Out of Her League, Ava Rani (Review by Skylar Wetzel)

Out of Her League, by Avi Rani, was one of those books that sucks you in and keeps you hooked the whole way through. It completely shocked me and was more than just a surface-level rom-com. This book touched on the prejudices women face in medicine and how often women’s careers can take a back seat when planning a family. It had banter, an intriguing plot, found family elements and moments of character growth. I love Isa and how Rani wrote her as a strong, blunt, and at times biting female main character. Isa comes from a family of surgeons and is held to a high standard she strives to achieve. She assumed once she achieved all she hoped to accomplish to become a surgeon, her love life and on again off again love interest could finally have their moment. When she finds out he moved on without her and will be attending her best friend’s wedding, she comes up with a backup plan and a fake date. Cue the older, hot, semi-retired American soccer player, Austin. 

I find that fake dating romance books can sometimes fall into the cheesy Hallmark tropes, but this completely skirted past all those stereotypes. It felt genuine, and Isa was deep, complex and hesitantly vulnerable with those around her. Austin read as an emotionally open character struggling with a pivotal moment in his life. They seemed to complement and bring out a strength in each other with Isa having a strong can do mentality, and Austin with a reflective do what brings you joy mentality. It was fun watching them explore this with each other and acting like mature adults. 

I also love a good best friend moment, and boy did Rani deliver. Isa is the maid of honor to her best friend Selena, and the quiet strength and how they show up for each other was utterly charming. It made me kick my feet and giggle during their double dates, and there weren’t hard feelings when they couldn’t always show up perfectly. They knew each other’s flaws and didn’t hold it against one another.

Overall, this book was 10/10 and gave me all the warm fuzzies. I highly recommend!