It started with a lie. A night of blurred lines between a teacher and a student.I wasn’t her student, yet it was the single most defining night of my life.I’ve never been the man she thinks I am.Most people have no idea about the life I’ve lived or the words that ring true when it comes to me—still waters run deep.But you’d be hard-pressed to find a coed on the TGU campus who knows … TGU campus who knows otherwise…because I’ve never corrected them.
The clock is ticking down, it’s Fourth and Inches with the ball inside the one-yard line and the focus is on me, The Guy on the Left. I’ve never felt like a football god, inside I’m…just Troy.
It’s time to set the record straight.
For my son, I‘ll find the strength.
In her eyes, I’m determined to gain redemption.
I will have them both, even if I have to take my eye off the ball.
All books in the series can be read as a stand-alone.
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Every time I pick up a book by Kate Stewart I am captivated by the story and it was no different with The Guy on the Left. This is the second book in the series and tells the story of Troy, Theo’s roommate from the first book, and let me tell you I loved every second of it. I was riveted with Troy and his growth and determination throughout the story.
Troy once told a lie that changed the life of two people. But he was determined to become the man he needed to be. He wanted to be a part of his son’s life. But could Clarissa trust him enough to let him in? I absolutely loved The Guy on the Left by Kate Stewart. The story was emotional and sweet and will pull at your heartstrings. A slow burn romance about forgiveness and second chances.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Oh my heart! I liked Troy and Dante since the first book and I couldn’t wait to read this one. Let me tell you I was not disappointed, at all. It gave me all the feels and then some. My heart was hurting for Clarissa and Troy because dang those two were messy at times. Dante is soooo adorable! All the parts with Troy interacting with him, big ole heart eyes over here! I’d also like to give it up for the best bestie ever, Parker. Those reviews had me laughing.
I loved it!! The Guy on the Left is the second in the Underdog Series, and it’s the Troy Jenner’s story. The prologue sets the start and it’s a doozie. I wasn’t sure I would be able to continue as it kinda crossed a line for me but I gave it a chance and boy was I happy.
This story is nice and angsty but it’s also emotional and sweet. Troy Jenner is the ladies man whose life changed when he was a senior in High School and Clarissa Arden was the 23 yr old whose life he changed with a surprise called Dante. I loved Troy and his conviction to finally become a dad. He’s a senior in college with a chance of going to the NFL. He works part time as well to help support Dante who he has never met. He jumps through hoops for Clarissa and Dante but Clarissa wants nothing to do with Troy. But try Troy does and this story is filled with sexual tension, anger, remorse, sweet and tender moments, redemption, forgiveness, misunderstandings and eventually a perfect ending for these three. I will tell you that Dante is the biggest scene stealer. He’s adorable!!! And the epilogue- love love love!!!
Also, I love Clarissa’s best friend and Troy’s mom. It is also great to read about Theo, Lance and Kevin as well. I love the TGU gang and reading about them brings me smiles upon smiles. I would definitely recommend TGOTL!!
I so wanted to read Troy’s story, this Texas football superstar had me intrigued in The Guy on the Right book, having him put together with the single mom neighbor was a story I just needed to read and what a read this was. Troy had my heart throughout the whole book. Clarissa the single mom and teacher has a hookup with a hot guy, learning later that he is just a student. Now years after they find themselves again and he wants her in his life, so he needs to prove himself to her. This book is a must read, on my top reads this year including The Guy on the Right, so make sure you read them all.
Kate Stewart has done it again for me. Another 2019 top read in the Underdog series. Clarissa, a single mom, living next door to the man she has vowed to forget, and who has pursued her despite her wishes. Troy, the man who wishes for things to be different for Clarissa’s son as he grew up without a real father figure in his life. And the young man who will steal your heart, and who is at the center of this story, Dante, Clarissa’s young son and the true love of her life. Kate Stewart will give you an emotional roller coaster ride and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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Passionate. Determined. Loyal.u2063
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He is an anomaly in the best possible ways. u2063
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Clarissa and Dante…u2063
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Mother and son with and unbreakable bond.u2063
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The dynamic between all the characters involved made this one of my favorite stories this year. The complexity of their situations and drive to make them better resulted in this book being the most relatable thing I’ve read in recent months. u2063
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With a reputation that proceeds him, Troy is labeled as the Playboy when in reality, he’s just a hardworking twenty something who is trying to be the best version of himself. They way he embraces his role as a father is inspiring. Loved everything about this book and getting to know more about Troy and his passion for ball and his boy.u2063
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Then we have Clarissa who is the classic Mama Bear, out to protect her cub from all the bad things in the world as most parents do. There is bad blood, good intentions and hot as hell chemistry. u2063
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Don’t miss out on this greatness because Kate has created another gem of a story.
Who knew Troy was going to offer us up such a story?! Poor guy just got in his own way! But I totally fell for him when he was on a mission to fix his mistakes, to get Dante and Clarissa where they belong… with him. I was way beyond in love with Troy when he tried to prove himself not only to Clarissa but to Damte as well. I really just adore this group of characters. I couldn’t get enough of the main characters but the secondary characters as well.
There are a handful of authors I just read… title, blurb, cover, everything else be damned. I go in cold Turkey knowing whatever those chosen few authors have given me, I am going to love. Kate Stewart is one of this authors. I dig everything about her writing! It might have been the cover but I didn’t expect so much… emotion from this book. But that is just what Miss Stewart piled on in The Guy on the Left… heart-tugging, angsty emotions.
I was really thrilled with Kate’s writing. She started the story out with a bomb and I felt like I was running through an open field with explosions going off all around me. It was an emotionally thrilling read… does that make sense?
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
Kate Stewart has easily become a one-click author for me. Her writing is flawless, witty, swoon-worthy and always brings ALL the feels. I found myself laughing so hard at times while reading this book that I had to excuse myself from the room, and then moments later I was in tears.
I have to be honest – I was not as excited to read Troy’s story after being introduced to him in his roommate’s book, The Guy on the Right, earlier this year. He was sort of the villain, and I did.not.like.him. However, I was quickly won over by his boyish charm, sensitive persona and complete devotion and selfless love for his son and his baby mama in this book!!!
I can’t remember the last time I swooned so hard over a hero – Troy is not your typical “jock” hero. He is multi-layered and the more you get to know him, the more he will surprise you. His soul-deep and unconditional love for his son will bring you to your knees!!! You will cry for this man and boy, you will laugh with them, and THEN you will cry tears of joy for them! You will fall in love with this hero even before he has made his moves on his love interest!!!!! GAHHHH!
The relationship between Troy & Clarissa is one that will keep you glued to the story. Their steamy history, unconventional reunion, angsty banter, and undeniable chemistry will pull you in from the first pages and keep you invested in them until the very end. I cheered for Clarissa as the strong, independent single mom, but I also wanted to yell at her for her stubborn and defensive demeanor at times. Oh she guarded her heart. But – Troy’s determination and unwavering loyalty to both her and their son was oh SO swoon-worthy. I cheered for him THE ENTIRE BOOK and just wanted her to see the amazing man he had become.
This story is one that will stay with me for a long time. It is not only a swoony second-chance romance, but also a tale about forgiveness, self-love, and chasing your dreams. Both Clarissa and Troy will inspire you to put it all out there when it matters most. Well done once again K Stewart! Can’t wait for the next story in this series!
I’ve read so many of Kate Stewart’s books and she never disappoints me, ever!! Guy on the Left is incredible, it has all the feels, wonderful main characters you just can’t get enough of. Troy and Clarissa’s son Dante just steals your heart!! If you are looking for a real life second chance romance, grab your copy today and get ready for a great ride!! I loved it!!
Wow! Who would have ever guessed that Troy was such a great guy? Not me, that’s for sure. I thought he was just a party animal, football jock, womanizer. I was so far off. He definitely has had a good time while in college pursuing his dreams of becoming a professional football player, but he his the hardest working guy. His love for Dante was astounding. His love and appreciation of Clarissa was admirable. I thoroughly enjoyed Troy and Clarissa’s story. I laughed quite a bit, but this book really brought out a lot of emotions for me. What a great couple. And of course, what a great, funny kid. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
First, let me start by saying this book was amazing. It consumed me and I took every free minute I could to read. Second, this book was different than I expected and that’s not a bad thing. Troy and Clarissa’s story (and Dante) starts out with heartbreak.
Troy surprised me and I wanted to smack Clarissa more than once, on many occasions. Don’t get me wrong, I like her and she’s a great person, but six years a lonnnnnnng time to hold a grudge and hurt two people in the mean time! She meant well, but ugh, I was mad at her for Troy.
The road to their HEA is bumpy one and it will bring tears to your eyes. Dante is adorable and rounds out their trio perfectly. Imo, this book is a little different than the first, but it’s just as good, if not better. I highly recommend it!
I don’t even know where to begin. This was raw, real and heart achingly beautiful. I felt all the emotions with this book and I loved every minute of it and never wanted it to end. This was more than I could’ve ever hoped for, for Troy, Clarissa and Dante’s story
I was instantly intrigued by Troy after reading Theo and Laney’s story in ‘The Guy on the Right’ earlier this year and I just knew there was more to Troy than met the eye. This book runs along the same timeline as TGOTR so I highly suggest reading it first as a lot of the scenes overlap and we get different perspectives of how those scenes affected Troy and Clarissa and they still fit in perfectly with Theo and Laney’s story without taking anything away from it
Troy was doing the best he can dealing with college, football, work and trying to form a relationship with his son Dante after being denied access to him for the first 5 years of his life. All he wants is to be there and provide for Dante. He so desperately wants for people to see him for who he truly is, to shake this image people seem to think is all that’s to him. He is kind, caring, protective, hard working, vulnerable, respectful and still has a slight cockiness to him.
Clarissa is a single mother whose entire world revolves around making sure her son is well looked after and loved. She is incredibly strong, passionate, supportive, selfless, she is a great mother but also has insecurities, is vulnerable and she had a very guarded heart and at times she was frustrating but after everything she bad been through and everything she was doing to build a life for herself and Dante it seemed very justified and reasonable
This was more than just a romance, it was about family and putting others first, trying to find a way to redeem your past actions and open your heart up to the possibility of everything you hope to get out of life and unconditional love. This story was a lot more emotional than the guy on the right, which had a more fun and lighter tone but they were both equally as great and a must read. I cried happy tears, i cried sad tears and my heart was left feeling so full by the end.
5 Stars!
Troy Jenner is a college senior at Texas Grand University. He plays football for the Texas Grand Rangers, and is one of their star players. He has a reputation as a playboy athlete, and is the golden boy of TGU. School and football have been his life for years. He has dreams of the NFL, but the one thing that consumes his thoughts is a moment from his past that would shape, change, and define his life. A lie he told that would forever haunt him. It’s been tearing him apart for years, and he’s finally ready to do something about it. The only thing that matters to him are playing ball, and making a connection with his boy. He’s no longer an immature teenager, and he needs to know his son.
Clarissa Arden is a high school teacher in Texas who becomes a single mom at the age of 23 when she has a no strings hook up with a gorgeous guy. She later learns he’s a student. Not her student, but still a teenager. She’s angry and feels betrayed. She vows to never forgive him for putting her in this position. After almost six years he shows up on her doorstep. She’s leery of his intentions, and used to doing things on her own. She tries to ignore how ridiculously sexy he still is, but no matter how hard she’d tried, she’s never forgotten the hottest night of her life.
Now 29, Clarissa is still just as stunning as Troy remembers. He is suddenly infatuated with her, and soon realizes he wants to be a part of her life too, but she doesn’t trust him. Actions speak louder than words, and he plans to prove himself. It will take time, but he’s determined not to give up. He just wants a chance. He’s never felt this way before. Could he actually be more to Clarissa than the neighbor, or her baby daddy? Will she let him close enough to capture her heart?
The Guy on the Left (An Underdog Love Story, book 2) by Kate Stewart is a heartwarming, emotional, unforgettable story about love, redemption, and second chances. It’s a hilarious enemies to lovers romance about a misunderstood guy who is nothing like he appears to be. Everything about this book was perfection. My new Kate Stewart favorite book and book boyfriend! I fell in love with all the layers of this beautiful man. I didn’t think it was possible to top Theo from The Guy on The Right, but OMG, then Kate gives us T-R-O-Y!!! This character will check all your boxes. The way he loves with his whole heart and soul is breathtaking! I can’t quit thinking about Troy Jenner!!!
It’s steamy, angsty and will give you all the feels!
Stewart shares the recipe for love in this winning novel about so much more than football!
The story of Troy and Clarissa will make you believe in fighting for love, while Dante, their young son, will steal your heart.
Full of warmth and the devotion of two strong willed characters, this story explores the complexity and real struggles of fighting for what’s right.
But in what fighting for what’s right, in this unorthodox relationship, we find these two incredible characters questioning if what they truly want could be the answer for them both and their budding family.
Sprinkled with her own family recipes throughout the book, it is clear that this was more than a mere work of fiction for Stewart, but a story that was truly a labor of love. It was a book that captured my heart and I am sure it will capture yours as well.
As Always, Happy Reading!
“5/5 Beaming Brains” – Lit-Up My Mind
Oh this book was wonderful! It’s made me laugh, cry and everything else in between. I’ve also wanted to bang these characters heads together at times I loved it!!!
If you read The Guy on the Right, you’ll know of Troy and his play-boy reputation, afterall he looks like one! Here’s the thing, never judge a book by its cover, or a character from other pov’s. This is Kate Stewart!! There is always so much more than meets the eye and so many amazing layers to Troy that no-one else in his life bothered to see. Yes he made mistakes (dont we all), but it actually wasn’t him I wanted to shake to make them see reason, mostly I had more issues with Clarissa and some of the choices she made because of her long held grudge. I loved her no nonsense best friend Parker who helped her see things more clearly.
This is a second chance, enemies to lovers story, full of emotion, heart, angst, drama, intense chemistry and no cheating. It’s a story about learning to trust, forgiving and forgetting past mistakes, for love and for the most wonderful little 6 year old boy, who stole a huge proportion of the scenes he was in!
5 huge LegitLife stars
Where do I even begin to describe my emotions whilst reading Troy’s book!
I have to first off say that he is the most amazing man. He is caring, very devoted to those he holds dear but he is also trying to do his absolute best to get by in life! The struggles are real people!
My heart was thrown so often. I felt like the relationship between Clarissa and Troy was on difficult footing and I wondered if they would have a HEA!
I admired the way Clarissa stood up for herself but she really had a hard time letting Troy in! I also loved the way he doted on Dante and the things that came out of Dantes mouth were pure gold!
I really loved how this book showed real life struggles alot of relationships go through and sometimes people need to make a choice as to who is most important to them and act accordingly!
The banter was great, the heartfelt moments were beautiful and I especially loved how it ended! The storyline hooked me from start to finish!! So looking forward to reading more from this author!
I’ve been waiting for this book from the moment I picked up The Guy on the Right. Kate Stewart not only made us fall in love with Theo in that book, but she also gave us Troy to swoon over, and swoon I have!
Oh my gosh, I’m so in love with this story! Troy Jenner is one of a kind, and way more EVERYTHING than you think he is. On the surface, he might not seem to be the underdog, but there’s more to his life than meets the eye. This man has the most amazing heart, the most hard-working drive, and the most determined spirit you’ll find. He’s not just the pretty boy jock with a knack for messing things up that others think he is. He’s a genuinely good man just trying to make things right in his world, and you’re going to fall in love with him.
Clarissa, for me, was a little difficult to fall in love with from the beginning. Don’t get me wrong, I love her now, but I had a hard time liking her in the beginning because of her interactions with Troy. I felt very protective of him, so to see her treat him anything less than perfectly was hard for me (KS did an amazing job making you feel real empathy for these characters). But alas, she won me over and I adore her now. I understand her better.
Love and life can often be insanely messy, and that’s the beauty of this book. It’s beautiful and sometimes ugly, and not a perfect love story. It’s crazy how real these characters feel and how much you invest yourself into their story. And like any good KS book, this one is a roller coaster of amazingness. You’ll laugh, cringe, cry, want to scream, feel the need to shake sense into someone, fan your heated cheeks, and swoon uncontrollably. I’m so in love with Troy, Clarissa, and of course, Dante. This book gets ALL the stars from me. Seriously, there aren’t enough stars to do it justice. It’s a MUST-READ book!
4.5 in love stars
Troy was introduced in the book The Guy on the Right, he seemed like a stereotypical jock.-Not likable.
How wrong first impression’s and assumptions are!!
I am in love with Troy! He has depth that is slowly revealed and it was a joy to read it unfold! He’s also an extremely motivated hard worker. He’s mature beyond his years in many ways. Ultimate book boyfriend!!
He’s kind and his interactions with Dante melted my heart. He is perfection-flaws and mistakes make him human. He’s absolutely lovable!
And Dante! What an amazing character this kid is! He absolutely stole scenes! I love this kid so much!
Clarissa is a devoted mom and friend. She was frustrating at times. I had moments when I wanted her to loosen up, be more flexible and nicer. But real people have flaws so it serves its purpose in making this a believable and completely enjoyable story!
I highly recommend this book and it’s a new favorite!!
The Guy On The Left is book two in The underdogs series. It can be read as a standalone but after reading The Guy on The Right, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Troy’s story. Troy is nothing like a thought he was. Troy has many layers and what we saw of him in The Guy On The Right was just the surface of him and not the real him. Troy is one of the good guys. He’s hard working loyal guy.
Clarissa is headstrong and has walls up. Even though Troy is trying really hard at times. I felt she still wanted him to try more. I had my moments where I didn’t really like her but she’s a good character and has her reason for what she does.