Kate  Stewart

The Guy on the Left

Kate Stewart

Strike One-My mother named me Theodore after her favorite chipmunk.Not cool, Mom.I've spent most of my life answering to Teddy, because I couldn't make Theo work.Except for here. College. The place where all bets are off, and I've managed to redeem myself.There's only one problem, my new roommate, Troy, is football royalty and looks like he stepped off the set of an Abercrombie shoot.Doesn't matter, I cook a mean breakfast for his panty parade, and we get along well.And anyway, this year I got the girl. And she's perfect.That's right. Theodore Houseman, former band geek, now marching band rock star has finally landed the girl of his dreams.Everything is perfect.That is, until Troy takes a good look at her.I'm not going down without a fight. As a matter of fact, I'm not going down at all. As glorious as these days may be for my all-star roommate, Laney is my end game. I may not know much about play strategy, but I've been the good guy my whole life. I've been listening and I know exactly what women want. Framed in a picture standing next to me, Troy may seem like Mr. Perfect, but he's underestimating the guy on the right.Spoiler alert: In this story, the underdog is going to win.

The Guy on the Right

menna

Beatriz Aguiar

That was actually funny and not cheesy. Best one I've read in a while. Didn't even irritate me at all. Ha!

Demi

4.5/5

This is my first Kate Stewart book and I will say, I am definitely impressed! 

I really enjoyed reading The Guy on the Right! It was a quick cute read and I 100% enjoyed it. I really enjoyed reading both Theo and Laney’s points of view and I think it really helped the story having them both in there. I really liked the plot of this book and I absolutely LOVED the characters!! I really loved reading about their relationship and seeing their growth together. This book had the perfect mix of cute and steamy romance for me and I enjoyed both aspects of their romance!

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this book! It didn’t fully reach being a 5 star read for me, but definitely a 4.5!!

The Guy in the Middle

*arc received by book funnel*

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. The Underdog series quickly became a favourite for me immediately after reading “the Guy on the Right” and it has continued to get better and better with each book. “The Guy in the Middle” was another phenomenal story with the most perfect ending I could have asked for.

I absolutely loved how this story flowed. We followed Lance and Harper over the course of six years and I loved how much of their story we got to see. I actually think that this book is my favourite of the Underdog books. It was gripping start to finish, and I truly became so inversted in their relationship because we got so much time to fall in love with these characters.

The relationship we saw build and grow in this book was honestly addictive. We saw everything from the moment they met to the ending we got. This was a hate to friends to lovers story that had so many elements and complications that made for a dramatic, frustrating, satisfying live story. I genuinely can’t say enough good things about this book!

Now we got an extended epilogue at the end of this book to wrap up the trilogy and OH MY IT WAS PERFECT!! It brought all three books together so perfectly, and we got to see all the characters we grew to love over these books and their friendship with one another. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read a more satisfying and well written ending that gave me all the closure I needed and more. This trilogy was really a series that made me fall in love with romance, so I’m sad to see it over, but I couldn’t have asked for a better finale!

THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!!!

Earlier this year I read “the Guy on the Right”, and absolutely fell in love with it. In that book we saw Troy as the stereotypical popular college football star who hooks up with a different girl every day of the week. HOWEVER, in his book we saw the REAL Troy and let me tell you, I think I may have to say that I loved this even more then “the Guy on the Right”. (This book was definitely more emotional and hard hitting than “the Guy on the Right”).

This book had so many raw and complex concepts that really made the story amazing! I really loved seeing Troy’s life from his point of view, as well as seeing the interconnected timelines from the first book to this book. I think the plot of this story was so well written and it really made you fall in love and care about these characters.

Speaking of characters, I LOVED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!!! So first off, Parker was such a hilarious side character that I adored. I loved her relationship with all of the characters and her protectiveness towards Clarissa. As for Clarissa, I didn’t fully agree with many of the actions she took towards her situation with Troy but I loved her character nonetheless and think she definitely grow throughout the story. Now for Troy. I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM!!!! I loved seeing the parts of himself that were overlooked in “tgonr”. He was such an interesting character with complex personality traits that made him feel like a real person. Now for my favorite character...DANTE!!!! This boy really stole my heart. He was such a sarcastic and sassy kid and Kate Stewart did such an amazing job of weaving different characteristics from both Clarissa and Troy together to make him. I think my favorite scenes in this book were those where Dante and Troy were bonding. They really made my heart turn to complete mush. As for Troy and Clarissa’s relationship, I think it was written in a way that was so honest and realistic. It showed the complications couples go through instead of being all sunshine and rainbows, which made it that much more believable. I was definitely rooting for them the entire book!!

Overall, the was 100% a five star read for me and an amazing sequel. I am so excited for “the Guy in the Middle” to be released next year so I can find out Lances story! Slivers of Lance’s personal story were hinted at in this book and it has made my anticipation for this book soooo high!!! I sense another five star read!

Kailey Rios

this was such a cute love story!

i liked that it wasn’t super cliche though it definitely had its cheesy moments.

a few scenes did make me a little uncomfortable but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment too much.

the sex scenes were pretty hot though.


  3.5 stars

Megan Lowe

Love, just LOVE this book. It’s funny, it has drama, it has all the swoon worthy, romantic, sexy parts you could ever want or need.
Theo is just... oh so incredible.
Laney is the type of girl I want to grow up to be, without the unfortunate taste in music.
Together they are an incredible couple and make for an incredible book. I have no hesitation in saying this is my favourite book of the year.
Run, don’t walk, to get this book in your life!

Holy. Lord. I LOVED this book. I laughed. I cried. I swooned. My head broke. I cheered. This book had it all.
I loved reading Troy’s and Clarissa’s story. Dante is incredible as well.
This is a great family.
Troy is perfect. I had a harder time with Clarissa, just because of the fight she put up with Troy.
But it was all worth it in the end. This book is incredible and you all need to read it immediately!

I loved this book! I loved this series! 
Lance is tough, but unflinching. He’s hard, but still has a soft spot.
Harper is strong and sassy and Rene is pretty awesome.
There’s Kate’s usual snark here, with drama, and deep love. There’s also a fair dose of music, which I love.
This is a great series, you won’t be sorry if you pick them up!

Inês Filipa

this book had me sobbing and melted my heart

what can i say? just like Troy’s book, this is one of those books which stays with you long after you finished reading it. It had me smiling and sobbing. 
And the epilogue was the perfect ending to this series

Ella Patterson

** spoiler alert **
           Not going to lie, I kind of hated these characters. The male lead was a typical ‘nice guy’ moaning about how evil his ex was (never genuinely reflecting on having any fault on his part in their failed relationship), and every interaction he held with women felt off. He either pitied them and viewed them as sluts or, in the case of the female protagonist, internally complained about being in the friend zone despite the fact that he decided not to make the choice to open himself to rejection. Also gave me Mary Sue vibes with his magical musical abilities that appeared when it was convenient. In the case of the female of protagonist, her motivation felt paper deep. There were 3 main aspects to her: her determination to leave town, her PR degree and her family relationships. She wanted to leave and travel so bad, but then it turned out she didn’t really? Her PR degree seemed like a poor excuse for the painfully outdated use of social media and hashtag relatable content. And her poor relationship with her father never felt like it was explored enough for us to care, because it seemed like honestly she didn’t. I initially thought this was 3 stars but based off the length of the vent it’s clearly 2. Ugh.

Nikki

not completely sold on the romance but dante is the cutest kid.

Jaclyn

Omg this made my heart ready to BURSTTT!! I LOVED the development and the slow progression or watching Theo and Laney fall in love! The build up, the tension, the chemistry!!!! THIS is what romance novels are all about! I’m so excited to read the rest of the series and everything else by Kate Stewart! This is a new favorite for sure!

Ally Simons

Kind of disappointing when compared to other works by this author, but still entertaining

Sav Kay

Ahhh wow I loved this book! Some of my favorite steamy scenes I’ve read in a while and some extremely lovable characters made this such a amazing read! I can’t wait to dive into Troy’s book!

I can’t believe I finished this series it’s so sad saying goodbye to them all, but how I loved this final installment of The Underdogs series At times these characters drove me nuts all the back and forth ahhh but I mean it keep me into and invested, the ending was absolutely perfect I literally died wow I already miss all six of my babies :,)

Wow I absolutely adored this one! Troy what a good guy and such a sweet amazing dad holy goodness I loved him! I love Clarissa too though she drove me a lil nuts a few times, I get it though all for the story! And Dante what a adorable and well done book child, I absolutely loved this book omg! 5 more stars to this series!

Grace O'Callaghan

Definitely my new favourite romance book. Such a sexy yet beautifully domestic romance. Would strongly recommend reading the first one to get the full picture.


Clarissa’s life changed forever the night she unknowingly slept with an eighteen year old high school student. Thinking Troy was a teacher like her, she couldn’t resist his charm. Now pregnant and alone in the world, Clarissa must support herself the best she can for her baby.

Troy is the best football player in college. While he puts up the front of the cliche jock, there’s more than meets the eye. When he’s presented with the opportunity to get to know his son, he takes it with both hands. But what if there was a chance to give his son a proper family?

Troy had me absolutely swooning. From the first book, I didn’t like him, but I was intrigued about him. After reading this I adore him. I can’t help but admire his work ethic and dedication. He just wants the absolute best for his son. While he’s certainly not the best when it comes to relationships, you know his heart is in the right place.

Clarissa was also wonderful. While I definitely don’t agree with a lot of her decisions, I can see how she made them and her reasoning. Again, she just wants the best for her son. Like Troy she’ll do everything in her power to provide for her family. Such strong characters.

The chemistry between Clarissa and Troy was absolutely electric. Their relationship was so organic and beautifully paced that made it so satisfying. They’re also such wonderful parents and work well together when it comes to their son.

Kate Stewart is a master at writing conflict between characters. I don’t know how she does it but even if I don’t agree with characters’ actions, I still understand where they’re coming from. The conflict isn’t brushed under the rug either, it’s dealt with in such a satisfying way.

I had complaints about the side characters in the first book, but don’t when it comes to the major side characters. I thought the ones that had the most impact on the story were the most well fleshed out. Troy’s mother was great and definitely where he got his determination from. Clarissa’s friend Parker was also a delight. However, I will say that Brett was a very flat character and only served to move the plot along and never felt like an actual person.

While this is a part of a series, the events of this book are happening at the same time as the first book’s events. I think it’s an interesting choice, however, I do feel that it slightly hinders each book. As Troy is one of the conflict points in the first book, it didn’t really make sense in the context of this one. It’s not that major to me and is something that I can overlook but I know that it may negatively affect some reader’s experience.

From my complaints, it may seem silly that I gave it five stars. But from pure enjoyment I have to as it appeals to me so much. While I said in my review of the first book that I do love friends to lovers, reluctant love is where my heart truly lies. I enjoy watching characters deny their feelings for one another because they disdain them in some way. Troy is also the most attractive hero I’ve read about. Yes, he’s very handsome and physically fit, but what I enjoy most about his character is his drive to provide for his family. It just makes my knees weak. I’ve also realised that I love domestic romances where the characters are trying to make their family work and where their is no melodramatic conflict involved. Troy and Clarissa parenting was just as enjoyable as their romance.

So while this is by no means a perfect book, it’s the best in my eyes. If you love domestic romances, this will work for you. But if you’re expecting a college romance with over the top drama, you won’t find it here.

This was exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I’ve not been feeling very motivated to read lately, probably due to schoolwork. But I spent the entire day reading this book. It was so compulsively readable.

Theo is used to being the second choice. Especially when you’re friends with the attractive jock, Troy, you often get overlooked. Laney is exactly the person that goes for the guys like Troy. But after breaking up with yet another guy, Laney refuses to date. So when Theo and Laney meet at a party and keep bumping into each other, they see it as a sign they should be friends. However it’s clear the more they get to know each other that there’s definitely chemistry between them.

My favourite thing about this book is the characters. I honestly haven’t read about such realistic characters in such a while. I love how flawed they were. Theo does have a ‘nice guy’ attitude about him as he feels overlooked. But you can’t help but understand where he’s coming from. He’s just such a genuine person.

Laney is also the best. She’s the sassy heroine that I adore. But she isn’t perfect as she finds it hard to be vulnerable and isn’t good at building lasting relationships. I loved seeing her grow to be more vulnerable.

I’m usually an enemies to lovers person but I think this book might have converted me. Laney and Theo work as a couple because they work as friends. There is a genuine care for one another that is really built over the first part of the book. It’s so satisfying when they get together because you seen them love each other as friends. The pacing of their relationship is perfection.

However, this was not the perfect book for me as I felt that there were too many side characters to keep track of, especially considering that the main focus is Laney and Theo. It’s also so obvious as to which characters are getting their own book. 

Another thing is that there were some sentences that didn’t quite make sense and grammar issues. It wasn’t often enough that it was unbearable, but often enough that it pulled me out of the story a few times.

Basically if you’re looking for a masterfully done friends to lovers romance, this is for you. I’ve seen some complaints that there are too many mundane scenes that don’t move along the plot. I can see where these people are coming from but I love scenes where characters are just interacting. So if that bothers you I wouldn’t recommend it.

Heather Heaton

I thoroughly enjoyed this book more than I expected. The dual perspectives gave insights into what both Lainey and Houseman were thinking about their love and relationship which to me adds value to the story. The characters were well developed and I loved all the layers slowly being unfolded that kept them unique. The book was slightly predictable at moments, but that is to be expected with most romances I feel. Stewart kept the pace of the book going smoothly and I didn't want to stop reading about the characters.

Sophie Elaina 

*3.5 Stars

There were some things about this I absolutely lived for, but in some parts I was left wanting more. For starters it was bloody hilarious. I was in hysterics reading a few chapters, it was so good! But the middle felt kind of boring, and the transitions between chapters were sometimes startling. For example there are a few instances where there would be a chapter, then a months time jump, and then another chapter before another time jump, which I found would pull me out of the story. But for the most part I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it.

The Guy on the Left

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