Reviewed by Dee
TITLE: The Set Piece
AUTHOR: Catherine Lane
PUBLISHER: Ylva Publishing
LENGTH: 306 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 04, 2015
BLURB:
Smart and athletic, Amy Kimball should have it all, but her life’s in a tailspin. She’s working two menial jobs to make ends meet, barely a paycheck away from financial disaster, and women aren’t exactly lining up at her door.
Enter soccer star Diego Torres, who’s keeping a big secret: he’s gay. His manager fears that if he’s found out, his endorsements and his chance to play for the national team will evaporate into the wind.
Amy jumps at the chance to act as Diego’s fake fiancée, even though it means signing her life away in a non-disclosure agreement. On the surface, the job couldn’t be better: the money’s great; the living accommodations are luxurious, and she gets to watch her favorite soccer team from the players’ box at the stadium.
But she soon realizes that this new life is even harder to navigate than her old one. Diego’s manager is as sleazy as they come, and this easy job soon turns complicated, possibly even dangerous. More important, all the lies Amy is forced to tell are starting to eat away at her soul, especially when she finds herself attracted to Casey Palmer, Diego’s pretty assistant.
Will Amy watch from the sidelines, or will she find the courage to get back into the game?
REVIEW:
I played soccer as a teenager so the cover for this story totally called to me, not to mention the fact that I love a good scandal and lesbian romance.
When Diego drops the ball, over stress of being outed, his manager finds him a fake fiancée. Amy is suspicious at first, rightly so, but when it becomes clear the offer is legit she’s totally onboard. A $1,500 weekly pay check and lush surroundings would be hard for many people to pass up, especially for someone who can’t even afford to put gas in their car.
The scene when Amy quit her job, and stuck it to her pig of a boss, was classic.
My heart went out to Amy roommate, Simon. For the brief part he played he came across as a top-notch guy. The way she dropped him like a hot potato left me cold. By the time Amy tried to redeem herself the damage had been done. I’m glad Simon didn’t fall at her feet as he’s the only character who seemed to have a spine.
I didn’t care for Diego at all, he came across as a wimp. I think in part that’s due to the fact the story’s told completely from Amy’s point-of-view. There’s the hint of a scandal when pictures of Diego in compromising situations come to light, thus begins Amy and Casey’s pursuit into uncovering the ‘mole’. To me it was so clear I thought I had to be wrong, whether or not I was I’m not going to say.
The relationship between Amy and Casey, or should I say attraction, moved fast once the ladies made it known they were into each other. Amy took a huge risk by spilling her guts, and I’m surprised no lawsuits followed.
I love learning new things while reading and in this story it was soccer golf. It sounded like such fun.
Summary, while this story didn’t blow me out of the ballpark, unlike Heartwood also by Catherine Lane, I still found it an enjoyable read and am sure many others will too.
RATING: 
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