Off Sides Review

Book Review March 3rd

Off Sides 

by: Sawyer Bennett

★★★★4 Stars

BLURB: Ryan Burnham is the privileged son of a U.S. Congressman and captain of his university’s hockey team. While he is on the verge of fulfilling his dreams to play in the NHL, his parents want him on a different course. One he is expected to accept for the sake of his family’s public image.

Forced her to abandon her music career after the heart breaking death of her parents, Danny Cross exists on the opposite side of the tracks from Ryan. She is struggling to make her own way, working two jobs, attending college part time and volunteering in a homeless shelter. She is on a mission to build her own success.

With a chance meeting, their vastly different worlds collide, causing each to evaluate whether they are truly on the correct path to self-fulfillment and happiness. Can their relationship survive? Particularly when others are against them every step of the way. A lot can happen in just ten short days...

Sometimes you get lucky and find a great Free read on Amazon. Off Sides was way better than expected and was a great lazy Sunday afternoon read and did I mention it was FREE. 

Aside from the Awesomeness of it being free, Off Sides was a great book with a great storyline and great characters. 

Danny is not your average college student. She works herself to the bone trying to pay off old medical debts from her mother's fight with cancer. Danny does not have high expectations of life and enjoys the menial things such as working at the diner and interacting with customers. In comes hockey team captain and Congressman's son Ryan who is about as far out of reach from Danny as is outer space. 

The two sense a connection between them but are both wary of how it will work out. Danny knows she doesn't fit in with his rich friends and family and Ryan is overly concerned about said friends and family disrespecting Danny just because shes without a trust-fund. 

What I Liked
 Ryan was an amazing guy. Hello book boyfriend.!! When he meets Danny he can't get over the intense attraction he feels and when she stands up for herself against his snobby, no-good ex, he practically falls in love with her on the spot. Danny is brash and though her situation sucks in life, she never lets it bring her down or affect who she is. She stands up for herself and keep going no matter how hard things get. Ryan of course admires all this about her. I really thought Ryan's feelings towards Danny felt real and the way he constantly wanted to shield her from the world was a beautiful thing. He allows her to open his eyes to a life outside of his own such as when she takes him to the homeless shelter. At first he's wary but not conceited or scared. This scene is truly remarkable because it makes him have an epiphany about his own life and how much he takes for granted. The two compliment each other so well, it's hard to not see them together. 

The writing was exceptionally well. (Also for a free book, the grammar and spelling errors were non-existent). Unlike some New Adult books, this one really transported me back to college. In the beginning Ryan and his friends walk into Danny's diner after leaving a party, most are drunk, some high. From experience I know that college kids are unpredictable when drunk and the topics discussed can be the most bizarre ever. Yet here they discuss philosophy, which if you've been with a group of drunk people before is highly appropriate. How often do drunk people try and tackle the most ridiculous and debatable topics? 

What I Didn't Like 
Maybe it's just me or I just read too much that books become so predictable. I miss the shock value and the nail biting that comes with a unpredictable and fascinating read. Off Sides was great but very easy to predict the outcome. Danny will never be accepted into Ryan's family and from the beginning we know this. Obviously he is going to have to side against his own but only after they try to bribe Danny. Which of course happens. Maybe this is like a real thing rich people do or it's just an easy plot point for authors, but either way I wanted something else. His family was easy to dislike and aside from an incident at the frat house and a few fights all the tension rises from this offer that of course brings tension to their relationship. 
  
I would highly recommend Off Sides to fans of New Adult and YA. It has just enough romance, drama and likeable characters that make it a fun read you can really sink your teeth into.