A Lazy Reader's Review of "The Striker" by Ana Huang
Summary
She's the only woman he wants . . . and the only one he can't have.
Asher Donovan is a living legend – the darling of the Premier League, the (arguably) greatest footballer in the world.
But his reckless antics and recent team transfer have cause much controversy, and when his feud with his rival-turned-teammate costs them a championship, they're forced to "bond" during off-season cross-training.
Surviving the summer shouldn't be hard . . . until Asher meets their new trainer. She's beautiful, talented, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't take his mind off her.
The only problem? She's his rival's sister – and completely off limits.
***
Scarlett DuBois is a former prima ballerina whose career was cut short by tragic accident.
Now a teacher at a prestigious dance academy but still haunted by the ghosts of her past, the last thing she wants is to spend the summer cross-training Asher Donovan, of all people.
She swore she would never date a footballer, but when her brother leaves town for an emergency, she finds herself thrown into dangerously close proximity with the gorgeous, charming striker.
Training, she can deal with. But falling in love? That's out of the question – especially when he's the only person with the power to break her heart.
Review
Ana Huang's The Striker is a romance novel that offers a mix of emotional depth and engaging side characters, but it struggles with pacing and character depth outside of its central focus on trauma.
One of the book's strongest aspects is its romance. Scarlett and Asher share chemistry that feels authentic, and their journey together is both emotional and rewarding to follow. The length of the novel works in its favor, allowing Huang to thoroughly explore not just the romance but also the personal traumas and emotional baggage both characters bring into their relationship. The result is a dynamic where their struggles feel real and well fleshed out, making their eventual connection all the more satisfying. This is a really big reason why I think romance books should be longer than 300-pages. If the author wants to discuss serious topics, they have to be given more pages to do so.
The side characters are another highlight. They add a layer of enjoyment to the story, offering moments of humor, warmth, and support that break up the intensity of Scarlett and Asher's narrative. These secondary characters contribute significantly to making the world of The Striker feel lived-in and engaging.
However, the book isn't without its flaws. The pacing is inconsistent, with certain sections dragging or feeling disjointed. This uneven pace would often pull me out of the story at times and disrupt the flow of my reading experience. Additionally, while Scarlett and Asher's traumas are well-written and deeply explored, the characters themselves don't seem to have much personality outside of those traumas. And if they do, they are a product of said traumas. This limitation made it harder to connect with them on a more personal level, as they felt defined more by their pain than by their individual identities.
Another downside is the inclusion of a third-act breakup, a common romance trope that I personally find frustrating. In The Striker, it felt predictable and unnecessary, detracting from the emotional resonance of the story rather than adding to it. It's a plot device that often feels more like a hurdle for the sake of drama than a natural progression of the narrative, and that was the case here.
Overall, The Striker has some genuinely strong moments and a romance that fans of emotionally driven stories will likely appreciate. However, the pacing issues, the reliance on trauma to define the characters, and the clichéd third-act breakup held the book back from reaching its full potential. It's a decent read with certain enjoyable elements, but it ultimately didn't leave a lasting impression.
★★★☆☆
Favorite Quote: "We all have ugly feelings sometimes. It's a part of human nature. But it's what we do with them that counts." ~ pg. 362
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