THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE.
Matthew and Christinaâs lives couldnât be more different. Christina is a college student with dreams of becoming an actress. Whereas Matthew is a soccer prodigy, whose talent and reputation opens many doors wherever he goes.
But when Matthew becomes a temporary resident at Christinaâs university, their lives become suddenly entwined. Yet their relationship doesnât get off to the greatest start. Are their fiery conversations proof that they can never be friends, or evidence of an undeniable spark?
As summer approaches, tensions on campus begin to reach fever pitch, while Matthew lands himself in a situation he could have never imagined: facing life-threatening danger whilst having to decide between his lifetime goal, and being with the girl he loves.
A thrilling, romantic suspense novel, for fans of Kiersten Modglin, Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz.
THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME. AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE.
Matthew and Christinaâs lives couldnât be more different. Christina is a college student with dreams of becoming an actress. Whereas Matthew is a soccer prodigy, whose talent and reputation opens many doors wherever he goes.
But when Matthew becomes a temporary resident at Christinaâs university, their lives become suddenly entwined. Yet their relationship doesnât get off to the greatest start. Are their fiery conversations proof that they can never be friends, or evidence of an undeniable spark?
As summer approaches, tensions on campus begin to reach fever pitch, while Matthew lands himself in a situation he could have never imagined: facing life-threatening danger whilst having to decide between his lifetime goal, and being with the girl he loves.
A thrilling, romantic suspense novel, for fans of Kiersten Modglin, Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz.
He watched both of them dancing together, rage intensifying with every passing second. Seeing these two move so eloquently as one cohesive unit filled him with a level of fury that previously seemed impossible to reach.
And to make matters worse, they didnât even seem to notice. Regardless of how long his stare lingered, or the length of time that he remained glued to this same spot, neither one of them paid any attention whatsoever.
It was almost as if they didnât care. Apparently, all that mattered to them was each other, and nothing else.
How can this not bother them? Why wonât they acknowledge me? Am I really just being blatantly ignored? This is unacceptable.
It wasnât supposed to be this way. No, things were definitely not going according to plan at all. After everything that had been done up to this point, all those steps taken and the insane amount of effort exerted, he was still not getting desired results.
The dancing continued, just as fluid and smooth as before. Clearly, this tandem fit very nicely, like two peas in a pod. Some may even say that they belong together. He refused to go this far though, mainly because it was a disheartening truth that simply couldnât be handled.
While still watching from that same spot, a new emotion bubbled to the surface: jealousy now coursed through him like blood. He hated to admit that kind of feeling about anyone, particularly these two. Yet this was the stone cold reality, however unpleasant.
That led to another emotion, one even more powerful than the previous: hatred.
Yes, he hated each of them, with absolutely every fiber of his being. And the fact that nothing has been progressing as originally envisioned only fueled this fire of rancor even more.
Fortunately, a backup plan existed, one surefire failsafe that would alleviate this problem entirely. He vowed to only execute this strategy at the last possible moment, when all else seemed hopeless, and not a second sooner.
Well, that moment had arrived. No time like the present.
Nobody would have any reason to suspect him. Because he belonged here right now, just like everyone else, and his presence created no cause for trepidation.
But that was all about to change, in a very big way.
Staring darkly towards the dance floor, he located the happy couple again. An instant later, a previously holstered gun was now being held in his steady hands.
He had never done this before, nor even come close. So there should have been an incredible amount of nerves, perhaps even reluctance. But there was none; not an ounce of hesitation lurked at all. This felt surprisingly natural and easy. Above all else, it felt right.
Without a second thought, he aimed this weapon towards the dance floor, and pulled its trigger.
Then all hell broke looseâŚ.Â
Matthewâs new journey with Premier Soccer Academy at New Jersey University was just beginning. This was the opportunity of a lifetime and one that every player in the Elite Soccer League strives for. So it was completely unexpected when Matthew met two fellow players who had already pegged him as an enemy before they ever personally met him.Â
Aspiring actress, Christina, was beginning summer classes, also at New Jersey University. An introvert, Christina mostly kept to herself. After serving Matthew at the restaurant that she works at, Christina and Matthewâs lives soon intersect. After getting off to a rocky start, they find themselves being drawn back together and developing a connection, leading to a whirlwind romance in the span of 24 hours.Â
But their romance is soon interrupted by an ultimatum, leaving Matthew to choose between his love of soccer or his love for Christina.  What neither of them realizes is the danger that lies in Matthewâs final decision.Â
With most of my family being from Jersey City, I appreciated the personal connection that I immediately had with the location of the book. I also grew up playing soccer, so I have an appreciation for the sport. I also liked that author chose soccer, rather than the typical sport such as football or baseball.Â
The beginning of the book starts out ominous and kind of gave me Joe vibes from the Netflix show âYou.â  So I was excited to get started and learn the details of the events that were taking place.Â
Unfortunately, I felt that the beginning of the book dragged on. I kept wondering if there would be a turning point, and found myself quickly losing interest. While I appreciate a back story to individual characters before their lives intersect, the amount of backstory and detail leading up to Matthew and Christinaâs relationship was a bit much.Â
But I am glad that I hung on, because once the story reached its turning point, it really escalated in a suspenseful way. At that point, I couldnât stop reading. There were several unexpected twists that caught me off guard, and just when I thought I had the ending figured out I was proven wrong.Â
Overall, I felt the first half of the book was filled with details and events that could have been condensed into several less pages while still being able to tell the important backstory that was trying to be told. But once I hit that turning point I sucked in and glad I stuck around for the ending.Â