Synopsis
Jack appeared at my door last night after six months of no communication wearing a Mets jersey and holding a dozen red roses. He told me he was sorry, that he loved me, and that he would earn my trust again. It took everything in me to not fall apart at the mere sight of him. I wanted to take him back into my life, but I needed to know that this time it would be forever…
In J. Sterling’s highly anticipated follow-up to her USA Today bestselling novel The Perfect Game, Jack and Cassie quickly realize that their new lifestyle can often be cruel and unforgiving. Their happiness is put to the test as the past is never truly far behind.
How do you stay together when the world’s trying to tear you apart?
4 out of 5 stars
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My Review
“When you figure out love is all that matters after all, it sure makes everything else, seem so small.” So Small – Carrie Underwood
We all know what went down in The Perfect Game, the heartache we endured, the shouting at our Kindle at Jack Fucking Carter and then he (kind of) mended it at the end, proving just how much he loves Cassie, how he needs to to forgive him and how he can’t imagine his life without her in it.
The Game Changer has new challenges, about dealing with the pressure of being in the public eye, especially for Cassie. It’s about whether she can deal with everything that comes with it, whether its enough to just be with Jack….it makes her evaluate her life and you know you will be hooked, needing to know this story, needing more of these two in your life and before you know it, you’re at the end, grinning like a buffoon.
Books about fame and dealing with the pressure of being in the limelight are ones that I enjoy…although they do give me a hernia! And The Game Changer was no different. The pressure is on Cassie and Jack right from the start. The pressure about their life together, the made-up stories, the lies, photographs that don’t paint the full picture, the bitchiness online, everything boils down to the pressure of the media world and although they don’t want it to affect their relationship, its bloody hard for it not to.
I felt for Cassie so badly. She took the brunt of everything really – harsh words from the fans, the baseball wives being bitches, the ‘fans’ online spouting shit and of course, the magazines posting lies. It’s enough to make anyone feel even more insecure about themselves, about their relationship, about even stepping foot outside. More so its uncomfortable knowing that you have eyes watching you everywhere. Cassie couldn’t even pop out to get some food without people posting where she was. Her job was so important to her and in a way, held the only normality she had in this new world of fame. It kept her grounded, it kept her busy and you can see just how much photography means to her. It’s her life, and like Jack’s she wouldn’t know what to do without it.
I admired Cassie throughout this book. Despite all the set backs, the harsh words and of course, the one MAJOR shitfest that went down, she was as strong as she could be. Dealing with the shit thrown at her, of course she faltered but she stood her ground, trying not to let anyone see her vulnerable side, especially Jack but he knows exactly when something is wrong with her. I hated seeing her crack, her down but you know what, she turns it around. It’s like something switches in her and she knows that no one will ever match up to Jack, she doesnt want them too and she learns to deal with all the bullshit, if only to have Jack in the end….and that’s what she got.
I enjoy watching Jack redeem himself throughout this book. He actually puts his heart and soul into gaining Cassie’s trust, to being a better man for her, to proving to her every day she is the one, the one who stole his heart and the one person he wants forever. And now he has her again, he’s never letting her go.
I loved hearing the stories about the six months without Cassie, how he was battling the bitch, how he wanted to fight for Cassie when all that drama was over and not drag her into it anymore. He wanted a fresh slate to be with her, to win her back and not having the baggage, I actually commend him for that. Despite feeling like shit and loving the crap out of Cassie, if I was her and he turned up still with the baggage, I’d tell him to get rid of it then come back.
He’s where he wants to be now, with Cassie, and you damn well know that he will try to protect her from everything, starting with the fans at the games. You can see how much he’s stressing and afraid of everything Cassie is going through, but you know that he cant focus on worrying as it will effect his game. As long as shes safe and comes to him after every game, he is okay.
Of course, Cassie and Jack have their struggles, as every couple do but they also find their way back to each other, their love overpowering and it makes them stronger. Yes the fame is the major change in their relationship, but once they actually talk everything out, you know that love is all that matters. Its the one constant that will prevail and that is definitely what you can see between these two. To go through everything and still feel so strongly, you know they will go the whole way.
The Perfect Game and The Game Changer certainly make you go through the motions but I love watching Cassie and Jack’s relationship, like knowing that despite the major shit that Jack did, that he still has Cassie’s love and her heart and that together, they can go through anything that is thrown their way, and they bleeding well have!!
Now its to read the last book of their journey – The Sweetest Game!
Z. Elizabeth 