Sports Romance is where it is at, my friends. Mind you, I am not against variety, but The Right Move by Liz Tomforde is settling the score once and for all. I am wholly down for reading sports romance. Scratch that – I will inhale sports romance like it is the air I breathe. There are so many elements of The Right Move that I love, so many characters I cannot wait to see more of, and I know that the Windy City Series is making romance a genre I genuinely enjoy reading.

RYAN: She’s a distraction, that’s what she is. I’m the newest Captain of the Devils, Chicago’s NBA team, and the last thing I needed this year was for Indy Ivers, my sister’s best friend, to move into my apartment. She’s messy, emotional, and way too tempting. But when the team’s General Manager vocalises his blatant disapproval of my promotion to Captain, referring to me as an unapproachable lone wolf with no work-life balance, I can’t think of a better way to convince him otherwise than pretending to date my outgoing roommate. The only problem? Faking it feels far too natural. Having a fake girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be messy but having Indy under my roof and in my bed is complicated, especially when she wants all the romantic parts of life that I could never give her.

INDY: I never imagined I’d be living with my best friend’s brother, NBA superstar Ryan Shay. Even more unbelievable? He needs me to act as his loving girlfriend who’s suddenly changed him into a friendly and approachable guy. Because, well…he’s not. He’s controlling of his space and untrusting of others. Our arrangement isn’t one-sided, though. I’m in a wedding coming up, one where every one of my childhood friends, including my ex-boyfriend, will be in attendance, and there’s no better date than my ex’s celebrity hero. Blurred lines make it almost impossible to separate real from fake. Falling for my roommate was never part of the deal, especially when Ryan is quick to remind me that he doesn’t believe in love. I’m a romantic and can’t help fantasizing that he’ll change, but soon enough, I find myself questioning if sharing a roof with my best friend’s brother was the right move after all

I worked out what makes The Right Move and the other romances I’ve read in recent weeks stand out, what makes them not only entertaining but interesting and memorable. The structure of the story is phenomenal. There are stages to conflicts and conflict resolutions, with the stakes rising at every crossroad, and the emotional investment is doubled with every obstacle. It makes it feel less like a 500 page read and more like a movie that I am enjoying with every second. It feels almost like it’s not long enough. That’s the perfect romance book to me because to much can spoil a good thing but not enough keeps you immersed and waiting for more. I was up until 11:45 reading this and then stopped myself before the last conflict, only to not be able to fall asleep until 2 am.

I am so glad to see a continuation of the characters from Mile High, but this time focusing on the favourite supporting characters. Indy is an angel who has been through the trenches of relationships and Ryan is the stoic prince who finally lets his walls down. Seeing how these two act and react to each other is wonderfully engrossing, and knowing that Stevie and Zander aren’t far out of the picture makes it all the more enjoyable. We get to see more characters this time around, not to mention a perfect set-up for Caught Up, and I am quite excited to see a new selection of characters for Caught Up. I love the Shays and Zanders and Ivers, but with the conclusion reached here, I think it is about time to step away into new territory.

I wish I could binge read the series, but with how many books I’ve challenged myself to read in the next month I think I will have to settle with reading Caught Up and Play Along one right after the other. If I’m lucky, Rewind it Back mightbe published by then and I can make a weekend out of it. After reading The Right Move, I have come to the conclusion that the best romances are not just romances, and these Windy City books certainly are more than just romance books.