ARC Review: Talk to Me by Clare James

Talk to Me is the first installment in the Public Lives series by Clare James. I went into this one knowing that it was going to have a cliffhanger, but I was willing to deal with it because the blurb sounded so good. I love sexy hockey players, and that alone would have drawn me to this book. I was definitely left hanging with the ending, but this story was really good and I am so glad that I gave this one a shot. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next installment, Just Listen to see what happens for Finn and Casey next.

Finn Daley retired from hockey leaving coaches, teammates and fans alike wondering why. He didn't explain anything to anyone, and he has only kept in touch with one person from the team. His friend Nate knows everything, but no one else has figured out his reasons. Casey Scott is looking for a job in journalism since her summer internship ended. She reluctantly applies to be a sports girl that has to wear skimpy outfits in order to get her foot in the door. She is assigned hockey and must cover the local team and events. She knows that one good story could make the difference in her future and sets her sights on getting the story that no one else has been able to so far, why Finn Daley retired. But after meeting Finn, they hit things off and things between them start to get serious. How far will Casey go to get the career making story, and what will happen with her relationship with Finn?

I really liked Finn. He is sexy and athletic, and a bit mysterious. At first there are so many questions surrounding his retirement and what he is up to, but as we start to get to know his character better we get to see a whole other side to him. He has tried to turn his life around and make better choices. He is more health conscious, and after being with many women in the past Casey is the first in a long time that he has made any effort to have anything with. I liked that he was committed to making his life better and taking care of the things that he needed to. He was great with Casey, and I liked seeing him take things slow with her. Casey was easy to like in some aspects and harder in others. She was dedicated to her career and to being successful, but that also meant that she was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen even if that meant withholding the truth and misleading Finn. She was not a girly girl at all, and she preferred to be comfortable rather than show off her body. It was great that she wanted to be seen for who she was rather than just her looks, and I liked how normal she was. But I did struggle with some of the things that happened with her and Finn. I thought that they had great chemistry and were starting to build a relationship with each other, but they were both keeping secrets and not being completely honest with one another.

Overall, I think that this was a very strong first installment and it definitely grabbed my attention. I am invested in Finn and Casey's story, and I really liked the way that Clare James is telling this story. I loved getting both POVs, and seeing what was happening in both the past and the present. I will admit it was frustrating at times for it to switch back and forth because things would just start to get good when it would make the change. But it kept me interested and flipping the pages, and I didn't want to put this one down. We have just scratched the surface with these two, and there is so much more to their story that I can't wait to see. I am anxiously awaiting the next book and would highly recommend this one to NA fans as well as sports romance fans. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, and I can't wait to read more from her in the future.

**ARC Provided by Between the Sheets Promotions**

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