Samuel Cooke knows most women wouldnât give him a second glance even if he were the last man on earth. Heâs the cripple with crutches, the nerdy computer genius every female past puberty feels compelled to mother. So when he leaves his lucrative career to teach programming to high schoolers, romance definitely isnât on his radar.
Perhaps thatâs why Greta Cassamajor catches him off guard. The sarcastic gym coach with zero sense of humor is no beautyânot even on the inside. But an inexplicably kind act toward Samuel makes him realize she is interesting.
Samuel is certain she wonât accept his invitation to dinnerâso when she does, heâs out of his depth. All he knows is that heâll do whatever it takes to keep her as long as he can. Pretending heâs got his class under control? Easy. Being vulnerable enough to admit why he ditched his programming career for teaching? Um, no. That would require honesty. And if thereâs one thing Samuel canât exist without, itâs the lies he tells himself.
In this poignant, witty debut, Ramsey Hootman upends traditional romance tropes to weave a charming tale of perseverance, trust, and slightly conditional love.