Champion of Her Heart (Buena Hills Book 2)

While Mitchell “Mitch” Skaggs is playing beach volleyball for fun with some friends, he is noticed by Coach Tom Buchanan. Tom offers Mitch the chance of a lifetime to play professional beach volleyball. Mitch is apprehensive about this idea, especially since he already loves his job as an athletic trainer. As he is talking about being approached to play volleyball at his workplace, McKenzie “Zee” Bowman, a shy, dedicated gymnast who also trains there, slowly talks him into it. Mitch has a huge crush on McKenzie, who secretly likes him too. As Mitch gets McKenzie to slowly open up, McKenzie doesn’t know if she should even trust him, especially when there are many obstacles in the way. Busy schedules and even McKenzie’s own mother could destroy the budding relationship between them.

What a beautifully told contemporary sports romance that is a completely engaging tale! The passion of both athletes is well-researched and wonderfully told, definitely putting readers in an Olympic spirit! Sure, most readers may want to start at the beginning of the series just to get the scope of all the minor characters’ relationships, but it isn’t really necessary to do so to understand what is going on. Yes, the love story is a slow burn, but when Mitch and Zee actually do get together it makes it’s that much more satisfying. Mitch the handsome volleyballer is just the perfect optimistic extroverted hero to balance McKenzie’s quiet, introverted ways. Ms. Gygi fantastically portrays how difficult it is to have love between a volleyball player and a gymnast. Their story simply rings true!

Roslynn Ernst