She's a Keeper by Tember Sapphire

SHE'S A KEEPER really is a keeper because it made me like several tropes I normally avoid at all cost (e.g. second chance, third act breakup, miscommunication). It also starts out in a really unusual way: with the hero breaking up the heroine's wedding... to another man.

From there, we go back in time and see them, first as children, and then as teens navigating their first love, and all their other firsts, together. We already know that they're going to break up but not how or why, so the saccharine sweetness of their puppy love is tinged by the bitter knowledge that it isn't going to last.

I loved that this was set in Saint Lucia and the author implemented Saint Lucian Creole (with translations!). The fact that the hero and heroine were both in sports was also fun, because it made them feel more like they were on a level playing field (hee!) and also infused it with some girl power, Bend It Like Beckham vibes.

This is a novella and I do think that affected the pacing a little. The beginning really starts off with a bang, but then it felt a little draggy in the middle. I get that the author was setting up the relationship between them, and showing why they worked, and why Lionel was the perfect boyfriend, but the flashbacks didn't always work for me. Props to Ms. Sapphire for having a twist that actually made me gasp out loud, though.

I'm launching immediately into SHE'S A GRINDER, and I can already see how much the author has polished her writing style and improved her craft from here. But still, this was fun. 

3 out of 5 stars