Toren is a local, born and raised in Mission and this is where he wants to call home forever. At 33, he is starting to feel like he wants something different, a quieter life than the partying, single coach persona he is now known as. At his 4th of July Party (which he swears will be his last) he meets a stranger who captivates his interest and his night. He knows she lives somewhere in the neighborhood, and though he gets her number at the end of the night he doesn’t jump right to calling her.

Fast forward to the start of the practice season, and he realizes his mystery Jennsyn is none other than the volleyball team’s new star senior. A student. Absolutely off limits for both of them. Jennsyn is a recent transfer, hence his ignorance about her identity, and regularly surprises him with her maturity. She is dealing with trying to fit in on a new team, but is mistrustful of her teammates. In addition there is pressure from her mother, also a competitive volleyball personality.

They work sooo hard throughout a good deal of the book to stay safe and fight the feelings both are feeling. The angst was real as Jennsyn sneaks over as often as she can and says goodbye early each morning. But there’s only so much sneaking around that’s possible with 2 roommates and as often as they run into each other on campus.

There is plenty of sports talk going on in the background, and is a big side plot for Jennsyn, but it isn’t heavily technical when it comes to sports. I don’t normally go in for student/teacher type tropes and while this isn’t exactly that I was a little hesitant before I started. Let’s just say my hesitation left quickly as these two caught my heart. Jennsyn is not your average college senior and as a result of the pressures she is facing, calculates her moves very carefully. I loved returning to Treasure State and this world. Blitz takes place overlapping Coach, but both stand alone really nicely. I can’t wait to return again to read Rush’s story.