A Is For Allenson

Jennifer reviews debut author Allenson’s romance…

For Love of the Dame has been in my TBR pile since it came out in September 2014. Yeah, I know, a long time. But like most people, my TBR pile is huge, my time is limited, and therefore, it took me more than a year to get to it.

The contemporary romance is about a major league baseball player, Car, and an opera singer, Sofia, who is looking for her big break. She comes to the US from Italy to get it (and to escape her domineering father/manager). Car uses his fame to get her the exposure she needs in order to try to land an audition. And despite having nothing in common, the two fall in love.

Here’s the official blurb:

Italian opera singer Sofia de' Medici wants one thing: to sing Carmen in a first-rate New York opera house. She has escaped the clutches of her domineering father to achieve her dream, but can she overcome her own sweet nature and voluptuous beauty to take on the role of opera's greatest femme fatale?
 Major League baseball star Car Bradford wants one thing: to get his son away from his unfit ex-wife. In order to do that, he needs the help of her dad (and his boss) who demands a strange ransom -- pretend to be having an affair with a beautiful, curvy opera singer to get her the media attention she needs to nab the part of a lifetime.
 The trouble is, they have nothing in common. She's quirky; he's conventional. He hates her shoes; she hates his truck. She loves food; he sees it as fuel. But as they spend more time together, their awkward charade grows into a passion neither of them expected. Can the star athlete and sensuous diva get past their differences long to realize that they've both found the one thing they never knew they always wanted?

Now, I have to confess. I’m a baseball fan by marriage, which means I watch because my husband likes it, but usually get bored by the third inning. And I really, really, really dislike opera. However, I loved this book!

The characters are quirky and memorable and funny. I loved how Sofia compared every situation she found herself in to an opera, and even though opera isn’t my thing, I totally got it! I loved how Car shattered the stereotype of the “dumb jock.” And their chemistry together was hot!

Allenson’s writing style is fast-paced and distinct and she is phenomenal at choosing just the right word or phrase to exactly convey her meaning.

I can’t wait for her next book and I recommend adding her to your TBR list (even if you hate baseball and/or opera!). 

Rating: 5 hearts

Buy on Amazon here.