Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: NetGalley
Tamar Rosenfeld has been in love with New York Leopards linebacker Abraham Krasner since they were twelve years old. She’d always considered it destiny that they’d end up together…until Abe was drafted and she professed her feelings in a moment of blind excitement. The sting of his rejection was like nothing she’d ever felt before, and it’s nothing she’ll ever forget.
Older and wiser, Tamar has landed a dream job as a reporter for one of New York’s premier athletic websites. Determined to stop being the safe, boring girl she’s felt like for most of her life, Tamar makes a list of all the things she wants to do and see in her new city, and Getting Over Abraham is priority number one.
But destiny has finally chosen to interfere. Just as Tamar’s decided to move on, Abe’s realized she’s the only woman for him. When he confides the truth, Tamar has to decide if she can put her crush behind her, or take a chance on the very man who’s been holding her back all these years.
*Blurb from Goodreads*
When I heard that Carina Press was going to have an entire week of just sports romance books, well, let’s just say I may have jumped up and down, and then went on a requesting binge.
Tamar has been best friends with Abe her entire life. She always had a bit of a crush on him, but when he rejected her affection in college, she was more than heartbroken. After years apart, Tamar is ready to move on with her life, starting with a great job as a sports journalist with an amazing New York online blog. Tamar will get the chance to report on the sport she loves: football. The only downside, she is going to have to spend time with Abe, and finally get over her crush.
Abe and Tamar grew up together, and when she told him how she felt about him in college, Abe freaked. He turned his back on his best friend, and hadn’t gone a day without thinking of her. Abe has decided that now Tamar is back in his life, he is going to make it a point to make her his, and he will do anything, even risk his career, to stand by her side and support her. But when Tamar breaks a HUGE story, both their jobs and romance is suddenly on the line.
I have been waiting for Abe’s story since the first book came out. I adored everything about him, and couldn’t wait to find out more about his backstory. I loved that Abe got his happily ever after with his childhood best friend. The romance between these two was slow to build, given the way Tamar had her heart broken by Abe before, but it was so SO good. I loved the fact that Tamar so desperately wanted to get over Abe, and that she tried so hard to keep their friendship platonic, and yet at every turn, Abe was trying to woo her and convince her that he wanted more. It was so sweet and wonderful. I adored their romance.
I adored Tamar. She is probably one of my favorite heroines of 2014. Sure, she wasn’t without her own issues, but I adored her. She was shy and sweet and strong in her desire to make it on her own two feet. When she was down, she threw herself a little pity-party, and then got right back up and pushed herself to reach her goals. I thought she was such a wonderful heroine, and I loved her being paired up with Abe. Their connection and history together was so cute, so endearing, and so perfect for who they became as a couple.
I also loved getting to know Abe a little better. The down-to-earth vibe he puts off is too cute, and I love the way he is so laid back about his fans, his stardom, and his family. He has always been grounded in this series, and I just love him all the more for it. His one track mind when it came to pursuing Tamar was too cute, and I liked that he was subtle about it, knowing he had broken her heart once before and not wanting to do it again. The way he stood up for her when things at her job hit the fan made me want to swoon. Oh man, I love me some Abe!!
I thought the sub-plot with Tamar’s work and the story she broke was excellent. It’s a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough discussion in the professional world of sports, and although it’s slowly starting to change, I can only hope that change doesn’t stop. I thought Parr did an excellent job of laying out the facts in a way that didn’t come across as preachy, and I love the way it fit within the story.
All in all, I think this might be my favorite of the series to date. I thought the romance between Abe and Tamar was absolutely perfect, and I loved their slow burn and the way they stuck together through thick and thin. I can only hope that we get to see more and more of these two in future books, because I think they are my new favorite couple!
I give Imaginary Lines an A-