I enjoy romances with professional athletes as hero, but the introduction of this one dragged and didn’t capture my interest. I had to force myself to get past the first few pages. The book eventually picked up and held my interest but if not reading for review I never would have reached that point.

As the book opens, Jared Dawson, star football player for the fictional NFL New York Sabers, is sitting in a casino licking his wounds. He’s reeling from the loss of his lover of 10 years to another football player. As if walking in on his lover having sex with another man wasn’t enough, his team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl. But a casino is the last place Jared should be. He was warned by team management over a previous incident of gambling on an NFL game. The team covered up the earlier incident but they won’t do it again. Even drinking in a casino is a threat to his career.

After a lot of moaning and weeping, Jared gets over his self-destructive behavior and decides to focus on the team. His resolve quickly changes when he catches a view of a gorgeous woman on the football field. He assumes she’s one of the team’s cheerleaders and tries to charm her into a date.

Chyna McCrea isn’t a cheerleader, but thanks to her friendship with one of the team’s cheerleaders she’s been hired as a part-time choreographer. Chyna quickly turns down Jared. Sure, she’s attracted; he’s gorgeous. But Chyna has heard the stories of how the football players treat the cheerleaders after dating them and wants better for herself. Chyna also has no time for dating or relationships.

I like to see heroes and heroines at work and there was a lot of that here. But Chyna tires me out just thinking about everything that she does. Chyna started working as an errand girl at a hedge fund after she graduated from high school. She’s worked her way up to a senior administrative assistant position. She’s also a part-time college student and as soon as she finishes her senior project and graduates she’ll be eligible for a junior management position with the hedge fund.

Although dance is Chyna’s first love, she’s working long hours to finish her senior project and graduate from college. She wants the money and the security that the management position will bring. In her spare time – and how can the woman have any spare time – she volunteers as a dance instructor at a community center. Couple all that with working as choreographer for the cheerleading squad and you have one busy woman.

But Jared isn’t one to give up and pursues Chyna. I could see the big conflict coming early on in their romance. Jared is used to throwing money around to buy whatever he wants for himself and his friends. Chyna grew up in poverty, lives frugally, and is appalled by Jared’s behavior. She insists they have practical, inexpensive dates, and won’t allow him to help her financially.

I had problems with the gambling incident and the way the team protected Jared. I also felt that things were wrapped up too quickly in the end after Jared and Chyna had a major disagreement. In the end I liked Chyna a bit more than Jared but found this to be just an average read.