When I Need You by Lorelei James 
Series: Need You #4
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: ARC
Narrator: Roger Wayne, Lidia Dornet
Also by this author: I Want You Back
Goodreads
Rules are tossed aside when a pro football player join forces with a spitfire cheerleading coach in New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James’s brand-new romance…
Heir to Lund Enterprises and ladies’ man Jensen “The Rocket” Lund has three conditions when it comes to dating: 1) No single mothers2) No cheerleaders3) No medical personnelSo it makes no sense that he’s wildly attracted to Rowan Michaels, who breaks all three.
Rowan Michaels didn’t pass the rigorous requirements to become an athletic trainer and Vikings cheerleader in the hopes of landing a pro athlete: been there, done that, and she has a young son as proof that football players and fidelity don’t go hand in hand. When Rowan learns her new neighbor is Jensen Lund, the smoking-hot tight end who takes being neighborly to a whole new level, she’s grateful for the team’s strict “no fraternization” policy because the sexy man defines temptation.
But Jensen is intent on rushing straight to the goal line to prove to Rowan he’s much more than just a player…on and off the field.
When I Need You caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was delighted with this story! Jensen is a pro footballer who is coming off an injury. Rowan is an athletic trainer by day and pro football cheerleader by night. When Rowan and Jensen discover they are neighbors, sparks fly.
Jensen has ‘rules’ about the women he will date and Rowan violates all three. For her own protection, Rowan has rules too. She refuses to date athletes because her last boyfriend was a footballer who bailed on her when she got pregnant. But, she adores her son Calder and enjoys their life. She is working at her alma mater as an athletic trainer and cheer coach, plus cheering for the Vikings as well. And because they are both part of the Vikings corporation, they are forbidden from getting involved with each other. Jensen thinks that a crap rule, but Rowan isn’t going to risk her job. Jensen is pretty persistent though (super hot!)
I loved that Jensen wasn’t willing to give up on Rowan. However, sometimes he was kind of a d-bag in how myopic his view was. He couldn’t fathom WHY Rowan wouldn’t want him. Rowan’s hesitation seemed very realistic to me. A single mom can’t just think about herself; anyone she brings into their life also affects her son. Plus, as a cheerleader, she is the expendable one in the eyes of the Vikings. They would never fire “The Rocket” from the team but would can her in a quick minute. The relationship progresses organically and I appreciated it. I also adored Calder! He is such an adorable addition to the story.
If you like realistic characters, single parents, pro athletes, and deep love, When I Need You is a perfect pick! There is one explicit sex scene and the rest are fade to black. I appreciated this!
The audio was pretty good. I thought Lidia Dornet did a great job. Her voice acting for the male voices wasn’t overdone and didn’t detract from the story. Roger Wayne’s voice normally was fine. However, I found his attempts to alter his voice for the female speaking parts very distracting. It just didn’t work for me. Overall though, his narration was good. Sometimes I can just be nit picky about voice acting.
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: no
- Trope: single parent, pro athlete
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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The Final Score by Jaci Burton, The Friend Zone by Kirsten Callihan, Real by Katy Evans…then you will probably like When I Need You!
When I Need You
Ooh, I’m going to have to get back to this series. I’ve listened to the first two and really enjoyed the stories as well as Dornet’s and Wayne’s narration. I love it when kids are realistically incorporated into a story and it sounds as though this one does it well. And I like the premise. I’m glad you enjoyed it!