Rescuing the Receiver
(How to Score #2)
by Rachel Goodman
Publisher: Pocket Star
Publication date: June 11, 2018
Genre: Romance
Rating:
Caught between the media’s crosshairs and his own questionable decisions, Colorado Blizzards wide receiver Chris Lalonde has a choice: watch his storied career burn to the ground or rehab his bad-boy image at the local dog shelter. His goal: rescue the oldest, saddest, most mange-infested canines in the hopes that the pups can rescue his reputation in return. What he doesn’t expect? Hazel Grant, shelter owner, do-gooder, and beautiful all-American girl next door. She has no time for Chris’s excuses, antics, or cheesy pick-up lines…challenge accepted.
Hazel Grant can’t believe she got saddled with Denver’s cockiest—and most eligible—football player for a volunteer—she needs people she can trust and count on, not a man packaged in abs and wrapped in confidence who thinks scoring touchdowns is an honest day’s work. But since the shelter is in need of some serious TLC, she can’t afford to turn away help.
Chris and Hazel get along like cats and dogs. But when it comes to Chris Lalonde, there’s a new surprise around every corner, and Hazel finds that, like the pups she cares for, Chris has hidden depths, secret talents, and meets every test she throws at him. As the pressure mounts to save the shelter—and Chris’s career—lust bubbles to the surface, and suddenly love becomes anybody’s game…
Chris finds himself in some hot waters after he tests positive on a drug test. Until his date with the commissioner, he’s tasked to help out at the local animal shelter. The owner of the team thinks that the arrangement will benefit not only Chris, who clearly needs to learn some humility, but his niece, who runs the shelter, as well. What starts off as a less than happy arrangement, slowly turns into something remarkable. Not only does Hazel help calm Chris and bring out a more relaxed side of him, Chris’ fame helps bring Hazel’s small forgotten shelter into the forefront.
I loved the idea of a sports romance revolving around an animal shelter. I love animals and always get excited when there is one in a story. So it was a no-brainer that I would love a setting that consisted of a bunch of animals all looking for their forever home. Even though Chris is not an animal person, he takes to one of the shelter’s most difficult dogs, Olive. Olive is so fearful that she never comes out of hiding from under her dog bed. However, one of the first days Chris is there, she slowly noses her way out to check out who the new guy is. I think Olive was the one girl that Chris could always rely on. Why do I say that, especially when the heroine’s name is Hazel? Well, Hazel was a bit of a judgemental b*tch. She immediately takes a disliking to Chris, no matter the fact that he does everything she asks of him at the shelter. She’s always quick to think the worst of him, even though everything he did spoke of the opposite. I just couldn’t figure out what her deal was. I get that she had daddy issues and crappy relationships prior, but the way she behaved and acted towards Chris was completely uncalled for.
While I very much disliked the heroine in the story, I loved that the author wrote about their lives throughout the story. We get a lot of time at the shelter while Chris is mopping up the kennels. We also get to be in his head while he’s playing on the field. I very much liked that half the story is in his POV because he had so much going on. He was under a lot of pressure, and was doing all that he could to stay above water. I liked that the author didn’t skim over these parts because I loved getting to see the way the shelter ran as well as experiencing him running a play out on the field.
Rescuing the Receiver was a cute read. I loved that we got to hang out with the pups at the shelter. I loved how serious Chris became when it came to the dogs. Any time there was an opportunity for him to help out and build up awareness of the shelter animals, he did it. He even wrangled his fellow teammates to help with adoption events and to raise money. I just wish Hazel wasn’t so judgemental. Her talk of wishing people would give shelter animals a second chance, to give pit bulls the benefit of the doubt, and yet she can’t look past her own prejudice towards Chris. Someone who has done nothing to her, who has in fact showed that he’s there and willing to help not only her, but the animals as well. She just ruined the story for me in all honesty.
Favorite part…
Hazel likes to play Disney musical songs for the shelter animals. So, while Chris is cleaning out the kennels, he starts to sing his own version of Gaston’s song.
“‘No one cleans like Lalonde, takes big leaps like Lalonde,’ I belted out, doing a shimmy. ‘In a football game no one scores points like Lalonde.’
‘What in the hell is going on here?'”
Aww, it’s too bad Hazel wasn’t a more likable character because the story overall seems like a good one. I’m happy you enjoyed the parts with Chris and Olive though. They sound like the were meant to be. 🙂 lol
The animals sounds like the best thing about this book.
yes it looks cute
Oh man! This sounded perfect for me but I think I would feel the same too about Hazel. Hope the next one is better for you!
Yeah not a fan of people acting that way. Too bad because the premise sounds wonderful!
That’s a bummer that the heroine was very likable. I’m experiencing that right now with a book I’m reading and it’s no fun.