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3.5/5 ��

Full review on my Blog: ��

I �� an occasional die-hard football fan who just discovered her passion for a good romantic comedy �� to sleep on this?
Sis, not on my watch.

About Zapata I’ve heard a couple of times and I was not convinced that I would ever pick up one of her books. But this one begged to differ. Because I picked it up and I actually enjoyed it.

There is more of this book than its sports-related topic and the fact that it was supposed to be some romantic little story happening there. There are some issues exposed that some might not know of or care about. But on some level, I do.

I am not the biggest fan of this apotheosis when it comes to football players. I mean, it really takes hard work and talent and a lot of sacrifices to get there, of course, but isn’t that the case with all of the other sports? Not a single sport out there is easy to perform on a grand scale so why kicking the ball around is worth more money? And especially, why is it like this only for men?

(Keep in mind that I don't attack anyone here, I am just trying to understand how things work and I seem to think that rhetorical questions help me)

Women play football too. And damn well, I might add. So why is it that women are trashed like that, not taken seriously as real athletes and paid "enough" to force them to take another job to pay their taxes?

Well, this is one of the issues in this book and the story behind a woman who plays professional football �� Sal Casillas �� and this book’s Fußballgott, Sal’s idol, Reiner Kulti.

Also, it isn’t only about how poorly treated Sal is here, but it is also about what fame has to bring to someone like Kulti. It is not pretty either.

It is interesting to follow though, if you ask me.

Sal and Kulti’s relationship is actually really credible. Everything is taken step by step, the friendship is clearly outlined first and then, by the end, everything falls neatly into place. A bit too conveniently, a small cynical part of me wants to say. But it feels like a nice dream (that we all have at one point �� you know, that wild dream that you almost not dare think about but secretly, deeply wish for) that just comes true. And to hell with all, I am a sucker for nice dreams that come true! Good people deserve their wishes answered, even if they are spoken only inside their hearts!

Sure, Sal is just too amazing for her own good and Kulti is a total cocky asshole �� a bit too possessive �� but they actually fit together so well I just can’t help but cheer for them. Zapata really made a neat job with those two.

Sure, there were certain aspects that bothered me a bit, one of them being that it took me too much to actually get into the storyline and another being the fact that sometimes everything happening felt a tiny bit too surreal.

But you know what made up for everything? Sal’s relationship with her dad. I mean, her dad is such a mood and he is amazing and I loved seeing a strong father-daughter relationship in a book. It is worth millions, I am telling you.

For my seventh contemporary romance novel in a month, this was mildly rom, mildly com, and thoroughly enjoyable. I am glad I picked it up!