Pass Interference (Game On #3) by Desiree Holt

{I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.}

Review and Character Study Playlist

Release: April 12, 2016

Type: Erotica, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance

Series: Game On #3

Over and over and over again people have told me I should pick up a Desiree Holt book. I’m sure friends always recommend her work since I enjoy reading erotica, but people also seem to comment on her ability to write likeable characters. I, therefore, had pretty high expectations when I picked up Pass Interference. Pass Interference also interested me due to it being a sports romance. See, I’m on an athletes kick lately...a really long and involved athletes kick. This book was a chance for me to not only read more of what I was currently loving but also branch out away from the hockey boys that had been dominating my life, and move onto a different kind of athlete. 

The Good

• The character Tony added a thoughtful element to the book. It’s not often that we get to see acquaintances of the heroine that are significantly older and friends of a parental figure play a role in the romance or in character development. It was interesting to see Tony speak not only to Rafe’s attraction to Tyler but also get his perspective on Tyler’s father after her mother died.

The Bad

• I’ve read the general idea of this book before...the heroine felt ignored by her parent(s) who were successful members of a sports community, so she acts out and then has some sort of “come to Jesus” moment where her life changes and she’s decide to now take on a relationship with the man she’s always wanted. Yep, I’ve read this general idea before.
• Although this book can be read as a stand-alone I felt like I was missing pieces of the puzzle. I’m going to take a guess in saying that Rafe’s friends at the gala were the heros of the previous Game On books, but without knowing anything about Rafe (where is he from, does he have a family, etc.) I’m just not sure how his friends fit in. It’s almost like he doesn’t have a life outside his football career and his ex-coach, Tyler’s father. All this leads to Rafe feeling pretty one-dimensional.

The Unique

• I’d categorize this book as a contemporary romance, however, it certainly had suspenseful elements woven in. Without the stalker element Tyler and Rafe may have never lived together and Tyler and her Father may not have begun to reconcile, so from a plot perspective the suspenseful element makes total sense. What the stalker storyline also showcased was Holt’s talent for writing in different genres and blending them together seamlessly. Pass Interference also had strong erotic elements, sports elements and protector elements...it covered a whole lot of romance tropes all in one read. The good thing about Holt’s ability to blend writing genres and tropes was that I didn’t notice distinct sections of the book or plot as having different voices or a different tone. Only after I read the book (in one sitting) and reflecting on it did I realize how many genres were really working in tandem.

The Playlist

• This playlist is a little of this and a little of that. The songs I chose were based on plot elements and what I imagine the characters were feeling. “Crash” by Dave Matthews Band was added for the stalker elements of the plot (you can read about the song here). “Need You Now” is based around Tyler reaching out to Rafe for help. “Bubbly” represents Tyler’s growing feelings for Rafe. “Wonderful Tonight” is how I imagine Rafe was feeling when Tyler and he attended the fundraiser. To represent Tyler and Rafe’s tumultuous relationship throughout the book I added in “Stay A Little Longer”. Finally, “When You Say Nothing At All” is symbolic of Rafe and Tyler’s HEA.

I rate this book:

What did you think of Pass Interference?
Are there any songs that remind you of Rafe, Tyler and their HEA?

Buy On Amazon