Review: Refuse to Lose by Alison Mello (Coach's Love #1)


Note: This ARC was provided by the author via Enticing Journey Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Refuse to Lose is my first Alison Mello read, and it happens to be the first in her Coach's Love sports romance series. It's the story of a widow named Stella who decides to move from New York to West Virginia with her ten-year-old son DJ in tow two years after the murder of her husband Dylan. Six months later, Stella and DJ have made a life for themselves and are able to call the small town their own. When the new coach of the baseball team DJ is part of turns out to be the very same guy who happens to be the regular customer that goes to the diner Stella works at and calls her "sugar", Stella finds herself unable to resist Trystan charm and persistence. The guy may have had no other choice but to coach the team, but Trystan discovers it's an opportunity for him to make a difference in the lives of his players and in his own life as well. Nothing comes easily, but Trystan refuses to give up.

This small-town romance was fairly low on angst, but it had it's fair share of melodrama in the form of an ex-girlfriend of Trystan's. Other than that, Stella and Trystan have one of those stories that has them falling in love and nearly seamlessly creating a life together, alongside Stella's son DJ. There are quite a few supporting characters, and this being a small-town story, a lot of them insert themselves in the Stella and Trystan's romance, whether because they want to help push the couple closer or pull them apart. The side stories do become a wee bit distracting, but there were times when those seemed far more interesting than the actual love story going on. There was very little excitement in terms of the romance, although I did appreciate the idea of family and community highlighted in the book. Refuse to Lose was an okay read, but not one I'd consider a standout. 3.5 stars. ♥

Release Date: 03 April 2018

Date Read: 01 April 2018

Learn more about Alison Mello.

Purchase Refuse to Lose on Amazon.

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