One of Buzzfeed’s 16 Romantic Books To Read This FallOne of Popsugar’s Best Books for WinterOne of Refinery29’s Best Books of December“Definitely a must-read!”—La La Anthony, New York Times bestselling authorMaxwell Lewis has to make the play of his life in order to breach the woman of his dream’s defenses in this new football romance from the author of Fumbled. Brynn Larson owes a lot to reality … Fumbled.
Brynn Larson owes a lot to reality television and professional athletes. Her bar hit new heights of success after becoming a local haunt for the Denver Mustangs players and their WAGs. But although she’s grateful, that doesn’t mean she’s crazy. And that’s exactly what she would be to ever consider dating a professional athlete. Even if it’s Maxwell Lewis, whose shy smile makes her wonder what going on behind those beautiful brown eyes.
Maxwell knew from the moment he met Brynn that she was going to change his life. It was only a matter of time. But when he finally makes a move, fate conspires against him and everything goes wrong. Now he has to show her that their potential is real. Too bad for him, Brynn isn’t fooled by his glamorous NFL life, and when ghosts from both their pasts make a sudden reappearance, she must decide who she can trust. But when the person she’s most afraid of is herself, navigating life’s tackles is harder than anticipated.
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This book of The Playbook series is based on Brynn’s story. I was excited to see a book based on her because the WAGs spend so much time at her business. I enjoy that Alexa Martin continues the first few storylines as she starts new ones because it is like catching up with friends. This story had me running the gamut of emotions, which to me is the signs of a good book.
A great book: fun, romantic, and laugh out loud funny. Maxwell is awesome. Maybe too perfect? And Brynn is amazing, too. She’s everything Maxwell says she is at the end. But she also has a nasty habit of jumping to conclusions and not even considering other possibilities that are staring her right in the face. Those times were super frustrating for me. Luckily, she has dedicated friends who let her know what’s what and aren’t afraid to call her out for being an idiot.
BLITZED by Alexa Martin is a sports romance and the third book in The Playbook series.
Brynn Sterling owns HERS, a bar targeted to women for women and a favorite spot for the Denver Mustangs players and their wives. Brynn’s had her eye on Maxwell Lewis, a defensive player for the Mustangs. Maxwell is sweet and a little shy to Brynn’s outgoing and in-your-face personality.
BLITZED is a fun, easy read that gives you an insider’s peek into professional football. I enjoyed the story until the very end and was disappointed with the dark moment/major point of conflict. It bothered me a lot how the heroine treated the hero after hearing supposed damning information on his character. But the story still gives a satisfying happily ever after.
Brynn Larson is a strong, independent woman who created HERS, a bar where women can be themselves and enjoy drinks that they actually want to drink. Plus, the Lady Mustangs meet at HERS and the reality show Love The Player often films there. She’s the ultimate boss lady. Brynn has been around Mustang players and isn’t impressed with their status as Denver royalty. At one time, Maxwell Lewis had caught her eye, until he lost his temper and crashed her bar. Maxwell later apologized and does his best to win over Brynn. He does everything he can to impress her, but there’s one secret he keeps waiting to share with her.
I have really enjoyed the Playbook series this month. This book had less football talk, but way more Lady Mustang appearances. I love the Lady Mustangs!! Vonnie especially was fabulous in this book. I mean this is the crew you want when you go through something tough or when someone breaks your heart. They’re also the ones who will tell you the truth when you really need to hear it! I did feel like the conflict was resolved a little too quickly and easily, but it didn’t take away from how much I loved Maxwell and Brynn’s story. Again, the audio for this book is excellent.
Of course Brynn had to get her own book. Her supporting cast appearances in the previous two books showed a saucy, take-no-prisoners woman giving other women the support and quite often the lift they need to get on their feet, fiscally and/or emotionally. And Maxwell is her ideal counterbalance.
Intercepted is still reigning supreme for me in this series, but I enjoyed Blitzed just as much as Snapped.
Alexa is – simply – an excellent story teller. Her tone and pacing just work. The humor and attention to detail works so well with the heavier topics she introduces like child abandonment, in this case. I need book four sooner than later.
TW: steam and language
After reading some dark reads/ mystery, I was in the mood for a chick-lit novel and the cover of Blitzed by Alexa Martin had captured my attention at work. I also loved that it was a football / WAGS book. Brynn is finally achieving her dream with the opening of her bar aka HERS and ever since then she has also made a great group of friends who are part of the WAGS of the local football team – these females call themselves the Lady Mustangs. One of the single players, Maxwell – a hunky piece of dark chocolate has caught Brynn’s eye. Maxwell has always been quiet and the one who doesn’t cause trouble and she is gearing herself to ask him out, that is until she sees another side of him which breaks her heart. Maxwell received a phone call and then chucked his phone at the shelf behind Brynn and ended up wrecking her bar shelf – something she worked hard at creating as he smashed some pretty expensive and irreplaceable bottles she had on display. Maxwell knows he has stuffed up and is trying to apologize but Brynn won’t make it easy for him. As the book goes on, we see the chemistry and friendship rising from the pages between Maxwell and Brynn but just as it might be their moment to try – enter two characters who are about to interfere and ruin their happiness – Theo Lewis and Eloise. Will Brynn finally get her HEA when she sees her friends happy and in love with their guys? Will she be signing the dotted line and becoming a fully-fledged member of the Lady Mustangs? Find out in Blitzed by Alexa Martin. A cutesy Football romance that now has had me a place on hold from the library – Book #1 and #2 in the Playbook series as each book can be read as a standalone.
Football is a guilty pleasure- due to CTE, a season during COVID, broken bodies, etc – but Alexa Martin sets the romances in the backstage of the NFL. Totally enjoying this series.
I loved the first two books in Alexa Martin’s Playbook series. I was super excited for Blitzed pretty much from the minute I saw the cover. (Hello, that side-eye he’s giving her? It gives me life.) It was a great read. Brynn and Maxwell were everything I wanted them to be and their romance gave me plenty of heat and swoons.
Brynn was my favorite kind of smart, driven and sassy heroine. She’s a small business owner and she has no time for other people’s bs. Things are pretty rocky initially between her and Maxwell — and understandably so — but their chemistry was never a question. I wasn’t all that sure about Maxwell early on, but he was so much more than he seemed. He has a really good heart and would do anything for someone he cared about. Plus he was a hot as hell football superstar, so bonus.
There was only one thing about this book that really didn’t work for me. That was the “revelation” that happened around the 90% mark of the book. It took me totally by surprise because it’s in the portion of the book where I want the new couple smooches and swoons. There’s still lots of good stuff between Brynn and Maxwell, but I could’ve lived without that particular twist at that time.
As much as I love the love stories and the realistic — if not always pretty — look at the sport I love so much in the Playbook series, there’s something I love even more. What is it? The female friendships. Strong women supporting strong women through the good and the bad? I’m here for it. You can keep your “frenemies” books. I’ll take real, solid friendships between kickass women any day of the week.
I thought Blitzed was the final book in this series, but I’m thrilled to know it’s not. I’m super intrigued by Ellie and I’m so excited she’s getting a book of her own. I’ll admit I side-eyed her a bit during this book, but she wasn’t what I thought at all. I’m ready for her story!
Favorite Quotes:
If I have learned anything during my time at HERS, it’s that nothing can make you feel less in need of a therapist than a well-produced reality show.
Sure, I’ll never have enough money to carry around a new iPhone without a case, but I will also never flip a table on national TV. That, my friends, is called balance.
Fabulous start but the ending was a bit off for me.
I’ve been so excited for Brynn and Maxwell and 3/4 of the book was everything I wanted and more but the last 1/4 just didn’t feel right to me. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll just say that I felt like it was so obvious what was really going on.
The chemistry between Brynn and Maxwell was pure perfection, the moment when he told her “you call me Maxwell” about melted my bones! And those f’ing Lady Mustangs just keep getting better and better. The epilogue was an excellent catch-up with everyone even my main man Donny…and it has me already jonesing for the next book!
I don’t even know where to start. I actually really enjoyed the book until the last 10% – I thought it was going to be my second favorite in the series after Fumbled and be a solid 4 at the least. But then ish took a real left and there really was no coming back from it. Then it was all wrapped up in a nice big bow so quickly that the left led down a cliff. I think I might be legit pissed at the whole situation. But I tell you what, Maxwell is definitely on my Best Book Boyfriends of 2019 list. Brynn can go take a flying leap… 2.5 out of 5 wine glasses.
In Blitzed, Brynn, the owner of HERS, the bar that is the backdrop of many scenes in this series gets to indulge her attraction to Maxwell Lewis, the quiet player who just happened to trash her bar at the end of the second book in this series. Maxwell is sorry about what he’s done, but offers no explanation after paying for the repairs. Even so, Brynn is still attracted to him I liked that they took a good portion of this book becoming friends.
It does seem to take a while for Maxwell and Brynn to develop a physical relationship, and I didn’t mind that about this book. Max isn’t a talkative character and I’m still not sure I understand the whole issue that provides the conflict in the story. What does shine in this particular book are the relationships between the wives and girlfriends and Brynn. In many respects you might consider this a women’s fiction title with a heaping dose of romance because it’s really the women who captured my attention and made me laugh in this story. Add a little more Poppy and a dash of TK and I pretty much devoured this book in a day or two.
As for the romance, Max and Brynn are great together except for the fact he isn’t always forthcoming about himself with her until the final pages of the book. The ending gets wrapped up in a neat bow late in the book and it left me wishing that there had been more page time for the ending, hence the 4 stars instead of 5.
I do like this series. I will remember it for the incredible women behind the NFL stars in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher.
There’s something so engaging and addicting and unputdownable about Alexa Martin’s writing. Maybe it’s that she writes football romance with such an authentic voice. She doesn’t shy away from the actual football and I have the feeling I’m getting this perfect mix of fantasy meets reality – and it somehow enhances the fantasy. I can’t put my finger on it, but suffice to say these books are like decadent treats for me: I luxuriate in them, I gobble them up with gluttonous greed, and I am always, always satisfied.
Blitzed was no exception. I felt that delicious dull ache in my heart as it yearned for Maxwell and Brynn to fumble their way toward each other. I loved the slow burn between them. I loved that after a couple false starts, they found a solid friendship foundation that made their love story so much more satisfying in the end.
There were a couple little blips that kept this from being five stars for me. I felt like the way Brynn handled the conflict wasn’t necessarily true to her character, and then I felt like the whole thing wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly after it hung over their story like a little black cloud for almost the entire book. There were some areas where I wanted to go a little deeper and hit a little harder. But they were just that – blips in an otherwise perfectly executed, perfectly satisfying love story.
And I was satisfied. Like I said, Ms. Martin’s writing hits all my sweet spots: authentic dialogue, sparky banter, and sweetly sizzling chemistry that is like a happy pill for my romance loving heart. I am hooked, and will be back for more (and more, and more…) of this amazing goodness.
I was so excited to get my hands on Blitzed. I have devoured Alexa Martin’s first two books and couldn’t wait for more! And Blitzed definitely lived up to my expectations.
This was a slow burn romance that just worked so well. I love that Maxwell and Brynn built a solid best friendship before they dove into coupledom. For me, it made the whole story just work so much better. It meant when they hit those bumps in the road they had a foundation to fall back on. It meant them being mad and then them getting past it made perfect sense. They KNEW each other. They had background.
Maxwell… gotta love that strong silent type who knows how to let loose once he is with the one he loves. Man is he ever sexy! And Brynn. Brynn! That woman knows what she wants and she has created quite the world in her bar HERS.
The friendships that are represented in this whole series are FRIENDSHIP GOALS! I want to head on over to HERS and slip in the mix and see if they notice. I need friends like that who totally have your back and don’t just let you disappear into yourself.
Alexa Martin’s writing is so engaging. When I crack open one of her books I just lose myself in her words. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: Alexa Martin’s books are the perfect mix of fun, football, flirty, friendships and family sprinkled over with a dose of seriousness.
I want more. Do you hear that Alexa Martin? Please tell me you are giving us more!!!! I am NOT ready to leave this world!
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
This was my first Alexa Martin read, so even though i have not read the previous books, I did not feel that I was missing too much.
Now, what can I say about this book? Hmmm, I was really looking forward to it and was excited to read it, however it fell flat. I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Brynn and Maxwell, and I felt myself wanting to skip ahead as it just plodded along. I was waiting for something to happen.
I liked Maxwell, however I didn’t really find myself liking Brynn much at all. She tries to come across as a big, strong, feminista of a woman, but she doesn’t pull it off. I am all for girl power, however this just.. wasn’t.
What I did like was the bonds between the Lady Mustangs, the way they have each other’s backs and the way they are always there for each other.
This was a a miss, but i will go back and read the first books eventually.
Blitzed is the third book in the Playbook series. The series is a combination of sports romance with some humor and lots of steam. Blitzed features Maxwell Lewis, Denver Mustangs defensive back, and Brynn Sterling, owner of HERS…
“All I wanted was to be out with my girls, drinking a fantastic specialty cocktail, and watching the latest Bravo reality show with a roomful of strangers.”
There is so much to love about Maxwell (Max) and Brynn’s story. Max is so swoony and sweet! It seems as if he and Brynn are in the friend zone for a while but that doesn’t stop the heat or sexual chemistry. Max is the complete package. And Brynn is amazing! She is funny and feisty. Small and mighty! As a business owner she works hard and goes the extra mile to mentor other women. Money and fame don’t impress her.
But Max and Brynn both have a bit of baggage. Brynn has had people in her life that have let her down so she is more hesitant to make a commitment. And Max has some secrets that he can’t or won’t tell.
There is also a huge helping of the Denver Mustang WAGS – wives & girlfriends! They are always funny and entertaining but true friends til the end! There are clichés and comradery as the wives of the Denver Mustangs football team lay it all out there in “Love the Player”- the “Real Housewives” football style reality TV show that is often filmed at HERS.
I enjoyed Blitzed but it was a bit short on the story. The buildup of Max and Brynn’s relationship was a slow burn and fun but it didn’t really go anywhere. There was an incident early in the story that really didn’t get explained. The big twist came and was resolved quickly with no real explanation except for what the reader assumed. The person involved never really told their version. There was also a small side story that could have been told more in depth.
I love that Max and Brynn were an interracial couple but I was surprised that there very little description of their contrast. Bryn had pale skin and blond hair (and it is depicted on the cover of the book). Max is strong and dark (also on the cover). Their sexy times were HOT but I felt they could have burned down the town with a few more sentences.
Blitzed has all the things we love about sports romance: hot players, crazy WAGS all mixed up with a hearty dose of drama. Alexa Martin write fun and fast reading sport romance. A great book to bring to the beach or pool. I did not read her first book, Intercepted, which is the start of the series and possibly the set up for the future stories?
I like Alexa Martin’s writing style which is clean and straightforward. We get to check in on some of the characters from the previous books. There are also so many secondary characters that I would love to read about who I know have great stories to tell!
3.5 swoony stars!
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