Review: The Wilde Card

The Wilde Card by Ashley R. King
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 33%.

Simone is thirty-seven years old and has come to, maybe not a mid-life crisis but a realisation that her life is not what she wanted. CEO of her family's hotel chain, divorced after finding her husband was cheating on her, unhappy in love and unhappy in work she realises that she has been a people pleaser all her life and if she doesn't change something soon she'll be unhappy for the rest of her life.

Attending a luxury hotel with her sister and brother-in-law, she acts completely out of character and indulges in a one-night stand with a young Canadian tennis professional called Alex Wilde, secure in the knowledge that he is unlikely to visit her home town of Atlanta, Georgia. Unbeknownst to Simone, Alex's game is suffering, overwhelmed by his desire to do better than his nasty step-brother Bastien, and he has asked her brother-in-law and his business partner to coach him, hoping to emulate her brother-in-law's success in the game. When Simone announces that she has resigned as CEO, her brother-in-law's partner asks her to join their coaching team, particularly since her brother-in-law is about to go on tour with her sister (who is an author).

No-one tells Simone that she will be helping to coach Alex, until the day she is blind-sided by him in a meeting. How can she keep it professional when her body throbs with passion every time she thinks about his body and the amazing things he did to hers?

I admit I had my doubts about requesting this book from NetGalley, a former CEO who turns tennis coach, who is also a divorced single mother? It sounded a bit hinky but I loved the idea of her finding a HEA with a hot young tennis professional eight years her junior. Sadly, I'm almost a third of the way into the book and all I've got is a woman who dissolves into a puddle of lust every time Alex even walks past her, a man who constantly babbles French (sorry, but that's why I refuse to read any book set in New Orleans because I loathe the way the men say 'cherie' every couple of pages), zero plot and way too much throbbing, rubbing of thighs and reminiscing about sexy times. It's not even as if the steamy scenes were anything to get me hot and bothered just page after page of yawn-inducing platitudes.

I gave it a good chance but I'm sorry I've had enough, not enough plot, no character development, irritating side characters, and steam-less love scenes.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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