Coparenting this baby
Is going to take teamwork
Former professional football player Jordan Schaeffer's
game plan was simple: retire from football and set up a quiet life in
Starlight. But when Cory Hall arrives with their infant son, Jordan not only
gets a surprise but has to devise a new life strategy. And Cory finds herself
agreeing to be his fake fiancée until they work out a co-parenting plan. Jordan
may have rewritten the dating playbook…but will it be enough to bring this team
together?
Good friends to lovers story. Cory and Jordan knew each
other when Jordan was on the same football team as Cory's boyfriend, Kade. Kade
was a jerk, interested mostly in what she did for him. All Cory wanted was to
be loved; she didn't care about his fame or fortune. During Kade's parties, she
often found herself finding a quiet spot to hide out. She frequently
encountered Jordan doing the same thing, and they struck up a friendship. When
Kade broke up with her, she had nowhere to go, so she went to Jordan. Neither
expected the passion that flared between them.
Jordan was recovering from a career-ending injury at the
time. When Cory left without a word the next day, he was hurt because he had
started to have feelings for her. Jordan moved across the country to Starlight,
where he bought a bar and made a new life for himself. He never expected to see
her again, much less with a baby she says is his.
I liked both Cory and Jordan. Both have some serious baggage
resulting from crummy childhoods. Cory was raised by a single mother who
resented her and blamed all of her problems on Cory. Her mom was always on the
lookout for her next rich boyfriend. She was thrilled when Cory landed Kade as
a boyfriend and furious when Cory broke things off. Cory's only support came
from her grandmother, who made Cory promise to find Jordan and tell him about
Ben before her death. When she arrives in Starlight, she's all but broke and
unsure of her reception.
Jordan is a nice guy. Growing up, he was continually pushed,
bullied, and berated by his father, who lived vicariously through Jordan's athleticism.
Jordan enjoyed the game but hated all of the stuff that went with it. At team
parties, Jordan frequently went off someplace by himself, so he could be
present without putting up with the BS. He often found himself hanging out with
Cory, whom he liked, but she was his teammate's girlfriend. Their night
together gave him hope, which was dashed when she left.
I loved the reunion between Cory and Jordan. She was so
nervous about telling Jordan about Ben, but after one look at the baby, he
knows she's telling the truth. I loved watching him step right up to being a father,
despite his nervousness. A family emergency causes Jordan to ask Cory to
pretend to be his fiancée for the weekend, a deception that they must continue
when his mom comes to Starlight for a visit. Thrown together "playing
house," it isn't long before both Jordan and Cory start wishing that their
relationship was real.
Unfortunately, both Cory and Jordan have issues that make
it difficult to believe that the other would want anything permanent. Cory's
years of being dependent on others left her with a desperate need to stand on
her own two feet. She works hard at keeping Jordan at an emotional distance,
afraid of being seen as "needy." Cory hides many of her fears behind
a sunny disposition but always thinks she won't measure up to others' expectations.
I loved seeing her make friends and begin to develop confidence in herself.
Because of his relationships with his family, Jordan
doesn't think he can make anyone happy. He is also terrified that he won't be a
good father, thanks to his experiences with his father. There were some sweet
scenes with Jordan and little Ben, and I loved seeing him start to believe in himself.
The scene where he took Ben to the meeting with him was fantastic.
I ached for both Jordan and Cory as their feelings grew,
and so did their fear of rejection. Cory had the added issue of needing to believe
in her ability to stand on her own. Both of them were so mixed up emotionally
when Cory moved out that neither could see its effect on the other. They were
so miserable apart, and everyone around them could see why. It was sweet to see
how Cory's friends supported her and helped her see past her fears. I loved
Jordan's conversation with his mother and its effect on him. His big moment at
the end was sweet and perfect for them.
The secondary characters were terrific. Jordan's mom was
fantastic in the way she rebuilt her life after his father's death. I liked her
efforts to repair her relationship with Jordan and how she took to Cory. I
adored Cory's new friends - Madison, Ella, and Tessa. It was fun to see Cory push
past Madison's prickly exterior and find a good friend. All three of them appear
to have interesting backstories, and I hope they all get stories of their own.
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