raine and Luck.
May 22, 2013
A nice read, good dramatic storyline, though there were a few too many face-plant moments for me. This was particularly when a supposedly sweet, strong woman makes choices in which as a reader you are thinking"don't do it". More than once. Loved the hero. There was some obvious set up for a series, and I will look forward to reading the next books.
October 8, 2016
3.5 stars and I am so sad to give less than 5 stars to a Kaylea Cross book.
Now that I look at the rating I cannot believe that I didn't enjoys as much this story.
So, Christa is a baseball who wants to reach the Olympics team. She has her own business and she loves to cook and take care of her garden and house - a true Martha Stewart. Christa has a stalker who comes to every game and trough his attitude and comments he becomes more aggressive.
When her stalker finally comes to talk to her she feels threatened and she goes to her friend Teryl.
Rayne is a very good friend of Teryl's husband and happens to be there when Christa comes.
After two yeas of not being able to get close to Christa, Rayne gets a drive home and a dinner invitation at the same time.
While getting to know each other better Rayne is helping Christa with her stalker and as soon as she is attacked he steps in and takes her away.
Their feelings grow stronger the more time they spend together.
The book was just Ok for me because I missed the action that the other series have. I am used with tough military men - like Luke, Rayne's father - and with suspense and pages packed with combat and action.
Somehow this book was to tame for me.
What I appreciate the most about KC books is that her characters are so diverse and unique but they all have strength and character and mostly that the women are string willed and know what they want.
For me Christa had none of that. In fact as I mentioned she was a true Matha Stewart, typical stay home mom and nothing more even though she had a business.
Every time Rayne called her "kiddo" I pictured a kid and a guy not a mature woman and her man.
For me she didn't compliment Rayne and her qualities were to close to his mom's qualities.
When I started reading about Luke, Rayne's father I though that some action might come but it didn't happen.
At times I felt like the story dragged and I found myself skipping pages.
So it was not a bad story, far from it. Kaylea Cross can write so well and make me feel like I am watching the characters in action but I think the story itself and female character just didn't work for me.
I have high hopes for Bryn and I hope KC will be back to her alpha military guys and action because they are great!
Now that I look at the rating I cannot believe that I didn't enjoys as much this story.
So, Christa is a baseball who wants to reach the Olympics team. She has her own business and she loves to cook and take care of her garden and house - a true Martha Stewart. Christa has a stalker who comes to every game and trough his attitude and comments he becomes more aggressive.
When her stalker finally comes to talk to her she feels threatened and she goes to her friend Teryl.
Rayne is a very good friend of Teryl's husband and happens to be there when Christa comes.
After two yeas of not being able to get close to Christa, Rayne gets a drive home and a dinner invitation at the same time.
While getting to know each other better Rayne is helping Christa with her stalker and as soon as she is attacked he steps in and takes her away.
Their feelings grow stronger the more time they spend together.
The book was just Ok for me because I missed the action that the other series have. I am used with tough military men - like Luke, Rayne's father - and with suspense and pages packed with combat and action.
Somehow this book was to tame for me.
What I appreciate the most about KC books is that her characters are so diverse and unique but they all have strength and character and mostly that the women are string willed and know what they want.
For me Christa had none of that. In fact as I mentioned she was a true Matha Stewart, typical stay home mom and nothing more even though she had a business.
Every time Rayne called her "kiddo" I pictured a kid and a guy not a mature woman and her man.
For me she didn't compliment Rayne and her qualities were to close to his mom's qualities.
When I started reading about Luke, Rayne's father I though that some action might come but it didn't happen.
At times I felt like the story dragged and I found myself skipping pages.
So it was not a bad story, far from it. Kaylea Cross can write so well and make me feel like I am watching the characters in action but I think the story itself and female character just didn't work for me.
I have high hopes for Bryn and I hope KC will be back to her alpha military guys and action because they are great!
June 22, 2012
I bought this book because I heard the series was great. I thought it would be an interesting read because I love the premise that the heroine is an Olympic athlete and it would be cool to get some insight into that world. How would tbe author weave it into her story? I am disappointed to find that this book is fairly ordinary. Furthermore, it irritates me when an author takes an interesting premise and make it completely irrelevant to the story. The fact is that Christa Bailey's quest to be an Olympian in softball is inconsequential. The story did not capitalize on the sacrafices, the drive, the conditioning or the elite status of those who reach the pinnacle of their sport.
The hero is likeable. Rayne Hutchinson is a former Marine and a current ERT officer with the police department. He's an alpha but not over the top. The relationship between Christa and Rayne develops in a predictable manner.
I did enjoy getting the villian's POV. It made the experience just a little more creepy. I also enjoyed the introduction of Luke's parents' story. There was a hint of an intriguing relationship that is begging to be explored.
I will continue on with the series. I hear the later books are much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
The hero is likeable. Rayne Hutchinson is a former Marine and a current ERT officer with the police department. He's an alpha but not over the top. The relationship between Christa and Rayne develops in a predictable manner.
I did enjoy getting the villian's POV. It made the experience just a little more creepy. I also enjoyed the introduction of Luke's parents' story. There was a hint of an intriguing relationship that is begging to be explored.
I will continue on with the series. I hear the later books are much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
October 24, 2009
I was hooked right away. This book kept me up most of the night and took up a large chunk of my day. I found it to be nail biting suspense, with a dazzling hero and a lovable heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recently attempted to read a New York Times bestselling author's romantic suspense novel and couldn't get past page 25... but this book was nearly impossible for me to put down... and it's from a small press and an author I'd never heard of before. I'll be looking for more books from Ms Cross. She writes an entertaining story. And that's what I want when I read. I want to be entertained. This book certainly did that.
July 24, 2011
3.5 to 4 stars. Fast moving, well-written book. I enjoyed the story and really liked Christa and Rayne. The stalker kept me sufficiently creeped out and the plot moved well for the majority of the book.
The h, Christa, was TSTL so many times that it got annoying. She knew it too, which bugged me even more. She'd think to herself, "I shouldn't go off on my own with him still out there," and then she'd do it. So we knew the bad guy would get her, what with her making it so easy on him.
Aside from that I enjoyed the story. THis is my first book by Kaylea Cross and I will be checking out the others from this author for sure.
The h, Christa, was TSTL so many times that it got annoying. She knew it too, which bugged me even more. She'd think to herself, "I shouldn't go off on my own with him still out there," and then she'd do it. So we knew the bad guy would get her, what with her making it so easy on him.
Aside from that I enjoyed the story. THis is my first book by Kaylea Cross and I will be checking out the others from this author for sure.
March 28, 2012
pretty good read, my only comment would be that in general, i'm not a fan of diminuative names for characters in books (darlin' etc)...but the one that irked me the most in this book - kiddo!! totally not sexy at all, why the heck would you call someone you want to be with Kiddo...
June 24, 2011
4 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense
May 23, 2012
This was such a good story! Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
April 16, 2015
I don't know how i feel about this book. for a while i had been wanting to read Kaylea Cross book and i was going to start with ignited and then decided against it and went with out of her league.
Christa is some sort of Sweetheart that everyone loves and is described as sweet, caring, loving and nurturing person. once i read that i knew i wasn't going to connect with the character right away. i don't like my heroine's to be liked this. under all of that she was very insecure due to a relationship she was in about five years before where her ex cheated and pretty much told her she was frigid and bad in bed. okay. i understand you had to go to counseling because you were heart broken but i didn't think is was enough of a reason for her to push Rayne away because apparently he was some modern day Casanova and she figured that he would get bored with her and leave her. ( did i mention that she has been lusting for Rayne for over two years) so obviously she still has something for her ex because to still not get over it after five years and some counseling then you really have some Issues.
Rayne is an ERT officer and he is described as a good looking ex military guy and a Casanova. honestly i didn't see it at all through out the reading that he was some sort of player. he rarely flirted with Christa just made a few advances at her but backed off when he realized she was putting up a wall and sending mixed signals. then there was the fact that he kept calling her 'KIDDO' why would you call someone you were interested in Loving and having a future with a KIDDO she was twenty nine years old way to old to be called KIDDO. it just irked and bothered me because when he did it for some reason it made me think he had no feelings for her. therefore there was no connection between them.
then there was the stalker situation. Seth was always at the games Christa played in because apparently she is a softball player and want's to go into the Olympics or something like that. the guy is really disturbed and yet i still for the life of me couldn't figure out why he targeted Christa in the first place. i know it's explained that he spotted her once when she was visiting a friend and she was out in the balcony fixing some flowers for the elder woman. that was when he targeted so he started to stalk her after that. apparently he was some smart tech guy who knew how to hack into certain systems to find things out about her. i was still confused as to why go to the lengths he went to get Christa and became obsessed with her but then this happened.
Christa and Rayne are arguing about her telling him about what happened when she first got attacked and Christa didn't want to say anything so she told Rayne to go ahead and read the journal where she had written down word for word what happened to her the first time the stalker attacked.
"I was looking at Rayne in the picture because he'd threatened to take another chunk out of me if i didn't.
He said " i can hurt you in so many ways, and your boyfriend's even bigger than me. look at how helpless you are right now, and he's twice my size.imagine the damage a guy his size could do. worse than this, sweetheart. and once he had you he'd throw you away like all the others" that's when i realized he'd come after me because he was jealous of Rayne."
so all of sudden the reason behind the stalker attacking her happens to suddenly be all RAYNE"S FAULT!!! really?!!! seriously? that just pissed me the hell off. the stalkers motives changed because Rayne suddenly came in the picture. what were his motives before Rayne came in the picture? huh? huh?
then Rayne suddenly feels guilty about her being attacked. like what the fuck. she was stupid enough to go outsie on her own after you told her not to and it's your fault she got attacked? this is absurd! lol. the second time she get's attacked her best friend blames herself for the reason why Christa is attacked again. apparently he friend was in the hospital because she thought she was having a miscarriage so feeling like she needed to be there after being told not to go outside Christa decided against her own gut instinct to go to the hospital and then the Stalker attacks her again. so her friend ends up being the fault as to why she was attacked not the fact that she was stupid enough to leave.
another thing Rayne is an officer he was working with Rayne you were told millions of times this guys is a psycho and unstable and that he knew how to hack into the system to find out the password of Christa's alarm system, to check on flights and check your phone calls so he knew where she was. first of all why the fuck did Rayne think it was okay yo go fucking traveling when things were bad? you knew the stalker was out there and still you put her at risk and provoked the stalker to get pissed off and become even more violent because you were to stupid to fucking stay put and just protect her. then there were the many times he left her alone without wanting to and yet he still did it. you didn't have cop friends that could stay with her and watch her while you tended to your work? really??
the plot just wasn't believable for me to many things just sounded off. i wasn't convinced the stalker was smarter than the officers investigating him. the fact that they couldn't catch him was just not i don't even know how to explain it. just not convincing at all. i don't care that he alter his appearance and that was the reason that they couldn't find her. but then after he attacked her the first time Nate mentions that he was seen scoping around the places Christa is usually in which means that they knew where he was so why the fuck did they not arrest him when he was doing all these things. how did they know it was him and not take any action. i felt that they didn't really care about this situation to make a big deal about it. it was just not believable at all i had a hard time understanding how they still did things they should have never done in the first place. like her birthday surprise party. you knew she was jumpy and stressed about the stalker and you decided to sneak into her house hide and yell surprise nearly giving Christa a heart attack. no!! no!!! No!!!!
i didn't feel the connection between both Main characters. you would think that because they had two years of history there love for each other would just click into place and then suddenly insta love. but nooooooo it was dragged out through out the whole book and then it was completely rushed towards the end. then there was the story about his parents. it's okay to write a brief history about his parents and from what i saw there is a book about his parent's past why the hell did you put it into this book!!?? this was suppose to be Rayne and Christa story not Luke and Emily' s story!! so what was the point of all that??!
from what it is said int he review the books after this one gets better so i suggest you just skip or perhaps skim through this one and move onto the other ones and save yourselves the confusion. i hope the books do get better so i will be moving to the next one hoping that i could feel different about this series.
Christa is some sort of Sweetheart that everyone loves and is described as sweet, caring, loving and nurturing person. once i read that i knew i wasn't going to connect with the character right away. i don't like my heroine's to be liked this. under all of that she was very insecure due to a relationship she was in about five years before where her ex cheated and pretty much told her she was frigid and bad in bed. okay. i understand you had to go to counseling because you were heart broken but i didn't think is was enough of a reason for her to push Rayne away because apparently he was some modern day Casanova and she figured that he would get bored with her and leave her. ( did i mention that she has been lusting for Rayne for over two years) so obviously she still has something for her ex because to still not get over it after five years and some counseling then you really have some Issues.
Rayne is an ERT officer and he is described as a good looking ex military guy and a Casanova. honestly i didn't see it at all through out the reading that he was some sort of player. he rarely flirted with Christa just made a few advances at her but backed off when he realized she was putting up a wall and sending mixed signals. then there was the fact that he kept calling her 'KIDDO' why would you call someone you were interested in Loving and having a future with a KIDDO she was twenty nine years old way to old to be called KIDDO. it just irked and bothered me because when he did it for some reason it made me think he had no feelings for her. therefore there was no connection between them.
then there was the stalker situation. Seth was always at the games Christa played in because apparently she is a softball player and want's to go into the Olympics or something like that. the guy is really disturbed and yet i still for the life of me couldn't figure out why he targeted Christa in the first place. i know it's explained that he spotted her once when she was visiting a friend and she was out in the balcony fixing some flowers for the elder woman. that was when he targeted so he started to stalk her after that. apparently he was some smart tech guy who knew how to hack into certain systems to find things out about her. i was still confused as to why go to the lengths he went to get Christa and became obsessed with her but then this happened.
Christa and Rayne are arguing about her telling him about what happened when she first got attacked and Christa didn't want to say anything so she told Rayne to go ahead and read the journal where she had written down word for word what happened to her the first time the stalker attacked.
"I was looking at Rayne in the picture because he'd threatened to take another chunk out of me if i didn't.
He said " i can hurt you in so many ways, and your boyfriend's even bigger than me. look at how helpless you are right now, and he's twice my size.imagine the damage a guy his size could do. worse than this, sweetheart. and once he had you he'd throw you away like all the others" that's when i realized he'd come after me because he was jealous of Rayne."
so all of sudden the reason behind the stalker attacking her happens to suddenly be all RAYNE"S FAULT!!! really?!!! seriously? that just pissed me the hell off. the stalkers motives changed because Rayne suddenly came in the picture. what were his motives before Rayne came in the picture? huh? huh?
then Rayne suddenly feels guilty about her being attacked. like what the fuck. she was stupid enough to go outsie on her own after you told her not to and it's your fault she got attacked? this is absurd! lol. the second time she get's attacked her best friend blames herself for the reason why Christa is attacked again. apparently he friend was in the hospital because she thought she was having a miscarriage so feeling like she needed to be there after being told not to go outside Christa decided against her own gut instinct to go to the hospital and then the Stalker attacks her again. so her friend ends up being the fault as to why she was attacked not the fact that she was stupid enough to leave.
another thing Rayne is an officer he was working with Rayne you were told millions of times this guys is a psycho and unstable and that he knew how to hack into the system to find out the password of Christa's alarm system, to check on flights and check your phone calls so he knew where she was. first of all why the fuck did Rayne think it was okay yo go fucking traveling when things were bad? you knew the stalker was out there and still you put her at risk and provoked the stalker to get pissed off and become even more violent because you were to stupid to fucking stay put and just protect her. then there were the many times he left her alone without wanting to and yet he still did it. you didn't have cop friends that could stay with her and watch her while you tended to your work? really??
the plot just wasn't believable for me to many things just sounded off. i wasn't convinced the stalker was smarter than the officers investigating him. the fact that they couldn't catch him was just not i don't even know how to explain it. just not convincing at all. i don't care that he alter his appearance and that was the reason that they couldn't find her. but then after he attacked her the first time Nate mentions that he was seen scoping around the places Christa is usually in which means that they knew where he was so why the fuck did they not arrest him when he was doing all these things. how did they know it was him and not take any action. i felt that they didn't really care about this situation to make a big deal about it. it was just not believable at all i had a hard time understanding how they still did things they should have never done in the first place. like her birthday surprise party. you knew she was jumpy and stressed about the stalker and you decided to sneak into her house hide and yell surprise nearly giving Christa a heart attack. no!! no!!! No!!!!
i didn't feel the connection between both Main characters. you would think that because they had two years of history there love for each other would just click into place and then suddenly insta love. but nooooooo it was dragged out through out the whole book and then it was completely rushed towards the end. then there was the story about his parents. it's okay to write a brief history about his parents and from what i saw there is a book about his parent's past why the hell did you put it into this book!!?? this was suppose to be Rayne and Christa story not Luke and Emily' s story!! so what was the point of all that??!
from what it is said int he review the books after this one gets better so i suggest you just skip or perhaps skim through this one and move onto the other ones and save yourselves the confusion. i hope the books do get better so i will be moving to the next one hoping that i could feel different about this series.
October 31, 2018
Out of her league - Kaylea Cross
היי אנשים,
אז עברו להם יומיים וסיימתי את הספר המושלם הזה!!
אין לי כוח לבדוק מה כתוב בתקציר ומה לא, כך שבסקירה יהיו ספויילרים (??) לפרקים הראשונים.
אז יש את הבחורה, היא שחקנית בייסבול מקצועית, ויש לה.. "מעריץ", מגיע לכל משחק וצועק לה כל מני הערות.. ואז יום אחד הוא בא אלייה במגרש חניה, מנסה לדבר איתה ולבסוף מזהיר שתזהר בנסיעה הביתה כי התאונות הכי נוראיות קורות כאשר את ממהרת הביתה.. (נכון מותק שהתאהבתם בו כבר?!).
מאחר והיא חיה לבד, היא נוסעת לביתה של חברתה הטובה.. שם היא נפגשת עם החבר הטוב של בעלה (של החברה, כן..) הפלרטטן... הם נוסעים הביתה.. ויוצא שהיא מספרת לו מה קרה לה.. מאחר והוא שוטר (ששירת) הוא מציע לעזור לה.. ופה מתחיל הסיפור.
הדמויות,
הבחורה חזקה, מתוקה ו... באה עם מטען, מה שלא מפריע לבחור, שלרוב מחליף בנות כמו גרביים, אבל כזה משהו אמיתי הוא לא מרים ידיים.
הספר בעיקרון מסופר בגוף שלישי, אבל זה מרגיש יותר כאילו שיש פרק מהצד שלה ומהצד שלו... ומהצד הסטוקר ה.... &@&××£
סיפור לא לבעלי לב חלש.. אבל סיפור ממש יפה, עם עלילה ומתח.
ממש אהבתי את הספר *-*
(מי שאהב/ה את ספריה של רייצ"ל גרנט הספר יהיה לטעמה/ו)
היי אנשים,
אז עברו להם יומיים וסיימתי את הספר המושלם הזה!!
אין לי כוח לבדוק מה כתוב בתקציר ומה לא, כך שבסקירה יהיו ספויילרים (??) לפרקים הראשונים.
אז יש את הבחורה, היא שחקנית בייסבול מקצועית, ויש לה.. "מעריץ", מגיע לכל משחק וצועק לה כל מני הערות.. ואז יום אחד הוא בא אלייה במגרש חניה, מנסה לדבר איתה ולבסוף מזהיר שתזהר בנסיעה הביתה כי התאונות הכי נוראיות קורות כאשר את ממהרת הביתה.. (נכון מותק שהתאהבתם בו כבר?!).
מאחר והיא חיה לבד, היא נוסעת לביתה של חברתה הטובה.. שם היא נפגשת עם החבר הטוב של בעלה (של החברה, כן..) הפלרטטן... הם נוסעים הביתה.. ויוצא שהיא מספרת לו מה קרה לה.. מאחר והוא שוטר (ששירת) הוא מציע לעזור לה.. ופה מתחיל הסיפור.
הדמויות,
הבחורה חזקה, מתוקה ו... באה עם מטען, מה שלא מפריע לבחור, שלרוב מחליף בנות כמו גרביים, אבל כזה משהו אמיתי הוא לא מרים ידיים.
הספר בעיקרון מסופר בגוף שלישי, אבל זה מרגיש יותר כאילו שיש פרק מהצד שלה ומהצד שלו... ומהצד הסטוקר ה.... &@&××£
סיפור לא לבעלי לב חלש.. אבל סיפור ממש יפה, עם עלילה ומתח.
ממש אהבתי את הספר *-*
(מי שאהב/ה את ספריה של רייצ"ל גרנט הספר יהיה לטעמה/ו)
March 27, 2017
As I'm in a sort of Kaylea Cross binge, I decided to try this series.
This first book seemed to me a bit far from the usual Kaylea Cross I know. There was a stalker, there was a nice policeman but no soldiers or some far away country. In fact I liked it less than the previous series I already read.
But, truth to be told, KC's heroines are the best. I so loved her women so strong! All in all a nice reading
This first book seemed to me a bit far from the usual Kaylea Cross I know. There was a stalker, there was a nice policeman but no soldiers or some far away country. In fact I liked it less than the previous series I already read.
But, truth to be told, KC's heroines are the best. I so loved her women so strong! All in all a nice reading
August 7, 2021
I really enjoyed OUT OF HER LEAGUE and it ended up being different then I was expecting but so much better for it. Kaylea Cross really knows how to write suspenseful books with truly creepy bad guys but she also knows how to counter that suspense with a beautiful romance. I just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next and I was so invested in Christa's healing and journey to happiness. There were parts of OUT OF HER LEAGUE that were so hard to read as Christa begins to heal after her stalker attacks her and I liked the level of gravity that Cross gave those moments. While Christa always feels comfortable and safe with Rayne she's still not instantly "fixed" because overcoming trauma takes time and truly changes a person.
I so admired Christa's mental and emotional strength and her ability to still be vulnerable when it all became too much. There's also a real sweetness to Christa and we see that throughout the book as she takes care of her friends and others. While a past relationship dented Christa's self-esteem that hasn't destroyed her belief in true love and finding her own chance at a family one day. She worries that a playboy like Rayne won't be interested in her but once Rayne begins to show how he feels Christa doesn't doubt it. Christa's path through her trauma and PTSD was real and genuine and just written really well.
I found it really interesting that Christa and Rayne's relationship had barely started before Christa's attack which means that things really changed between them. As much as Rayne wants Christa he knows that he has to go at her pace and give her the space and time to heal. Rayne was such a great hero and watching him fall for Christa was great to read. These two definitely have a slow burn as Christa learns to trust that Rayne is interested in more than a fling and Rayne works to make sure Christa always feels safe with him. The care between these two was so beautiful and every page had me falling right alongside them.
I'm really looking forward to this series because OUT OF HER LEAGUE had everything I love in a suspense romance.
Content Warning: Christa is stalked, attacked, and almost raped (on page) after which she is dealing with PTSD
I so admired Christa's mental and emotional strength and her ability to still be vulnerable when it all became too much. There's also a real sweetness to Christa and we see that throughout the book as she takes care of her friends and others. While a past relationship dented Christa's self-esteem that hasn't destroyed her belief in true love and finding her own chance at a family one day. She worries that a playboy like Rayne won't be interested in her but once Rayne begins to show how he feels Christa doesn't doubt it. Christa's path through her trauma and PTSD was real and genuine and just written really well.
I found it really interesting that Christa and Rayne's relationship had barely started before Christa's attack which means that things really changed between them. As much as Rayne wants Christa he knows that he has to go at her pace and give her the space and time to heal. Rayne was such a great hero and watching him fall for Christa was great to read. These two definitely have a slow burn as Christa learns to trust that Rayne is interested in more than a fling and Rayne works to make sure Christa always feels safe with him. The care between these two was so beautiful and every page had me falling right alongside them.
I'm really looking forward to this series because OUT OF HER LEAGUE had everything I love in a suspense romance.
Content Warning: Christa is stalked, attacked, and almost raped (on page) after which she is dealing with PTSD
September 1, 2015
I finished the Titanium Security series by Kaylea Cross last night and as I've already read Bagram Special Ops, I moved onto the first in the Suspense series.
I was not disappointed.
Christa is a softball player trying to get into the big leagues while also owning her own landscape gardening business. Rayne, an ERT cop, is a friend of a friend, someone she knows to talk to and who she has had a crush on since she met him but she sees him as out of her league. Whereas Christa has shied away from relationships since her ex messed with her head, Rayne has got a rep, "a reputation that would make Casanova seem like a choirboy".
Christa is being stalked, at first just at the ball games but then it starts to encroach on her personal life. The tension is conveyed and I jumped on a few occasions, especially when she turns her head to find his face up against her car window. The stalker, Seth, is cold and calculating, taking steps in advance to avoid any DNA. When he starts to leave notes and gifts, it just gets creepier, quoting nursery rhymes, Every Breath You Take (also known as the stalker's anthem!), and leaving sinister confectionary gifts.
He is scary. I was scared by him. He gets a thrill out of his clever tricks, "outsmarting the cops had become almost as big a thrill as hunting his prey", and as Rayne is a cop it's even more fun. He's an anathema, how can he hurt Chris yet internally reprimand a mother who leaves her child alone outside without thinking of the perverts around. (His words not mine).
Each time you think she's safe for now, he finds her. The content of the notes and presents were a shock, he's got an imagination that's for sure, you can see he's an intelligent man.
I loved the book. Suspense romance is fast becoming my favourite genre of romance. The story never slows down, you can feel Seth hot on her toes. I enjoyed seeing Rayne prove himself to Chris and their budding relationship.
I was not disappointed.
Christa is a softball player trying to get into the big leagues while also owning her own landscape gardening business. Rayne, an ERT cop, is a friend of a friend, someone she knows to talk to and who she has had a crush on since she met him but she sees him as out of her league. Whereas Christa has shied away from relationships since her ex messed with her head, Rayne has got a rep, "a reputation that would make Casanova seem like a choirboy".
Christa is being stalked, at first just at the ball games but then it starts to encroach on her personal life. The tension is conveyed and I jumped on a few occasions, especially when she turns her head to find his face up against her car window. The stalker, Seth, is cold and calculating, taking steps in advance to avoid any DNA. When he starts to leave notes and gifts, it just gets creepier, quoting nursery rhymes, Every Breath You Take (also known as the stalker's anthem!), and leaving sinister confectionary gifts.
He is scary. I was scared by him. He gets a thrill out of his clever tricks, "outsmarting the cops had become almost as big a thrill as hunting his prey", and as Rayne is a cop it's even more fun. He's an anathema, how can he hurt Chris yet internally reprimand a mother who leaves her child alone outside without thinking of the perverts around. (His words not mine).
Each time you think she's safe for now, he finds her. The content of the notes and presents were a shock, he's got an imagination that's for sure, you can see he's an intelligent man.
I loved the book. Suspense romance is fast becoming my favourite genre of romance. The story never slows down, you can feel Seth hot on her toes. I enjoyed seeing Rayne prove himself to Chris and their budding relationship.
May 24, 2012
When I asked my friend for something she wanted to share - book wise - I didn't actually think I'd get a near perfect mixture of suspense and romance. She warned me about the book, rightly so, because when I started reading I found it to be hard to stop doing so. So I read on for hours, sacrificed my sleep and don't regret it. Especially since these days I have no matters to attend to during the day ...
I only started reading romance novels recently, so I was quite relieved to find that this is not actually all about falling in love and getting the girl, but the interwoven stalker plot makes it interesting on that level, too. Not that the love story would be boring or anything, it's just that I like a little action in my novels as well. And action I got with this.
Except for the ending I think the novel is well-paced, the happenings in the Epilogue come across as kind of ... rash? I was a little like "Already? Isn't that a little fast, considering ...?" Not that I didn't finish the book smiling or anything, it's just ... The novel until the epilogue is well paced, not too foreseeable and then there are some events that seem awfully fast-paced.
I really like Her. She comes across as a normal person, you understand her, know why she thinks the way she thinks, her past explains why she reacts in certain ways, without seeming over the top. I mean, she does a few pretty stupid things, but it's easy to forgive her when she sees that what she did wasn't exactly smart.
Now, He is ... I think we dubbed it adorable somewhere along the way. You know those moments when you just can't help but "awwww"? There's quite a few in "Out Of Her League".
I like the cover art, save for the face in the top left hand corner. Everything else is kind of blurred, or at least not exactly clearly visible, but that face ... it makes for a contrast, but otherwise is not really my thing.
I only started reading romance novels recently, so I was quite relieved to find that this is not actually all about falling in love and getting the girl, but the interwoven stalker plot makes it interesting on that level, too. Not that the love story would be boring or anything, it's just that I like a little action in my novels as well. And action I got with this.
Except for the ending I think the novel is well-paced, the happenings in the Epilogue come across as kind of ... rash? I was a little like "Already? Isn't that a little fast, considering ...?" Not that I didn't finish the book smiling or anything, it's just ... The novel until the epilogue is well paced, not too foreseeable and then there are some events that seem awfully fast-paced.
I really like Her. She comes across as a normal person, you understand her, know why she thinks the way she thinks, her past explains why she reacts in certain ways, without seeming over the top. I mean, she does a few pretty stupid things, but it's easy to forgive her when she sees that what she did wasn't exactly smart.
Now, He is ... I think we dubbed it adorable somewhere along the way. You know those moments when you just can't help but "awwww"? There's quite a few in "Out Of Her League".
I like the cover art, save for the face in the top left hand corner. Everything else is kind of blurred, or at least not exactly clearly visible, but that face ... it makes for a contrast, but otherwise is not really my thing.
June 13, 2011
TBR Challenge 2011- June Category: Contemporary Romance. this book has been on my amazon wishlist since August 2010.
3.5 to 4 stars
The strength of this book is the author's characterization of the characters. Christa was especially well-done. Her PSTD was shown more realistically than I've ever encountered in a romance book. The growing attraction between Rayne and Christa was handled believably, as was Christa's reluctance to act on the attraction and Rayne's determination to give her all the time she needed. Very few women in real life recover from this kind of trauma by throwing themselves into a physical relationship.
The stalker, and the entire suspense plot, was well-plotted and a little creepy. Unfortunately, some plot points hinged on Christa making less than stellar decisions, but the decisions weren't sheer stupidity. They were decisions to try to keep living a normal life, and later a decision to put someone else's needs before hers.
Towards the very end of the book, the author chose to slow the suspense plot down and use a road trip to develop the relationship between Rayne and Christa. This part of the book didn't work for me. I found it boring and a little sappy. It felt like I was dropped in the middle of not-so-great Harlequin romance. Thankfully, this little side-trip doesn't take up too many pages.
At the end I was hoping the author would deal a little more with Christa's recovery from PTSD, since finding true love isn't a sure-fire cure. But overall this is a very good suspense story and a sweet romance. I'll be looking for more books by Ms. Cross.
3.5 to 4 stars
The strength of this book is the author's characterization of the characters. Christa was especially well-done. Her PSTD was shown more realistically than I've ever encountered in a romance book. The growing attraction between Rayne and Christa was handled believably, as was Christa's reluctance to act on the attraction and Rayne's determination to give her all the time she needed. Very few women in real life recover from this kind of trauma by throwing themselves into a physical relationship.
The stalker, and the entire suspense plot, was well-plotted and a little creepy. Unfortunately, some plot points hinged on Christa making less than stellar decisions, but the decisions weren't sheer stupidity. They were decisions to try to keep living a normal life, and later a decision to put someone else's needs before hers.
Towards the very end of the book, the author chose to slow the suspense plot down and use a road trip to develop the relationship between Rayne and Christa. This part of the book didn't work for me. I found it boring and a little sappy. It felt like I was dropped in the middle of not-so-great Harlequin romance. Thankfully, this little side-trip doesn't take up too many pages.
At the end I was hoping the author would deal a little more with Christa's recovery from PTSD, since finding true love isn't a sure-fire cure. But overall this is a very good suspense story and a sweet romance. I'll be looking for more books by Ms. Cross.
September 26, 2011
A sports and romance combo pack really work for me in a book. Usually it’s a hot football player or a hockey dude that takes center stage so it was a nice change that the heroine of Out Of Her League, Christa Bailey was the actual sports star. It doesn’t happen often that the female is the sports personality in a book. And I like it!
I had just finished reading Kaylea Cross’s Deadly Descent and really enjoyed it. So when I checked out her backlist and noticed all her previous books had gotten really terrific reviews I decided I needed to read more by this author. The icing on the cake for Out Of Her League was the sports tie-in.
Christa Bailey is an Olympic softball hopeful, runs her own landscaping business and is the focus of a stalker who threatens every aspect of her life and seriously jeopardizes her chance at making the Olympic team. Good times...not. Good thing Christa’s got a protector in Rayne Hutchinson and ERT police officer who she‘s acquainted through mutual friends and has kind of a little crush on.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Cross’s backlist. I understand that each book only gets better.
I also just discovered that Cross also writes a steamier brand of romance under the name of Callie Croix. I will be checking out her latest under that pen name, Deacon’s Touch soon.
I had just finished reading Kaylea Cross’s Deadly Descent and really enjoyed it. So when I checked out her backlist and noticed all her previous books had gotten really terrific reviews I decided I needed to read more by this author. The icing on the cake for Out Of Her League was the sports tie-in.
Christa Bailey is an Olympic softball hopeful, runs her own landscaping business and is the focus of a stalker who threatens every aspect of her life and seriously jeopardizes her chance at making the Olympic team. Good times...not. Good thing Christa’s got a protector in Rayne Hutchinson and ERT police officer who she‘s acquainted through mutual friends and has kind of a little crush on.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Cross’s backlist. I understand that each book only gets better.
I also just discovered that Cross also writes a steamier brand of romance under the name of Callie Croix. I will be checking out her latest under that pen name, Deacon’s Touch soon.
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