The End Game by Michael Scott Clifton
THE END GAME
By Michael Scott Clifton
Contemporary Sports Romance
Publisher: Independently Published
Publication Date: August 8, 2025
SYNOPSIS
Eager to put his past behind him, Chris Cooper takes the head basketball job at Mayfield High School in Northeast Texas. Haunted by a history of rocky relationships, he’s surprised by the sparks his landlady, single mom, Jennie Sloan, ignites in him.
Despite trust issues from her own tumultuous past, something about the tall coach with emerald-green eyes makes Jennie believe in second chances. When her young son bonds with Cooper, the barriers Jennie built around her heart begin to crumble.
Excited about the raw potential of his team, Cooper is blindsided by Rocco Rawlings, the arrogant Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. The AD demands Cooper’s entire team play football. When Cooper refuses, Rawlings works to undermine the basketball program, and Cooper is forced to find inventive ways to succeed.
As the stakes rise on and off the court, Cooper and Jennie must contend with the demons of their past to protect the fragile flame they’ve lit, while Cooper’s scrappy team—fueled by grit, heart and a shared dream—might just defy the odds and reach the ultimate end game.
A state championship.
CLICK TO PURCHASE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Journey into realms of magic and mystery
Michael Scott Clifton is a rapacious reader, gardener, and movie junkie. A resident of East Texas, he lives in Mount Pleasant with his wife, Melanie. A multi-award winning author, his books include The Treasure Hunt Club, The Janus Witch, and the Conquest of the Veil Series—The Open Portal, Escape From Wheel, A Witch’s Brew, and Cavern of the Veil Queen, and the award-wining Teen/YA novel, Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator. Pringle Prawn, an urban fantasy novel, is a 2024 Reader’s Favorite Book Award winner. Google him @authormsclifton, or visit his website at www.michaealscottclifton.com
WEBSITE ◆ NEWSLETTER ◆ INSTAGRAM ◆ BOOKBUB
AMAZON ◆ GOODREADS ◆ FACEBOOK ◆ YOUTUBE
REVIEW
Book Review: The End Game
Basketball coach Chris Cooper
leaves his old life and bad memories behind when he takes a coaching job at a
small East Texas high school. He’s hoping for a fresh start and after meeting
his new ‘landlady’ Jennie, he’s sure he’s made the right decision. Then he
meets his unlikely nemesis, the athletic director and head football coach, Rawlings.
This is a football town. Things are not going to be easy.
Reminiscent of stories like the Miracle
on Ice, Hoosiers, and Remember the Titians, this is a basketball love story
that will grab your heart and not let go. Cooper, with the help of a teacher
who has never coached and the high school maintenance man, Julius, a wise and
perceptive friend, takes an unlikely group of young men and turns them into a
team. But their goal seems unsurmountable, Mayfield H.S. hasn’t had a winning
season in decades and they get no support from either the athletic department
or the local community, football rules all. But win they do, despite the odds.
Chris’ relationship with Jennie
grows as each shares their backgrounds, revealing heartbreaking secrets. Can they
give each other what they need, or will they end up hurting each other? As the
team hurtles towards the state championship, will basketball come between Chris
and his new love? I found myself cheering them on, both on and off the court!
I really enjoyed this book both
as a sweet romance and the story of the boys who despite their obstacles,
poverty, dyslexia, anger issues, and more, become not only better players and
students but are given the chance to succeed in life. They are given the tools
to become the men they want to be.
The writing is great, the story polished, and the pace is faster than a one-minute shooting drill. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy sports romance, inspirational stories, and all-round good books.
It’s 5 stars from me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
To learn more about the book, look for #LSLLTheEndGame on your preferred social media platform.
CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE CAMPAIGN PAGE
FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH REVIEWER PARTICIPATING.
Comments
Post a Comment