Tess recently moved back into a house where she lived with her family over a decade ago, before her husband’s job took them to another city. Now divorced, she looks forward to making her own choices and being independent, even if a lot of her time will be spent taking care of her two teenagers and making sure they pass their exams. One of her favourite memories from living in the area is playing rugby with the local club after her years as an international player, and she couldn’t be prouder of her daughter following in her steps. Part of why it’s such a good memory is Rowan, a younger player, now one of the senior players on the team but still one of the best. The attraction they both felt then doesn’t take long to come back to the surface.

A Game of Two Hearts is a gentle romance. It starts really well, with the author painting a relatable picture of a woman trying to get her agency back, in all areas of her life. Tess is an open book, whereas Rowan is more of a mystery, traumatized by her part in the accident that cost her mother her life and her younger sister her legs. Her guilt keeps her trapped in a life she doesn’t dislike but that lacks passion and true happiness. Until Tess comes back and they both fight their fears.

I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the book very much, but then it started slumping. The last part feels at once crammed and rushed, the bad guys’ behaviour exaggerated. That said, this is only the author’s second book and it made me want to check out their debut novel, Sleepless Nights. The story is good, the main characters are good, and so are most of the secondary ones. Tess’s struggle to juggle being on her own, falling unexpectedly in love, caring for her kids, helping her son through the divorce, all of that works very well. 3.5⭐️

A Game of Two Hearts @ IndieBound / Book Depository / Books-A-Million / amazon

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