My friends used to tell me ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’ Clearly, they lied because a few months later, I found out my one-night stand was pregnant. I couldn’t handle a baby. I was Griffin Rockwell, the best wide receiver the league had ever seen. But what choice did I have? My baby girl was coming whether I was ready for her or not.Brooke turned out to be an amazing woman and mother. … woman and mother. For seven years, we were the MVP’s of co-parenting—and even better friends.
That all changed when tragedy struck our makeshift family and I was faced with the terrifying possibility of losing the one woman I was quickly realizing I couldn’t live without.
I was at the height of my career and on the path to becoming the greatest of all time.
But keeping my family together, with Brooke by my side, might prove to be the hardest route of all.
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Brook and Griffin meant in Vegas and had an incredible night. Two months later she’s pregnant. Brook gets in touch with Griff and for seven years they co parent their daughter Allie living separately. Griff realized that he is in live with Brook and pursues her when he finally gets her to realize it something happens that could take it all away. Great characters and storyline. Highly recommended. Amazing Book.
Swoony Football Player, Accidental Pregnancy, Age Gap, Friends to Lovers, Emotional Rollercoaster. Take my money. I love Teague’s heroes.
This is a nice, solid romance. No huge surprises, no plot twists that don’t make sense, a fairly predictable and likeable storyline. I loved the beginning of the book, and many of the characters. Griff is fun to read, and with a few exceptions, pretty much the perfect guy. I had more trouble liking Brooke, especially as the book went on, but that probably has more to do with personality conflict than the writing. She seems very self-centered and that made it difficult to really sink fully in to the story, because I just didn’t like her that much. She had some very redeeming moments, and there were times I liked her more than Griff, but she was very “woe is me” for a single mom who has the ability to work part time and have all of her daughters wants and needs provided. I would love to read more of this setting, there are many supporting characters that I think would have good stories. Mel and Aidan would be amazing, and Quinn deserves an absolute sweetheart.
This series is spectacular!!! I happen to be reading it our of order but it doesn’t seem to matter one bit. I have fallen in love with all of these characters. When they hurt, I hurt. When they break down, it makes me want to break down. The author developed the characters so well that I became attached to them. I’m glad I have lease one more book (hoping there will be more in the series) to devour because I’m not ready to say goodbye to them yet.
Griff is a professional football player. He and his buddies head to Las Vegas to celebrate being picked up by teams in the recent draft. He ends up having a one night stand with Brooke. They go their separate ways, after all it’s a one night stand, and they don’t even live anywhere near each other. So when Brooke tracks him down to let him know she’s discovered they made a tiny souvenir, he’s shocked to say the least. This certainly wasn’t how he thought he’d be starting out his career with the NFL.
Navigating parenthood can be a challenge. But navigating it with someone else who lives 700 miles away is a whole other ball game. I love love loved reading how things evolved and changed. This series is one you don’t want to miss!!!
Have to say A.S. Teague got me with Griffin and so loved the way he is with Brooke. There is more than what he portrays as a football player he is a man who loves deeply. Now Brooke is perfect for him if only she can let go of her doubts and fears. We see a love that started in Vegas to grow more along the years between them. A.S. Teague shows us that once we let go of our fears we can have all the magic in the world with the right man. Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
4.5 “Tell me a secret” Stars
I’m so in my feels. I had no idea I’d be feeling so much. I obviously didn’t know what to expect, but oh my gosh this story definitely evoked all kinds of emotions.
Mel and Aiden met in Vegas, but the saying ‘What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas’ isn’t something Aiden could sit with. It was evident from the moment Mel and Aiden’s eyes caught from across the room the attraction was undeniable. And maybe that one night was all that was meant to be, because the timing was never on their side. They had a couple of missed opportunities, and ultimately life just got in the way for both of them. Years later it seems that maybe, just maybe time is finally on their side, but instead there’s added obstacles for them to overcome.
Mel and Aiden’s story is difficult to read at times, exciting and fun at others and devastatingly heartbreaking at one point. I was drawn to Mel and Aiden’s growing relationship. They don’t make it easy and there were countless times I needed them to get it together. Though, I was hopeful of where they were going and how they’d get there.
The Hardest Hit captivated me from the very first page. I was on the edge of my seat anticipating how everything would unfold. This book had me laughing, shedding a few tears and everything in between. I was rooting so hard for Aiden and Mel and for their HEA. A heartwarmingly beautiful story with amazing characters that pulled at my heartstrings. Definitely recommend!
I wavered with this book, I freaking loved it but god I got so frustrated with both Mel and Aiden at times. Which I guess technically is the sign of a good read lol! There were moments they were so cute I couldn’t get enough and moments I wanted to shake them both and yell at them to pull their heads out of their…well, you get where I’m going here.
These two had quite the connection one that years of frustration and let downs couldn’t sever. And the banter? Hilarious. But the reasoning behind some of their choices seemed so immature at times. I just wanted to scream. Then I wanted to hug them. Then punch them. Then hug them again. But it definitely made for a book that I could not put down!
This book didn’t wow me, but I did like it. It took a while to get into the action. Brooke finds out she’s pregnant in chapter 4, and the six years later mentioned in the blurb happens on chapter 10. I had worries about the thing that would come between them, but I convinced myself I was wrong and read anyway. I was right and I’ll include what it was below.
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TW/CW: cancer
I loved this book!! I loved the characters, Griff was a caring stand-up guy, Brooke was a bit high strung but the author made me understand why. I loved the storyline with all the good feelings and the angst. I really enjoyed the authors writing style.
Enchanting story about thirty-year old Brooke who goes for a crazy weekend in Las Vegas, and meets twenty-two year old Griffin who has just been drafted to the Chicago Bears football team. When she saw this hottie in a casino, she even forgot her name, she was that entranced. They had a one-night fling, and Brooke disappeared on Griff the morning after. She was a little ashamed of the age difference, plus leery of the awkwardness of the morning after. So, she escaped back home to Atlanta with her bestie Melanie. Except, two months later, she got a huge surprise, there’s a baby growing inside her and it was caused by Griff’s super sperm!
I loved how this story developed because it was different from other baby surprise stories. They didn’t marry, didn’t pursue a love story, they respected each other’s careers and personal preferences. Brooke was married to her work and career as a biomedical engineer in Atlanta, and Griffin was on the beginning of a stellar career as a wide receiver in the Chicago Bears. They did a brilliant job co-parenting Ally Bean and she was a perfectly well-adjusted little girl. The problem is that their co-parenting turned into best friends, co-dependency, and eventually, there was no space for anyone else in this little family.
Loved the football friends, loved bestie Mel, loved precious little Ally Bean. It was a beautiful and charming story, with a little plot twist later on that twisted my heart and turned the story from just a charming story into a heart-wrenching story. Griff and Brookie were a fantastic coupe and I loved their story.
Their story isn’t an easy one. It isn’t love at first sight. They have to go through so much to get their ending. I laughed, wanted to cry and also wanted to shake some sense into them. I was secretly cheering for their friends Quinn and Mel to end up together too.
This is the first book I have read by AS Teague and now I have no clue why. This book was such a great read!
It gripped me, totally sucked me in and then made me cry and smile like a fool.
Griff and Brooke spent one hot night together after a meeting at a Vegas casino. They got way more than they bargained for… a souvenir for life.
With this dual POV book there is plenty of sexy, heartwarming moments that had so much heart and strength. This was an emotional and romantic read I never knew that I could love so much!
When Brooke’s one night stand in Vegas gives her a permanent reminder, she’s unsure how to proceed. After all, she doesn’t even really know Griffin, just that he gave her the hottest night of her life and that he is apparently the league’s newest, hottest wide receiver. Beyond that, he could be anyone. So how can they co-parent a child together if they don’t even know each other?
Well, they do it as a long-distance team. A team of just friends, though, because honestly, they can’t be a couple because they don’t know each other aside from having a child together. But somehow over the next several years, they become everything to each other aside from lovers. They confide in each other, they are the first one each of them calls when they’re having a problem, and they talk every day, even if it’s just via FaceTime. And then something changes in their relationship, and Griffin wants more, realizes he feels more. Will Brooke see things the way he does, or will she run from what’s obvious?
And what about when the worst thing that could possibly happen, happens just when Griff claims Brooke, something he should have done from day 1. Will they get the future they and their daughter deserve? Will she take the easy way out or the best way, the route that Griffin always takes?
“You don’t get to pick the easiest fucking route, Brooke. … “We pick the hardest route, Brooke. The hardest route. This is no different. We’re picking the … won’t see coming.”
I liked The Hardest Route. It’s heartfelt and sweet. It’s not the steamiest thing I’ve read lately, and their slow burn dragged on way too long, to the point that I was a bit bored in the middle, but all in all, I enjoyed Griff and Brooke’s story. I’m hoping there are stories coming for Griff’s friends, especially if one of them is with Brooke’s friend, Mel, who is awesome!
I believe this was my first read by AS Teague and it definitely won’t be my last. This is not your typical one night stand Vegas hookup story. This is written with so much depth and emotion. Don’t let me fool you there is lots of humor, steaminess, tears (for the reader, too), frustration, friendship and twist thrown in as well.
“I won’t apologize for wanting just one more happy weekend before my world came to a screeching halt.”
I’m hoping when I add to my TBR I find more books that have these characters. If not I’ll have to dive into a random AS Teague book because I have been won over with this The Hardest Route!
Omg this book. All the feels for this book. I love Brooke and Griff so much. The fact that they didn’t realize how much they meant to each other over the years as the raised their child was so funny and it made for such a great moment when Griff finally realized it and started pursuing Brooke. Then when he found out she was sick, oh man did I fall even harder for him. This book was emotional with some memorable characters. Great story with lots of heart and just enough angst to give the story some depth. I loved every minute of it.
I received an ARC in return for an honest review. I’m not going to lie when I started this book I was not sure I was going to like it. I’ve never really cared about an age gap but the fact that Griffin was so young kind of threw me. I was unsure i could get past that. Boy was I wrong! I truly loved the relationship between Brooke and Griffin. This story had me smiling and crying. All I can say is give it a chance you won’t regret it!
The Hardest Route by A.S. Teague was so freaking sweet, charming and emotional. I loved the characters and their journey so much. I laughed, swooned and at times, my heart hurt, but I cheered them every step of the way. This story was a great surprise and I will definitely keep an eye out for this author.
Griffin Rockwell thought the only life-changing moment he was experiencing was being drafted to play football, little did he know one fun and exciting night in Vegas would change a lot more. Brooke is letting go for the first time. She and Griffin share a night to remember, but she walked away and was okay with that. Yet, nine-months later their lives are forever changed.
I loved that both Griffin and Brook took responsibilities for their actions and the consequences. When it came to their daughter, they were a united front. For years, this worked for them. Then things begin to shift. Griffin realizes something that has always been in front of him, but is it too late? I loved reading The Hardest Route by A.S. Teague and highly recommend it.
4.5-stars. Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
I am generally not a fan of secret or instant pregnancy romance. This story was a brand new spin, and honestly one of the best friends-to-lovers I’ve read in a while!
Griffin and Brooke are, by all appearances, a mis-matched pair when they hookup for a night in Vegas. The chemistry is undeniable, and they get a souvenir of that night in the form of a daughter. The next seven years they are the best of friends – or is it more?
Both characters are fantastically fleshed out and their story is as real as they come. It’s a complete pleasure to read about these friends who have their own lives but manage to co-parent and maintain a great relationship really well even from long distance. The dialogue is great, the accompanying cast of characters really wonderful and the story itself fantastic. If you need a great romance with a splash of sports flavor and some depth of emotion in lots of directions, I can’t recommend this one highly enough!
The Hardest Route is a good romance story. This story was a one night stand to friends and lovers story. They had many obstacles to overcome, but together they made a great team. I liked Griff and Brooke, and how their relationship developed, it wasn’t rushed but progressed over years. I liked the secondary characters too, they made me laugh. Good story with sweet moments, emotion, humor, and love.
This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. Griffin and Brooke were well written and the chemistry between them was off the charts. I gotta hand it to Griffin he didn’t really blink when Brooke showed up pregnant in his first year in the NFL. They navigated the long distance coparenting well.
This would have been a five star read for me but there was a last minute plot twist that I personally had a problem with. – By Laura