“You may be faking the relationship, but you’re not faking the orgasms.”Downsized, broke, and dumped, 38-year-old Marley sneaks home to her childhood bedroom in the town she couldn’t wait to escape twenty years ago. Not much has changed in Culpepper. The cool kids are still cool. Now they just own car dealerships and live in McMansions next door. Oh, and the whole town is still talking about that … whole town is still talking about that Homecoming she ruined her senior year.
Desperate for a new start, Marley accepts a temporary teaching position. Can the girl banned from all future Culpepper High Homecomings keep the losing-est girls soccer team in school history from killing each other and prevent carpal tunnel in a bunch of phone-clutching gym class students?
Maybe with the help of Jake Weston, high school bad boy turned sexy good guy. When the school rumor mill sends Marley to the principal’s office to sign an ethics contract, the tattooed track coach, dog dad, and teacher of the year becomes her new fake boyfriend and alibi—for a price. The Deal: He’ll teach her how to coach if she teaches him how to be in a relationship.
Who knew a fake boyfriend could deliver such real orgasms? But it’s all temporary. The guy. The job. The team. There’s too much history. Rock bottom can’t turn into a foundation for happily ever after. Can it?
Warning: Story also includes a meet-puke, a bouffanted nemesis, a yard swan and donkey basketball, a teenage-orchestrated makeover, and a fake relationship that gets a little too real between the sheets.
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I laughed, I cheered and then I laughed some more!!! Excellent read!
This was absolutely the one of the best books I’ve read. Marley is the a 38 yr old women who is beautiful both inside and out who lands back at home after breaking up with her boyfriend and losing her job and her savings. Her home town is the last place she wants to be. In high school she; like most of us, were not happy and lets that unhappiness define her today. While she is drowning in self pity her Mom finds her a job as substitute teacher at the local high school as girls Soccer Coach and gym teacher. With no better prospect she is forced to face her demons and return to high school where her life went wrong. It’s there she runs into Jake Weston her high school crush. Jack is the cross country track coach history teacher and is hot as hell, built with sexy tattooed arms and that bad boy attitude which makes him deliciously irresistible. Here at the high school Marley faces the bullies from her past. You will laugh out loud at antics that are pulled and have your heartstrings pulled as you feel every teenage angst. This is just a genuine feel good story with lots of steamy hot chemistry a must 5 star plus read!
Marley and Jake’s story is definitely swoon worthy Marley must humble herself and return home to live with her parents. She’s determined to “reset” her life with a job as a high teacher and the school’s soccer coach. This job is definitely not ideal, especially not having a clue on how to coach soccer. In steps sexy as all things holy Jake Weston. Jake’s a blast from the past and a flame that Marley knows all too well. They make an agreement involving help with coaching soccer and a “fake relationship”. What happens when that relationship and the sexual tension becomes all too real? Throw in a bully, animals and hilarious people, you have an amazing love story!!! A definite must read!!!
Lucy Score proves you CAN GO HOME AGAIN in this romantic life changing comedy. Marley and Jake become a wonderful couple. Jake is an awesome book boyfriend in the end.
At 38 Marley moves back home again after being let go from another job from a failed start up company. She learns throughout the book that what we wanted in life isn’t what we really need. She re-connects with her funny high school friends and enemies. Lucy Score has given us a very insightful and entertaining romantic comedy, good job, wish I could write a story this good.
When you reach rock bottom, there is only one way to go up!
A fantastic tour through self doubt, victimisation, revenge and adulting, in the company of Marley and Jake. Perfectly explained through the words of a young girl, Libby, who helps them to realise their world is truly enough.
As usual a fantastic small town story with a happily ever after.
I loved this book so much, but this is a Lucy Score book so I knew going in that I was going to thoroughly enjoy it. Both Marley and Jake were amazing characters and I loved witnessing them reach their happily ever after. Poor Marley, I felt so bad for her coming back to her hometown feeling like she had her tail between her legs. But then to see her gaining her confidence and the relationship she developed with the girls on her soccer team was awesome. And what can I can say about Jake Weston, he is the best book boyfriend ever! He assists her in so many ways; from coaching to teaching and even from her former high school nemesis, but most of all he show her all the good in her world. I loved the way he was with her, there were so many laugh out loud moments, swoony moments and definitely the fan worthy moments.
And as always, there were great secondary characters, the two-legged and four-legged variety and they consistently made me smile. I am not sure what else I can say that have not already been said by so many other great reviews of this book. I just absolutely adored this book and highly recommend it. Plus the added bonus was the best ever!
4.5 stars: Lucy captured high school hierarchy flawlessly. As I am currently preparing to avoid my 20 year class reunion, I can appreciate the cringe of returning home and facing those same personalities. But. Marley has Jake, even if it starts out as a training opportunity. And Jake had risen to be one of my very favorites of Lucy’s guys, which is a high compliment considering how awesome the men in her other books have been. Jake is rational, he doesn’t let Marley get away with wallowing, and he’s a gorgeous human (not just appearance). He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he does a fantastic job taking his students seriously, and the scenes in his classroom are on point. For example, “We’re going to learn real history this semester. If you know what really happened, who the real heroes are, then you can go be better Americans. Because maybe we’re not the greatest country in the world. But we’ve still got potential. Our strength comes from our diversity, our willingness to change, to fight inequality, to explode scientific advancement.” Marley eventually figures it out, with the help of her “perfect” sister and her “awful” high school nemesis. For anyone who has ever allowed the opinions of others to define who you are, you need to meet Marley. Here’s what she finally realizes: “I didn’t have to be out there making a difference for thousands of people in order to matter. I could make my difference one person at a time. Starting with me. There was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be. And that was the secret, I realized. It didn’t matter what my salary was. Whether or not I had a corner office and an assistant. This feeling, this contentment, was what mattered most.” Oh, and there’s plenty of funny in this one too, because nobody does funny like Lucy. My husband had to ask me what was going on because I was laughing so hard. The pranks are stellar, and Marley’s best friend from high school is full of laughs. She says, “Listen, I hope you’re fast because the last time I ran, it was after an ice cream truck, and I peed myself a little.” Moms will definitely feel her pain! Also, Jake wearing Marley’s dad’s spandex shorts while hungover is priceless. And I can’t even tell you how much I loved and appreciated the donkey basketball scene (and the clever naming of the donkeys). Overall, I wish Marley would’ve found her confidence a little sooner, but I loved the book and definitely recommend it.
Lucy, Lucy, Lucy Score…a wonderful gem of a book…A..GAIN. No matter what side of the cool hall you walked down in hell, oops, I mean high school, this book has something for everyone to relate to. (One of the many reasons, I agree with alot of reviewers who think this would make a great movie.) You’ll happy laugh, you’ll sad laugh (just a smidge). There’s heroes to cheer for and villains to boo for. You’ll feel like you’re in the book and want to hug certain characters and smack others. Like every Lucy Score book, there’s a swoon-worthy hero who will knock someone else off of your book boyfriend list, a girl who gets knocked down but will kick life in the butt when she gets back up. But predictable?…..ahhh no, if there were ever a chance of that, a swan or a donkey would walk by.
It’s just a great book that you can chill out with a cup of coffee and read and not have to overthink anything or wonder if the research is correct. You’ll get an extra kick out of it like I did, if you live in Pennsylvania or ever just traveled through ‘Amish country’.
While reading you’ll enjoy the characters and background stories so much, you’ll wait patiently for two or three more books. But happy ever after or happily for now, the author ties every little thing up with a big, red bow. But hurry up and read it before Marley rips the crap out of the package.
Well done, Ms. Score, bravo.
Have you ever read a book that you could relate to so well that it gave you anxiety? Rock Bottom Girl did that for me. I believe there are four types of high school experiences. One being you loved high school and everything about it. The second being you absolutely hated it. The third being you pretended you loved it when you actually hated it. And finally, the fourth being you have both good and bad experiences. That’s me. I fall into the third category with a touch of the third. High school was not great for me in freshman year. I wasn’t bullied but I had a hard time trying to find my place. I ended up making friends that were not great in the way of role models. But thankfully, by my sophomore year, I knew who I was and who my true friends were. Unfortunately, there were not many of those. That said, I watched so many kids being bullied. Marley was familiar. There were so many Marleys in my high school. Unfortunately, there were more Amie Jo’s than I could count. I was more than thankful to not be on their radars.
As I read through this book, the angst just kept building. I really didn’t know how Marley’s life would turn out. And while she was very stubborn in her way of thinking, I understood her. There were many predictable moments that made me cringe and laugh at the same time.
Marley was that bullied girl in HS. I seriously don’t understand how she remained a decent person after all she had been through. I loved her character. She may have thought herself weak but Marley was anything but. When she moves back to her hometown after losing yet another job, broke and broken up with her boyfriend, Marley is at that place we call
“rock bottom.” Sometimes we need to hit that place in our lives to find a new perspective. Marley will take a temporary job as a gym teacher and soccer coach. Warily accepting this job, Marley will soon find out that this was the new direction her life needed. Nothing will come easy though. Marley admits to being afraid to return to HS even if she is an adult now. And sadly, she will have to deal with the school bully once again as this antagonist is a fellow teacher.
Of course, the bad boy of her youth still gets her blood pumping. There is also a story there but I won’t go into details. Marley’s journey, while angsty, is pure hysterics. Gosh, I laughed so much and so often through this book. My daughter thought I was crazy because of my loud bouts of laughter.
While this book brought back some less than pleasant HS moments, the author did a magnificent job in giving me new memories. Even if they aren’t mine, I got to experience them. I can’t say enough good things about this book and I’m so afraid that I haven’t done it justice in my review. This was actually the first book I ever read by Lucy Score. I am a huge fan now. If she writes all her books with this many feels, I am going to be a very happy reader!
I highly recommend this book to everyone. There is love, romance, a fake relationship, a hero donkey, and more laughter than my stomach muscles could take.
This is my honest and unbiased review. Thank you for taking the time to read it. 🙂
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book! If you have never read a book by Lucy Score this is the one to read! I have read and enjoyed all she has written but this one by far has checked all of the boxes. It’s funny, its relatable, and it’s hot! The characters are are so well written and entertaining I laughed out loud in several places. I especially love that the characters even though 38 didn’t yet have life all figured out. As a matter of fact if not for the grown up parts it would be a great required read for every woman from 16-60! A great reminder we are not and do not have to be perfect to be perfect for ourselves as well as someone else! Hated for it to end!
Lucy Score, I love you! I have no words, and yet so many things to say about this wonderful book! I laughed, swooned, cried, maybe threw a shoe a time or two, sighed, laughed and swooned again! Jake Weston, sigh, is officially in my top book boyfriends ranking. Right now, he’s number 1 because my mind has drawn a blank on the others. Ahh, I love him! It’s like you put all the qualities I have in my head of my dream guy, and bam! He’s Jake Weston! And Marley, oh Mars. I feel like I’m her sometimes (mostly in my head) but I related to her and just loved her too! And I freakin loved the ending and extended epilogue. It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing, cough Libby cough (no spoilers here, so I’ll write the rest in our BRA’s spoiler dungeon). I’m in awe of you Lucy! The stories you create give me all the right feels, and I adore you (I have pollen in my eye, so I should go). And ok so maybe I did have the words lol
Lucy Score is an exceptional story teller and with Rock Bottom Girl she has brought us the most relatable story yet. You are sure to fall in love with Marley/Jake, Culpepper, PA and the many people that reside here. I loved it so much that I wanted to start over at the beginning as soon as I read the last sentence and I don’t think that has ever happened to me before.
Who says you can’t have a do-over?!
This story is a second-chance at high school as much as a second-chance love story. And a little bit of taking a second-look at what you think you want out of life. Rock Bottom Girl is one of those stories that makes you relate to one or a little bit of all the characters throughout the story. I loved the journey Marley goes through and the awakenings she has along the way. It is great how Marley’s high school-crush, Jake, is the one to help her along this journey. Things get steamy and a little confusing between them. Loved how straight forward, never sugar coating, Jake was in the conversations with Marley. There are some amazingly funny parts throughout this story but also those moments where you feel the characters emotions and can see yourself in their shoes.
I absolutely loved this story and didn’t want to see it come to an end! It is a Must-Read of 2019!
This book was amazing. Readers will find a story that is deeper on many levels than many novels in this genre. Marley and Jake are characters in their late 30’s, which is a very nice change from the twenty-somethings that are more popular. They are also more like real people- no billionaires here. They have families and family drama and job issues that feel like real life.
The characters are extremely well developed and experience growth through the course of the story: definitely one of my favorite things.
Jake is a dream. He is hot, nice, good with teenagers, has a dog, and never really does anything stupid to change the reader’s opinion of him. Marley is struggling with her sense of self and how she fits in her world. It is good to see her grow and learn to accept her strengths and praise from others. Her journey felt authentic to me as I have also struggled with some of the same things Marley does in the story.
I had several laugh-out-loud and snort-laugh moments while reading this book. The sexual tension between Jake and Marley is palpable and I really appreciated how their high school history contributed to the story.
If you are a reader looking for a shallow, quick read then this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a book that is deeper, with well developed plot and characters, as well some steam, then this should definitely be your next read. If you are like me, it will become a book on the reread list. I am sure that I will still love this one after reading it several times.
I highly recommend.
I feel a bit like a high schooler saying this, but this book gave me ALL THE FEELS!
Marley and Jake have taken the spot as my favorite couple in a Lucy Score book. It shouldn’t be too surprising because she writes funny, loveable, and relatable characters, but I was surprised that they took the top spot over a few Blue Moon couples.
Marley had a tough time in high school and her current life 20 years later doesn’t feel too great either. She’s lost her job, her boyfriend broke up with her, and she’s moved back into her parents’ house. In need of some work, she takes a temporary position as a gym teacher and girls soccer coach at her alma mater.
Jake, her high school crush, is also teaching at the high school, and it’s not long before they make a deal. He’ll help her with teaching and coaching if she’ll teach him how to be in a relationship. Jake is a bad boy turned good guy who you can’t help but love – even if he is a bit of a slob.
I adored everything about this book from the humor to the girls Marley coaches to the sweet and sizzling romance. However, the best part was seeing Marley grow and gain confidence while still being herself. I related to her so much and it was the perfect story to be told in first person narrative. The book is dual POV, but I liked that Jake’s chapters were interspersed just enough to give us a look inside his head.
I highly recommend this – really all – of Lucy’s books, but if you have ever felt like you should have accomplished more or high school wasn’t easy this is your book.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Growing up and do what makes you shine!
Marley has dropped her boyfriend (someone she wasn’t keen on anyway), then she lost her job, and lost her savings because she’d invested in the company that wasn’t managed properly. Now she’s home with no future to look forward. She’s voluntold that she’s now the new soccer coach and gym teacher at her old high school. At least she is until the end of December. Her first experience with the dysfunctional girls soccer team, and her old high school crush Jake, saves her from heat stroke! So now she’s back at school, dealing with old and new bullies and her own attraction to a man who seems to have his life together and enjoys watching and helping Marley get over …well everything!
I absolutely loved this book! It has a little of everything, and Marley is a little (or a lot) of what each of us were at high school! All the pranks, bullies, old and new nemesis, wins and losses, homecoming King and Queen, the attraction between Jake and Marley, Marley helping her soccer team, her soccer team helping Marley, Jake and Marley’s families, donkey basketball, sprinkler systems, and so much more! It’s all packed in a delightful book about redemption, believing in yourself and supporting others! This book is not to be missed!
I was provided with an ARC of this book and I am providing my honest review. I have received no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.
High school is never a good time for anyone. Seriously, no matter what anyone says – it’s awkward. I kept thinking about other awkward HS moments and Lucy Score nailed it. We have all been there. . .
Marley Cicero comes back after her life imploded to the HS she vowed to leave behind. Jake Weston was the resident bad boy, turned teacher.
Jake and Marley have a history. Jake is just a solidly, decent guy – it refreshing for those men to show up in books.
They made me laugh so out loud. Their friends were freakin’ amazing and so relatable – you can’t help but adore them.
This story isn’t just about boy meets girl, again. It’s about realizing YOUR self-worth and realizing who you were in high school doesn’t define you.
Also, disclaimer for Lucy Score – read with depends. Will cause peeing.
I don’t know how Lucy keeps writing these totally amazing books but she does. We all should be grateful for that!
I just love everything about this book. Anyone who has ever not been self confident in themselves even just for a little bit can 100% relate to Marley. She is so much more than she gives herself credit for and it’s wonderful to watch her grow into the woman she’s truly always been. Jake *SWOON* I mean could the guy get any better? I think not. He really could be a life coach. Sweet, sexy, supportive, with a side of bad boy! Yes please!
Tons of humor. Mean girls! Pranks! Donkey basketball (it’s legit a small town thing!), a swan, and wonderful derpy doodle!! No one does small towns like Lucy Score. You want to climb in the book!
What happens when you have to move home, and start over, in the place that you thought you burned to the virtual ground? What happens when the bad boy is still there…and you’re thrown together?
I loved Marley, and Jake. And I loved the theme of…high school is NOT the best time of your life, and things are never what they seem.
Contemplating high school. I was Marley, in a lot of ways, including a few pranks…don’t mess with the chick who had her own chemistry set YOUNG.
But what hit me, all these years later…I don’t remember any of the names of the mean girls. I remember the one who was often nice to me. I remember the one I felt really SORRY for – as a 14 year old freshman, her senior BF got her pregnant, and her mom signed for them to get married. But I’m drawing a total blank on the ones that tried to torment me.
Why? Because none of those people made sense to me. Making fun of someone for their clothes, or hair, or whatever, was a whole alien thing. (Not that I wasn’t tormented in the larger school, but it was for having a brain…)
That’s what I want for all of our daughters. And forward. The ability to shake off all of that, and don’t let it interfere with their lives….go forward and make things happen.
Give them this book. Please.
I wish I’d had a teacher like Jake…
I had the most amazing reading day today. I managed to get the washing, cleaning and shopping done AND start and finish a fabulous book. Actually, I’d have to say it was an amazing weekend of reading. Two 5-star books in one weekend are what every reader dreams of. Rock Bottom Girl took me on an emotional journey of highs and lows and left me with a big goofy smile.
Marley has hit rock bottom and returned to her childhood home with her tail between her legs. Broke, homeless and single, at 38 she’s desperate to finally be on the right path to success. Being home is not her path to happiness it’s just a fork in the road. When her mum manages to score her a job as a soccer coach and PE teacher at her old school, she accepts it on the proviso that it’s short term. Marley wants more than her small town, and she definitely doesn’t want to get stuck being constantly reminded of her biggest mistakes. One of those mistakes…is still in town and still as sexy as he was at 17.
Jakes Weston is a history teacher and cross-country coach. Besides teaching, his main priorities are his family, dog and fellow teachers. Now that he’s nearly 40, he’s started to realise that the short hook-ups and dating isn’t enough. Jake’s lonely and wondering if he’s meant for more. When Marley comes back to town he can’t help but remember that one steamy kiss under the bleachers. She’s still extremely sexy and manages to make him laugh each time they’re together. Maybe, Marley is the right person to test the waters to see if he could do more.
Honestly, I loved this story. Yes, Marley could be a pain in the butt with her negativity and *woe-is-me* mentality but in some ways I kind of got her. Like Marley, high school was not my best years. Luckily, unlike Marley, I managed to move on and still lead a pretty great life. Poor Marley, never really found her happy place. Meeting Jake, falling for Jake, it seems like more but it’s just a matter of time before it all goes wrong.
Jake is my favourite type of hero. He’s far from perfect, a little gruff, a wee bit egotistical and a know-it-all. But, the swagger has its charm, his sexiness and good looks make me swoon, and his thoughtfulness and kindness make me sigh. It’s so nice to have the heroine stuff up instead of the hero. At times, I started to agree with Marley…Jake was too good for her.
Rock Bottom Girl was funny, sexy and very thought-provoking. Lucy Score has thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. Her characters came to life for me and I enjoy her look into a small town. Most of this story revolves around the local high school and I loved seeing a positive side to what kids get out of modern media.
If you’re looking for a story to make you laugh, sigh and swoon, you can’t go wrong with Rock Bottom Girl.