Rock Bottom Girl Paperback – September 30, 2022

As a lifelong resident of Lancaster County, PA, reading this book was so delightful in a way that literally every other book I’ve read about my hometown has lacked. As a rule, I tend to stay away from books set in LancCo because the cringe factor is palpable (especially those Amish romance and wannabe trad wife books written by women who’ve never lived here—blech). However, Lucy Score did this place justice in a big way. Her Lancaster references and descriptions were freakishly accurate and absolutely hilarious, as usual. (I sent my sister the entire Dutch Blitz scene through tears because I was laughing so hard. We’ve had similar experiences with that accursed game and how the competition ruins friendships and families worse than Monopoly😂 and it was just so perfect. Like, *chef’s kiss* perfection.) Not to mention, I could absolutely see this entire book playing out on the backdrop of my own small town Amish country high school.Okay so now that I’ve waxed on about my apparent hometown love, let me just say that not only does Lucy Score nail it with the setting, but my God, her characters and plot are fantastic. We all know where the story is going to eventually end up (and let’s be honest that’s part of what we love about her books), but the hi-jinks and situations the characters get into in the meantime are somehow both absolutely hilarious and entirely relatable, which is a hard thing to achieve. The banter/conversation is a 10/10 without being hokey, there’s always some hidden quirky side of the secondary characters that make them even more endearing, and maybe it’s just because I’m a 37 year old woman who had dreams of leaving her hometown behind for something bigger and better and still happily ended up here anyway (thankfully with my own wannabe bad boy with a good heart), but I loved this book so, so much. Definitely recommend.

📚 Book Review: "Rock Bottom Girl" by Lucy Score 🏆Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️What I loved:1. Marley & Jake’s chemistry 🔥2. The high school nostalgia 🎓3. Vicky 🤣"Rock Bottom Girl" is the perfect small-town romcom packed with humor, second chances, and a fake-dating trope that delivers. Marley is at rock bottom—jobless, aimless, and reluctantly moving back to her hometown. But when she takes on the role of a high school soccer coach (despite knowing nothing about coaching), her past crush and new fake-boyfriend, Jake, steps in to help.This book gave me serious high school nostalgia in the best way. Marley’s self-pity moments were frustrating at times, but her journey of self-discovery, friendships, and rekindled romance made it all worthwhile. And let’s talk about Vicky—she was absolutely hilarious! We need a whole book about her because she was one of the best side characters I’ve read in a while.The humor kept me hooked, and while there was a moment near the end where Marley frustrated me (no spoilers, but girl), it didn’t last long. If you’re looking for a fun, laugh-out-loud, heartwarming read, this one’s for you. And yes, I’ll definitely be reading more from Lucy Score!

I had the most amazing reading day today. I managed to get the washing, cleaning and shopping done AND start and finish a fabulous book. Actually, I'd have to say it was an amazing weekend of reading. Two 5-star books in one weekend are what every reader dreams of. Rock Bottom Girl took me on an emotional journey of highs and lows and left me with a big goofy smile.Marley has hit rock bottom and returned to her childhood home with her tail between her legs. Broke, homeless and single, at 38 she's desperate to finally be on the right path to success. Being home is not her path to happiness it's just a fork in the road. When her mum manages to score her a job as a soccer coach and PE teacher at her old school, she accepts it on the proviso that it's short term. Marley wants more than her small town, and she definitely doesn't want to get stuck being constantly reminded of her biggest mistakes. One of those mistakes...is still in town and still as sexy as he was at 17.Jakes Weston is a history teacher and cross-country coach. Besides teaching, his main priorities are his family, dog and fellow teachers. Now that he's nearly 40, he's started to realise that the short hook-ups and dating isn't enough. Jake's lonely and wondering if he's meant for more. When Marley comes back to town he can't help but remember that one steamy kiss under the bleachers. She's still extremely sexy and manages to make him laugh each time they're together. Maybe, Marley is the right person to test the waters to see if he could do more.Honestly, I loved this story. Yes, Marley could be a pain in the butt with her negativity and *woe-is-me* mentality but in some ways I kind of got her. Like Marley, high school was not my best years. Luckily, unlike Marley, I managed to move on and still lead a pretty great life. Poor Marley, never really found her happy place. Meeting Jake, falling for Jake, it seems like more but it's just a matter of time before it all goes wrong.Jake is my favourite type of hero. He's far from perfect, a little gruff, a wee bit egotistical and a know-it-all. But, the swagger has its charm, his sexiness and good looks make me swoon, and his thoughtfulness and kindness make me sigh. It's so nice to have the heroine stuff up instead of the hero. At times, I started to agree with Marley...Jake was too good for her.Rock Bottom Girl was funny, sexy and very thought-provoking. Lucy Score has thoroughly entertained me from start to finish. Her characters came to life for me and I enjoy her look into a small town. Most of this story revolves around the local high school and I loved seeing a positive side to what kids get out of modern media.If you're looking for a story to make you laugh, sigh and swoon, you can't go wrong with Rock Bottom Girl.