It is great to be back in Cambria Hebert’s “Westbrook Elite” world again for another amazing novel, a sports romance and wow get a fan ready because she turned up the heat for this one. Each book stands on its own in this series, but I recommend enjoying them in order written because the characters are interconnected and appear in each other’s books and knowing their backstory adds more depth and seeing them again is like seeing an old friend. That said, this fifth book is Jason Rush and Landry Resch’s story, both recent additions to the “Elite”, both coming with their own secrets and baggage. Their first encounter was a steamy one meeting while he was checking out the school and she was visiting her father, who is the swim team’s head coach. Landry transfers to Westbrook after injuring her shoulder, and her father made her an assistant coach. We learn later on that the injury was not the only reason she left Ohio to go live with her dad. Rush was not expecting to see Landry again, and vice versa, but they still held that fierce attraction to each other. Despite her being off limits as the coach’s daughter, he had to have her, and she had to have him. Then Rush’s past comes back to haunt him, a past he is still trying to come to grips with. Landry stands by his side and so does Lars, his roommate and best friend and, to Rush’s surprise, so does the team. I loved the camaraderie amongst the team members, as well as the friendship bond between Lars and Rush. There is never a dull moment in this book, the story has a lot of layers and the writing, plot and world building is fantastic, as are the character growth and development. This fast-moving story has drama, angst, twists and turns, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. Cambria Hebert, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 Cecily Foster and Gavin McAllister were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life, doing so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting. I loved how they took each role and made it their own, sounding believable and just as I imagined the characters would sound. Foster nailed it as Landry, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her fierceness and to her strength and caring side. McAllister did the same for Rush and was spot on with his personality, from his vulnerable side to bossy Dom side. Both were fantastic performing the roles of all the secondary and side characters, too. They set the right tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their performance elevates this already amazing story to another level. Thanks for another fabulous listen.