Interference - Harlow Cole

Interference by Harlow Cole

Genre: NA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): Brayden:

I’m a goddamn prodigy. It’s true. Ask anyone.

I threw my first curveball the day I was born.

The whole damn town is waiting on me.

To live up to my father’s famous name. To reach for the stars.

All I want to reach for is her.

But Ashley is the sweet addiction I can’t afford. She’s my best friend’s sister. Hell, she’s practically my little sister. For years, I’ve protected her from guys that want one thing. What happens now that I’ve turned into one of them? Who’s gonna shield her from the way I was made, from my little white lies and from what I’m about to become?

My game plan sounds simple: Pitch my way into the Major League draft and stay out of Ashley Foster’s pants. That first part may be statistically difficult.

The second feels damn near impossible.

Ashley:

From the moment we met, I knew he was trouble.

The kind my mother sent me to find.

The type that ruins you for any other brand.

When we were young kids, I didn’t know what to call the frogs and butterflies that danced in my belly whenever Brayden came near. Now I know they have a name.

Those three little words that could heal or destroy him.

Before Brayden, my life was normal. And then it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. Ever again. How was I to know stealing his seat would change all our lives?

Anger and forgiveness share two halves of the same coin.

Our story might make you choose sides. 

MY OPINION: *****

I adored this book, and as much as I hate to say it, there was something about it that was just so good that I had to keep reading. All I can say is don't judge a book by its cover because that cover is definitely not at all related to what actually happens within the book.  

Ashley "Soot" Foster meets Brayden Ross at a young age. They strike up a secret friendship in a library until one day, he meets her family and becomes best friends with her brother, Nathan. Although he and Nathan become "better" friends, Ashley and Brayden have always had an undeniable connection and I absolutely loved the evolution of their relationship in this book. 

Brayden is a baseball prodigy but has extreme daddy issues after his father basically abandons him and only reaches out every couple of months. I liked this trope mainly because it gave him more depth than just baseball-player-hot-dude. We actually got to see his personality and his issues in life and I definitely enjoyed that about his character. 

The writing style in this book is beautiful. I was not expecting it to be this smooth and well-written, especially given the fact that many romance novels are fairly cheesy or outlandish. While this book did have a few wild plot twists, I think it was all well-implemented and seemed realistic, despite the topics it dealt with. 

I loved the chemistry between Ashley and Brayden. As Ashley gets older, she is forced to harbor her feelings for Brayden, who's baseball skills are beginning to gain more recognition from huge scouts. However, Brayden starts to feel the same for Ashley but can't act on his feelings due to the fact that her brother is his best friend and also because he feels he is not good enough for her. Brayden is a bit of a "manwhore" and cycles through women like it's nothing, something I definitely do not condone. I wish the author had acknowledged the basic misogyny behind his cycle of girls and treatment of women but we can't have everything. Brayden does not want Ashley to get caught up in this cycle but doesn't trust himself enough to break it, so he chooses to try to stay away from her. 

This is definitely a slow-burn novel. You are kept waiting anxiously throughout the book for the two to realize their feelings for each other and then act on them. I do think that it was a fairly toxic relationship, with Brayden constantly messing up and Ashley trying to find the good sides of him to forgive him, but at the same time, there was so much chemistry between them that I couldn't help but root for them, toxicity and all. I do like how this book didn't overly romanticize toxic relationships and instead made sure to illustrate how detrimental and harmful it can be. 

The ending left me in shock. I had to physically stop reading for a while after that ending but I am currently on the second book. I was not expecting that to happen in the slightest, considering the place that Ashley and Brayden had gotten themselves to, so it was definitely a plot twist.

I loved this book. I am not ashamed to say it. The writing is exquisite and the relationship is to die for. DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER! I would recommend this book to readers looking for a romantic, heart-wrenching, beautifully-written novel!

Main Character: Ashley, Brayden

Sidekick(s): Nathan, family, etc

Villain(s): Abandonment, misunderstandings, cheating, etc

Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.