From #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken comes a story about losing everything only to find it again…I was the golden boy. America’s Quarterback. I was everything to everyone. Always available. Solid. I can remember how something felt wrong that day. And I haven’t been able to get that feeling to go away. Not when I buried my child. Not when my fiancé looked at me like I’d … my fiancé looked at me like I’d been the reason for it all.
Not when I look in the mirror and scream at the top of my lungs.
Football kept me sane.
But I’ve lost everything.
And then I got a phone call.
She was in an accident.
She remembered nothing.
A gentleman wouldn’t fight for her, wouldn’t remind her of the pain.
So, I let her go.
I let her live her happily ever after and I took all the darkness,
all the pain, all the anger.
Only, the universe had a sick sense of humor.
She bumped into me.
She pursued me.
The beautiful woman I used to call mine.
She said she wanted to make me smile.
She didn’t know she’s the reason I stopped.
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“I knew her, inside and out. We had inside jokes, nicknames, we had habits, and fights. Makeups and breakups. We had a life between us that she didn’t know. And I did. It was like loving someone who didn’t exist anymore.”
You know, it just amazes me how sometimes a novella packs more punch than a full-length novel.
MVP is part of Rachel Van Dyken’s Player’s Series and at just 90 pages and it was all parts emotional and lovely. There is so much told in just a few short pages and if by a teeny tiny chance Rachel planned to extend this story, I would be the first in line to read it.
I absolutely loved MVP and if you have an hour or so, definitely pick this one up!
4.5 Stars!
A don’t miss novella!
Heartbreak, Forgiveness & Second Chances!
Jax stole my heart from the first moment he showed his selflessness in putting his wife first during a tragic and agonizing time of their lives!
Rachel broke my heart and then pieced it back together with sweet & sexy memories that ultimately brought much needed absolution to these characters! Loss is something that everyone deals with at some point, each person handling it differently than others but the bottom line is that it hurts! Imagine losing the one person in this world that is made entirely for you in the process of experiencing that suffocating pain!
I honestly had no idea what I was walking into with this book! Yes I read the blurb, but I was completely unaware that this was a novella written to accompany an already published series!
YES…you can read this on it’s own! I read it without reading the other series and not once was I confused! The pacing and the plot for this heartbreaking second chance romance was on point! However, I do have to admit that I found myself just wanting more. More of these two BEFORE the heartbreak! I NEEDED MORE OF JAX & HARLEY! I have heard that reading The Players Game series gives you some insight to the beginning of this couple. I wish I had known that, I would have loved to have read them prior to MVP since there wasn’t much of Jax & Harley before their tragedy in this one!
TRIGGER WARNING!!! I am placing this here since my cousin and our family have experienced this type of tragic pain – PLEASE keep in mind that when you read the blurb and it talks about the loss of a child that it is painful to read by someone who has not lost a child, so I know the possibly is much higher for it to be triggering for anyone who has experienced that loss!
MVP is a standalone novel by the amazingly talented, Rachel Van Dyken! If you read Fraternize and/or Infraction then you have met Jax. The sexy, swoony quarterback for the Bellevue Bucks. The synopsis explains so much so I will make it quick.
Jax lost everything a little over year ago. His fiancé. His child. His happiness. All he had was football and his friends. He didn’t even think he deserved those. Harley woke up a year ago after a accident and didn’t remember her life. And he didn’t want her to. He didn’t want her to remember their loss. It was too hard so he stayed away from the other woman he loved. So she could move on. Now she was back.
Harley feels like something is missing. An emptiness she can’t figure out. Over the last year her memories were coming back but nothing that would fill that hole in her heart. She wanted to know what everyone else did. She just didn’t know that it would involve Jax. An asshole she found to be sexy as sin. He was angry about seeing her but didn’t understand why.
Until she did.
That’s all I can really say. I loved it. It’s a fast read but it has so much story. Sadness. Heartbreak. Hope. Love. Loss. I am so happy that I finally got to this book! It’s been waiting for me for months! It gave me all the feels wrapped up in a beautiful and heartbreaking story.
Quotes:
“Are you seriously hitting on me?”
“No, of course not, I have way better game than that. Give me a little bit of credit,” I teased.
“Something tells me I’m not the only one living in the past.”
He wanted to murder me. Perfect, because I wanted to poison him. And then ask him to kiss me. And then cry a little bit.
Amazing all the feels short novella. Absolutely love love love it!!
Harley and Jax are everything. I felt every emotion these two have for one another. I was to have read this story.
From the moment I started reading the first page, I knew this book would be emotional and heart-warming. I have to admit I was swooning big time over Jax, a hot alpha football player, who wouldn’t be?! Harley completely tugged at my heart with her sweet personality and amazing resilience. I started tearing up at the beginning of the book and didn’t stop till the end. Have a box of tissues near you while reading this book! An emotional and moving love story!
If you’re looking for your next quick read, don’t pass M. V. P. by! This tale about a quarterback and his yoga instructing girlfriend may be a short story, but it’s packed with breath-taking emotion as only VanDyken can tell it!
I loved getting another glimpse into the world of “Infraction”. This book was sweet, sad, and sexy. I am not normally one for amnesia or second chance stories, but this novel does both tropes perfectly!
I liked the story, seems rushed and maybe i should finish the series to understand all the back story. All said and done, i enjoyed it.
Another fab read by Rachel ,loved jax so was so pleased he got his own but oh god was it heartbreaking to get through but like the fantastic author she is it’s extremely well written making you feel the emotion in every word xx
This book originally started out as a series in RVD’s newletter, with the ending in the book.
I loved this second chance romance, that had me busting a gut, as I read it.
It is truly a wonderful story that will give you all the feels.
It has a great HEA, that will leave you very satisfied .
Starting over after loss can lead to a beautiful future
I started this when it was chapter by chapter in the newletter. I’m thrilled w the completed story. Sweet, tender, painful at times, steamy, with a well deserved HEA. Jax and Harley’s journey is painful and sweet at the same time.
We get Jax and Harley’s back story in Infraction, and although this is a stand-alone, I highly recommend you get the whole story from the beginning, because it’s amazing! These two are meant to be together, but because of some pretty unusual and incredibly sad circumstances, they could not be further apart. I could literally feel the angst, the hurt, and the heartbreak. It was a long, very bumpy road from losing everything to finding happiness again, but I was invested in their HEA, and every bump along the way was so worth it!
This is a quick read and is a stand alone. But we have met both Jax and Harley before in Fraternize and Infraction (both are fantastic reads!) If you haven’t read them yet, that’s okay. But after reading this, you’ll want to. Trust me.
Jax is THE quarterback. He’s the all american, everyone loves, and has a great ass quarterback.
He is broken and my heart just kept breaking for him while reading this. Don’t worry, it does get happy again.
I think I would have done the same thing he did, if I was in that situation. If someone I loved, lost their memory and a part of that was some horrible tragedy, I would want to protect them.
Harley is the one that lost her memory.
This story is heart breaking, but they do get their happy. They piece each other back together so they can both heal.
OMG, the scene before the preseason game. I absolutely loved it!
“But the thing with life is this: pain doesn’t last forever. There will always be a gentle breeze to soothe away the sting, and you may just find that you’re a little bit stronger than before, a little braver, and a lot more willing to live life as it should be lived. Fearlessly.”
M.V.P
By Rachel Van Dyken
3
This novella by Rachel Van Dyken was a quick read. The story had so much potential to be a 5 star read but the length didn’t provide enough for depth or details. I liked the characters of Harley and Jax but I found the character development could have been better as everything went from 0-100 so quick.
“But the thing with life is this: pain doesn’t last forever. There will always be a gentle breeze to soothe away the sting, and you may just find that you’re a little bit stronger than before, a little braver, and a lot more willing to live life as it should be lived. Fearlessly.”
For the length of the novella I still felt the pain of the characters. All the emotions and feeling were there which is why I still rated it higher than I normally would for a story I felt was lacking. It pleased me to see Harley and Jax getting that second chance even if circumstances beyond their control pulled them apart the first time. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
Even in loss there is love! That’s what MVP is all about. Loving someone enough to let them go so they don’t hurt! Harley and Jax have a painful past. He’s her MVP for sure!! He’s got everything as an NFL quarterback and loses it all, including Harley. When they finally reconnect- there’s tension and there’s a connection felt!
Rachel Van Dyken writes this beautiful story of selfless love and how there’s always a way to happily ever after!
SHORT BUT POWERFUL READ!!!
Title: MVP
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Designation: Standalone, Novella, No Cliffhanger #contemporary #sportsromance #secondchance
My Rating: Five Emotionally Gripping Stars*****
Wow, another fabulous read from Rachel Van Dyken! I read this story originally when it was released in bi-weekly chapters to Van Dyken’s newsletter subscribers and fell head over heels for the male protagonist, 34-year-old Jax Romonov. *sigh* Jax was the superstar quarterback for the Bellevue Bucks and the golden boy of American football with two championship rings in only two years, voted People’s Nicest Athlete, and adored by millions. He appeared to have the ideal life, but looks can be deceiving. Jax was heartbroken and struggling to maintain the facade of his perfect existence. He’d lost everything that truly mattered in his life and, usually, there’s no way to rewind time and make things right. But, sometimes, if you’re truly blessed, you can build from the ashes, and that’s essentially what this story is about. I fell in love with Jax and his former fiancé Harley. My heart actually ached for them. Jax and Harley were complex characters, trying to deal with the pain of loss, and Van Dyken did an exceptional job of revealing their painful past. It was evident from the beginning of the story, these two lost souls had a sexually charged attraction, but more importantly, they also had an powerful connection, one that refused to be denied, despite the fact Harley was missing the memories of their time together. Every single encounter was emotionally charged. It just broke my heart. No spoilers from me but I will say this… Handsome, caring, and devoted star quarterback determined to sacrifice his own happiness to save the woman he loved-check! Beautiful, sweet yoga instructor suffering from memory loss-check! Painful secrets, heartbreaking loss, gutwrenching angst-check! Undeniable attraction, sweet romance, a love that refused to be denied, and an ending that will melt your heart-you bet! That and a whole lot more!
Did I like this story? No, I loved it! In fact, I loved it so much that I purchased it for my library because I wanted to read it again! Would I recommend it? You bet and I am. MVP may be short(approx 90 pages), but it packed a powerful emotional punch and included everything I’ve come to love and expect from Rachel Van Dyken. I sniffled, sobbed, outright ugly cried, sighed, and giggled through the entire book, but by the end, I was happy, satisfied, and entertained. MVP is a captivating, well crafted, standalone sports romance about the power of true love and second chances. There is some profanity and a couple of love scenes I would rate 2 flames. And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!
3.5 stars–MVP by Rachel Van Dyke is a contemporary, adult, stand alone romance novella in the author’s PLAYERS GAMES series, focusing on Bellevue Bucks quarterback Jax Romonov, and yoga instructor Harley. MVP can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person points of view (Harley and Jax) MVP follows the rekindling romance and relationship between Bellevue Bucks quarterback Jax Romonov, and yoga instructor Harley. One year earlier Jax and Harley’s life fell apart. The death of their infant daughter followed by the breakup of their relationship culminated in disaster when Harley lost her memory after a devastating accident. Fast forward to present day wherein Harley begins to remember bits and pieces about the past, a past that comes full circle with Jax Romonov. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship and romance between Jax and Harley as they navigate the return of Harley’s memories, and the grief that tore them apart.
MVP is a story of secrets, lies, love and loss. Originally released as a bi-weekly newsletter serial MVP focuses on the aftermath of one family’s struggle with death, guilt, grief and depression., Rachel Van Dyken pulls the reader into a fast paced and impassioned, emotional and heart breaking story with a happily ever after. My one regret is the limited history and backstory between our leading couple.
MVP is a standalone novella in the Players Game series. This book ripped at my heart. It is an angsty second chance romance. When tragedy befalls Jax and Harley their relationship crumbles. Now they need to find the impossible — a way back to each other. The emotion in this novella tore at me as I watched life rip these two apart. As I watched them bury their pasts. As I watched them come to terms with what happened. And finally my heart was healed.