Offside - Shay Savage

I have to be the best. I am the best. I’m quick. I’m strong. I’m smart. I’m the star keeper of my high school soccer team, and I’ve got major leagues scouting me. As their captain, my teammates will do anything I say – on or off the field. Girls practically beg to be added to my list of conquests. As long as I manage to go pro for the best team in the world, I won’t have to worry about my father’s wrath.

I’m Thomas Malone, and I’ve seen to it that the world revolves around me.

There’s a new girl at school, and it’s just a matter of time before she gives in to my charm. This one’s just a little more stubborn than most – she won’t even tell me her name! She’s smart, too. Maybe too smart. I can’t let her in. I can’t let anybody in. I’m not too worried, but even I have to admit she’s interfering with my focus on the goal.
Dad’s not going to be happy about that.

Did I mention I love Shakespeare? Yeah, I know. I’m a walking contradiction. According to the Bard, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Somehow, I got all three.

Now how is anyone supposed to live up to that?

My review :

Offside is an new adult novel with a dark and tough story about power, appearances and abusive relationships.
Thomas is the captain of the soccer team, bad boy, hot and dangerous. He’s the king of his school as his father, the mayor in his town acting like an absolute asshole. Only soccer matters, nothing else.
Nicole is the new girl in town, beautiful brown haired girl with beautiful eyes, smart ass, not afraid to put people in its place when its needed, secretive and escaping from her past. She’s the sheriff’s daughter.
At first sight, Thomas is intrigued by her and her blue piercing eyes, like she can saw through him, behind all the facade, the show off guy he’s not. Nicole is a kind of character with a tough personality, not afraid by him and i like that he had to chase her! She’s definitely like others girls throwing at him all the time, she’s challenging him. She won’t give her name and instantly, she became a breath of fresh air, something he was looking for a long time.

The very difficult parts in this book were the ones about Thomas and his father; outside: like father like son : in front of people, his father is supportive, very friendly with people, playing his mayor and father’s role at the best, but when the doors are closed in their home, everything is different and Thomas is at his father’s mercy, wanting to make him happy by doing everything he wants, because only his father knows what’s best for him. His father has a strong leverage on him. We can all that an abusive relationship can be through his father behavior : the words, the angry issues.
Thomas is such a complex character. Deep inside, we can see that he’s sensitive,love using quotes from Shakespeare and a talented artist : everything anyone can’t see. He felt guilty about his mother’s death and carry this burden since.
Nicole « Rumple » is all that Thomas isn’t : carrying for others, not having a disfunctional relationship with her father. She changed school because something big happened to her, and wanted to get away; couldn’t stand to be there. She wanted to get a new start.
Their chemistry is powerful, passionate, and sudden.
They fell hard for each other but nothing goes like it should be and the repercussions of Thomas father’s behavior for years hit both of them very badly.

If you’re looking for a book who can shake you, go for it! Shay Savage wrote it in a very smart way, maybe too direct sometimes but that’s what i like about this story : straight to the point with an incredible emotional charge at all levels! It’s not a story you can't forget easily and leave its mark.

More about Shay Savage : http://www.shaysavage.com/

* Buy links :

• Amazon
• Kobo
• Barnes and Noble