Fair Play
NY Blades Series - Book 2
By Deirdre Martin
Berkley - February 2004
Contemporary Romance
Michael Dante was everything Theresa Falconetti did NOT want in a man - he was an Italian from Brooklyn who was a professional athlete. The 3 things she wanted to completely avoid in a man. Not that she had a thing against Italians - she herself was Italian, but she wanted more out of life. She had higher aspirations than living in the old neighborhood, where her entire social calendar revolved around the extended family. It was difficult to avoid the man. Michael was a member of the team that her best friend's, Janna's, husband coached, he co-owned the restaurant that was a favorite of her parents, and now he was the newest client of the PR firm she and Janna owned.
But Michael was NOT what she wanted. Never mind that he made her laugh, and that he definitely was interested in her. Never mind that her family and friends loved him - that just made her even more determined. She had just met the man she had always considered her dreamman. He could have stepped off GQ, was sophisticated, and actually socialized outside the family. But why was it that Michael was the man in her dreams?
Michael knew how to step up to a challenge. He wouldn't have been able to become a member of a Stanley Cup winning team if he quit when things got tough. But Theresa was much more than just difficult - she was darn near impossible. He thought she was beautiful, sassy, and he fell in love with her each time she muttered in Italian under her breath. He knew about her past history with another professional athlete - someone he'd like to meet on the ice sometime and have a "chat" with - but that wasn't him. He knew he wasn't perfect, heck, he'd even been missing his front teeth when they'd first met. So he would put the qualities that made him a star hockey player to use in his chase of Theresa. After all, as a hockey player, he shot to, um, score.
This is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" Italian style. What fun! I absolutely fell in love with Michael. He is so funny, down to earth, and absolutely in love with Theresa. He is willing to laugh at himself, and not push others down. Theresa has a history which explains why she is so reserved with Michael, and you will feel compassion and understand her actions. Her family is not perfect, but Ms. Martin quickly draws the reader in so that you will feel they could be your own family. Fair Play has it all - you will laugh, sigh, cry and fall in love with the hero. Any single girl out there will now want to add "Italian, from Brooklyn, professional athlete" to their attributes for the perfect man.
Kathy Andrico - ReaderToReader.com