Guest Post: Nothing But Trouble Book Review *Rachel Gibson*

Stacey Agdern has so kindly taken on the reviewing responsibility this day while KB is away on her rocking cruise. You can also find Stacey on Twitter at @nystacey

Fans of any sport are used to hearing the awful news. Players get injured all the time, some of them seriously. We hear about the long recovery, only after it’s over, as these athletes move on to the next phase in their lives and careers. Some players even go on to take positions in the upper management of their country’s world championship team.

Rachel Gibson’s latest book, Nothing But Trouble, deals with the long recovery of a an athlete who was in a car accident. It touches on subjects like drug abuse, the anger and hurt such a serious accident that can cause in someone who depends on speed, strength and accuracy to make a living. It is also a book that deals with dreams, which dreams really matter and what to do when the dream you had for yourself dies.

Mark Bressler, the hero of our story, was the captain of the Seattle Chinooks until he was in a serious car accident that ended his career and almost ended his life. But at the beginning of this book, Mark is in pain, not just physical, but emotional, as he watches the Chinooks win the Stanley Cup without him. And a long hockey career, as well as a Stanley cup victory was the only dream he ever had. Now it is gone.

Chelsea Ross, his heroine, also had a dream. She wanted to be a Hollywood actress, chosen for movie roles because of her talent, not her breast size. But the closest she’s gotten so far is dying in horror movies and small background parts in movies and commercials.

The struggle Mark goes through is obvious. He is dependent on Chelsea, his home health aide (hired by the Chinooks) for things he took for granted. He walks with a cane for most of the book, and he fights with the desire to abuse the vicodin he takes to manage his pain. And he must fight to reclaim his life

Chelsea’s struggle is a bit more below the surface. Does she still really want to be an actress? Or is it something she’s held onto because it’s been elusive. Must she too ‘rebrand’ herself?

Gibson really does a wonderful job of showing the readers Mark Bressler’s struggle without making him someone who needs pity. He is multifaceted and very true to life. You see him go from anger to gradual acceptance of the way his life has gone, and you see him even want to give up. But true to character, his spirit holds him together.

But it is Chelsea’s struggle that defines the book. Ultimately, no matter how much you adore Mark, it is crucial that the reader believe in Chelsea’s inner turmoil; otherwise the ending makes no sense. (Avon)

Final Grade: B+

A few other Nothing But Trouble reviews:
Book Addict
Romance Dish
Romance Novel News