Review by Booklist Review
Aaron Hill is a star quarterback for the 49ers, and he has fans aplenty, especially women. But why does his world feel so incomplete? Enter Derrick Anderson, a past-his-prime quarterback with multiple Super Bowl rings whom the 49ers' coach hires to mentor the troubled Aaron not on the field but between Sundays. Derrick has his own reasons for wanting to get to the Super Bowl one more time, his aging knees notwithstanding. What inspires both men is the wonderment of a little boy, Cory, and his foster mom, Megan Gunn, who, despite hardship, loves life, football, and God. And Cory carries a secret that just might prompt the recalcitrant Aaron to change his ways. This is Christian fiction with a solid, character-driven core, and even those not attuned to the message will find themselves hoping Aaron doesn't disappoint a little boy with so much riding on whether a quarterback can get his life together. The message intrudes a bit and, yes, there are some clichés on the gridiron but Kingsbury will win over anyone at all sympathetic to a story that combines family, faith, and football.--Wilkens, Mary Frances Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestselling author Kingsbury (Forever; Sunrise) sets her first hardcover novel in the world of professional football. Derrick Anderson, a retiring quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, promised his dying son that he would win a Super Bowl for him. His hope may rest on upcoming star Aaron Hill, who is beginning to find the glitz and glamour of life at the top meaningless. To complicate things, there's a young foster child named Cory who believes that Aaron is his dad and is determined to get his point across, and sparks fly (of course) between Aaron and Megan, Cory's foster mother. Kingsbury's fans can probably guess exactly how the story will turn out, but will still enjoy the ride. Woven into the light inspirational romance is a message about the needs of foster children, inspired by Alex Smith's work with the foster care system-Smith is the real-life 49ers' quarterback and penned the foreword. The writing at times plods, and everything is simple, sometimes unbelievably so-the story, the dialogue, the characters' Christian faith. But Kingsbury's fans like her novels sweet, and this one may motivate them to get involved and make a difference with some of the neediest kids. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
