Better Be Rowing

by Rosie Birch

Lauren Radtke, Castoria U's star sculler, is fast on the water, but when it comes to people, she sinks like a stone. Her one and only interview ends with a viral, misquoted "It was wet."
But when her mom guilts her into appearing on a nationally televised morning show, she knows she needs help.

Kent Brock, life of the party and starting quarterback for the worst football team on the Pacific coast, has one year left to leave a legacy. And not the-scandal-that-shall-not-be-named type of legacy either.
Too bad he's flunking half his classes, his parents have cut him off, and his teammates refuse to talk to him. To distract himself, he decides to break his one rule and pick up a random fling at the gym.
Little does he know, he's about to meet local radio pariah and trending meme, Lauren Radtke.

The two form an unlikely pact--media training for math tutoring, relationship coaching for a pretend trainer to appease his parents.

As their lives and lies intertwine, unexpected friendship grows, and their personal and competitive lives are put to the test. But when the time comes, will Lauren find the words to say how she truly feels?

Better Be Rowing is a heartfelt college sports romance between an exceptionally talented but particularly shy star sculler and the life of the party jock who just wants a little more simplicity in his life. As a standalone love story in the Castoria universe, it features a complete romance, a failed makeover, unexpected innuendo, shirtless football players, and of course plenty of Lauren's favourite animal (and Kent's favourite thing): beavers.

Genres: Sports Romance

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2022

Reviews

[Briana Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Castoria U delivers another knockout performance packed to the brim with Birch’s signature character, charm, and overly beaverness; the perfect read for sports romancers looking for fresh, competitive, and emotionally gratifying.

Each time I pick up a novel by Birch I’m blown away by how fun and heartfelt they are, and how brightly each of their characters shine, and Better Be Rowing was no exception. Since first meeting Lauren, I knew hers would be a moving and unique story, and what a delight it proved to be.

Lauren was so much fun, and she possessed a quiet confidence as she remained unapologetically herself. Witnessing her growth and celebrating as she stood proudly for that which meant the most to her was lovely to see and I was just so proud of her and how far she’d come since her viral “it was wet”. And Kent; He was a sweetheart trying to find his own way, a man after my own heart, and the perfect partner for Lauren. Their romance was wholesome and pure, and I was thrilled to see the beautiful infusion of ASL, spoken dialogue, and gif speak incorporated into their relationship. I loved the unwavering support they showed one another, and the growth and acceptance shared. There was so much love at play, and even the spice and stolen moments alone were swoon worthy 🥰

Once more, Rosie Birch has crafted a beautiful romance filled with all the best tropes and love story origins, and I can’t wait to see where they’ll be leading my heart next.

* Sports Romance [Sculling x Football]
* College Romance
* Deaf representation
* Fake Dating

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy. Available now from Amazon.

[Courtney | avid library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Rosie for the ARC!

Wow. Just absolutely wow. This is hands down my favourite of the books in the series. Lauren has been such an enigma in the first two books and finally getting to unpack her is so good.

This books has deaf representation!! And it is so beautifully written and so thoughtful, it nearly brought me to tears. It goes beyond just fake dating and a quick laugh, it really is the personal growth of two people and how you can better others.

Lauren is so funny and actually quirky. Whether she’s texting, using gifs, or finally deciding to speak, she is entirely and unapologetically her own person.

Kent is so sweet and not what I expected going into this story. His willingness to accept Lauren and her family, learn some signs, and encourage Lauren to grow was beautiful.

We get more info on “the incident”, more beaver jokes, and campus wide pranks. But we also get some SPICE. From when they were in the library to each scene after, Rosie does it well 🥵

[Allthebooks (Lynette) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!
I loved everything about this book. There was humor, brilliant characters, hot smexy times and deaf representation done in a really tasteful way. I signed up to learn ASL during my read of this book.
The development of the relationship between the H and h was so relatable and sweet, you couldn't help but love them. I love the writing style of this author, I could not stop till the book ended. If you want sport romance, characters with depth, sweet n spicy and just great writing, this book is for you. It was so good, it's a must read.

I received an ARC of this book and this was my honest review. It was a real pleasure to read this book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cómo me gustan los libros donde los protagonistas pasan de desconocidos a amigos y después a algo más. Sobre todo si desarrollan esa amistad, se conocen bien y están locos el uno por el otro cuando la relación empieza. Ha sido genial, me he reído, me he emocionado, me he derretido… lo tiene todo.
Además, un muy buen punto añadido que la familia de ella sea sorda, me ha parecido que estaba muy bien integrado en la trama y ha aportado mucho al libro.
Mi favorito de la saga hasta ahora.

[Victoria Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read. Lauren and Kent are so different/opposites attract. He is outgoing athletic and she is reserved and shy. But this pair are good together.. I enjoyed this college romance, it was entertaining.

I received this copy and my honest spoiler free review is voluntary