 “Professional athletes are pillars of their respective communities. They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.” The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do. What started out as a promising career in college football, spiralled into scandal and shame. But being a hero is easier said then done. Especially when there are those who expected to see the great Brody Madden fail. I craved nothing except being the best—willing to do anything to prove them wrong. But I went too far, and I tried too hard, and it broke me. “At the time of going to print, Jordan Elliott was unavailable for comment.” I met Brody Madden in my senior year of college. An Australian native on an international scholarship, I was the female soccer sensation with stars in her eyes and no room for a hotshot wide receiver with a chip on his shoulder. But a heart bursting with ambition and a driving fire to succeed isn’t made of stone. I became his strength, his obsession, and the greatest love of his life. Only I wasn’t there when he needed me most. This is a story about love and a game that takes everything. Where the path to glory is paved with sacrifice. Where pressure makes you, or breaks you, and triumph is born in the ashes of failure. Where two people’s end game will change everything. *** 18+ recommended. Contains adult language and adult themes.*** 3.5 Star Review by Ashley Sports romance, good. Both main characters are athletes, yes please. Though I could tell from the cover, The End Game was going to be anything but an easy love story. I won't lie, this was my first Kate McCarthy book and I was completely entranced. Her writing and the depth she gave to her characters was stellar. There was so much angst in these pages that I kept waiting for the next bad thing to happen. However, it was balanced well with humor, sweetness and some sexiness too! I really liked Jordan, serious girl crush here. She is the total package- smart, sporty, sexy and sweet. She is following her dream and I commend her for taking the risk and leaving her life down under. Things take a turn when her professor makes her stretch her already limited time by helping another student. Only problem is, this student doesn't want help. He needs it but is willing to accept what everyone has always told him; that he isn't good enough. Enter Brody Madden. This guy broke my heart. He was so good at football and being the face of the team and pretending to be laid back. But he was struggling. BIG TIME. The demons he had spent his whole life battling were catching up to him and on the cusp of taking away the one thing that made sense to him, the place he was free to fly, football. Things take their natural course with these two. Love hate turns into lust and eventually just love. I liked seeing them have a safe place to fall and share their fears and dreams. Their heartbreak over the events in the past that shaped their present. As the pressure mounts for both Jordan and Brody to succeed, things start to unravel. Brody does the unthinkable and it sets off a chain of events that continue to accumulate until it came to a heart stopping head. My pulse was pounding and I had to actually stop reading for a moment. I was so enthralled and wrapped up in the story that I didn't realize I was at the end until I saw the epilogue page pop up. All that being said, the last bit left be a bit disappointed. There was so much happening and then I flip the page and BAM! Everything is resolved. This aspect of The End Game left me feeling a touch disappointed. I wanted that chunk of the story. The gritty and ugly that would've came with Brody's road to redemption. But if there was one thing I learned about these two is that even though they fight hard, they love so much harder. Their journey was rife with pain and heartbreak but when they were together they soared. And that ending, though a bit rushed, did leave me with a goofy grin on my face. About the Author Kate McCarthy grew up in a small town outside of Port Macquarie, Australia. Raised in a house just a short walk to the beach, Kate enjoyed the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere and friendships that come from being raised in a friendly, small town area.
Kate now resides in Brisbane, Australia, a city in the state of Queensland where she works full time on her writing. She has two children, two dogs, and a pile of friends and family dotted all over the world that help keep her sane. When she's not busy running after naughty kids, filthy dogs, and writing books, you can find her curled up in bed in the early hours of the morning reading new books and re-reading old favourites. Website: http://katemccarthy.net/ Goodreads: bit.ly/1TRGumI Facebook: on.fb.me/1WVIgBm
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