I asked for his criteria for bed buddies–that’s the PG version.He swore at me and said he didn’t do groupies. And just like that, our friendship was off to a great start.Reese Forster was the starting point guard for the Seattle Thunder.Gorgeous. Cocky. Loved by the nation.He’s also attending preseason basketball training camp where I used to work.Correction: where I work again, because I was … work.
Correction: where I work again, because I was fired from my last job.
And dumped.
And I might have a tiny bit of baggage, but that’s normal. Right?
Reese and I shouldn’t have become friends. We shouldn’t have become roommates.
And we really shouldn’t have started sleeping together … (Except we did.)
I’m adorably psychotic. He’s in the NBA.
This is not a disaster waiting to happen, at all.
Teardrop Shot is a 107k standalone with brand new characters.
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This book gutted me. It was a very emotional, gut wrenching read. I tested up a couple of times in this book and that NEVER happens while I’m reading
Quirky, weird, slightly psychotic woman, Charlie travels to Echo Lake Camp to run away from her troubles. Charlie has baggage.. and a lot of it. But when she meets Reese Forster, her all time favorite basketball player, she slowly starts to build a friendship that was surprising and exactly what she didn’t know she needed.
Reese was fantastic. He is a hot, passionate, alpha male who is not expecting Charlie at all. I really enjoyed Reese. He was quiet at first through the book but his character really started to blossom and I fell in love.
The only reason I didn’t rate this five stars was I felt like in some parts it was a little slow. I had to put it down and take a break and then come back. But other times it had me biting my nails and I couldn’t put it down.
If you are a sports romance lover, this one is definitely for you. It’s emotional. Passionate. Hot. Gritty. But it’s a great read!
WOW!! I have never read Tijan before and I have to say this was a great way for me to start! I signed up to read an early copy of this book thinking I would get something sexy and maybe a little feeling, but I did not expect to be hit with the emotions I felt.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again I absolutely love when an author takes me on that unexpected feels train. I could not get enough of this story. From Charlie’s uniqueness to Reese’s family issues this story will capture you and take you on the journey with these characters.
I am seriously kicking myself sooner for not reading Tijan sooner!!!! ABSOLUTELY a must read!!
I have to be honest and say that this story took me by surprise. First, I admit that I had no idea what teardrop shot meant, so I thought it an usual title because I had nothing to relate it to. Second, when I first started reading, I had such a hard time connecting with the heroine. She was a bit bizarre and all over the place. Then, her awkwardness spoke to my awkwardness, and I got her. I really got her. I felt for her. I hurt for her. I cried for her. I hoped for her. I cheered for her!
Reese and Charlie’s story was surprisingly emotional. It was SO much more than just a sports romance. It gutted me and made me feel. I was heart broken over what Charlie was trying to hide and what Reese was trying to avoid. Charlie and her questions had me laughing out loud, and I loved the way Reese wasn’t scared off by her personal demons. I especially appreciated the way he handled Reese’s past… like a real, caring, confident man.
When I finally learned what a teardrop shot was and when Reese explained what it meant in reference to Charlie, it brought everything together for me. I just sighed and thought… Tijan is freakin’ literary genius. Seriously! I haven’t read a story of her’s that hasn’t consumed me completely. She is one of the few authors that can go back and forth between different romance tropes and nail it every single time.
I loved Reese and Charlie. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to spend a few days with them. Teardrop Shot is definitely one of my favorite Tijan reads. I highly recommend!
Review by Lys
I loved this book! I saw a different side of Tijan. The humor was absolutely on point. The angst was off the charts, and the story was unique and unexpected.
Everything about this book screams best seller!
Who could imagine getting dumped via your boyfriend’s grandfather and then have him proposition you immediately after? Charlie personal life is in shambles and this rebound romance did nothing to help her lack of faith in herself. To add further insult to injury, Charlie finds herself jobless at a time when every dollar counts. With a blast from the past making an appearance in her life again, Charlie heads to a place that she never imagined she would visit again.
Determined to make a change will bring Charlie full circle. A job opening at the camp that she once worked for will now be the place Charlie calls ‘home’ once more. With the secrecy swirling around who booked the camp for the duration of Charlie’s stay, the curiosity only grows with each NDA or sudden change in the operations. When the inhabitants of the camp make their appearance, Charlie doesn’t quite know how to hold in her inner fan girl.
With a string of drama following Reese on the court, the superstar player was intrigued by the psychotic girl that was working the gym at the camp. Determined to keep his focus on the game, Reese can’t stop for distractions. What Reese didn’t count on was the ‘craziness’ that came out of Charlie’s mouth intriguing him so much. Nothing about Charlie was predictable, and Reese enjoyed every moment of her quirkiness. Slowly a friendship began to form between the two and nothing would ever be the same for either of them.
What can I tell you about Teardrop Shot? First – let me confess I faltered at first on the idea of another basketball romance novel. Then I realized Tijan was the author, and everything that is churned out from this author has such a unique quality to it that I simply had to uncover what was lurking between the covers. Charlie is NOTHING like you would expect from a typical character. Her quirks would leave me giggling hysterically. You couldn’t help but root for her to have better luck in the romance category.
Reese is nothing like I expected a basketball star to act like. His life was just as crazy as Charlie’s, and the chaos was a perfect ‘neutral ground’ for the two. Teardrop Shot was a wonderful journey into the hardships of life, and the chaos that can trickle down from those moments. Charlie and Reese were fractured souls that desperately needed a strong shoulder to support them during the difficult times. Even if you are NOT a fan of sports romance novels, make sure you pick up Teardrop Shot!! It is definitely worth a trip down the court.
Teardrop shot by Tijan
5 stars
Wow. Gut wrenching. Hopelessly in love with Charlie and Reese, how they overcome their personal troubles, supporting each other in their journey to heal and move on with their lives
To be truthful, when I started the book it was not what expected and I was tempted to put it away. I have been a fan of Tijan’s Mafia series and was excited to read a non-young adult story by her. Early into the book I was thrown, though Charlie was 27, she acted much more typical of high school/early college age. She was extremely immature for her age. Reese was an angry, brooding famous professional athlete, not knowing what to make of Charlie.
Stay with the book. Tijan develops these characters and storyline so well and brings you along for the journey. In one chapter you are laughing at the antics and shortly after you are crying. Reese and Charlie both bring significant baggage coming into this relationship, loving someone with early onset dementia and alcoholism. Tijan deals with both dementia and alcoholism in very realistic, sensitive manner, showing how these diseases affect the loved ones.
This is the best book that I have read by Tijan. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
Best book I ever read by Tijan.
She has developed two very hurting characters that pull each other up, and find themselves love for a lifetime.
Charlie is a 27 year old woman who is striving to overcome her previous long term relationship with a guy suffering from early onset dementia. During the years, she cut herself off from her friends and family and is now working to rebuild her ties with her friends, rejoining them as part of a staff for camp that caters to group events. She meets Reese, a professional basketball player that is broody and angry, dealing with life under a microscope with an alcoholic brother.
As they move from friends, to roommates and to friends with benefits, they share their secrets, building strength together and healing.
This emotionally charged story will have you laughing one minute and crying another. Tijan deals sensitively and thoughtfully with both diseases, dementia and alcoholism, showing the impact on the loved ones surrounding them.
Thanks so much for sharing this story with us.
Well I popped my Tijan cherry!!
I’m not usually a big fan of just one POV books, I love getting dual points, helps me connect, but it didn’t matter here. I was connected to all the characters. I felt all their emotions.
It’s such a well written book. More than a sports romance. It’s a second chance at life. And that’s what I loved about it. To be able to see Charlie give herself that second chance at living, loving and just breathing.
I do wish he got to see more of a back story with Reese, his POV mainly. He was a great book boyfriend. I’m tempted to claim him actually. Lol.
It was a great story, it was quirky, funny, romantic, sexy and everything in between.
Five stars for this amazing book !!!
“Teardrop Shot” is the first book I’ve read by Tijan and I’m really surprised with her writing style.
This book broke my heart for a thousand times in thousands of pieces. I have to admit that I was crying two times when I was reading it.
I wasn’t ready for this kind of story because I thought that this would one more typical sports romance.
I was wrong.
This was one unique and unforgettable storyline.
Reese and Charlie are so beautiful characters and their chemistry is so real. I went through for their every happy and sad moment they have like it’s my own.
They showed that everybody deserves a happy ending and that one bad moment in life doesn’t mean the end.
And love always wins.
I can’t wait to read another book from Tijan !
Highly recommended!!!
***I received an ebook copy from the author at no cost***
Teardrop Shot had the things I love most about a Tijan novel—angst and two main characters with all kinds of insane chemistry flying around between them.
Charlie finds herself back in Minnesota, working at the same camp that employed her when she was younger. Reese is an NBA star who happens to be Charlie’s favorite (she’s basketball crazed). Oddly enough, the camp Charlie is working is a pre-season camp for the NBA, and thus begins this beautiful and bittersweet story.
This one is a slowwwwwww burn, which I’m a fan of. Tijan did a beautiful job with this aspect of the story. There was no insta-love, even though there was chemistry all over the place. There was plenty of angst woven in with the romance, and that really brought the story to life for me. I like when characters have to earn their happily ever after, and Tijan made them earn it in Teardrop Shot, that’s for sure.
The story in this one is original and it’s also a total emotional roller coaster. What I loved while reading is that I never really knew what to expect. Things would twist and turn and it kept me on the edge of my seat and hooked in the story line. As with any Tijan book, I didn’t want to stop reading or put my Kindle down unless I absolutely had to. I fell in love with the characters, the emotions, and everything going on in this world.
Charlie is awesome. She’s sassy and funny, but she’s got some baggage that she’s been carrying around and truth be told, she’s been through a bit. I enjoyed the secondary characters in her social circle as well. Even though she’d been gone for a while, she fell right back into her place among them, and they took her in like she’d never even left. This is another hallmark of a Tijan book—the friendships are rock solid and more often than not have a family feel to them.
If you’re looking for a good blend of angst and romance, with some humor sprinkled on top, Teardrop Shot is a good story to pick up.
Five stars to this novel!
5.5 Stars
“That’s the saddest part of grieving someone- whether they’re still with you or not, whether it’s a relationship or not. You’re fighting to keep hope, but when the last of that string is cut, that’s where you get lost.”
Teardrop Shot is the latest standalone from Tijan, and it’s a completely unexpected masterpiece. I have devoured every book I’ve read by her, and as usual, once I started I was unable to put it down.
Charlie has been hiding for years. From her friends, family, and basically life itself. Carrying around demons of her past relationship, she’s cut herself off from everyone who loves her. When an old friend forces his way back into her life and drags her back to the camp and friends she grew up with, she’s hesitant to open up and let them in. But when her idol ends up at the same camp, he forces her to face her past and the truth she’s kept from everyone.
Reese is an NBA star, the golden boy everyone wants a piece of. While he’s no stranger to the spotlight, family drama puts him front & center and threatens the privacy he’s always hiding behind. When the team decides to hold training camp at a remote location, he’s determined to escape the media and fanfare. What he’s not expecting is the crazy staff member that he’s inexplicably drawn to, and can’t seem to stay away from.
With all the amazing characters, couples, and storylines Tijan has written it’s hard to pick a favorite. But Charlie & Reese have wormed their way into my heart, and taken up that spot. I adored these characters, their personalities, struggles, and magnetic chemistry. Charlie is quirky and broken, Reese a celebrity hiding his pain. But together they are perfect, each bringing out the best in the other and giving them the strength to be happy and face their demons. The supporting characters are sweet, funny & loyal, making perfect additions that I would love to get their own books.
While I went into this book expecting a fun sports romance, I was given so much more. There were definitely moments that had me smiling and laughing, but most brought tears to my eyes. This book will break your heart and piece it back together, slowly but surely and in the most amazing ways. Charlie & Reese’s story is one I didn’t know I needed but was definitely missing in my life. Teardrop Shot is a must read, and definitely one of that will stay with me for a long time.
Tijan, oh Tijan. What have you done to me?
I’ll be 100% honest and say that when I started this book, it didn’t feel like a Tijan novel. The female main character, Charlie, was unlike anything she’s ever written. I was so worried that I wouldn’t like this read based on the quirky and sarcastic nature of Charlie’s personality. But as the story progressed, I became more in love with the different approach Tijan took with this read. I became completely enthralled with the characters’ unique qualities and personalities. Instead of feeling like this wasn’t her usual style, I started to feel like “wow, she’s really taking this to a whole new level!”
Who couldn’t love a book about a NBA super-fan completely down on her luck, meeting her basketball idol in the flesh and having to interact with him on a professional level. It was the perfect set up for an epic, embarrassing tragedy or a love story you could only dream about. The thrill of finding out which one it would end up being was half the fun of this read.
The hero, Reese Forester is my newest book boyfriend. He was perfection in this novel. I don’t think there was a single thing I disliked about his character. Brooding, focused, charismatic, driven, sweet and oh so sexy! A baller with a heart of gold. Did I mention how smoking hot he was?
Teardrop Shot shook me. It broke me emotionally. It ruined my mascara. Sure, the beginning was fun and silly and comical. But things got down right serious and emotional in this book. Deep and catastrophic life experiences were interlaced in this witty romance read. And I loved it that much more for it. I connected with the characters on a deeper level because of their struggles and heartache. No one in this read was left unscathed by life and all that it throws at you. This book was so powerful, it’s hard to put into words just how truly incredible it was for an atypical sports romance. From beginning to end, I was held captive. I just couldn’t put it down.
I received an ARC of this book from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.
Teardrop Shot was not what I was expecting at all. It was funny, powerful, heartbreaking and very addictive. This book is so unique in every way, and i just could not stop reading.
This book is very precious to me it discusses addiction and mental health in a way that just instantly hits you. I wasn’t lying when I said the book was powerful. It could be making you cry with tears of laughter pouring down your face and then the next it would be from pure pain and heartache. This book was a literal rollercoaster of emotions.
I absolutely adored Charlie. She was quirky, sensitive and I found her very relatable. Her character spoke to me in some way and I just absolutely adored her. And Reese was just awesome. A sensitive, golden-hearted handsome angel. I am in deep, deep love with him.
I felt that this book was about forgiveness, healing and second chances. There was a constant wave of emotion and it pulls you in. It can get pretty tough to read at certain points, but let me tell you, it’s worthwhile.
Teardrop Shot is more than just a sports romance. It’s a book so powerful and emotional it seeps into your pores. It’s a literal rollercoaster that hits you really when it needs to, but it’s an incredible read, and is definitely worth it.
I’m not a basketball aficionado. Okay, I don’t even watch basketball…except for eyeing some hot b-ball players back in high school. Tall, lean muscled men with stamina? Yes, please. But lest we forget, this is a Tijan book. So, the premise may be about the basketball world and a professional player, but that’s just scratching the surface.
Charlie has her baggage, but what she doesn’t realize is that Reese is fighting his own demons. They come together in a truly unorthodox way, but the realization is that they couldn’t be more perfect for each (even if it’s easy to pretend that they’re not).
You’ll watch them struggle, see the low-level sizzle that ignites into an inferno which not only lights the way but clarifies things for them. Their fire burns hard and hot to help them figure out how to find each other and themselves. In other words, Tijan gives us loads of feels and makes us face some hard situations all while making us love her characters. And when you understand what a teardrop shot is and you finish the book, you’ll go, “Damn…pretty perfect name for this story!” Translation: Great book worth buying and re-reading.
I. WAS. NOT. READY.
When I started Teardrop Shot I had no idea what to expect other than Charlie somehow meets Reese but I was pleasantly surprised. Charlie is quirky but witty and funny. She has been through so much and has had to deal with stuff all by herself. You can’t help but FEEL for her.
Reese plays in the NBA. He’s kinda broody but a hottie. The banter between Reese and Charlie is super entertaining. I don’t blame him for being drawn to her.
Teardrop Shot had me in my feelings. I laughed. I cried. I smiled so hard.
Another great read from Tijan!
I don’t know what to say… I haven’t loved a Tijan book like this since Ryan’s Bed. There are so many feels in this story. The author didn’t hold nothing back. I laughed. I cried. I felt utter sadness because I felt the pain of the characters. It was just leaping off the page.
I’m not big on sports romance. But I would suggest giving this a go. Charlie… Damn… the girl had my heart. I wanted to be her friend. Reese… Well damn… Everyone needs a Reese in their lives that will be there. That is all I’m saying. If you want to know about the crazy emotional journey of Charlie and Reese then you had to be willing to shed a few tears and look between the pages.
Teardrop Shots is a slow burn sports romance standalone. However it is so much more than that. It’s funny, angsty and filled with sexual tension.
The character of Charlie is a breath of fresh air. She is sassy, funny, and quirky. Charlie returns to a camp she worked at years ago to not only help her friends but to escape her current situation. Charlie is a huge baseball fan especially for a certain player, Reese. When the camp ends up being a basketball camp for her favorite team and she comes face to face with her idol she fan girls in the most epic fan girl way. Reese is a star basketball player. When he meets Charlie he is intrigued by her bluntness as well as her slight stalker tendencies.
Overall I enjoyed the story. Kept me entertained. Not to much basketball talk which was good cause I know nothing about basketball. It was touching, inspiring and a little heartbreaking at times. I felt invested in Charlie and Reese.
This was my first Tijan’s book, and this definitely won’t be my last. This sport romance, beautifully written, has it all: wonderful characters, amazing story, outstanding chemistry. Reese and Charlie’s story is perfect. This story is more than just a sport romance! It’s hilarious, emotional, and romantic. I highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
I’ve just recently discovered this author’ books. I’ve kicked myself a few times that I haven’t read her yet before as I’ve really come to enjoy her books although they can be quite emotional. I actually was a bit unsure in the beginning of this story but it took me by surprise and just blew my mind away. The way it was written and not only how indepth it was, but how hard reality comes into this story, it added so much more… I fell in love with this book and the things not only Charlie went through, but also Resse, how they came together… This book and this story just took me by storm and it made me actually sad that it ended, even after it was a long read and that says something… It’s not for the faint hearted but definitely a story that will stay with you after you’ve finished reading and that to me is what it is all about!
Charlie has just been dumped and is also being fired from her job; it seems everything is crashing down around her. But even after everything has happened, she gets a summer job at the camp she knows from early on and tries to just take it day by day. She’s a huge sports fanatic and when she finds out her favorite basketbal team is coming to train at the camp, it takes a lot of her to not fangirl too much but she knows she has a job to do. But when her favorite player Reese arrives, there’s just something about him that is so much more than meets the eye; a likely friendship between them starts to form that’s slowly turning in to something both never saw coming. Everything is taking them by storm but there’s a past that Charlie has that she hasn’t come to terms with but slowly Reese is taking down barriers… But even then, it puts everything to the test. Even when Reese’s own past is coming down hard on him, he never seems to falter and their bond keeps on growing into more… But will Reese finally be able to tear down that last peace of wall that is holding Charlie down and will she finally be able to see the future that lies ahead?…
I LOVED Teardrop Shot!! It’s been years since I’ve read a Tijan book and this is the perfect book to remind me of how much I love her writing! I loved these characters and didn’t want to put this book down!! I can’t wait to read more by this author!!