There was something about that first score, and not just on the football field. I loved all of life’s firsts, which was why I’d been saving mine for one girl, my older sister’s best friend—Hazel Jones.She was tough and sarcastic with walls around her heart as tall as a football stadium, but I knew she was the one for me.Desperate times called for desperate measures and I’d have done anything to … done anything to make her mine.
Like create a fake online persona.
Lie about my age.
Pretend I wasn’t some naive virgin.
And catfish the hell out of the love of my life.
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The First Score checked all of my boxes. This sibling’s best friend, sports romance is sweet and emotional with just the right amount of angst and drama to keep me reading all day long. Never a dull moment! Amie Knight delivered an unforgettable read and my high expectations were exceeded in a huge way.
Amie Knight never fails to engage me with her thoughtful, expressive storytelling. The First Score is heart-wrenching and moving friends-to-lovers first-and-only love story. Knight’s writing style, always so very witty and vividly detailed, is perfectly suited to telling a story like this, one that so rich in emotion. She gifted her readers with wonderfully endearing, authentic and completely relatable characters. This was a wholly consuming romance, and it was incredibly easy to lose myself in these pages.
Oliver and Hazel have known each other most of their lives, and Ollie is pretty sure he fell in love at five years old with Hazel, his sister, Scarlett’s, six year old best friend. They have a long and beautiful history, and their friendship was special and all theirs. Hazel didn’t have an easy childhood, and she moved in with her “Pops” at a very young age. While he showered her with all the love and support he possibly could have, she never dealt with her painful history. She hauled that baggage around with her, using is as armor to protect her fragile heart. But Ollie saw right past it, he always had. His kind heart, his patience and understanding were some of the only solid things in Hazel’s life. Ollie had his own secrets, though, and he carried them around—along with the blazing torch he also carried for Hazel.
I was so absorbed in this wonderfully bittersweet, coming-of-age story. Ollie never once pushed Hazel, he never made demands, and his strong, steady presence was exactly what she needed. But then again no one knew Hazel like he did, and he was always there, supporting her, loving her. Hazel’s journey to healing broke my heart. This young woman had been through so much, but at one point, I did want to shake her so she’d see what was standing right in front of her if she could only gather the courage. It took her a minute, but once she made the decision, it was rewarding to see Ollie and Hazel finally come full circle.
A moving and memorable tale, The First Score is pure Amie Knight. This is her jam, this is Knight doing what she does best and telling these deeply emotional, slow-burning, difficult to tell but oh-so-romantic Southern-rooted love stories. Five smooches from me for The First Score by Amie Knight!
~Danielle Palumbo, Red Cheeks Reads
The First Score is Amie Knight at her best! You’ll swoon, laugh, shed a tear, and fall in love with Ollie, the swoon-worthy hero who will undoubtedly melt your heart.
I am full of emotions after finishing Ollie and Hazel’s story. I absolutely loved The First Score. A beautifully written friends/sister’s best friend to lovers romance.
This is just a storm, Hazel. It will pass.
Oliver “Winnie” Knox very well be my new book boyfriend! Holy Moly!!!! The swoon, the muscle, the mmmmm *biting my lip just thinking about him.*
This book was recommended by a friend and I am so glad she did. It was a lighthearted yet emotional read with lots of laughs.
I just can’t with Pops- I want him to adopt me.
There’s a twist I never saw coming and my jaw dropped to the floor.
I loved Hazel’s character- she had many layers and I loved watching Winnie peel them back. They seriously are
Perfect for each other.
You already miss me and I haven’t even touched you.
This is my first book by this author and definitely won’t be my last!
The higher the troubles become in the outside world, the more I’m looking for a light, sweet and/or fun story to read. Something to take me away for a few hours to a lighter and better place, to let me forget my worries and fear for a little bit. And this book ‘The first score’ of Amie Knight definitely tick the box ‘sweet read’. It was just what I was looking for. A sweet and a bit of an emotional (but drama free!), new adult story where we get both POV’s. ‘The first score’ is the second book that I read from this writer. My first read of hers was ‘The red zone’ and it wasn’t until I had read some chapters of this story that I realized that the main male character’s sister Scarlett was the same Scarlett from ‘The red zone’. What a lovely surprise that was! But you don’t have to read ‘The red zone’ first to read this book but I did enjoy both books very much. So if you like this book, I would recommend reading ‘The red zone’ too.
From the very first time that Oliver (or ‘Ollie’ for friends or ‘Winnie’ for Hazel) met Hazel, he knew two things. One, he wanted to take away the sadness that he saw in Hazel’s eyes and make her smile instead and two, she did strange things to his heart. He may have been only five years old at the time, but even then he knew that this girl was special and growing up those two things never changed. Hazel may have been 1,5 years older than him but Ollie never cared about that. And the fact that she was his older sister’s best friend made that they grew together. And during the years, they became friends too and for years that was okay for Ollie but now in his early twenties he wants more of her than just friendship but that will not be easy. Because Hazel has had a very difficult childhood that left her scarred and scared of relationships. So Ollie has to be very careful to not scare her away. But he has had years of experience in patience and getting to know Hazel and the time has come to show Hazel that she can trust him and that he will stand by her side in the good times but also in the bad. But the question will be, will Hazel open her heart to him and trust him when things go bad?
Wow! Ollie was such a great guy! His love and dedication to Hazel was so wonderful to see. Not once did he doubt his love for her or lost his hope for a future together. Hazel was very lucky to have him in her life. Ollie may have been younger and a virgin (yes, he wanted no other than his Hazel) still, he acted emotional very mature. I loved how he even found a way to be with her, even when there was a door between them. He was so goodhearted, down to earth and sweet but make no mistake he also knew how to talk a bit dirty in the bedroom and outside of it too.
Hazel was a bit more complex. She was mentally, emotionally and physically scarred by a difficult childhood. She grew up in a home where there was physical and emotional abuse and she tried to take that pain away by hurting herself. Luckily, she found a new home by her grandfather, who made her feel safe again. Just like her best friends Scarlett and her brother Ollie/Winnie. Just like Ollie/Winnie she has always felt something special between them but stubbornly she has ignored that until that one moment everything changes.
Although there are some difficult themes in the story, it never felt heavy. The ‘heavy’ themes were writing in a light but still respectful and understanding way. Both main characters were stubborn in their own way but it never went too far. Hazel’s grandfather was such a delighted character! He was a grumpy but also funny old man. He really made me laugh a few times! It was lovely to see Scarlett, Luke and Ella (and Mason) again and see how they were doing now.
I’m really happy that I decided to read this story because I enjoyed it very much.
I loved this book, I loved Ollie so much, such a sweet tender character. Hazel was a force to be reckoned with and you don’t really know why under near the end of the book. I laughed a lot reading this book, and I never put it down! This book has so many great qualities it’s hard to list them all, but great writing, great characters, great world to be emerged in.
Oliver and Hazel take slow burn and unexpected love to a whole new level. Secrets, hopes, childhood crushes, and true love… The First Score has all of this and so much more. This Brother’s Best Friend Romance was so much more that I originally anticipated. It ended up being a funny and sweet romance that I really enjoyed reading. If you love romance, you’ll love Oliver and Hazel’s story.
4 stars
Amie Knight simply knows how to write a teenage romance(even though this one is a little older (early 20s). The First Score introduces us to these special kids and we grow with them through the years, as Hazel and Oliver start to truly learn what love is.
This is a beautiful story about young love, tough times and the blessings of friends and the people who choose to be in our lives. Pops was an adorable added bonus in this story and I fell for him at least as much as I did with Ollie. The book has a really great message about mental health that is so timely in our world today, as well.
AnnMarie – Alphas Do It Better Book Blog
Hazel hasn’t had the best childhood but she has always had her Pops, and her two best friends, Scarlett and Ollie aka Winnie. Hazel has always had a crush on Winnie was too afraid to act on it because it is Scarlett’s little brother and she doesn’t to risk her relationship with either of them for a crush. Especially since she doesn’t do relationships. Winnie has also had a crush on Hazel since he was 5 years old. Now that he is about to graduate college he is done waiting for Hazel and ready to make his move but first he befriends her as someone else in an online game. If that isn’t a recipe for disaster I don’t know what is. Pick it up to see how it all plays out.
Winnie is absolutely amazing, I loved him so freaking much. He was a great friend and rock to Hazel every single time she needed him. I loved how he always respected Hazel and her wishes even if it did drive me nuts what she was asking of him. I adored him so much but Hazel not so much. I am not sure what it was with her but I couldn’t connect to her at all. I realize that she had a lot going on but I feel like it was all glossed over without any in depth conversation about it all. I really respected that the story wasn’t about the catfishing the entire time. I was worried that it would be him pining over her via video game for a majority of the book but that seemed to play itself out pretty quickly. Overall I enjoyed this story even if I didn’t connect with Hazel.
The First Score is an emotional slow burn romance. A slow burn romance can be a hit or miss for me, but Amie Knight did this one right. Our main characters Hazel and Ollie have known each other most of their lives (Hazel is Ollie’s sister’s best friend). I love a good best friend’s sibling romance and this one met my expectations.
Hazel is a guarded person. Her childhood was less than perfect and that’s hit her hard and made it hard for her to trust people and relationships. This was such a raw character and the emotions were really there. Going through so much and still being strong isn’t an easy task, but Hazel did it. I loved that she was a gamer (we don’t see many female gamers in romances), but I do wish we would’ve learned just a bit more about the game she developed. I loved seeing the story progress for Hazel though. She slowly lets her walls down and lets herself love. Which isn’t easy at all!
Ollie has always been the little brother, but he knows from an early age that Hazel is the one for him. What I loved about Ollie is how caring and protective he is. Even though he knows the relationship probably won’t go anywhere, he’s always there for Hazel no matter what. It was interesting to see that everyone thought of him as someone who was popular with the woman. Yeah, he’s a football player, but his eyes were on one woman. Ollie made me laugh and want to hug him and that’s a good thing for a book-boyfriend.
I do have to talk about the cat fishing element. While I understand his thoughts behind it, he could’ve handled it differently. I’m a big one for honesty, but we do find out in this story it’s not all as it seems. I would’ve loved a little more time spent in them gaming together though. That was such a fun element of the story.
Okay, now let’s get to the romance. The First Score is definitely a will they, won’t they story. I loved that Hazel didn’t jump right into a relationship, because I do feel like she needed to deal with some things on her own first. Ollie and Hazel definitely had chemistry and Amie knows how to write a steamy scene of two. Also, it was a nice change to see that the male main character was a virgin and not the other way around. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and worked perfectly in The First Score.
Also, I have to mention the amazing cast of side characters. Hazel’s best friend and Ollie’s sister Scarlett is just so much fun. My favorite of them all was Hazel’s grandfather though. He was so much fun and had me laughing out loud and I loved how much he loved and cared for Hazel. There were characters with minor parts that I really would love to see have their own books as well, so who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and Amie will write more books in this series!
Falling for your sisters best friend is always messy, but totally worth it. For Oliver it was his whole life. She was worth waiting for and he embraced it with everything he had. Winning her or making her admit it would be the hardest thing he ever did, with the best reward.
For Hazel life was hard, painful and lonely. When she meets Scarlett and her little brother Oliver she holds on for dear life. She held on to her small family that consisted of her Pops, Scarlett and Oliver. Losing one would devastate her, making her put up walls to protect her from any type of loss.
This story touches on some topics that are hard to understand and painful to deal with, but as Oliver shows patience and love always wins over the demons that threaten to take hold.
This story is funny, witty and painful, but oh so wonderful that it will fill your heart.
Best friends to lovers ~ Hazel and Ollie= #Hollieforever
This was such a fantastic read!
“Time was measured in such a small number compared to the sheer volume of my love for Hazel”
Oliver Knox is a college football player who has been in love with his older sister’s best friend since he was a little kid – who is also his best friend, too. He has lived with his unrequited love all his life, living in the friend zone, until he finally sees his opportunity to get closer to Hazel. By pretending to be someone else.
“I should mention that when Ollie smiled, it was breathtaking, but when he was scowling, it was panty melting.”
Hazel Jones spends her days managing a video game store and caring for her old Pops. The highlight of her days and nights is her friendship with the mysterious, Gray Wolfe, her online gamer friend. However, when her real life starts to get complicated, it has her running scared because she’s not prepared to lose her precious friendship with either Oliver or his sister, Scarlett. Fortunately, Oliver has patience in spades and understands her better than anyone else in her life.
“I leaned forward and up just an inch until my lips met his. That small lean would prove to be the biggest move of my entire life.”
This was such a sweet, humorous, sexy and heartwarming novel. I loved Hazel’s special friendship with both Ollie and Scarlett. They had a fantastic dynamic and always there for one another. Her upbringing had her holding tight to her fears but there was no denying the singular connection between her and Ollie. He was a perfect book boyfriend. I thought he was gorgeous, caring and so swoony! He was the whole package and held such a beautiful torch for his best friend. Hazel had some real issues to work through and I must admit that the angst brought a tear to my eye.
This is the first time I’ve read this author and it won’t be the last.
Can I say how much I loved this book..because I truly truly did. Ollie/winnie is the best book boyfriends ever. Ollie has loved his sisters best friend forever since he was five. And do to that love he is saving himself for her, I loved that we always read about guys that claim love and then sleep with everybody else, yet Ollie didn’t, he knew that Hazel was the one for him. Hazel had gone thru so much and she keeps her walls up and the only one that she let in to some degree was Ollie who seemed to know more than her bestie Scarlett. Ollie was so patient, everytime Hazel would rebuild the wall he waited..Great book!
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author…voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions
Not just puppy love!
The First Score is a slow burn romance with his older sister’s best friend as the star of his dreams. Oliver has been in love with Hazel since first sight. Not many people believe a 5 year old knows these things but somewhere in that big hearted, little body of his, Ollie just knew Hazel was his.
Sixteen years of following her around and doing everything to be in her presence is a lot. Ollie is getting impatient. He just thinks if Hazel could drop her guard they would be everything. Too bad this stud can lead her to the talk but can’t make her hear him.
Ollie, Winnie to Hazel, has been in love with one woman his entire life. She on the other hand, doesn’t even believe in love- at least not for her.
The First Score is sweet, sexy, and full of shenanigans by an octogenarian who knows better. Sit back, relax, and don’t inhale. Pops is going to make sure you have a smile on your face one way or another.
Amie Knight is one of my favorite one-click authors. I love that all her hero are genuinely good guys with the biggest heart who I cannot help swooning over. I totally fell in love with The First Score, a gut-wrenching, slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance that pulls on my heart strings.
I fell so hard for Oliver. He was sweet, patient and romantic. He had been by Hazel side offering friendship, support and protection since they were children. Hazel was so damaged by her parents’ mistreatment and my heart ached for her. Hazel and Oliver shared a special bond that was built on years of friendship, respect and love. Their connection was so natural, so right and so sacred. My heart went out to Oliver. I hated that Hazel gave him hope on multiple occasions but back out after. It was a torture to see they do the dance between friends and more for such a long time.
Another favorite thing about Amie’s couple was that they always have something they shared that symbolized their relationship. That little thing would cleverly weave throughout the story and warm my heart every time it showed up. For Oliver and Hazel, it was Tic-Tac-Toe with all the sweet X’s and O’s.
I absolutely enjoyed this romantic yet angsty friends-to-lovers romance that made me laugh and cried. If you are looking for an utterly good guy that would melt your heart, you don’t have to look any further.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Amie Knight is an author who is new to me and I enjoyed my first book by her. This is a slow burn, best friend’s brother, and friends to lovers story with all the emotion.
Hazel and Ollie tried to hide their true feelings but no matter what happens, true love conquers it all. I loved that Ollie knew what he wanted with Hazel, even when he didn’t know what he was feeling then. You know you’re going to swoon over a guy like Ollie. So you probably don’t want to miss this one!
I’m also looking forward to reading what’s next from Amie Knight.
This is such a sweet, emotional best friend’s/friends to lovers//soulmates story. I am so in love with Ollie. There are just not enough words to describe how amazing of a character he is. They way he loves Hazel is incredibly beautiful. Everyone should aspire to have that in their life, and Hazel, oh my heart just broke for her so many times. I love that this book talks about mental health because it’s true we don’t do right by those who suffer in this country. We stigmatize and make people ashamed and make it impossible to afford treatment. People need to talk about it and I love that this book did. Too many people suffer in silence and shame. That being said like Hazel, there can be a HEA.
**I was generously provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review**
What a wonderfully fun, romantic and heart-warming book. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and couldn’t put the book down from start to finish.
I loved the original storyline of Ollie Catfishing Hazel. I loved how the relationship between these two super close friends developed throughout the story.
Ollie has had a thing for Hazel for years! But being his sisters (and his own) best-friend, he couldn’t ever see it happening, It didn’t stop him wishing for it though! Hazel is much the same, but again, with Ollie being her best-friends brother, that’s an immediate no-go area isn’t it.
I loved this story and how these two came together. I loved the secondary characters with Scarlett, and of course the hilarious Pops!!
Sweet, funny, romantic and easy to read!
Another winning story from Amie Knight!
Ollie (Winnie) has been in love with his older sister’s best friend, Hazel, since he was 5 and first met her. Now he’s an adult and he thinks it’s high time he lets her know how he feels. Except uh he kinda can’t do it face to face so he catfishes her. Yeah…like that’s going to go over well!
But Hazel just may have the same feelings for Ollie that he has for her, only she can’t tell him because she doesn’t do love, doesn’t believe in it, and she cannot possibly be with her best friend’s younger brother. It’s impossible, right?
This such a sweet, slow burn love story. Hazel had a really rough childhood, and it left her with demons to spare. But Ollie was her rock, her steadfast rock, and they both deserved that strong love that not everyone gets to have.