When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.
It didn’t take a week for twenty-seven-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she’d seen in the international soccer icon—why she’d ever had his posters on her wall, or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.
Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man that hadn’t known she’d existed. So she isn’t prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team’s season: a quiet, reclusive, shadow of the explosive, passionate man he’d once been.
Nothing could have prepared her for the man she got to know.
Or the murderous urges he brought out in her.
“Sal, please don’t make me visit you in jail. Orange isn’t your color.”
This was going to be the longest season of her life.
This book. This German. There are no words for how annoying he can be. But I fell in love and I adore him. And now I want to read everything from this author because her style is just a different animal.
When a reader says they love big books, this is the kind they are referring to. At 560 pages this book has lots of room for the story to unfold. Details are everywhere and the relationship between these two develops over time. Because he's her coach, they can't be more than friends so that's what they are. And it's a rocky friendship because of THE GERMAN. He's arrogant, ja. He does only what he wants to do, ja. And what he doesn't do is talk. More often than not, his response is silence. Talk about want to smack the man. I will admit to not liking him when he stood around practice like a statue saying nothing. But when Sal lets him have it for something he did, his response had my heart melting. Oh, no he doesn't SAY a word. We find out later what he did about it.
Sal is a great person. This guy was her idol and her crush every since she first saw him walk onto a soccer field. She struggles to deal with her fangirling (THAT is so funny - you'll have to read how she does it). But she never gives up on him. She helps him. She's a friend to him. She keeps his secrets. She cares when he doesn't seem to. And I love her for it. I was so hoping she would get her happy.
I really enjoyed the way this story played out. These characters provoked emotions and felt real. I watched them and just enjoyed the detail in their story. It's a satisfying romance that doesn't focus on the bedroom but on the relationship. It was so different than most of the romance that I read and I really enjoyed that.
And now that I know The German better, he's still arrogant and quiet but I get him. I know his heart. I adore him.
This is the kind of book you get because you love a story that unfolds over chapters instead of pages. And it's the one you still devour in a matter of hours because it's just that good.
Great review! I also loved this one. I also read The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and it was good but I liked Kulti better.
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