Gabby believes she just blew the interview for a job she felt she was meant for – Assistant Baseball Coach at her younger brother’s old high school in Almond Bay. Nursing her wounds at the bar, she sees a handsome and familiar man walk in. The man is none other than Ryland Rowley – the head coach of said baseball team. And the one person who didn’t even show up to her interview. Realizing he doesn’t even recognize her from previous interactions when her brother Bennett used to play, she decides to have a one night stand. After all, she’s always been attracted to him, and she likely wont ever see him again. So after an incredible night together, they part ways. Then Gabby gets a phone call with the job offer. She’ll be working with Ryland after all. And when her new apartment happens to be above Ryland’s new house garage, things become more complicated. Especially since neither of them can forget the night they spent together. The Path to Loving Him by Meghan Quinn is an adult sports romance in which Gabby and Ryland must figure out how to coexist without stepping over that fine line between friends (without benefits) and lovers.
Book
The Path to Loving Him is a standalone but is the third in the Almond Bay series. The Way I Hate Him and The Reason I Married Him fall into the same world. So readers who know the series will see familiar characters in this one.
The one night stand left Gabby feeling empty. She didn’t expect the encounter to be so good. Nevertheless, she has to suck it up and figure out a way to establish a professional relationship with Ryland going forward. He had no idea who his new hire was until Gabby showed up at the school. Additionally, she didn’t know how to tell him that she’s also his new tenant. Needless to say, Ryland didn’t appreciate the surprise.
After all, Ryland has more things to worry about. He’s the guardian of his late sister’s four-year-old daughter, Mackenzie. And she is his main priority. He can’t risk falling into gray romantic areas with his new tenant/coworker. But despite mutually agreeing to a friends-without-benefits situation, they can’t seem to keep their hands off of each other. Cue the angst, spice, and chemistry.
Review
Meghan Quinn proves yet again to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to adult romance with The Path to Loving Him. This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and she definitely lives up to her reputation. Her characters have depth beyond their attraction to each other.
Gabby has sacrificed so much to get her younger brother into the major leagues, and is still getting over a toxic relationship. Ryland is constantly doubting his competence in raising his niece, and also recovering from a traumatic childhood. Quinn shows how these characters’ pasts affect their outlook on relationships, while demonstrating how well they fit together because of it. With steamy scenes aplenty, readers will undoubtedly glue themselves to the pages until the very end. Not to mention that tear-jerking epilogue. I’m definitely adding more of Quinn’s book to my TBR.
