Fair Play [Paperback]

Deirdre Martin (Author)

Book Description

Series: New York Blades | Publication Date: February 3, 2004

To the deep disappointment of her large family, PR princess Theresa Falconetti never dates Italians, men from her old Brooklyn neighborhood, or professional athletes.

Michael Dante, winger for the Stanley Cup champion New York Blades, is all three--and he is head over heels for her. So when Theresa finds herself a buttoned-up lawyer, Michael is forced to take his game to the next level.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Martin's second playful romance set in the world of professional hockey (following Body Check) scores again. After nearly being raped by a sports star, Theresa Falconetti doesn't date athletes-or, in truth, anyone at all. So when two suitors begin courting her, she's flummoxed rather than flattered. Smooth, sexually undemanding Reese Banister seems like a dream come true even though he's the nephew of the man determined to take over her financially shaky PR firm. In contrast, new client Michael Dante, whose family owns a popular Brooklyn restaurant, is her worst nightmare. He's a professional hockey player, he comes from the same Bensonhurst neighborhood as her lovable but irritating Italian family and he's always in her face. As Theresa tries to upgrade the image of Michael's restaurant, decide whether or not to sell out, deal with her father's cancer and cope with the lingering scars of sexual trauma, she must assess the men's true worth. The takeover plot line is sketchy, and Reese's courtship is so transparently shady no reader will be fooled. However, Martin depicts the worlds of both professional hockey and ethnic Brooklyn with deftness and smart detail. She has an unerring eye for humorous family dynamics, and her treatment of Theresa's psychological trauma, while accurate, never overwhelms the story's sweet buoyancy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Michael Dante is a veteran professional hockey player who knows that his playing days are numbered, so, also co-owner of his family's restaurant, he decides to take that to the next level. This involves hiring a PR firm whose co-owner is the lovely Theresa Falconetti whom he's had his eye on since meeting her at his coach's wedding two years ago. He can't get her out of his mind and has high hopes. Theresa, though, has changed due to a traumatic event, and has sworn off players of all sports, especially hockey. In addition, she has made every effort to squelch her Italian American roots and has no desire to date Italian men. Her edicts knock Michael's plans right out of the box. Can Michael bring Theresa around? Witnessing their "courtship" is a pleasure in Martin's fun and witty story. But there's so much more. The depth of the characterizations and the unexpectedly moving passages make this an exceptional romance and a must-read for all fans of the genre. Maria Hatton
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425194574
• ISBN-13: 978-0425194577
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,906 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin currently lives in Ithaca, New York, with her husband Mark Levine, who is also a writer. She's had the same best friend since she was ten, and the only sport she can stand watching is ice hockey. In her spare time she likes to read, hike, and perform with the local improv group.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than fair, February 7, 2004

By 

Sarah W "Sarah W" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fair Play (Paperback)

Fair Play is the wonderful follow up to Deirdre Martin's first book, Body Check. This book also has a hockey theme, but it goes way beyond the normal athlete romance novel.

Heroine Theresa Falconetti doesn't date Italians or athletes. Michael Dante, the winger for the New York Blades, the fictional hockey team, knew from the moment of meeting Theresa that she was THE ONE. But she has some baggage that makes it hard for her to trust any man, let alone another hockey player.

Theresa was nearly raped by a hockey player from the Blades and she has retreated from being a fun loving, romantic and silly woman to a woman who is serious all the time. She is trying to get her PR firm off the ground and finally agrees to take a job promoting Michael's restaurant. Theresa quickly comes to discover that she can rely on Michael, and she also finds that is extremely attracted to him, false front teeth and all. Unfortunately, Michael has competition in businessman Reese Banister, a jerk of the worse kind.

Martin's follow up to Body Check is filled with Italian zest, fun family camaderie, and a great romance between Theresa and Michael who is a great hero, both tender, macho, and sexy. He wants Theresa and is willing to go to any lengths to get her, but when the going gets tough, it's Theresa who turns to Michael. Theresa has a lot to overcome to trust Michael, but right from the beginning her strong personality, individual style, and amazing strength come through. If this book is any indication, Deirdre Martin definitely has the talent to take her writing career to the top.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More then Fair.. read it !!, February 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Fair Play (Paperback)

Fair Play and Body Check are full of life and romance

In Fair Play, Both Michael and Theresa are believable, real life characters whom you just cant get enough. It's a love story of today's women.

I loved having Ty and Janna still in parts of story, Please Bring all four back...

Fair Play is about life, I often felt like it was my friends and I talking about men and jobs..

I think everyone should read both of Deirdre Martin's books

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've Found a New Favorite Author, April 27, 2005

By 

TJ's Mommy (El Dorado Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fair Play (Paperback)

I first read Body Check by Deirdre Martin and loved it! It is the first in this "series" so I recommend reading that book first. It introduces the reader to the characters in this book.

Teresa Falconetti is an Italian girl from Brooklyn that just wants to be a big city girl with a big city life. She wants to be "better" than her Brooklyn roots and fall in love with a cultured, sophisticated guy...even if the perfect Italian from the same neighborhood is what she should have. Teresa has to struggle with her feelings for the "wrong" guy and find Mr. Right by dating a stuck-up rich guy.

As you read the story you know she's making a mistake and you want to slap her into seeing what is right in front of her face. It's so frustrating, yet you know that with each turning page something good is going to happen. It's a really good story with a great ending. I recommend this book to anyone needing a good love story with some wit, humor, and a little bit of sports mixed in.