The Unforgiving Minute

by Sarah Granger

A childhood crush leads to a tumultuous love affair for two professional tennis players in THE UNFORGIVING MINUTE.

Ryan Betancourt had a teenage crush on professional tennis player Josh Andrews, and now he's on tour with him. While Josh first presents as standoffish, he and Ryan eventually become friends� and then more. However, a past bad relationship leaves Josh unwilling to trust and his misconceptions about Ryan's actions lead to heartbreak for both of them. Fellow tennis player, smooth-talking Mitch, is quick to befriend Ryan when he joins the tour. Mitch takes advantage of Ryan's trusting personality and throws Ryan's life, and career, into a downward slide.

This was a very sweet story with enjoyable and believable characters. Ryan was just an absolute pleasure to read about- he's sweet, caring, and honest. Unfortunately, this also makes him a little na�ve and susceptible to the maliciousness of others. The development of the relationship between Ryan and Josh seems to bring out the best in both of them.

But there can't be a good relationship plot without some conflict, and the conflict here comes in the form of smooth, slick, fellow tennis player, Mitch. While I did not like the character of Mitch, he was written perfectly. His character flaws were masked well and he knew exactly what to do to manipulate any situation to his benefit. Josh's insecurities kicked in when he sees the developing relationship between Mitch and Ryan.

In Ryan's determination to figure out what went wrong in their relationship, he forces Josh to open up and release his past demons. The scenes when Ryan and Josh are honestly discussing Josh's past were well-written and poignant. The emotional development of the main characters is fantastic and the personal growth that both of them experience is what makes their bond so strong. This was a great story to read and you do not have to be an avid tennis fan to enjoy all that is happening.