The Gist: A magnetic and delicious sports romance that breathes life into the bad boy trope.
Series: The Wolves, #1*
Release Date: September 15, 2021
Especially not hotheaded tight ends with tattoos and impulse control problems.
That’s why Dominic Walker is completely off my radar. Sort of.
Babysitting the team troublemaker when he’s forced to volunteer for the foundation where I work means I can’t exactly avoid him.
I wish I had though. Because once I get to know Dominic, it’s almost impossible to ignore the feelings he brings out in me.
Pretty soon, I’m breaking all my rules. I just have to hope he doesn’t break my heart in the process.
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
• Grief
• Anger management problems
• No OW/OM drama
• Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
• Does have a ~1-month separation between the Hero and Heroine (both celibate)
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: eARC
Rating: 4.5-stars
*Each book in the series is Standalone
Note: I received The Lie from Karla Sorensen’s team in exchange for an honest review.
•••
I was shocked and so happy to receive the eARC of The Lie by Karla Sorensen. I’ve mentioned how The Lie saved me from a mediocre reading week in a few of my weekly wraps. I always trust Karla to produce a great romance novel, and while I went into The Lie expecting to like the book, I was blown away by the chemistry between the main characters, Faith and Dominic.
The Lie is the first in a series of books that spins off from Karla’s Washington Wolves series. Faith, the daughter of Luke and step-daughter to Allie (read their book from the Washington Wolves series, The Bombshell Effect), is the new director of her stepmom’s foundation. Dominic is the new addition to the professional football team, Washington Wolves (Faith’s step-mom is the owner, and her dad is the ex-quarterback). Their first meeting is rocky – to say the least. Faith is the quintessential good girl, and Dominic walks through life with a huge chip on his shoulder. But, their opposing personalities yield palpable chemistry.
Magnetic Chemistry
Of all the books I’ve read by Karla Sorensen, The Lie stands out for the tangible sexual and romantic chemistry between Faith and Dominic. Their connection was filled with banter, innuendo, depth… and was just sexy. The Lie pulled in all the best aspects of opposites-attract romances: they challenged each other and helped each other grow.
Refreshing the “Bad Boy” Trope
The “bad boy” trope was done so well. Dominic’s character had depth – he was an asshole not just because of his tragic family history but also because of his relationship to football. Most Heroes in football sports romances attend a Division I university on scholarship and are drafted onto a professional team. Dominic was on the football team but also had to work to get himself through school. After graduation, he went undrafted and was a walk-on with serious job insecurity (he had to work twice as hard as his teammates to even be considered). I appreciated the nuance of Dominic’s characterization, especially because his gruffness was juxtaposed so adorably by his infatuation with Faith.
Why Not 5-stars?
Faith comes across as very privileged in The Lie, and even worse, she’s ignorant about her privilege. It’s realistic, as her stepmom is a billionaire, but when her privilege became evident, it was so cringy. Examples? Faith insinuates that Dominic has never worked hard at something, and I was embarrassed for her. It came across as very insensitive, considering she—and her children and their children—never need to work a day in their lives.
Also, Faith had a very juvenile tendency to generalize people. I think it’s her way of coping as a control freak, but it came across as remarkably immature. Which leads me to a controversial opinion about the main conflict:
I admit it got skeevy when Dominic gave Faith advice as the anonymous penpal about their relationship – with Faith not realizing she was speaking to her boyfriend. While his advice was “be honest”… Faith took it to be honest about her desires. Hence, the skeevy part. Also, I admit the honesty part is a double standard on Dominic’s part.
But, I do think Faith’s reaction after discovering Dominic knew and didn’t tell her was a bit overblown. It felt like she was projecting her insecurities from her last relationship with a footballer in university onto the situation.
In Conclusion
I really enjoyed how The Lie focused on Dominic’s growth; it felt remarkably healthy, which is not something I’m used to in romance novels. Unfortunately, as a result, Faith’s growth suffered a bit; I didn’t feel like her individual arc was as developed.
Notably, The Lie is one of the rare romance novels in which I felt more connected to the Hero than the Heroine. But I appreciated how Faith’s best friend and sister kept her honest about her tendency to judge people.
But, despite the aspects of the book that impeded a 5-star rating, there are so many great scenes in The Lie that are the epitome of romance. No spoilers, but I’m thinking of a key scene at the end of the book.
I’m so happy Karla Sorensen decided to continue writing in the Washington Wolves series! The latest spin-off is looking to be as good as The Ward Sisters. I can’t wait until Faith’s sister’s book!
Buy The Lie
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