Review: At Arm's Length by Amber Nation
Note: This ARC was provided by Enticing Journey Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
At Arm's Length is a contemporary romance with a touch of sports and doses of modern-day fairy tale thrown into the mix and was written by Amber Nation. Holden Reed is a halfback for the Carolina Panthers, and while there's no denying his prowess on the field, it's his reputation for being a hot-head that makes headlines and has fittingly earned him the nickname of "The Beast". His latest brouhaha involved a teammate, leading his coach to suspend him for two weeks, something Holden never expected, not with his importance to the team. Ordered to take some time off, Holden plans on heading to Hawaii but instead ends up in Colorado, with his rental crashing into a tree, and him walking toward what looks like a bed and breakfast. There he unexpectedly finds a beautiful woman, but while Marlee Tate takes note of the equally beautiful man before her, it's his boorish behavior that stands out. When a snowstorm traps them together in the manor, Marlee begins to see a different side to the gruff guy, but when the storm dissipates and all secrets are exposed, will Marlee still want Holden or will she only see The Beast?
This my first Amber Nation read and it was an entertaining one, albeit there were quite a few clichés in the story. I think with a bit more editing, it could have been even better, but in terms of story and characters, I don't have too many complaints. Clearly inspired by the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Holden is the beast in this story, all to do with his letting his anger get the best of him on and off the field, and Marlee is the beauty who returns to the manor she grew up in to help her ailing father in managing it while her mother tends to her father. There's even a supporting character who I assume was inspired by the Gaston character in the Disneyfied version of the tale. But even with the supporting characters, this was really all about Marlee and Holden, and it was sweet and cute. I don't consider this a sports romance, however, with football being nothing more than the sport Holden plays. I don't think that's necessarily a negative, but with the cover showcasing a guy with shoulder pads, you may expect it to have more sports than you'll actually find in this novel. All in all, At Arm's Length was a good read. Four stars. ♥
This my first Amber Nation read and it was an entertaining one, albeit there were quite a few clichés in the story. I think with a bit more editing, it could have been even better, but in terms of story and characters, I don't have too many complaints. Clearly inspired by the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Holden is the beast in this story, all to do with his letting his anger get the best of him on and off the field, and Marlee is the beauty who returns to the manor she grew up in to help her ailing father in managing it while her mother tends to her father. There's even a supporting character who I assume was inspired by the Gaston character in the Disneyfied version of the tale. But even with the supporting characters, this was really all about Marlee and Holden, and it was sweet and cute. I don't consider this a sports romance, however, with football being nothing more than the sport Holden plays. I don't think that's necessarily a negative, but with the cover showcasing a guy with shoulder pads, you may expect it to have more sports than you'll actually find in this novel. All in all, At Arm's Length was a good read. Four stars. ♥
Date Read: 12 November 2016
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