PLAYING HARDBALL
Strong central characters find themselves battling with ambition and deception
tephanie Evanovich delivers another swoon- worthy romance with The Total Package. She reunites the heroine of her stor y with her long- lost love in the most unlikely of settings — a football field. Dani Carr is an aspiring sports journalist with big dreams of becoming a television analyst. She’ll stop at nothing to prove that a woman is capable of doing the job well. She’s sacrificed a lot to get this far in her career, and a job with the Austin Mavericks may be the break she needs to make it into the big time.
Dani never expected her world to come crashing down when her first true love, Tyson Palmer, doesn’t recognise her when he joins the team as the new star quarterback. Palmer, a first- round draft pick, was a winning quarterback, heartthrob — and painkiller addict. He was kicked off his team and hauled off to rehab. Fortunately, the Mavericks see beyond the drugs and take a chance on Palmer to lead them to the Super Bowl. All he has to do is remain focused. Although pills are no longer a distraction, Dani may be a problem. After a few days of working together, Tyson finally realises that the smart, sexy woman in the front office is the girl who had a crush on him in college. He has no idea why she insists that they keep their relationship professional.
The Total Package is a will- they- or- won’t- they love story set in the exciting world of NFL football. Evanovich weaves a story that spans over a decade, chronicling the challenges of young love. Readers will root for the quarterback who deserves a second chance and cheer for the journalist trying to claw her way to the top.
Will Tyson win the game and the girl?