See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson, Avon

Rachel Gibson scores with See Jane Score, a quick paced romance with a comic edge to it set in Seattle, Washington. Perhaps it was the mindset I was in when I picked up this book, but I read it quickly and enjoyed it. It was exactly what I needed for the mood I was in.

Jane Alcott is a likeable heroine with spunk, she's short and does not make herself up in addition to dressing mostly in black. She writes a Single Girl column for a Seattle newspaper and is not taken very seriously by other reporters because of it. She is assigned to cover the Seattle Chinooks hockey team while the normal covering reporter is on medical leave. Jane is a woman in a man's world, and one where she is not wanted, but she stands tall, stays persistent both in and out of the hockey arena.

Luc Martineau is a stereotypical jock, but Gibson has written him so well his womanizing is forgotten about once we get to know him and see how he interacts with Jane. His younger sister is an interesting twist to the story, giving us a side to Luc we would not otherwise have occasion, or reason, to see.

Jane has a good friend, Caroline, who is a hoot. She's the opposite of Jane, flashy, likes makeovers, shopping and getting gussied up. She gives Jane some good advice throughout the book, and we (like with Luc's sister) gain insight into Jane we wouldn't otherwise be privy to.

The setup to Jane and Luc's relationship is a good one, from their initial meeting it's clear that these two are going to be a match for one another as Luc despises reporters and Jane is determined to do a great job so she is taken more seriously. Their chemistry is not forced, the saying that opposites attract seems to apply here. We certainly learned enough about Luc to know that Jane is not his usual type and Jane has a tendency to run from relationships if they turn too serious.

I enjoyed See Jane Score. I liked the characters, even the secondary characters. The book was paced well, it moved along quickly but not too quickly. It would have gotten tedious if each and every road game and night on the road was covered. Rachel made her characters interesting, giving them both a somewhat checkered past without carrying it into the book where the reader could hold it against the character. It's a sweet romance that leaves the reader feeling good when it's done.

©Susan Matthews and phantomroses.com