Book Review: Hands Down by Mariana Zapata

Author: Mariana Zapata
Series: N/A
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date:  July 2nd 2020
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: My copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Before he was Big Texas, he was Zac the Snack Pack.

Bianca Brannen knows time—mostly—heals all wounds. Including those your once loved ones might have unintentionally given you. (Those just take longer.)

She thinks she’s ready when a call has her walking back into her old friend’s life. Or at least as prepared as possible to see the starting quarterback in the National Football Organization. Before the lights, the fans, and the millions, he’d been a skinny kid with a heart of gold.

Waltzing out of Zac Travis’s life should be easy. Just as easy as he walked out of hers.

Whenever Mariana Zapata comes out with a new book, my heart does a weird thing. That's because I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it's going to be a fantastic story. Whether she writes about sports, adult entertainers, or tattoo shop owners, this woman can make a story seem like the best love story in the world. So when I heard that she had a new book coming out I knew I had to grab it as soon as possible. And when I got it, I started reading it as fast as I could.

Audiobook Review: Kulti by Mariana Zapata

Author: Mariana Zapata
Series: N/A
Narrator: Callie Dalton
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 16 hours and 13 minutes
Release Date: July 28th 2015 (first published March 20th 2015)
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Audible
Blurb (from Goodreads):

“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”

When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn't take a week for 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she'd seen in the international soccer icon - why she'd ever had his posters on her wall or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.


Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man who hadn't known she'd existed. So she isn't prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team's season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he'd once been.

I've been meaning to read Mariana Zapata for a while now. In fact, she's the author that finally convinced me to try out the Audible Escape subscription I now love so much. Because I didn't know where to start, since I've heard a lot of good stuff about her books, I pestered my dear friend Sam from Fictionally Sam to point me in the right direction and Kulti was the second book on her list I think. Since it was also the first book that I noticed by her on AE, I decided to go with it. And let me tell you, it was glorious.

Book Review: The Final Score by Jaci Burton

Author: Jaci Burton
Series: Play-by-Play #13
Audience:  +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: September 12th 2017
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In the new Play-by-Play novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Contact, a star quarterback is torn between his love of the game—and the woman who may be the love of his life.

Nathan Riley is ready to follow in the footsteps of his famous football player father. He’s been drafted as quarterback for his dad’s former team, and his sports future is bright. When his friend Mia Cassidy moves to the same city, their years-long friendship suddenly sparks hot, reminding him of the one night they had together in college that he can never forget.

Like Nathan, Mia is from a sports dynasty family and embarking on an incredible new career—as founder of her own sports management company. Her friendship with Nathan means everything to her, and tossing sex into the mix again could jeopardize it all. But the chemistry between them has always sizzled, and it isn’t long before Mia realizes she wants more with Nathan than just late-night talks and pizza.

Passion has a funny way of changing the rules, and soon Nathan and Mia realize that to win it all, they’ll have to make an unexpected play for love.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Berkley and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Play-by-Play is one of my favorite sports romance series out there, so whenever I hear that Jaci Burton is publishing a new book in this series I know I'll have an amazing time. My realization that The Final Score is about Nathan, Mick and Tara's son, however, made me delay my reading of this book for so long. I knew I was going to be emotional while reading this, and I'm here to tell you that I was right. I was an emotional mess. But I also had tons of fun.

Blog Tour Book Review: Breaking The Habit by Ember Leigh

 
Author: Ember Leigh
Series: The Breaking Series, #4
Audience:  +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 18th 2019
My Rating: 3.5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

He’s on a war path to fame.

And Levi Swain doesn’t care who knows it. The more people that know him, the better. As the hottest MMA rising star, opportunities are materializing out of thin air. When a wealthy sponsor approaches him, looking to have Levi cause a tabloid-worthy scandal, Levi only knows how to say yes. He didn’t come to war to lose.

 Except he never counted on meeting Riley. The glam-shy bombshell who won’t touch fame with a ten-foot selfie stick. Levi planned on her ending up another notch on the bedpost, where every girl ends up. Instead, Riley is everything he wasn’t looking for. The artistic dark angel who can knock him out faster than a middleweight champion with just one glance.

Out here in Hollywood? He can have fame, or he can have true love.

 But he can’t have both.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way. 

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

It's been a while since I read a sports romance, so I was very excited when I got the opportunity to dive back into the genre, because I truly enjoy it. It was also my first Ember Leigh book, so I was even more excited.

This was an interesting story, let me tell you. There was everything: romance, drama, humor, adrenaline, anything you could wish for.

Release Day Book Review & Blitz: Playing With Forever by Amy Andrews

Today is the release day blitz for PLAYING WITH FOREVER by Amy Andrews! Check it out and grab your copy today!

Author: Amy Andrews
Series: Sydney Smoke Rugby #4
Audience: +18
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Brazen)
Release Date: September 25th 2017
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Country boy, Ryder Davis has the world at his feet. A stellar rugby career, a winning way with women and a beach view that keeps him in blue sky and bikini babes. He's living the dream. The last thing he needs is a Great Dane called Tiny destroying his feng shui.

Dog whisperer, Juliet Morgan is about to start living her dream and she's counting down the days. In two months she'll finally be moving to Italy and no man's going to stop her this time. Not even a rugby superstar with a badly behaved pooch.

But when Ryder skids into the animal shelter looking for help Juliet agrees to assist him with his canine issues. Pretty soon they're assisting each other out of their clothes and tumbling headlong into a sex thing with an expiry date.

Neither of them expected it to become more. But when for now starts to feel like forever Juliet hits the panic button. Ryder knows he has to play the long game and let her walk away. After all it's not over until the final hooter sounds and all's fair in love and rugby.

Each book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

This series keeps getting better and better with each and every book that comes out and I can't help but fall in love with Sydney Smoke's players.

It was nice to read a book where the roles were flipped, where the woman wanted a no-strings attached fling, while the man is leaning towards a proper relationship, I found that very refreshing. I also loved how Andrews at one point goes to show how comfortable two people can get with each other, that it's only really a matter of perspective, really. Ryder and Juliet have very different perspectives when it comes to how they view their relationship, and it's really interesting to read about that.

I liked Ryder. He was very funny and very sexy, and I liked that he was honest about how he felt about Juliet even though she wanted none of those pesky emotions. I also loved what he did for Tiny. He's such a good man just for taking care of Tiny as if that dog was his. I also liked that he admitted he needed help in managing Tiny, which is not something that most people even think about when getting a dog.

Juliet's story was pretty heartbreaking, really. I do understand why she didn't want a real relationship, although throughout the book it was pretty obvious she was lying to herself the whole time by not giving the proper title to what she and Ryder had. That was the thing I struggled with the most, the fact that ultimately she wasn't being honest with herself and with Ryder. At the same time, I liked that she was open and honest about what she wanted from the start, she didn't lie about her intentions.

Before I finish this review, let me talk a little bit about Tiny. The book starts with Ryder being emotionally conned into taking care of Tiny, and it is incredibly funny to see how he struggled with that dog. On one hand, I laughed like a lunatic, because it is funny, especially when Ryder took Tiny for his first walk and the first morning together. On the other hand, I cringed a little bit, because it was like I was reading about my dog at times (the walking part). I felt super happy to see that Andrews did a fantastic job into working dog training into the situation, which let's be honest, is something that not a lot of people think about when getting a dog. So yay for dog training.

The book was fast paced, it was funny, and it ended almost too fast. I am in love with this series, and I can't wait for book 5, because I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a book 5.

Series Order:
Book #1 Playing By Her Rules
Book #2 Playing It Cool
Book #3 Playing the Player
Book #4 Playing With Forever

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About the Author

Amy Andrews is a multi-published, award- winning author of 50+ romance novels across both traditional and digital platforms. She writes for Harlequin Mills and Boon, Entangled, Harper Collins Australia, Momentum Publishing, Escape Publishing and Tule. She's sold in excess of a million books worldwide and has been translated into over a dozen languages. In her spare time she is a PICU nurse and mother of two teenagers. She lives on acerage on the outskirts of Brisbane, Australia but secretly wishes it was the hillsides of Tuscany.

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Book Review: Mistletoe Games by Jaci Burton (ARC)

Author: Jaci Burton
Series: Play by Play #6.5, 8.5. 10.5
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 18th 2016
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

No one brings the sexy out in sports like Jaci Burton, the author of the New York Times bestselling Play-by-Play novels. Now, she puts together a holiday hat trick with three novellas featuring the hottest sports around: baseball, hockey, and surfing—because hard bodies are always in season...

Holiday Games
For the high-achieving Elizabeth and her husband, baseball player Gavin Riley, failure is not an option. So when it comes to making a baby, they’re not about to let any holiday distractions get in the way of their necessary pleasures...

Holiday on Ice
It’s the season for giving and superstar hockey player Patrick “Trick” Niemeyer is ready to give dancer Stella Slovinski his heart wrapped up in bow. But he’ll have to melt the ice surrounding her heart to keep her from walking away...

Hot Holiday Nights
Christmas in Hawaii brings sports agent Tori Baldwin two presents: a young surfer at the top of his game and his business manager. But this hot threesome has to decide if the romantic wave they’ve caught is nothing more than a vacation fling, or the kind of love that could change their lives forever...

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or my opinion of this book in any way.

Jaci Burton's Play by Play series is the first series that made me fall in love with sports romance, so when I saw this book on Netgalley I might have danced and made a few raptor noises, due to my excitement.

Holiday Games was absolutely adorable, mainly because of Elizabeth. I love Gavin, don't get me wrong, but Elizabeth is my girl. She's such a badass character, and she's actually someone I'd love to meet in real life. I love that she's a woman who made it in a career that's dominated by men, and she's good at her job. And Gavin is such a sweetheart, like always. I loved reading about them, about how their story continues. I also love reading about Liz being more open to other people. I remember that when we first meet her, she's this cold woman, that will do anything to do her job as she sees fit, which sometimes wasn't a good decision. But Gavin changed her in a way, and I really enjoy reading more about this Liz.

Holiday On Ice is one story I've been dying to read for a long time. I've always been curious to know more about Stella. It's probably one of my favorite things about this series, the fact that there isn't just one sport that it's explored. In this case, with Stella, we see a glimpse into the world of professional dancing. Stella and Patrick are really great characters! Their chemistry is amazing, it's just the type of relationship that I'm used to reading in one of Burton's books. My favorite scene is when Patrick sees Stella dance for the first time. There's just something so incredibly sweet in that scene, I just love it.

Hot Holiday Nights is the last novella on this collection. Victoria, the heroine of this book, is another female sports agent and, if my memory isn't playing tricks on me, she actually appears in the second book of this series, alongside Elizabeth. I have to say though, I wasn't as in love with this novella as I was with the other two. I can't explain it, but to me it felt more like a holiday fling than a beginning of a love story. I do have to say I really enjoyed reading about surfing. The two heroes, Alex and Ben, are surfers. Ben was actually a professional surfer before he had an accident that prevented him from even playing the sport at a competitive level, while Alex is currently a professional surfer. I loved reading more about this sport, and I hope there will be more books in this series that include surfers. Like I said though, I didn't feel as if this was the start of a romantic relationship, but a really hot holiday affair.

As always, Jaci Burton knows just how to write a hot relationship, and how to get me interested in finding out more about certain sports. I am curious to see which character will get their stories told next, as well as which sport will be featured in future books.

Blog Tour Book Review: Playing It Cool by Amy Andrews

Author: Amy Andrews
Series: Sydney Smoke Rugby #2
Audience: +18
Genre: Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: September 12th 2016
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Harper Nugent might have a little extra junk in her trunk, but her stepbrother calling her out on it is the last straw… When rugby hottie, Dexter Blake, witnesses the insult, he surprises Harper by asking her out. In front of her dumbass brother. Score! Of course, she knows it’s not for reals, but Dex won’t take no for an answer.

Dexter Blake’s life revolves around rugby with one hard and fast rule: no women. Sure, his left hand is getting a workout, but he's focused on his career for now. Then he overhears an asshat reporter belittle the curvy chick he'd been secretly ogling. What's a guy to do but ask her out? It’s just a little revenge against a poser, and then he'll get his head back in the game.

But the date is better than either expected. So is the next one. And the next. And the heat between them…sizzles their clothes right off.

Suddenly, this fake relationship is feeling all too real…

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from InkSlinger PR and Entangled Publishing, Incorporated in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or my opinion of this book.

I was super excited when I saw that the second book in the Sydney Smoke Rugby series was going to be published so soon after the first one. I was even more excited about it since Harper, the heroine, sounded so cool, so I jumped at the chance to read this book.

I am so happy that Harper turned out to be exactly what I hoped she would be. She seems a bit like a modern version of Cinderella. She's a very loyal person, both to her friends, and family, even though that family doesn't really deserve it. She puts up a really good act, but years of being told that she's not pretty, that she's fat, has made her not trust her own sex appeal, as well as be suspicious of any guy that seems even a tiny little bit interested in her. I wanted to punch her stepbrother and her stepmom so bad, because Harper is a really amazing woman. Also, she's a gamer. So if I didn't love her before, I loved her once I realized she is. She's also really talented, and I'd love to see the team use her artistry in later books, not only because she deserves it, but also because someone needs to tell her family to shove it.

Dexter is the classic example of someone too focused on their career to be able to focus on anything else. And yet, at the same time, he's also probably the sweetest hero I've read about in a while. I liked that he's trying to help Harper with basically no hidden agenda. Sure, they end up having sex, but that was so not his goal. He saw someone who needed help and decided he could help her. I would've fallen for him just because of that. I can't really say I blame him for being career-oriented. Yes, he acted a bit harsh when things got tough, but I understand his motivation. I would have wanted more insight into his childhood than what we got, but other than that the guy is pretty perfect.

The pacing of the book is really good, and the sex is hot. There's also funny moments, some sad moments, so there's a little bit of everything for everyone. I really enjoyed this book and I am excited to see which player gets his book out next.

Book Review: Playing By Her Rules by Amy Andrews

Author: Amy Andrews
Series: Sydney Smoke Rugby #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Brazen)
Release Date: July 11th 2016
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In this grudge match, the first to score…

When style columnist Matilda Kent accidentally lets slip that she was once involved with the captain of the Sydney Smoke rugby team, she suddenly finds herself elevated to the position she’s always wanted – feature writer. The catch? She’s stuck doing a six-part series on her ex. Still, there’s no way she can turn down a promotion…or the chance to dish the dirt on the guy who so callously broke her heart.

…could win it all!

Tanner Stone wants to be involved in a feature series about as much as he wants to snap an Achilles. But the thought of seeing Tilly again is a bonus—and has him more worked up than he wants to admit. Only he’s not prepared for how different she is – all cool and professional. His Tilly is still in there, though…and he still wants her, now more than ever. All he has to do is charm her into giving him a rematch. And this time, winner takes all!

*Disclaimer: I was offered an eARC from Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review. 

It seems that second chance romances are popular again, which I don't mind in the least, let me tell you.

Matilda and Tanner have an explosive relationship, one that isn't just going to go away, no matter how much they want it to. I liked their interactions. At times it felt like watching a tennis match, wondering who will render the other one speechless first, who will make the other one mad, or laugh like a lunatic.

I have to say, for about half of the book I was confused about my feelings for Tanner. I understood what he did, why he did it, but I wasn't really sure why he couldn't have done it any other way. Some wisdom from Matilda's grandmother, as well as a great scene between the two love birds made me change my mind about him. I'm actually really happy with how the story ended for these two.

Matilda has a pretty unique sense of humor, if you ask me, especially in the articles she wrote about Tanner. I didn't exactly agree with her search to find something that will "expose" Tanner, but I did like her professionalism and how she didn't let her personal feelings ruin what she was writing.

I like that this story is about Aussie characters. That was a change for me, and a very good one, too. I would want that the focus would fall a little bit more on the sport itself too, to be honest. I was also very pleased with how this book opens the door for the series focusing on the other rugby players from Tanner's team. I thought it was a good introduction to a new series, and I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the books when they will be published.

Book Review: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen (ARC)

Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: 06 Sep 2016
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold...

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast...

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of the book in any way.

Sports romance is becoming one of my top 5 romance subgenres. This paired with my newly discovered love of hockey, made me desperately need to read Rookie Move. Let me tell you, it was an awesome decision.

It's always interesting to read about second chances, about high school sweethearts getting a second chance at a relationship, mostly because it's interesting to see how they evolved and how the relationship can grow, but also because it's cute. I admit it! My inner romantic goes giddy over second chance stories, I think I've already told you that. Georgia and Leo's story is particularly beautiful because of what happened to make them break up. It's a sad story, really.

Georgia was a great character. Her story is heartbreaking. There's a beautiful scene between her and her roommate, Becca, where she realizes that fear and courage aren't mutually exclusive, and I loved that scene. And it also touches on the fact that some crimes affect your loved ones as well. Georgia is fearless even with her past, and I loved reading about that.

Leo was such a sweetheart. I loved him so, so much. I think even as a teenager, he was a great man, and I was so happy that he got to find his happy ending, because a guy like that deserves that and more. We don't get to see much of his life from the time he was apart from Georgia, aside from a few mentions here and there. I would have wanted to see more of that, but this is probably due to the fact that Brooklyn Bruisers is a spin-off to Bowen's Ivy Years, and there's a possibility that some of those scenes are in those books.

I was also glad that there was a lot more sport in this book. The sport wasn't just something some of the characters did, but at times it kind of felt like another character in the book, which was nice. I am curious to see how the author will approach the various aspects of the sport in the future books, depending on the main character's involvement in the team. And, yes, I may be very happy about who the hero of the next book is.

This was my first Sarina Bowen book, but I'll definitely check her other titles out while I'm waiting for the next Brooklyn Bruiser book to come out.