Romance Annotation-Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

 

Romance Annotation

“Losing is never the end of the world. Losing is where the learning starts. It was one of those moments when I had to take a mental step back and wonder when the hell I'd turned into an adult.”

Title:  Rock Bottom Girl

Author: Lucy Score

Genre: Romance

Publication Date: 2023

Number of pages: 501 pages 

Geographic Setting: Culpepper, Pennsylvania   

Period: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Plot Summary:

Marley Cicero has hit rock bottom. She is thirty-eight, broken up with her boyfriend, and now living with her mom and dad. She lost all her savings when the business she invested in collapsed. She gets work temporarily as the Culpepper’s soccer coach and teaches PE at the local high school, which is her former high school.  She is surrounded by the hometown that she left behind. There are both new and former enemies and friends at the school. The angry coach is just one of the enemies as he kicks her and her team out of the field, but Marley strikes back with red dye in the showers. The prank gets noticed by her high school enemy, Amie Jo Hostetter, who is furious that her son’s hair is pink on picture day. Instead of getting in trouble, Jake tells the principal that they are dating and that Marley was with him on that date when the team got pranked, clearing Marley. The principal makes Jake and Marley sign a relationship agreement that they will be dating exclusively with each other for the rest of the semester. The two make a deal. He would teach her to be a better coach, and she would teach him how to be in a serious relationship. Soon, pretend becomes real, and Marley has a decision at the end of the semester to stay in Culpepper with Ryan or leave for what she considers a perfect job.  

Subject Headings:

Romance

Man and Woman Relationships

High School Teachers

Soccer Coaches

Appeal:

The appeal factors include the characters in the romance. The main and second characters propel the story along. In Rock Bottom Girl, the main characters are Marley Cicero and her fake boyfriend, Jake Weston. The story goes back and forth with their perspectives. But, secondary characters are essential to the story as well. Her sister Zinnia plays with Marley’s confidence and hopes for her future as she compares herself to her and her appearance of a perfect existence. Marley has to reconcile that perfection doesn’t meet happiness in a relationship. We meet Marley’s parents, who are so supportive, and Jake’s two Dads, who are happy to see Jake have a girlfriend. The way she coaches her soccer team also shows how friendly she is and how important of a role model she is to her team, showing the depth of her character. 

The characters also represent the typical characters of a heroine and hero. Marley is independent, intelligent, and strong. She stands up to her bullies, including pranking them when necessary. Jake is strong, a great teacher, and a bad boy. He has never been in a relationship until now. So, it was news that he had a girlfriend.

Rock Bottom Girl's pacing is fast-paced and mostly dialogue between characters. The style draws you in. Marley is very articulate, and the dialogue between her and Jake draws you into the romance. Rock Bottom Girl is not a clean romance, so there are sexual conversations that move the story along.  

Storyline:  

Rock Bottom Girl also follows a typical Romance Storyline—the courtship of the heroine and hero, their relationship, and its happy conclusion (Saricks, 2019, p. 218). Marley and Jake are tied to a fake relationship and signing a relationship contract with the school. They spend time together, her trying to get him ready for a relationship and him trying to teach her to be an effective coach. Marley and Jake’s relationship turns from pretend to real, including jealousy of Ryan’s future girlfriend. There is a happy conclusion at the end.

Three terms that best describe this book:

Romantic, self-love, High School Rivalry

Similar Authors and Works (Why are they similar?)

3 Relevant fiction works and authors

1.     Susan Elizabeth Phillips-It Had to be You 

Both books have dialogue that is engaging and funny. They both take place in small towns. Lastly, they have a similar genre, contemporary romance. 

1.      Sarah Adams-The Rule Book

Both books are steamy romances. They have a common genre, contemporary romance, and are romantic comedies. The Rule Book and Rock Bottom Girl take place in small towns. They both have characters that are likable but flawed. Rock Bottom Girl and The Rule Books are involved in playing sports.

2.      Meredith Schorr- Someone Just Like You. 

Both books are steamy. They have an identical genre: contemporary romance and romantic comedy.  They both take place in small towns, and the characters are likable. 

3 Relevant non-fiction works and authors

1.      Hamilton

Jake is a history teacher, so he loves that Hamilton excites his students to learn about history. He idolizes Lin-Manuel Miranda.

2.      Spice Girls

After Marley overworks the girls' soccer team, she plays the Spice Girls for practice and wins the team over with the music.

3.     Beckham: Both Feet on the Ground: An Autobiography by David Beckham and Tom Watt

There are several places in the novel that mention David Beckham and Soccer. Marley recruits an exceptional soccer player for the team and references David Beckham’s soccer expertise. 

References

Wyatt, N. & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers’ advisory guide to genre fiction (3rd ed.). ALA Editions.