Foolish Games by Tracy Solheim

Title:  Foolish Games

Series:  Out of Bounds Book #2

Author:  Tracy Solheim

Genre:  Romance

Blurb:  This Hail Mary play for the heart is the latest sports romance in the sizzling Out of Bounds series. Bridal gown designer Julianne Marchione knows better than to lose her head at a client’s wedding. But, much to her embarrassment, a mix of migraine medication and a smoking hot football player lead to a steamy one night stand resulting in a surprise pregnancy. Julianne has every intention of leaving her NFL hookup far in the past until her son, Owen, is born with a life-threatening blood disorder that requires a transfusion—and Julianne is not a match.  Will “William the Conqueror” Connelly grew up tough, shouldering the stigma of being a bastard child born on the wrong side of the tracks. He refuses to let any child face the same discrimination. When he finds out about Owen, he’s furious that Julianne kept his son a secret. But when he sees her again at the hospital, he realizes that his feelings for her go far beyond anger.  Will insists that Owen recuperate at his home in North Carolina, and he’s adamant that Julianne become his wife—even if it’s only a temporary marriage in name only. But will their simmering attraction ever lead to a real connection?  Or are they just playing foolish games?

Thoughts:  This is one of those books that I just really had trouble connecting with the characters.  Julianne was just a constant source of frustration for me…her whole “excuse” behind how they wound up together, her refusal to tell him about his child, and then acting as if he is the one inconveniencing her life….and all the while he is struggling to deal with the fact that he is a father to a son he doesn’t even know about.  And after her initial reactions in the beginning, his reactions certainly don’t help matters any.  They both just needed to stop, be honest with each other, and step up to plate and be the bigger person in this whole drama situation they had going on.  The author is a really skilled writer and I probably would have liked it otherwise, but I just didn’t care much for these particular characters. “Foolish Games” was a very apt title, but it was a bit of a tedious read for me.  I would read another book by the author (I wouldn’t judge her solely based on this book), but this one just didn’t work for me.  However, after writing this review I have checked around and it seems to be a hit with other readers.

Rate:  C