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.
We still aren’t responsible for melted devices.
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Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Millas is absolutely amazing. Such a great story that I can’t wait to see developed. I’m looking forward to reading all the other novellas included in this anthology.
anthology collection of 11 new standalone stories by a group of fabulous romance authors. So far, I have read two from the Anthology collection and they were both a real treat!
*****
FAST BREAK by Kennedy Ryan is just brilliant and perfectly formed… it’s about two existing characters from the Hoops series, Quinn and Ean, and once again Ryan demonstrates how she is unafraid to tackle sensitive issues and can do so utterly convincingly within the confines of a novella size story. This couple gave me all the feels and lured me to feel completely invested in their story from the opening pages. I felt their chemistry and passion, and believed in all their thoughts, actions and motivation. They formed the perfect character partnership whilst demonstrating their own individual character traits all of which endeared me to them and their story. My one small complaint is that I didn’t want their story to end, I was enjoying it so much.
*****
LOVE GAME by EMMA SCOTT: A story by Scott will always hit the spot in terms of eloquent writing and beautiful characters, with a solid plot and prose. About a bad boy tennis star with charm and talent all mixed into a melting pot of gorgeous hotness and the beautiful, kind girl who stumbles into his life for all the right reasons. The story that unfolds is one that will please fans of the romance genre. This author, despite the novella length, manages to capture a full-bodied romantic read with both story and character development.
I loved this! I loved These stories! I can’t wait to get more of the stories that are just beginning here.
Once i got to the end of Dear Ava in this anthology i am so glad we will be getting a lot more.
Ava is a very strong character who has been through something not anyone should go through and i think we all want to know who did it.
I loved Knox he was really not what you expected, well to me he wasn’t and i can see between his friends and his brother he is going to get himself into some trouble.
I really loved the start of this story and i can’t wait to read more next year. Again Ilsa madden-mills is writing a story that i really like and her writing is on point as usual.
Can’t wait to read more in this anthology and as i read more stories I’ll add them to this review.
I love reading anthology books. I think it could be because within one book there are so many authors to choose from. It could also be that while the stories are short, they are usually filled with enough angst, drama, love, hate, and sweet HEAs to fill a single complete book.
Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology has so many wonderful stories filled within this book, but the one story that stood out for me was ‘Guys Like You’ by Charleigh Rose. If you have read ‘Bad Influence’ then you know who Halston is. Gorgeous and sophisticated, Halston is Allie’s best friend at Kerrigan University. Halston is wary of love and practically invented the rules on the perfect hook up. The problem is that the one hook up she can’t forget is the one that may break all of her rules.
I really enjoyed going back into Allie’s world and seeing a different perspective on some moments in ‘Bad Influence’. While this is an interconnected story in the Bad Love series, I really think this story could be read as a standalone. There are also ten other delicious stories included in this anthology to make everyone happy!
*Review for Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills*
“Yeah. She walked in here like she owns the place, but she doesn’t. I do.”
I LOVED Dear Ava SO MUCH!! Is it 2020 yet because this Novella was a total tease and I NEED SO MUCH MORE!! Once I started this book I simply could not stop. I literally read this Novella straight through in matter of hours. I just had to know what happened next. That begining broke my heart. I have my suspicions so I’ll be ready to see if I’m right when the full novel releases. I’m loving this new world and all its new characters. I was just as excited about the second hand characters as the main. I’m so ready to get more of Piper and Wyatt. And maybe even dark brooding Dane. But my heart definitely belongs to Knox already. I mean let’s be honest he knows how to make a women swoon. Him and Ava had chemistry for days. I could not get enough of their easy banter and flirty ways! I could not be more excited that their story is to be continued!
“Knox has secrets and they’re layered in darkness, and part of me wants to know all the reasons why.”
*5 STARS*
Well earned to Ilsa Madden Mills for absolutely nailing this novella.
Dear Ava
4 Stars
I am so intrigued with this story! I definitely have a lot of questions running through my head and I wont get those answers until the full length extended novel is released at later date. There were a few things that just didn’t fit or make sense to me but again I may get those answer later. I really enjoyed the characters and how their story unfolded and I am looking forward to more!
How can you pass on an anthology of HOT Athletes!! 11 to be exact. I’ve read several so far but one of my faves is ARENA LIGHTS by Mandi Beck! Mandi brings together a flawless storyline of lust and desire between two people who shouldnt go down that road!! Benny and Maeve make you smile, squirm and cheer all at the same time
Pick up your copy today and enjoy all the hot stories!!
So far I have read Dear Ava by Ilsa .
I’m a huge fan of Ilsa Madden-Mills. Every book she writes sucks me and I get lost in her works. But this Novella consumed me from beginning to the end. Yes there was mention of a very difficult topic but she did an amazing job about telling the story without really going into detail. You just know what happened.
I wanted to reach through the pages and wrap my arms around Ava and protect her. But it looks like she doesn’t need my protection. Looks like even though she may feel vulnerable at times she has come out stronger and more determined then ever to get answers and get through her senior year. But things might not be as easy as she thought. Because she never saw him coming.
When I started reading this story my stomach was in my throat, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, I had tears in my eyes throughout. This story is filled with angst and will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I can’t wait to get the rest of the story.
Phenomenalicious!!
If you’re not a sports romance fan, this book will change all of that.
If you are a fan of sports romance, then you’re in for a special treat!
Eleven top shelf über talented authors collaborated to create one big, thick, juicy hunk of a book that’s perfect for any season especially vacation. Each story offers a different sport, a different scenario that left me all tingly and with a big smile afterwards.
I laughed, I swooned and was left feeling so good! I can’t wait to finish reading all the stories.
Even though I’m reading through all of them, I completed 2 stories in time for release.
Oh my goodness!
The Guy in the Middle by Kate Stewart offers us Lance and Harper’s story. We met these characters in The Guy on the Right, but rest assured, this story can absolutely be read as a standalone.
Fast paced, funny, and full of heart, Lance and Harper are opposites who can’t deny their attraction. Love and war is their theme. Sparks fly in and out of the gym, the bedroom the football field.
I can’t wait to read more about them.
Love Game by Emma Scott focuses on good girl Daisy and bad boy Kai.
Tennis is the game, and their game was one hell of a love match. Well paced, heartfelt story this installment was so well worth the read.
Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills. This had me feeling emotional.
Dear Ava is one of eleven novellas and is part of the Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology. All wonderful stories.
Dear Ava is by far a well-written story, this had me feeling emotional. This is not your typical boy meets girl and then they fall in love story. The story is honest and real, and I love this story and didn’t want it to end. Ilsa has the ability to make you feel the same emotional journey that the characters go through and it makes the story amazing! This story is a must-read.
Knox Grayson is the quarterback for the Camden High School. Knox is known for being standoffish with a stern scowl. Ava Harris is a strong as nails girl who has built walls to protect yourself. Ava finds yourself with a secret admirer but she has a hard time trusting anyone, especially Knox who she has to work a school assignment with. You will need to read to see if Ava can open up and let people in.
Dear Ava will knock your socks off and cheer for the heroine that is lying under the surface when your world suddenly stops turning
This collection of authors is amazing and I can’t wait to dive into each novella. I just know they are all going to be top notch! I’ve only read one of the stories so far and am in love. Totally worth the money for that one story alone!
My first read was Dear Ava by Isla Madden-Mills.
Isla nailed this story and made me want more (which apparently we will be getting in 2020). It reminded me why I started reading her books going way back to Bad Things. Her darkness mixed with high school kids, relationships and their more serious subject matters. It’s more than we want to admit happens around these “kids” all the time.
Ava is from the wrong side of the tracks going to a school where the rich rule everything. After missing a year of school because of a very traumatic event (trigger warnings), Ava returns to the school that broke her. But now she is back stronger and more fierce. She is on a mission and she won’t let the eyes and words of anyone stop her. I LOVED her! She turned something awful and made herself stronger and more powerful. Everyone should be VERY afraid of this girl.
“She’s definitely a spark that just might ignite and catch fire.” “And burn us all down in the process.”
Camden Prep is ruled by The Sharks, but ever since the situation with Ava the previous year, there has been a major kink in their armor. And Knox has been at the front of that bend. He may be the head Shark, but there is so much more to him than meets the eye. He has a past, he’s broken, but he never lets anyone see anything but his strength.
“Ah, yes, the god who needs no one. He rules the school. Girls adore him. Guys are envious of him. Everyone wants to be next to him, wants to bask in his glory. Praise be.”
These two ignite in each scene they are in. Their banter is fun and the way their hearts reach out to each other even in the dark that envelopes them makes me excited for more.
Isla gave us a wonderful and complete HFN novella, but imma need some more and soon. I’m just too in love with these characters and the way they interact with one another. I need more of those Sharks and their backgrounds.
Dear Ava, I love this novella! 5 stars
Ava is a strong and brave survivor, and I admired her so much. Knox is just so swoon-worthy! At first he is intriguing and mysterious, but as some of the layers get peeled away then he is fascinating. Even though the novella is serious, I did laugh at a few points! We still have the mystery of who assaulted Ava and the burgeoning romance between Ava and Knox, so I can’t wait to read the full novel coming in 2020!
There are several other authors I enjoy in this compilation, so I look forward to reading those!
I received a copy of Dear Ava from the author for my honest review.
A whole book devoted to sexy sports hunks? Sign me up!
This anthology is packed full of novellas by some of our favorite authors, and it will have you binge-reading to your heart’s content.
Check out a few reviews from my favorite stories.
The Guy in the Middle by Kate Stewart – If your a fan of Kate’s last book, The Guy on the Right, you MUST read this. Remember quiet loner Lance, the one we barely caught a glimpse of during Theo’s story? Well, this is his time to shine and trust me when I tell you that you’re going to fall in love with him! I need more of Lance asap! I’m not ready to let him go yet…
Arena Lights by Mandi Beck – You can never go wrong with a guy who plays hockey! Can Benny change his player ways when it comes to his roommate’s little sister? This is a steamy and sweet story that’ll make you soon!
Holt’s Story by Meghan Quinn – Remember Holt, sexy Brentwood baseball player? Oh boy, are you going to fall in love with this guy! Funny, charming, sexy, quirky – this man is the total package. He’s irresistible and you won’t want to let him go! I need more of him!
Great, right? And that’s just the beginning! I highly recommend grabbing a copy ASAP!
The Guy in the Middle
Lance and Harper’s story wasn’t your usual college romance. Nope. Not at all. It was SO MUCH MORE. I fell hard for these two and I ranted, I swooned and my heart broke for everything they endured. I cannot wait for their full story to release.
Dear Ava
Oh how I loved this story! Ava is a fierce survivor and I fell for her from the very first chapter. Knox is a bit of an enigma but I have to say he intrigued me before I even liked him. Their story isn’t an easy one but I was hooked. I LOVED the text messages and the way their relationship grew/changed. Plenty of interesting side characters to have me wanting more from them too. Dane in particular has my radar piqued. I cannot wait for their full story.
A quick read, but a really really great one! This story is dark and angsty, but full of so much hope. I can’t say much, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but this story was like pure magical fantasy. Girl goes through something horrific and then gains a mystery admirer you manages to help her through her ordeal. I mean swoon. And of course the reveal of the mystery person is absolute perfection. I’m really looking forward to getting Ava’s full story in the full length book. Definitely worth the read!
Team Player 2 – Arena Lights by Mandi Beck
Maeve and Benny were perfect together!
Who says you can’t be with your big brother’s best friend?! Maeve’s brother thinks he is all set when he his roommate decides to chaperone his little sisters trip, they will be looked after, he will protect them, he is like my brother….. Ya okay, Levi, you keep living in that bubble lol…
Benny knows he should stay away, but from the minute Maeve takes the seat next to him on the plane, he knows he can’t! He does try though, well maybe a little. Maeve just wants to practice baseball, she has no intentions of anything else for this trip. Once she gets that first kiss though, baseball might not be her top priority anymore
These two were great together. I loved how Maeve stood her ground and Benny plowed right over it. This short story was just enough, but I could have totally read a full book on these two.
I read Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Ava is a fire cracker and I loved her! Mills had me from the start and I couldn’t put this one down. She takes a tough subject and delivers it with class and gives a strong heroine that you can’t help but root for. While I loved this novella, I was so glad to hear that this will become a full length book. I need more Ava and Knox!
I read Dear Ava, a short story included in the Team Player 2 anthology. I love when a novella can make me FEEL so strongly despite its shortened word count. Ilsa Madden-Mills’s novella Dear Ava did that. It was the perfect novella, leaving me content with the ending but loving the characters enough to want more of them. Knox and Ava were perfectly crafted, and the complexity of the subject matter was well-rounded and expertly covered.
Dear Ava had everything I love in a novella, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the anthology!
ARC of Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills provided by author in exchange for an honest review