Muscular football players. Passionate tennis pros. Sexy soccer stars. All sorts of alpha hotties, on the field and off.Have no fear! The team is back again, and this time…it’s thicker. You’ll get your sports romance fix with brand-new stories from eleven bestselling authors.Need one last summer fix? Dive into this anthology.*This anthology contains original, never-before-seen stories from Ella … never-before-seen stories from Ella Fox, Mandi Beck, Teagan Hunter, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Sara Ney, Rochelle Paige, Meghan Quinn, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, Emma Scott, and Kate Stewart.
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I absolutely loved this book! So many great novellas in this book, I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of them! This is a must read especially if you love sports and romances that involve sports!
LOVE GAME by Emma Scott
Emma Scott is one of my favorite authors and I was very intrigued to get a taste of something on the lighter side from her. I couldn’t resist after reading ‘Because in the sport of tennis, love means zero.’ in the synopsis. Hell yeah! Sexy bad boys with big attitudes…and balls, are irresistible. But, it’s the broken bad boys that get me every time.
His agent tells him, “I’m ready to hire a priest to do an exorcism to get your head out of your ass.” But, what his agent really does is hire a broke ‘broken’ receptionist to work some of her healing magic on him. What fun it was to anticipate those two facing off. Kinda like watching tennis and moving your head back and forth to see who would win the match. Trust me, it was a lot more exciting than any game I’ve ever seen in person or on TV. I loved every second and highly recommend it to everyone.
We all have authors that we love, right? The awesomeness of an anthology is that we might grab it for just one story and then we end up loving many. I’ve fallen for quite a few authors this way. It gives me the freedom to try something new that won’t take too much of my time to test the waters. With this lineup, what’s not to love? I’ve heard of all of these authors, but there are still several that I’ve not had time to actually read, even though I have quite a few of their books on my Kindle waiting for me to get to them. I’m off to a good start and can’t wait to work my way through the rest of these novellas.
Arena Lights by Mandi Beck:
Author Mandi Beck always delivers a solid, page turning story that will keep you glued to your reading device. Arena Lights was another great read.
Maeve has her head set on playing softball and her twin sister is ready to spread her wings and have fun and party.
Their brother Levi thinks he has them on lockdown, but things don’t always go as planned.
Benny, Levi’s roommate, teammate and friend is chaperoning the trip. He knows his friend’s younger sisters are off limits. Once he spends time with her he knows he is in trouble and rules will be tested.
One click this anthology and dive into this romance. It will hit you in the feels!
What a beautiful sports romance collection. These authors hit it out of the park with all these books. I was very fortunate to read two of the stories.
Arena Lights by Mandi Beck ~click here for review~ https://youtu.be/4hP_5dmdXD4
End Goal by Ella Fox ~click here for review~ https://youtu.be/aFXHUFMZQEE
Again I’m not an anthology girl, yet here we are. I can not pass up the opportunity to read some of my very favorite authors. These ladies continue to kill it with the novellas and keep us wanting more. As of this review I have only read two of the stories but will be adding to this as I go.
First up….. The Guy In The Middle Kate Stewart
Holy hell I was not expecting all that from Lance’s story and actually it’s not even all of Lance’s story because this little novella was not quite enough. If you read The Guy on The Right you’ll remember Lance as the quiet broody roommate. Well we get all the answers, well some of them anyway, in this novella and I can’t wait for more. Completely unexpected with some angst and lots of feels. Harper and Lance are a terrible idea on paper but their chemistry won’t be denied. Looking forward to more of them.
Next…. Arena Lights Mandi Beck
Ahhh my girl does it again. I love the way Mandi tells a story it’s always a lot of fun. Benny and Maeve are taboo on many levels and I couldn’t get enough! This is short, sweet, hot and funny. If there were ever written requirements for a novella those would be it! Benny and Maeve heat it up in the Arizona sun and have no regrets. I really wish this would have been longer because I could have read pages of these two. You don’t want to miss these crazy kids when you grab this anthology.
Arena Lights – Lights by Mandi Beck
This is a quick yummy read, it’s a fun filled banter driving Sexy Ride!
Benny and Maeve have a chemistry that is off the charts. Their back and forth tension makes for some hot scenes!!
Mandi has a nack for pulling her readers into the story, and leaving them panting and wanting more. This couple deserves their own BOOK!! Hint Hint Beck’s
Great job!
I read Dear Ava, from Ilsa Madden-Mills. I absolutely love her work and was so excited to get an ARC. This novella was amazing and can wait to read more from Ava and Knox. I know it’s going to be GOOD! They a two unlikely characters who find each other. The mystery looming in the back ground, I hope they find whose behind it and kick some butt together.
I LOVE me a good sports romance. A collection of them- yes please and thank you. I’m plucking my way through and so far I am loving Team Player 2.
Kate Stewart!!! You got me so dang good with Guy in the Middle. This story jumped right from the start and didn’t back down.
I loved the progression of Lance and Harper. The back and forth banter. How she didn’t back down from his brood and gave it back to him just as much. They understanding they came to. The chemistry they couldn’t deny. The secret that was revealed. The fallout….
Gah! I devoured Lance and Harper’s story and I need the rest of it…yesterday!
**
I was so happy to see Mandi Beck had a story in this anthology. Her writing is always sharp, sexy and sassy. And this was no different. Hockey, softball, twins and a touch of the forbidden! Arena Lights had it all.
I adored Maeve and her kindness. Her sass. Her dry sense of humor that only endeared her to Benny all the more. Holy sweatpants Benny was hot! I loved seeing his protective side come out where Maeve was concerned. Their attraction was undeniable. My fingers are crossed that these two get a full length story down the line because I feel like there is so much more in store for them.
**
YES! Kennedy Ryan’s Hoops Series is one of my favorites and I LOVE when we get glimpses at characters that have been in the periphery. Case in Point- Fast Break. Ean and Quinn’s story.
Talk about HOT! I adored Ean and how he went after what he wanted. And what he wanted was Quinn. I liked that both characters were very career driven but stepped out of their comfort zone in the pursuit of something more with the other.
**
I can’t wait to dive back in and finish this collection…because #stamina!
This review is for Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills.
Well, that just makes you want to know more. I generally think I am not one to want to read books about high school or college students. But Ilsa Madden-Mills proves me wrong yet again. I fell for her characters in “I Hate You” cried over them, laughed at them, and ended up loving them to death. Now she’s got me with Ava and Knox. There’s a lot going on here and I don’t believe we’ve come close to knowing all we need to. I was happy to read at the end of the novella this was going to be a full book later this year and we will get to know all these characters and understand more what’s going on at this school. There’s a lot of stuff swimming around all those Sharks that run the school. The good part is we get to meet Ava and Knox who I think we are just touching on a great story of. All I know is I enjoyed this novella but now I hanker to know more.
Dear Ava
OMG normally with short stories i always feel like i’m going to be missing something, but i just had to read this, its a hot quarter back right?
Well with this one you don’t!!
Ilsa Madden Mills has written a short story that fully and totally captures you. yes its of a sensitive nature and it sure does pull those heart strings. Who is Ava’s secret admirer? And why is the schools hottest quarterback suddenly paying attention to her? All is revealed and now i’m even more excited knowing more is to come!!! So freaking happy !!!
Even though its a novella its packs and punch and is definitely a must read !!!!!
I loved this book. I loved that it kept me guessing and wanting more throughout the whole story. I cannot wait until the full book is released in 2020. I want more of these characters!
I loved Ava’s character. I loved how strong she was. She may have been scared but she didn’t let it rule her!! I love her sassy attitude!
This story is published in the Team Player 2 anthology!
I was sooo excited to see another book being written for The Underdogs series. The Guy in the Middle is a Novella written in the Team Player 2 Anthology and was another great sports read from me!!! This is Lance’s book and get ready y’all…He is definitely another book boyfriend to add to your fav man candy list!!! lol
Their first meeting is always my fav…sooo much angst, soo much push and pull cuz you know in your heart of hearts these two are going to hit it off and you are along for the ride of your life while reading how it all is going to unfold. That cat and mouse chase is my freaking fav and Kate Stewart’s delivery is always spot on!!!
Thanks for another 5 star read Kate Stewart!!! I could not get enough of Harper and Lance and in fact we will get more of them in their full length novel coming January 2020!! Eeppp can’t wait!!!
Review for A slice of Love by Teagan Hunter
This book was released as a Part of the Team Player 2 book before, but got some extras and an epilogue now.
This is a quick and cute 2nd chance story full of anger, hurt, love, forgiveness and chemistry about Frankie & Jonas. They met in high school and fell for each other, but not everyone was on board with this. So they haven’t seen each other for 4 years. Can they leave the past in the past?
Kindly received an arc from the author and voluntarily left a review
4,5
I loved Teagan Hunter’s story! An amazing story about second chances with Pizza thrown into the mix. Jonas and Frank have a wonderful, yet heartbreaking history. They were secret friends in high school, that went their separate ways but never left each other’s heart. An accident has him back in town from the NFL to recover from an injury. A pizza ends up bringing them back together. I loved the plot and it had a little something for everyone: friends, family, second-chance romance, laughter and passion. I enjoyed Jonas and Frank so much that I wished their story was longer. I need more! This is a standalone book, and you can read it by itself, but I love the entire series! I highly recommend this book and every book by Teagan Hunter.
Review for Love Game by Emma Scott
My heart, what a little gem of a read!
We meet hot tempered, tennis pro Kai in this little novella that is to put plainly, an absolute treasure.
With a traumatic past, Kai’s present is plagued with anger, pain and anguish which is bleeding into his career. Top of his game, Kai stands to lose it all if he doesn’t seek help. His manager Jason (which I must say I felt for the poor guy LOL) is at his wits end. Trying to balance Kai’s career is a PA nightmare, so Jason seeks an alternative.
And the alternative….Daisy.
Daisy, who has her own past to deal with is offered a job to help hot headed Kai. Her job is to help with his temper, the lashing out and his attitude with the hope that Kai can salvage what’s left of his reputation and career.
Sounds easy right?
Guys you have no idea!!
For a novella, Love Game is packed with everything a reader could ask for. Heart-breaking, soul searching, full of emotion and laugh out loud moments, Love Game was an absolute delight to read. Superbly written, Kai and Daisy’s story is one not to be missed.
5 stars
One of the Best Anthologies I have ever read.
This is one of the best gathering of authors in an anthology that I have read and I LIVE for anthologies. I am fans of almost every single one of them. Even the couple of authors that I have not read are on my TBR list so I still knew of them. There really wasn’t a bad story of the bunch. All offered a different type of story that all centered on the theme of sports. Some were cute with sports being instrumental in the story and others it was in the background. Well developed characters and great bantering between the characters. A couple of the stories were characters that had been seen before in other books by these authors and a few even will be expanded into full stories after this anthology (which I have to say HELL yes to because I most definitely want more from Meghan Quinn (there is just something about the lure of that locker room and baseball), Ella Fox (sweet holy hell I need more Law), and Ilsa Madden-Mills (I need answers and a HEA for Ava and Knox).
Fast Break by Kennedy Ryan: Incredible story! I love the Hoops world and I’m super stoked that even in a novella, Kennedy manages to tackle life and do it brilliantly. This woman’s word power is glorious! 4.5 stars
Love Game by Emma Scott: There is absolutely nothing not to love about this story. Seriously, nothing!! It was fresh and unique, sexy and heartwarming and packed a serious punch to the #feels!! 5 Stars!
The Guy in the Middle by Kate Stewart: I haven’t read a book by Kate in quite a while and now I’m a bit sad for it but I’m gonna remedy that immediately LOL Harper and Lance made me laugh a heck of a lot and pulled at all my #feels. It’s a slow burn but worth the wait! 4.5 Stars
The Teaching Hours by Sara Ney: hmmmm 3
Holt’s Story by Meghan Quinn: It’s the beginning of Holt and Harmony but it’s a good one kids! You’ll wanna stay tuned for their continuation coming really soon! 4.5 stars!
Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills: Very different from any story I’ve ever read by this author, but not a new story-line for me as a reader. I knew what I was getting into when I read the story but it still blew me away. Man, this author is just incredible with everything she writes. I have no idea how I haven’t devoured every book of hers yet! The story is not easy and it isn’t light but it’s real and it happens, a lot. Loved the execution of this story! AND I love even more that she’ll be expanding on this already perfect story in early 2020!!5 Stars!!
Arena Lights by Mandi Beck: Sweet cute read that had me looking the author up to see what I’ve been missing so #win! 4 Stars
A Slice Of Love by Teagan Hunter: Another story that had me looking up the author to see what I’d been missing! Great second chance story with plenty of sexy and emotion! 4 Stars
Body Heat by Rochelle Paige: Reading soon
Guys Like You by Charleigh Rose: Reading soon
End Goal by Ella Fox: Reading Soon
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of my review, I must say that I normally don’t read anthologies and sports romances. However, one of my recent auto-read authors was part of this book, so I decided to venture, and I’m definitely glad I did. The talent and diverse plots and characters in this book were a delight to explore.
Read on to for my mini review of each novella in the book.
Fair Catch by Kate Stewart (The Guy in the Middle)
Despite bad first meeting, friendship and love grow between Harper and Lance. Harper has a secret (a surprise I didn’t see coming), which threatens to tear them apart. The love story is sweet, the sex hot. Both mains are solid characters and I rooted for them to have a happy ending. The keeps a relatively easy pace all throughout. Ms Stewart’s writing is enjoyable.
The story appears to be a spin-off from an ongoing series, and ends with a cliffhanger, the continuation of which is embedded in a January 2020 release. That didn’t make me happy, but it is what it is.
My rating: 4 stars
Arena Lights by Mandi Beck
This story is full of humour as it tells the story of Maeve and Benny’s forbidden romance. It’s a sweet college/first-love romance, that reminded me of what it was like to fall in love as a new adult. My favourite character, though, was Maeve’s twin sister, Millie, who I hope has a story of her own. She was a hoot!
My rating: 4.75 stars
Body Heat by Rochelle Paige
I enjoyed this story. Though a short read, it felt complete. I enjoyed the switch in the traditional roles with the heroine being the bodyguard. The hero was more than up to the task of being her perfect match. I totally guessed the baddie (very proud of myself)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Guys Like You by Charleigh Rose
This college romance tells the story of Halston and Zach who hook up at a frat party. Funny and unfortunate events happen afterwards, which draw them closer. Both Halston and Zach come with some amount of baggage, but they find comfort in each other. The sex is hot, the romance is strong and believable.
My rating: 4 stars
Fast Break by Kennedy Ryan
From a distance, Ean, a former baller turned coach, has admired Quinn, an amputee athlete for years. He’s followed her impressive journey of rising above a tragedy that could have broken her. Ean is the kind of man who doesn’t waste time playing games. He pursues Quinn with a determination that you can’t help but admire and fall for. The story gets very emotional at some point as the two find healing in each other. A truly enjoyable read.
My rating: 5 stars
End Goal by Ella Fox
This enemies to friends/lovers story starts off ten years in the past when the hero and heroine are in high school. Something happens that makes the heroine hate and avoid the hero. Skip to the present, the heroine needs a job and the perfect one has just been offered by the hero. It was a sweet romance, and the author did a good job of making it emotional where it counts. However, I didn’t like the time jumps. The first leap of ten years is fine but a second time jump robs the reader of seeing more of the hero and heroine on the page before they fall into each other’s arms again. However, because they had history, it was easy to buy into their HEA.
My rating: 4.5 stars
The Teaching Hours by Sara Ney
The main thing I thought while reading this one is “different”. Neither the hero nor the heroine is your usual “nice” or exemplary person. The hero is known to be a douche and the heroine is no better. The beginning was a tad slow for me, but things pick up a little after the third chapter. I didn’t connect too much with the main characters, but it could be just me. That said, by the time I finished the story, I was in no doubt about them being suited to each other.
My rating: 4 stars
A Slice of Love by Teagan Hunter
Jonas returns to his hometown after an injury and reunites with Frankie four years after he broke her heart. She hates his guts and he’s lived with regret all this time. Some clever matchmaking forces them to confront their feelings as well as the past. This was one of my favourites in the book. Frankie and Jonas had an oh-so-cute friendship/forbidden romance in high school and their newfound romance was really sweet.
Rating: 5 stars
Love Game by Emma Scott
Sikai, a pro tennis player, is known as much for his amazing talent and his epic meltdowns on the court. Now at risk of being kicked out of the game for good, his well-meaning agent decides to intervene by hiring an energy healer to help him deal with his personal demons. Daisy, the energy healer, has her own demons. I loved Kai and Daisy a lot. It was clear that they were good for each other. Even though Kai did an idiotic thing towards the end, it was in line with his character, which also made him real. Because in real life people don’t change overnight. Being better is an everyday decision. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and wish it had been longer.
Rating: 5 stars
The Strike Out by Meghan Quinn (Holt’s Story)
Harmony hates ballers. Holt is a baller. Get it? They meet when she has to serve him and his buddies at the diner where she works and she doesn’t hide her feelings. Anyway, Holt is intrigued and sets out to change her mind about ballers – well, him in particular. A book hasn’t made me laugh as hard as this one did. Holt is an ass, but he’s so funny and Harmony digs his kind of crazy. Honestly, she stood no chance. I loved her best friend, whom I hope will get a story of her own. Great read. The story is only a beginning, but the end is very satisfying. I look forward to more of Holt and Harmony’s romance.
My rating: 5 stars
Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Ava survives a sexual assault at a kegger. Though it doesn’t happen on the page, Ava is returning to that school for the first time since the incident (so this might be triggering for some readers). She’s paired on a school project with the most unlikely person – Knox, the captain of the football team. He is painted as a bad guy in his first scene and I kind of hoped he was the hero of the story. Turns out he was! Ava’s bravery and sheer determination makes her a lovable character. Knox, captain of the football team, and head alpha male turns out to be a surprise. This was definitely my favourite story in the book and I’m glad it came last.
My rating: 5 stars
Overall impression: Definitely worth the read.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy if this book and I give my review voluntarily.
Guys Like You by Charleigh Rose
Five sports stars for Halston and Sully !!!
I absolutely love Charleigh’s writing style. This novella is definitely one of my favorite stories.
But, I’m so sad that Halston and Sully’s love story wasn’t longer because I’ve really enjoyed reading it and they deserved more.
“Guys Like You” is a sexy and cute story at the same time.
Halston and Sully fell in love at the first sight (the first night they spent together) but they didn’t believe in love and they didn’t have much experience with the relationship so they kept the fight against their feelings.
And when you’re keeping the fight against love?
You only fall deeper in love.
And then it becomes explosive…
If you’ve read “Bad Influence” and you loved it, then this novella is the story you need to read it !
Arena Lights – Mandi Beck
I loved this short story and I’m hoping we get a full book !!
It was quick , fun and sassy . Benny and Maeves have a chemistry that’s undeniable. The sexual tension is off the charts . But her brother can’t know because Benny is his best friend and that’s a whole other situation. Ahhh just give me more of their story like now !!