The Underdog by Briar Prescott

This is the third book in Briar Prescott’s wonderful Better With You series, and just like the previous books, it was a sweet and heartwarming story! I rooted so for the two main characters who were both struggling with shattered dreams and finding a way to deal with the bad things that had happened to them.

When Anders was nineteen and ready to go to college, his mother abandoned the family and he had to give up his own dreams to take care of his younger siblings. Now, he’s turning 30 and has never really done anything for himself. Like dating. Or taking part in a triathlon race (which due to a white lie, his siblings believe to be his biggest dream).

Wells was a successful NHL player at the beginning of his career when he lost his leg, and his future, in a car accident. Now, he’s bitter, lost and broken, and can’t find anything that seems to make life worth living. Not until his old PT asks him to help a friend of his to get ready for a triathlon race.

Starting off on a bad note, with Wells acting as a real dick to get Andes to fire him, the two of them soon find friendship, joy, fun, trust and hope for the future together. But maybe there’s even more than that sparkling between them?

It was such a sweet slow-burn romance (not really an enemies-to-lovers one though, more like “grumpy-to-friends-to-lovers”), and the bantering was hilarious as always in Briar Prescott’s books. I really love her humor and witty writing style!

Compared to Briar Prescott’s other books, this one was perhaps a little less gripping than what I’ve come to expect. Even though both Anders and Wells had been through so much, most of their struggles were just told as a background story and as readers we didn’t fully get to experience their heartbreaking losses. But I nevertheless rooted so much for them and wanted them to get their happy ever after that they so deserved! It was also so wonderful to get to see my favorite persons from the other books and get a chance to be pulled back into their sweet romances again.

So even though it perhaps didn’t quite reach the amazingness of the first two books in the series, The Underdog was nevertheless a sweet, fast-paced, low-angst and highly enjoyable read, that warmed my heart and put a smile on my face!

Rating:
4 stars

Get your own copy:
Amazon

​Author info:
Briar Prescott