cover image Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader

Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader

Erika J. Kendrick, . . Ballantine/One World, $13.95 (293pp) ISBN 978-0-345-49486-3

After leaving New York for hometown Chicago to take her dream job at RockStar Records, 28-year-old Hannah Love is "reunited with the perfect friends, in love with the perfect man, living in the perfect condo, slinging the most perfect weave." Her fiancé, however, is soon caught cheating, and Hannah attempts to heal her broken heart by pursuing her dream of becoming a cheerleader for the Chicago Diamonds professional basketball team. Though she nails the audition, Hannah is targeted by jealous veteran cheerleaders who attempt to humiliate her publicly and force her off the squad. Off the court, Hannah's life is no less fraught with conflict. Elijah Strong, her sexy and powerful boss, begins making advances on her, but Hannah is also feeling irresistible sparks with Max Knight, the Diamonds' star player, despite a regulation prohibiting players and cheerleaders from dating. Kendrick's debut is marred by her distracting preoccupation with wardrobe and penchant for the overdramatic, though snappy dialogue and steamy love scenes fuel the buildup to a bombastic ending that will satisfy romance fans. (Feb.)