Pepper: The best part of a happy ending… finding out it’s actually just the beginning. Having someone promise to be by your side, to chase dreams with, whisper troubles to, it’s more than I could have imagined. But after three seasons of Jace playing pro ball in Ohio, three long seasons, with him on the road, and me training all over the world, I’m questioning if we can really have it all. … really have it all. Harsh criticism of our relationship is all too familiar and uncovers old wounds. I only ever wanted to run and to be with Jace, and finding the perfect balance proves to be my greatest trial yet.
We vowed not to let our love deter each other’s athletic goals, but I miss him. I miss us.
Jace:
The demands of our careers have us running in opposite directions, when we should be putting down roots, together. But escalating fame and an overbearing agent have me fumbling everything I hold dear, including Pepper.
After years of dedication and sacrifice, I’m finally in a position to trade to my hometown team. Moving back to Colorado could be the answer to all our problems, but just when I think we’re finally on the right track, we’re sacked with news that turns everything upside down. News that rattles me and sends Pepper into a tailspin. It’s time for me to remind the girl that I fell in love with how to fight.
Until she’s ready, I’ll fight hard enough for the both of us. For better or for worse.
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** spoiler alert ** First let me say that I was so excited when I heard about book #6 coming out (like full on dancing around in the kitchen mode excited) because I have loved this series since the start. And yes, I have re-read every book what feels like a million times while waiting for the last one to come out !
I don’t know what exactly it is – but I can relate to Pepper and her family & friends on a certain level – maybe because they feel so real – their hopes, dreams, fears, etc. could be a person’s real life and to be honest the whole Pepper and Jace built-up relationship could have been taken right out of my own life (minus the drugs and stalking ofc ! ;-))
Anyways I love this book – Pepper and Jace really sell marriage! We can see how their relationship has evolved, how they work together and how they handle life through the good and the (very) bad times that life throws at them.
This book is certainly a bit darker than the previous ones but it still feels like a Pepper Jones series. Honestly, it is an emotional rollercoaster ! I found myself laughing, crying, smiling, and just falling in love with every single character in this series all over it.
There were tiny points where I felt like the story was a bit (not too much to affect the storyline negatively though) rushed but I understand the need and want of Ali Dean to include everything and bring this series to the end it deserved all along.
*spoiler*
What I loved most is the foreshadow of Pepper & Jace’s live in the future with 4 kids that are so much like them in a certain way. This was really the closure I was looking for!
Good job Ali Dean ! What does it take to convince you to write a sequel ? 🙂
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
More Pepper & Jace in their early 20’s!!! Sign me up! I fell in this was this couple from the beginning years ago in their first five books in the YA Sports Romance series. I’m so glad the author gave us one more book when they are older.
Of course when you are older, got careers & everything is all going great, you have obstacles thrown in to give you some unexpected twists! Will Jace & Pepper finally get their HEA? Read the series finale to find out!
Another amazing story from Ali Dean. Pepper and Jace have faced it all so why would married life be any different. Through all their ups and downs they have come out of it even stronger with truly unconditional love and support for one another. True love can exist if you just continue to work for it. A great story and great role models for how a relationship should be. I’ve loved Ali Dean since the very first Pepped Up book and one day will be reading these stories with my daughter.
I loved this book for so many reasons it’s hard to say where to start. first of all I have to say that I love this entire series of pepper and Jace. I love the progression of the story’s over the books along with the development of the characters and I feel like this last book did a great job of wrapping it all up. Well I’m sad to see the series end I have to say this one was probably my favorite book because I loved the person that Pepper turned out to be. one of my favorite parts of this book was also that we got to see it a bit more into the future to see where pepper and Chase would end up. If you like young adult or college-age but this one is definitely for you in the author does a great job of growing with the characters over this series of books. Again with this last book Jace and pepper have to overcome some major issues and how would they do with these issues shows how much these characters have grown over the years. Just can’t say enough about how much I love this book and series.
The Pepper Jones books were the first books I have read from this Author. So I was extremely excited when I found out she was writing a new book with my favorite couple. Pepper up and Wilder was the perfect conclusion to this series. It had all the feels as well as Ali Deans talent for really displaying what these athletes go through. Her writing gets better and better and she really gives you that connection to the characters.
This story takes place a few years after Pepped up forever. Both Jace and Pepper are a few years into their careers. They struggle with finding time with each other and finding a balance to thier marriage and thier professional goals. When tragedy strikes they need to hold strong to thier love for each other and learn how to live again and find the path that’s right for them.
If you never read any of the Pepper Jones books, you’ll need to read the first 5 books before reading Pepped up and Wilder.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this new addition to the Pepper Jones series, but I definitely knew that I was excited for it. I always felt like there was just a little bit more of Pepper’s story to be told and this book fit every expectation I didn’t know I had.
Perhaps the standout of this book is how solid Pepper and Jace have become as a couple. Marriage certainly agrees with them, even if their work schedules keep them from spending as much time together as they would like. Each faces their own career challenges, but the strength of their marriage keeps them from losing balance.
In the past books, it felt like whenever Jace was low, Pepper was high, or vice versa. Now they are on the same page, riding the waves together and keeping honesty and love at the center of their relationship. The way they talk through their feelings and fears, each one willing to sacrifice for the other, is so special. The best part? It feels so authentic to their story and what they’ve been through together.
Although the relationship plays a huge role in this story, let’s not forget that Pepper is the heart of this series. Pepper never fails to inspire me, but in this book she shines. Her confidence, vulnerability, strength, and love comes together in a way that shows she is comfortable with herself, flaws and all. In particular, her racing scenes really explore the depth of her resilience.
And let’s not forget about our secondary characters! Both friend and foe, each interaction with the secondary characters adds to the overall plot. It’s easy to get overcrowded with so many big personalities, but the balance in this book is perfect. We get to revisit some of our old high school pals and newer college friends and see how they’re handling tricky adult friendships.
Pepped Up and Wilder is an incredible addition, but it does get a little darker than its predecessors. We see Jace and Pepper at their most vulnerable while navigating indescribable hardship. However, the way they move through it together is nothing short of heartwarming. I’ll say this, Pepped Up and Wilder will make you cry all kinds of tears, and you’ll be thanking Ali Dean by the end.
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Omg! I loved this book! It was definitely worth the wait! I just can’t believe it’s the last one. I’ve been with Ali since the very beginning. She is one of my go to authors. Her books never disappoint!
With this book being the end of the series. I will say that I really enjoyed how both characters matured and evolved throughout this book and throughout the entire series. They definitely have they’re ups and downs that come with any relationship. But they overcome every obstacle and still manage to come back to what’s important….each other. Pepper and Jace truly have the most beautiful love story!
So I started reading about Pepper and Jace in 2014. I have laughed and cried and yelled and have been mad reading about the two of them. This series has been a joy to read. I have loved reading the way the characters grow together and apart. Pepped Up and Wilder is one of my fave books about them. What Pepper and Jace go through is hard to read sometimes. They have managed to go through so much and still endure.
Ali Dean you are an amazing author and I can’t thank you enough for the journey you included us the readers in.
The way this book ended seems like that it’s from Pepper and Jace. But it’s a fabulous story and I one I know will be stuck with me forever!
It’s no surprise that I fell in love with Pepped Up & Wilder! I’ve reread this series so many times and I adore Ali Dean for giving us this book. Pepper and Jace have grown so much and their strength grows even further in this book. I dreaded the book ending because I didn’t want to leave these characters. I even bought all the books in paperback so that I can continue to snuggle up and read them whenever I want; I suggest you do the same!!!
*Let me preface this review by saying you must read the first 5 novels in this series to enjoy this one to its fullest. I started reading this series in early 2016 and have read it a total of three times, so to say I was anticipating this book would be an understatement. Even though I had to wait a bit for it, Pepped Up & Wilder does not disappoint. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would! I LOVE this book for so many reasons, I will try to list a few. #1 It is written with a complexity that truly astounds me. Ms. Dean can weave a story with a strong, sports oriented female lead, like no other, but the maturity she gives Pepper in this last book is lovely to read. And lets not forget Jace (in his love for all things Pepper) has grown by leaps and bounds through out this series, into a character I adore. #2 Ali writes sports like no other. I really don’t like running at all, but when I read this book I wanted to run down the block. She gives us everything we need to know about the ends and outs of running and football as they relate to Jace and Pepper’s lives, but it is never boring or takes away from the story. #3 We get all those loose ends tied up but in a way that isn’t too contrived or forced. It doesn’t seem rushed. It plays out like it should, and you end up satisfied instead of longing. #4 As a reader, you can tell Ms. Dean is invested in writing these characters. You feel the love she has for bringing them to life in our minds. From the beginning of this series to now, I feel her writing has really matured and it shows in the careful way she broaches subjects that happen and how Jace, Pepper, and their family and friends deal with them. If you loved reading the rest of the Pepper Series, this book is a MUST-have conclusion!
Ali Dean has wrote another amazing edition to her series. I loved this book so much. I wish that there were more books planned to follow this group of friends lives. I love how the author keeps me so engaged throughout the book and series. If you love sports romance this book will not disappoint. I received an ARC copy of this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I was beyond thrilled to find out that Ali Dean was going to grace us with another book in the Pepper Jones series. Ali has a unique way of grabbing your attention and sucking you in from beginning to end with each of her books. This one was no exception to that. The storyline was great, engaging and provided me with all the feels. I love how we get to see Jace and Pepper’s POV during certain aspects in this book as well. I always find it intriguing and refreshing when authors have the ability and creativity to provide that to their readers.
I love how Jace and Pepper’s love for one another never falters and continues to grow, even when they face certain challenges that would probably cause some marriages to fail.
Each character is still awesome (especially Bunny), well-developed and at times complex, which I like a lot. I now feel a sense of completion for Jace and Pepper’s story after reading Pepped Up and Wilder. However, I’m also secretly hoping for more to come!
When I finished Pepped Up Forever I felt like I needed more of Jace and Peppers’ story but Pepped up and Wilder really ended the story for me.
Like the rest of the series this book is not without its obstacles for this couple but the maturity in the characters was so refreshing.
The friend aspect of this book was not as prevalent as past books but that is true to post college real life.
Loved it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fantastic final book in the Pepper Jones six-book series
This New Adult novel is the sixth book in a six-book series about Pepper Jones and Jace Wilder, whom we have previously encountered in book 1, PEPPED UP, book 2, ALL PEPPED UP, book 3, PEPPED UP AND READY, book 4, PEP TALKS, and book 5, PEPPED UP FOREVER. The books in this series are not stand-alone, and it is recommended that they be read in order. Note that this review will be a spoiler for the previous 5 books if you have not read them yet.
Pepper and Jace are now in their early 20’s. Jace has recently completed his second season playing professional football as a quarterback for the Browns in Cleveland, Ohio. They have been married almost three years, but most of that time they have spent apart, due to Pepper training and competing all over the world as a potentially Olympic-caliber competitor, and Jace has been both traveling extensively with his team and for paid promotional gigs and public appearances that his control-freak agent swears are increasing his chances to transfer to his team of choice, the Stallions in Denver. Jace and Pepper want to return to their hometown of Brockton, Colorado, very near Denver. Jace’s father and Pepper’s grandmother have homes on the same street in Brockton, where Pepper and Jace were raised as children from the time Jace was four and Pepper three years old.
Pepper and Jace are completely committed to an equal partnership in their marriage, with each living their dream of being a professional athlete. But pursuing their demanding careers is taking a toll on their marriage. They are both sad and lonely at being so frequently apart. In the midst of their distress over the impact of their careers on their marriage, an unexpected, major life event (which it would be a spoiler to reveal) further impacts their marriage in a negative way, and it will take everything they both have to give to pull each other through it.
Fans of this terrific, girl/woman-power, sports-romance series will be delighted with this final Pepper Jones entry. As in the previous books, there is a heavy emphasis on Pepper’s running ambitions, and there are many exciting and inspiring scenes in that regard. As for the romantic relationship between these two attractive, highly sympathetic protagonists, it is great! They meet many difficult challenges as a united front.
Jace has grown hugely across this series, and he really comes into his own in this novel as a truly superior romantic hero. Because of that, their relationship has matured greatly as well.
The ongoing, delightful cast of recurring subcharacters is here again to enjoy, including Pepper’s quirky, loveable grandmother, Jace’s father, Jace’s half-brother, Pepper’s best friend, and a coterie of new and old friends from Pepper’s various running teams and Jace’s new and old friends from football.
As a particular treat, Ms. Dean offers her fans a delightful epilogue set 16 years in the future when Pepper is 40 and Jace is 41, which means this entire series has traversed 24 years. Quite a feat!
As in the previous two books of the series, this book is written from the alternating points of view of Pepper and Jace, which is something I enjoyed very much.
There is very little drinking in this book, and Pepper and Jace are both legally of age now, so it is a non-issue that they drink socially. The few sex scenes are tender and non-graphic and are between the protagonists as a loving, married couple.
I devoured this entire series in less than a week, and I am both happy and sad that I finished the Pepper series today. Happy because I enjoyed it so much, and sad to leave such wonderful characters behind. This is definitely a series I will re-read many times in the future. These books are all “keepers”!
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Romantic Hero: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Woman-Power Sports Plot: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
Ever since finishing Pepped Up Forever, I have been wanting more Pepper Jones. So, you can only imagine my excitement when Ali made the announcement of Pepped Up & Wilder earlier this year.
There’s no doubt that Pepped Up & Wilder had big shoes to fill, especially given that it was the final book in the series, and boy did it deliver. Having grown with the series, it was refreshing to see the maturity of the characters, which is definitely a new style that I am loving from Ali’s most recent books. While I am not opposed to more Pepper Jones in the future, I do feel that Pepped Up & Wilder was the perfect way to end Pepper and Jace’s story.
Once again, Ali Dean proves her position as the best female sports writer out there and I cannot wait to see what’s next.
I was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We start this story with Pepper and Jace newly married and trying to juggle her full time running career and Jace’s NFL career. They are having to spend a lot of time apart and then you add in people from their past who end up causing a bit of stress to the couple as well. This story is really about them navigating this new life together and dealing with the stresses and the losses that they experience as a couple. It is also about deciding what is going to make you the happiest in life, and choosing to do that, instead of what’s expected of you. I loved these two when they were just dating, and I love them even more now as a married couple. They’ve grown so much, both as people and as a couple. I’m so happy that they got the happiness that they deserved. Loved, loved, loved, this book!
Wow! What an amazing ending to Pepper’s and Jace’s story. This last story is gut wrenching, emotiinal, has its highs and lows. So have your tissues ready.
This whole series from the beginning to the end is a myriad of emotions. the friendship, love , turmoil, betrayal, jealousy, self doubt, loss, confidence., mystery is wonderfully written.
I can’t say enough about Stacey Glemboski narration. The intensity of emotions is felt throughout this series. She gave me goosebumps, I was crying along with Pepper’s and Jace’s loss. Her ability to voice the different characters flows easily as she transforms her voice and captures the emotions, turmoil with all the characters!
audiobookobsessionreviewer
Sad to say this is the last story in the Pepped Up Series, I am going to miss these characters.
This one is also hard to review without a spoiler suffice to say it has less angst, is Pepper and Jace as a couple, with love, loss, strength, achievement, and yes an HEA.
Stacey again did a wonderful job narrating.
Reviewed for Audiobook Obsession
Pepper and Jase are starting their professional careers and recently married, it’s hard with them both being professional athletes and having to travel constantly for their jobs but they both know how strong their love and marriage is so they aren’t insecure, just lonely and missing each other.
They go through quite a few highs and a severe low, people trying to come between them as always and reporters making stories out of nothing. It’s a brutal world but their love is strong and they can overcome anything at this point, until the severe low hits. It’s like a hurricane destroying everything in it’s wake and it is a ridiculously difficult journey for the two of them. It’s hard on them both in their own ways and it takes a toll on them but they fight through it together and come out closer and stronger on the other side.
I loved this couple so much, their love was so pure. I felt so connected with the characters it’s like I was there for all of it in real life, not just a book. I was enraptured with these books. I never wanted them to end. This is one of my favorite series I have read… Ever!
The epilogue of this book was exactly what I was hoping for! It was so perfect and had me grinning like a maniac the entire time! Love isn’t an adequate enough word for how much I enjoyed the epilogue!
Love the Wilders! Fabulous Series & Audible Listen
Pepped Up & Wilder
Pepper Jones, Book 6
By: Ali Dean
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
I was suffering serious book withdrawals after binge listening to the first five books of this wonderful “Pepper Jones” series. I just adored Pepper Jones & Jace and was happy to see that they as a couple they came out on top by the end of book five. It was a long road for them, with lots of bumps and heartaches along the way. In this book Ali Dean brings us into their married life, she shows up how how love each other very much and respect each others career. Jace goes pro and is hoping to signed to a team closer to their family. Pepper is going strong in her career as a professional runner with goals of making in on the US Olympic team. Sometimes their schedules keep them apart but their relationship is in a great place and they want to make it work. They are faced with new challenges as life throws curve balls but their love shines thru. It is great to see how much they have grown since the start of the series, it is also great to see some of the secondary characters again as well, I am happy for Wes and Bunny too. I would love to see spin-offs come from this series, maybe a book for Wes, Ryan, Jace’s Dad and even Bunny. I can not get enough of these great characters. I highly recommend this series, each book is well written and well told. Ali Dean is a talented author, she captivates her readers/listeners with these wonderful stories. The stories are realistic and heartfelt with characters you can not help but fall in love with. Thank you for another awesome story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
I listened to the Audible edition, Stacey Glemboski is a wonderful narrator and voice performer.
She brings these characters to life, gives each their own voice and personality. She does an amazing job projecting the emotions of he characters and the drama of the story into her performance. You can hear how much heart she puts into each character. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen
Thank you @AudiobookObsession #AudiobookObsession #AudiobookObsessionReviewer