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Rating: 
Summary: Fun beachtime read
Review: Being a fan of the author, I picked up this book for some good summer beach reading. I was not disappointed. Nia, a journalist, and Dan, a pro basketball coach, are very likeable and meet under interesting circumstances. While some of the references are dated, their romance is not. I like how they do not get along at first, they get to know each other, he helps her through a tragedy and chooses love before his career when a pushy boss gets in the way. There are few other characters and that is nice too, some books have way too many small characters introduced for no reason. All in all a great story
Rating: 
Summary: obviously early work
Review: Needing some summertime reading, I decided to dive back into Delinsky's early works for ones I had missed. This was a mistake. The plot was overly simplistic, the characters horribly under-developed, and the message so predictable & sappy that I only got through it b/c it's such a quick read and I'm stubborn about finishing what I start. When the male protagonist (Daniel) calls the female protagonist (Nia) "Babe" at the start of every conversation, it is jolting to me how out of character he seems. Anyway, it's nice to see Delinsky's writing has improved over time. Kudos to her publisher for sticking with her and developing her writing style. This one, however, is worth skipping....
Rating:
Summary: obviously early work
Review: Needing some summertime reading, I decided to dive back into Delinsky's early works for ones I had missed. This was a mistake. The plot was overly simplistic, the characters horribly under-developed, and the message so predictable & sappy that I only got through it b/c it's such a quick read and I'm stubborn about finishing what I start. When the male protagonist (Daniel) calls the female protagonist (Nia) "Babe" at the start of every conversation, it is jolting to me how out of character he seems. Anyway, it's nice to see Delinsky's writing has improved over time. Kudos to her publisher for sticking with her and developing her writing style. This one, however, is worth skipping....
Rating:
Summary: Evocative, sensually charged fiction
Review: Professional ethics are what keep a good writer honest. Nia Phillips is feeling the pinch of her personal life intruding upon her professional life, however, with the magazine article her editor at the Eastern Edge wants her to write. Nia is to interview the five most eligible bachelors of the East Coast, as selected by the top echelon of said magazine. Amongst them is basketball coach, Daniel Strahan, the sports celebrity all of Boston seems to adore (especially with the winning streak his team is currently on). Once upon a time, Nia was married to sports journalist, David Phillips. His obsession with basketball -- and his philandering ways -- killed their marriage with a bloodless efficiency. Her dislike of the sport and athletes in general is therefore understandable. Rather than embracing the limelight as Nia expects, Daniel refuses to grant her an interview. His refusal is coldly stated, but the frost in his eyes is warmed by Nia's effortless allure and her frank honesty. Her violet eyes flash with indignation when he accuses her of trying to write a flashy expose, of trying to dig up dirt on his personal life. Their first meeting is anything but cordial, and yet Daniel and Nia fell the pulling of an inexplicable attraction. When their tempers cool, they realize they have a great deal in common; but will those commonalities smooth the way for a relationship or the inevitability of heartache? Love is a game you play for keeps, after all. Daniel is on the road, traveling from state to state, with troubling regularity. How can a relationship survive the stress of such conflicting schedules? When love goes into overtime, the outcome is anyone's guess. Is it any wonder Ms. Delinsky's backlist has been reissued? FAST COURTING is a sweetly simplistic and nostalgic read fans of the genre will eagerly embrace. Everything old is new again: the heady rush of true love, the terrifying indecisiveness and the potent appeal of an old-fashioned courtship. (Videocassette recorders were still a novelty in the early eighties. That's the only anachronism I noticed, however. Otherwise, this novel has surprisingly modern sensibilities, considering it was first published in 1983). Dan and Nia's dance of courtship is marred only by a persistent belief that any relationship they pursue is purely transitory. Their divergent professions are difficult to mesh with a stable home life, or so they believe. Dan's rather extreme aversion to the press and members of the media is never explained. His personal life is apparently spartan and scandal-free, so why all the fuss? A reader is urged to look beyond that mystery to the character himself. Dan is far from the average jock and spoiled celebrity Nia is confident she will encounter. An air of mystery surrounds Dan, however; a reader is seldom invited inside of his head, so to speak. As a result, a reader is left in the dark about Dan's motivations and his feelings. Of course, actions speak louder than words. Authenticity is created by the author's judicious use of basketball jargon. Misunderstandings are also dealt with speedily before they mushroom into something bigger than they truly are. Ms. Delinsky is an able hand at averting disaster while fanning the flames between her two main characters. All in all, FAST COURTING is a pleasant reading diversion. It just goes to show that dribbling the ball down center court is only possible when you run good interference. Dan and Nia have a wonderful chemistry, and Ms. Delinsky has a timeless talent for creating evocative, sensually charged fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Evocative, sensually charged fiction
Review: Professional ethics are what keep a good writer honest. Nia Phillips is feeling the pinch of her personal life intruding upon her professional life, however, with the magazine article her editor at the Eastern Edge wants her to write. Nia is to interview the five most eligible bachelors of the East Coast, as selected by the top echelon of said magazine. Amongst them is basketball coach, Daniel Strahan, the sports celebrity all of Boston seems to adore (especially with the winning streak his team is currently on). Once upon a time, Nia was married to sports journalist, David Phillips. His obsession with basketball -- and his philandering ways -- killed their marriage with a bloodless efficiency. Her dislike of the sport and athletes in general is therefore understandable. Rather than embracing the limelight as Nia expects, Daniel refuses to grant her an interview. His refusal is coldly stated, but the frost in his eyes is warmed by Nia's effortless allure and her frank honesty. Her violet eyes flash with indignation when he accuses her of trying to write a flashy expose, of trying to dig up dirt on his personal life. Their first meeting is anything but cordial, and yet Daniel and Nia fell the pulling of an inexplicable attraction. When their tempers cool, they realize they have a great deal in common; but will those commonalities smooth the way for a relationship or the inevitability of heartache? Love is a game you play for keeps, after all. Daniel is on the road, traveling from state to state, with troubling regularity. How can a relationship survive the stress of such conflicting schedules? When love goes into overtime, the outcome is anyone's guess. Is it any wonder Ms. Delinsky's backlist has been reissued? FAST COURTING is a sweetly simplistic and nostalgic read fans of the genre will eagerly embrace. Everything old is new again: the heady rush of true love, the terrifying indecisiveness and the potent appeal of an old-fashioned courtship. (Videocassette recorders were still a novelty in the early eighties. That's the only anachronism I noticed, however. Otherwise, this novel has surprisingly modern sensibilities, considering it was first published in 1983). Dan and Nia's dance of courtship is marred only by a persistent belief that any relationship they pursue is purely transitory. Their divergent professions are difficult to mesh with a stable home life, or so they believe. Dan's rather extreme aversion to the press and members of the media is never explained. His personal life is apparently spartan and scandal-free, so why all the fuss? A reader is urged to look beyond that mystery to the character himself. Dan is far from the average jock and spoiled celebrity Nia is confident she will encounter. An air of mystery surrounds Dan, however; a reader is seldom invited inside of his head, so to speak. As a result, a reader is left in the dark about Dan's motivations and his feelings. Of course, actions speak louder than words. Authenticity is created by the author's judicious use of basketball jargon. Misunderstandings are also dealt with speedily before they mushroom into something bigger than they truly are. Ms. Delinsky is an able hand at averting disaster while fanning the flames between her two main characters. All in all, FAST COURTING is a pleasant reading diversion. It just goes to show that dribbling the ball down center court is only possible when you run good interference. Dan and Nia have a wonderful chemistry, and Ms. Delinsky has a timeless talent for creating evocative, sensually charged fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Barbara Delinsky has done it again!
Review: This was a wonderful book. I could not put it down. I was sad when the book was over, because I wanted to read more about Nia and Daniel. I highly reccomend this book, as I do with any of Barbara Delinsky's books. She is by far my favorite author.
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