I haven't had a lot of time to read but once I has a chance I didn't want to put it down.
Very nicely written.
A story of a family with money and power and a child that wants to do it on her own. A battle of love and no money but love conquers all. ( )

I thank City Owl Press for providing a copy of Painting the Lines by Ashley R. King in exchange for an honest review.

Amalie, the younger daughter of the billionaire owner of a chain of luxury hotels, is a failed writer. Her first novel was a critical success, but she has not written anything of note since that. She is desperate to produce another successful book before her father compels her to give up her writing career and work in the family business.

Julian was a promising young tennis pro who abandoned his father—his coach, agent, and mentor—and signed with an unscrupulous agent in his eagerness for wealth and fame. The agent’s quick buck hampered Julian’s development, and his girlfriend abandoned him when his career floundered. Julian is now a bitter, overweight, alcohol-abusing, thirty-year-old salesman who spends his time seducing women and mourning his lost dream of playing in the U. S. Open.

Amalie detests the slob she encounters in a bar one night but sees in him the possibility of a career-saving book about the reclamation of his career. She offers to pay for a trainer and coach to help Julian prepare for the U. S. Open if she can write a book about the process. Julian agrees. The only thing he wants more than to bed and dump the snooty little rich beauty who disapproves of him so blatantly is to play in the U. S. Open.

Painting the Lines is a flawed but somewhat enjoyable romance novel. While realism is not a prime quality of romance, the lack of plausibility diminished my reading enjoyment. Amalie is the daughter of a billionaire, yet security personal are non-existent. Julian is overweight, drunk, and obnoxious, yet Amalie immediately an attraction and thinks he is cute. Simone, her older sister, is one of her strongest supporters, but she is oblivious to Amelie’s plight. Amalie’s father discontinues her financial support, forcing her to sleep on her best friend’s couch. Simone offers no help.

The text needed a skilled editor to correct problems like nonsensical sentences (e.g., “before getting inside of her car”) before publication. The supporting characters are one-dimensional sketches. For example, Amalie’s father is portrayed as lacking redeeming qualities. Then he undergoes an abrupt, unbelievable transformation into mister nice guy.

Most troublesome, Amalie and Julian are depicted as hormonal teenagers. Every scene revolves around their unspoken animal lust for each other. This narrow, unimaginative focus on carnal attraction slows the forward movement of the plot to the point of stagnation. When Amalie and Justin do finally get together, the author is forced to resort to uninteresting melodrama to describe their experience.

Finally, a brief epilogue that updates us a year later was disappointing.

Despite these flaws, I never contemplating giving up on the book. I liked Amalie and rooted for her and Julian to find success and happiness. ( )

Ohmigosh - so good
5 stars

What a treat this book was! It’s the first book from Ashley R. King that I’ve read but I loved her style, humour and storytelling, so it definitely won’t be the last.

I can’t say I’ve ever seen another sports romance book with tennis as the sport in question - although I’m not sure why not. I personally love tennis, but if you’re not a fan, you’ll be in good company because neither is our heroine, Amalie. We also never get bogged down in tennis detail and only the Big 4 are mentioned by name and very infrequently at that.

I LOVE an enemies to lovers story and this is what we get here as Amalie and Julian dislike each other almost from first sight. But it’s the best kind of enemies - bickering and snipping at each other while trying to ignore their growing attraction.

To say this is a slow burn is doing a massive disservice to the author’s ability to grow and build the sexual chemistry and tension between our couple until it’s almost a living, breathing character in itself. Believe me, everyone was frustrated but in the best possible way. It was so wonderful - they way their bickering turned playful and how they both dealt with their feelings. Oh, and how Paul cockblocked the couple at every turn!

When we finally get there, it’s deliciously sexy with equally delicious feels. Happy sighs.

The book really put me in mind of the film, The Cutting Edge. It had that same relationship dynamic, the same humour and the same excitement of the underdog. I laughed out loud on occasion during the story and was just as nervous for Julian as he returned to the tennis circuit. I was along for the ride and completely committed to our couple and their lives.

This is the kind of book I expect to stay with me for a long time. Once finished, I had that same excitement as if I’d just finished watching a wonderful tennis tournament or seeing a happy film. It’s very much a fairytale ending and I was here for it completely. And there was an epilogue which made me an even happier bunny.

If you’re looking for a well-written romance with characters you’ll fall for and feel for, laughs and love, leaving you within all round happy feeling - then this is the book for you. I loved it and the tennis was just the cherry on top. 5 stars. ( )

This book is a perfect light summer beach read! It has all the things we love about chick lit......the cute girl, the hot guy, romantic tension,,,,,and yes, a happy ending. If you’re looking for deeper meaning, this is not for you. But enjoy the novel for what it is, fun and light-hearted, Loved it! ( )

I found this book incredibly difficult to read. The characters were shallow and spent the entire book trying to avoid getting into each other's pants. I don't really understand how a character can go from completely losing someone, to solely thinking about how good their "@ss" looks in shorts, in two short meetings. The storyline was predictable, cliché, and obvious. Even the conflict and the ending were to be expected. I gave the book two and a half stars because the premise is good, but the author could use with a serious editor, to clean up the cliché parts and add more tension. I found myself longing to read pretty much anything else on my bookshelf, and really had to force myself to read this story.

I received a free copy of this book and it changed my review, but my opinions are all my own. ( )