Sleeping With The Enemy- Tracy Solheim

 

 

It’s June for another hour, so I still have time to post this month’s TBR challenge book- favorite trope. I chose Tracy Solheim’s Sleeping With The Enemy because I had the pleasure of meeting her at this year’s Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation weekend. For a Packers fan, she was lovely. (just kidding, she was lovely anyway)  I purchased one of her books, and when I pulled it off the top of my TBR pile, I was delighted to find it combines sports romance with one of my favorite tropes, reunited lovers. Oddly, it also combines two of my least favorite subgenres and tropes: Billionaire romance and enemies to lovers.

So which won? I’m glad to say that the elements I liked in this book far outweighed the things I didn’t.

Bridgett and Jay met in Italy as summer interns during college, fell in love, and then had their lives turn upside down in a matter of weeks, as Jay’s wealthy stepfather died, and Bridgett discovered she was pregnant. Through a series of misunderstandings, and the devious  actions of Jay’s vindictive ex-roommate, each believed they had been dumped by the other. Thirteen years later, Jay is a dot-com billionaire and owner of the Balitmore Blaze football team. Bridgett is hired as his attorney when the team and Jay are sued by a disgruntled cheerleader, and hounded by a mysterious blogger.

I won’t go into a detailed explanation of the plot, because it’s twisty and there’s only an hour left in June.  Suffice to say, while it contains a few lucky coincidences, for the most part, it makes sense. I liked that the action played out over a week and culminated at a football game, though much of the action took place away from the field.

I liked Bridgett, who was strong but vulnerable, after losing both Jay and their baby. Jay has dealt with his pain by focusing everything on business, and approaches every facet of his life (Bridgett included) as a deal he must close. While this was kind of off-putting, Bridgett’s reaction to him now, versus the man she once knew, as well as Jay’s gruff tenderness toward his wild-child younger sister, showed he was more than a young Donald Trump clone with good hair.  By the end of the book, I wanted this couple together and was satisfied that their HEA was the real deal.

I’m glad I gave Sleeping With The Enemy a read, and will look forward to reading more of Tracy’s books.