The Second Act of Sinclair: A Novel
About
I tend to describe my stories through comps, and Sinclair has a little of The Idea of You in its DNA, except this story takes place inside the professional football industry instead of the pop music world. It also carries a much heavier family drama at its center.
Jamie Sinclair grew up in a wealthy family. For most of her life, she tried to become the kind of woman her family could point to without embarrassment, even when the life she'd built started to feel like it belonged to someone else.
After years of looking away from her husband's affairs, she finally files for divorce. That choice costs her more than she was prepared for. Her teenage son sees her as the person who broke their family apart, and every step she takes toward independence seems to pull him further from her.
When she gets a job at a sports agency because her father, a retired corporate attorney, calls in a favor, she is trying to prove she can stand on her own. She is not looking for complications. Then she meets Carson Tate, a twenty-six year-old professional football player she should know better than to want. He is part of the world she is trying to build a career in, which makes the attraction dangerous from the beginning. Getting involved with him could cost her the respect she is fighting for at work. It could also make her children question whether they can trust her.
And then the story turns.
As if a forbidden relationship were not already complicated enough, a twist exposes a connection between Jamie's family and Carson's that she never saw coming. The truth puts her in an impossible position: protect the life she is trying to rebuild, or be honest with herself and the one person who had made her want more from it.
Tropes & hooks: forbidden romance, age-gap (older woman/younger man), professional athlete romance, secret relationship, single mom starting over, family drama, past secrets, high emotional stakes.
Praise for this book
Vernetti’s characters are more like living people where I could see their faces, hear their voices, and recognize their mannerisms; all from her written words.
An amazing book! Definitely a slow burn contemporary romance age gap. The book is very detailed and pulls you right in as if you visualize everything you read. I love how relatable it is to everyday life. Can’t wait for the sequel!
With relatable characters and an uplifting message, Vernetti delivers a charming read that reminds us it's never too late to rewrite our story.
The dialogue is well crafted and genuine as are the settings. If you liked The Idea of You, you will like The Second Act of Sinclair.