Coach Me by Shanora Williams

 

BOOK: Coach Me 

AUTHOR: Shanora Williams

TYPE: Standalone

GENRE: Forbidden Romance

POV: First Person - Dual

PAGE COUNT: 322 (Kindle Edition)

PUBLICATION DATE: May 10, 2020

DATE READ: Jan 11, 2021

*(Subject to change)*

3.91

Amber Lakes - 19

Joaquin Torres - 30 

When I met Amber Lakes, I had no idea that she’d become a shining star in my dark, miserable life.

Her smile was never supposed to warm my heart, and the sight of her tears was never supposed to make me want to hunt down the person who’d caused them.

We were never supposed to touch, or kiss, or do so many dirty things on campus that I knew could jeopardize my career...

None of it was supposed to happen because she’s the student—my athlete—and I’m her college track coach.

I could lose everything by being with her, but I’ve fallen too damn hard, and despite how big the risks are, it’s too late to turn back now.

Joaquin Torres.
The man of my dreams.
My knight in shining white armor.
He is all I’ll ever need.
He is all I’ll ever know.
And I am perfectly happy with that.

Let me start by saying that student/teacher romances are my jam everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. So I knew I would probably be a happy girl going into this.

Coach Me by Shanora Williams ticked off some of my favorite forbidden tropes. Forbidden, age gap and student-teacher. It also has an underlying tone of racism and discrimination. I so enjoy Shanora's writing and I love her originality, wit and creativity. Her characters are always complex, interesting and endearing. And I can't tell you how much I LOVE how Shanora just dive bombs into taboo/forbidden themes like she does. From Wanting Mr. Cane, which I loved, to The Man I Can't Have which was just phenomenal. I already love a good teacher- student romance and this book reminded why I do so..

Fuck the risks. Fuck the age difference. Fuck it all. Amber Lakes is all mine and I’ll be damned if I let her slip away from me.

First thing that caught my attention in this book was the title. First thought in my mind... Mmm! This sounds like something dirty. Exactly my type. But there is nothing depraved here, rather than a beautiful and sweet story of a university student and her track coach. With a hero that will no doubt frustrate the HELL out of you and a heroine that doesn’t necessarily do the things you expect her to do - Coach Me will definitely endear you. I really liked the relationship that formed between Amber and Joaquin. They've both experienced loss and faced many hardships. And both are perfectly beautiful together despite the age difference. I loved the slow-burn feel of the book and I enjoyed the supporting characters in the story. I loved the steady pace, the depth and descriptions in this story.

We are meant to be, and one day we will be, and that gives me so, so much to look forward to.

One thing that left me wanting more was its abruptness. I mean, there were no heated looks or lingering stares, Amber and Joaquin haven't even talked properly and then BAM, they're full on making out and sucking each other's tongue. There wasn’t enough tension for me. I do wish we had a little more build up between them and then let them loose. And the end part with the time lapse didn't capture me at all. But still, I was happy with the book. I enjoyed Amber the most, I felt she was written to be much more mature for her age than even Joaquin was, in my opinion.

“Shit, Amber,” I groan in her ear. “I won’t be able to go easy,” I warn her. “Then don’t.” She hooks an arm around the back of my neck and leans her upper body up to mine. “Fuck me the same way you coach me.”

Shanora Williams is a must read author for those who just can't resist forbidden tropes. And Coach Me is a good one and like every other Shanora Williams book that I've read, the edgy plot with angst and light drama definitely appealed to me.

• ❝Falling in love is like being diagnosed with an incurable disease. It’s inevitable and unexpected. The kind of love you find when you fall is raw and can feel so very real. It breathes, moves, and thrives inside every single nerve and organ in your body.❞

• ❝Coach Torres is walking sex on a stick and I am one hundred percent intrigued by him.❞

• ❝When someone I don’t even know is in pain, I manage to feel for them, and when it’s someone I do know, I literally feel everything.❞

• ❝We’re like magnets, her and I. I can never seem to pull away from her when she’s close.❞

• ❝I don’t hate every cop. Trust me, I don’t, because I know some work hard, they are dedicated, and want to save lives, but cops like him? Cops who are too quick to reach for their guns without listening to reason? Quick to judge someone without facts or proof, or because their skin is different than theirs? Those are the cops I hate. They don’t deserve to have authority or power, and people in this world who are just like them, without the badge and gun, are just as bad and that’s why I don’t stand for any of that bullshit anymore. If I see it, I speak up. I try and make a difference because I had the chance before and failed not only myself and my mother, but my father too.❞

• ❝Fuck the risks. Fuck the age difference. Fuck it all. Amber Lakes is all mine and I’ll be damned if I let her slip away from me.❞

• ❝We are meant to be, and one day we will be, and that gives me so, so much to look forward to.❞

• ❝Joaquin Torres. The man of my dreams. My knight in shining white armor. He is all I’ll ever need. He is all I’ll ever know. And I am perfectly happy with that.❞

• ❝The kind of love you find when you fall is raw and can feel so very real. It breathes, moves, and thrives inside every single nerve and organ in your body.❞

• ❝Do not let these privileged people steal your fucking shine. That shine is yours. You worked on it every single day to get here. They have no right to take that from you.❞

• ❝Forget trying to fit in. Why not stand out and be great?❞

• ❝“I need you again,” he rasps on the hollow of my throat. “What happened over break wasn’t enough.” “No,” I breathe out raggedly, lowering my head. “It wasn’t.” ❞

Shanora Williams is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty romance and diverse suspense novels.

She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the mother of three amazing boys, has a fiercely devoted and supportive husband, and is a sister to eleven.

When she isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family, binge reading, or running marathons on TV streaming services while scarfing down something sweet and salty.

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