Tag Archives: sports

First Step Forward by Liora Blake – Review & Giveaway

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First Step Forward by Liora Blake – Review & Giveaway

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First Step ForwardAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
After eight seasons playing pro-football, Cooper Lowry knows all the right answers.

Is he stubborn, short-tempered, and impatient? Yes. Are jersey chasers more trouble than they’re worth? Absolutely. Has he ever imagined a life beyond the game? Nope.

Cooper has built an enviable career—the result of staying focused, working hard, and keeping his head on straight—even as his body takes the brunt. So when a hard hit during a Sunday home game leaves him in a dazed heap on the field, it’s nothing more than another day at the office. The only thing that’s different about this Sunday is a chance encounter with a certain fascinating, beautiful free-spirited woman. And some sternly-worded instructions from his coach to take a little time off and give his body the TLC it craves—before he does lasting damage.

Whitney Reed is a few months away from losing the organic fruit orchard she bought three years ago in the tiny town of Hotchkiss, Colorado. At the time, she was just looking for a place to get lost. Instead, she found a home, somewhere she could finally put down roots. Now foreclosure is knocking on her door—along with a grumpy, gorgeous football player who might be just what she never knew she needed.


Review:

First Step Forward by Liora Blake is the 1st book in her new Grand Valley series.  This was a sweet fun romance.   We meet our hero, Cooper Lowry, who is a professional football star.  Cooper has a major headache, as he suffered a concussion in his last game, and goes to the pharmacy to get some salt to soak his aching body.  Whitney Reed notices someone bending down in pain, and tries to offer support.  She ends up giving him advice on what to buy, knowing nothing that she is talking to a mega super sports star.

Whitney is in town to try to get a loan for her organic apple orchard which is facing foreclosure, due to insufficient funds.  In another chance encounter with Cooper, a friendship develops of two people totally different.  Cooper, when sidelined with a leg injury will visit Whitney, where she lives in a small town called Hotchkiss, and finds a different peaceful atmosphere that he is not used to.  Whitney is totally surprised to see Cooper, and shortly thereafter a fun romance begins.

I loved the premise of this story, as well as our leading couple.  Whitney was enjoying her flirtation with the rich famous Cooper, and he was finding himself slowly falling for her.  She refuses to allow Cooper to help her with a loan, since she does not want to owe anyone anything.  The story was a lot of fun, as we follow Cooper during his games, and his injuries that could end his career.  We also follow Whitney as she tries to salvage her business and land, and meet some of the people from Hotchkiss.  I will add that there were a lot of sex scenes throughout the whole story, which I prefer to be more story oriented.  But overall it was a fun read with a sweet couple. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

giveaway

Liora’s publisher is offering a paper copy of First Step Forward to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging in, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

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4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

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7. Giveaway is open to US only.

8. Giveaway runs from November 28th to December 2nd, 2016

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For The Win ( Perfect Play #1) by Sara Rider-Review,Guest Post & Giveaway

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For the Win (Perfect Play #1) by Sara Rider-Review,Guest Post & Giveaway

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FOR THE WIN
The Perfect Play #1
by Sara Rider
Genre: adult, contemporary, sports, romance
Release Date: June 6, 2016

For the Win

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

About the book: Release Date June 6, 2016

Lainey Lukas has sacrificed everything—sleep, family, carbs, a life—to earn her spot as the top player and captain of the Seattle Falcons women’s soccer team. She’s determined to lead her team to a national championship and finally earn the sport the respect it deserves—and nothing will throw her off her game. When Lainey’s hero Gabe Havelak, star of the Seattle Surge, crashes her team’s first press conference—making the Falcons look like a joke to the local media and humiliating Lainey in the process—she’s hell-bent on revenge.

Charming, confident Gabe is practically a god to Seattle soccer fans, but he doesn’t mind a little friendly competition from tough-as-nails Lainey, with her top-notch athletic skills, her mile-long legs, and her girl-next-door freckles. But when he learns the Falcons are booting the Surge from their coveted practice space to the notoriously cursed Cricket Field, those warm feelings give way to crippling superstition. With his contract up for renewal and his thirty-fourth birthday just weeks away, Gabe will risk anything to protect his position with the Surge.

The rivals agree to settle their differences in a Battle of the Sexes competition—a test of skills, fitness, and willpower. At first the situation seems win-win: Gabe gets the chance to earn back the Surge’s practice space, and Lainey’s team will finally get some much-deserved media attention. But as the friction between them becomes hot enough to spark and smolder, Lainey and Gabe are entering new territory—and with both of their careers on the line, love might just be the toughest opponent of all.

•••••••••

REVIEW: As the blurb states, Lainey has sacrificed a lot for her love of soccer. She was on the team that won the World Cup, but a devastating injury left her battling her way back and into top form. When she and her new team hold their first press conference, things don’t go quite as planned. She hates talking to the press and that is exacerbated when Gabe crashes the press conference. He’s a media darling and has the smooth charm that immediately wins anyone and everyone over, except for Lainey. Even though she’s a huge fan of his, she’s determined to bring him and his team down a notch…..or three.

When the owner of both teams (yes, the same man owns both teams) does not like what he saw on the news, he calls them both in. However, when Lainey arrives, she had no idea Gabe had been called in as well. Her heart sinks but she’s not going to take the tongue lashing lightly. As Gabe tries to soothe things over, she stands up for herself and her team, much to everyone’s surprise. The resulting plan that is a battle of the sexes, which both are determined to win. What follows is something neither ever expected. With careers on the line, will they be able fight their growing attraction to each other and do what’s best for their respective teams? Will their feelings for each other be enough for them to conquer old superstitions and forge a path that is beneficial for them all? Well, of course they will. This is a romance, after all. But, oh, what a read it is!

For the Win is a nicely written story by Sara Rider. Lainey is as strong and determined as she is stubborn. The way she leads her team and conducts herself makes her a worthy young woman. The way she guards her heart, or tries to, not only makes her believable, it makes her vulnerable. But, not in a bad way. Then, there’s Gabe. He has to work very hard to overcome his woman-chasing reputation in order to get Lainey to give him a chance. He’s very protective of everyone around him, but his interaction with his family, as well as Lainey, will make you swoon. When I first started this book, I was like….meh… But, a funny thing happened on my way to the end of the book. I absolutely fell in love with these characters. The way Rider lets you see their thoughts (told from dual POVs) was intriguing. I found myself not being able to turn the pages fast enough. No, it’s not a pulse pounding thriller, but it IS a wonderfully written romance about a boy and a girl who decide to throw caution to the wind, give in to their desires and see what can be. The secondary characters were well written as well. This book was funny, sexy and left you feeling like you actually knew the main characters. This was the first I’ve read by Sara Rider, but it will NOT be the last. If you’re looking for a fast, smart and sexy read, you cannot go wrong with this one! Well done, Sara Rider! Very well done!

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Vickie M

Guest Post beige

Developing the Heroine

You can follow Sara at : Website / Goodreads/ Twitter/

Hello and thank you for having me on your blog today!

Soccer is one of the few sports in North America where the top female are arguably much more successful than their male counterparts – the US Women’s National Team have won the World Cup and Olympics multiple times – yet receive a fraction of the prestige, income and media attention. The financial rewards and glory are substantial for male soccer players, but some of the best female soccer players in the country can’t afford to play pro soccer without taking on second jobs or making huge financial sacrifices. This is a dynamic that has always captivated me and what inspired the character of Lainey Lukas in my novel For The Win.

Lainey is a character who pushes herself to the extreme in order to achieve her dreams simply because she loves the game more than anything else in the world. She is stubborn, fiercely independent and driven to a fault, to the point where even her own teammates sometimes find it difficult to relate to her. As a writer, her character fascinated me, but it also challenged me to find a way to make her sympathetic. The easy road would have been to soften her edges, but it was important to me to make her as honest and authentic as possible.

Rather than portray Lainey’s single-minded drive simply as a flaw, I wanted it to be the very thing that makes Gabe Havelak, the hero, fall in love with her. As a successful athlete himself, Gabe deeply respects her work ethic and determination but finds her curious at the same time. In many ways, they are opposite sides of the same coin – Lainey is adamant that hard work is the only variable she can control whereas Gabe believes that luck has played a huge role in his success. Matching Lainey with someone as laid-back and charming as Gabe was a way for me as writer to peel back her layers and find out what really makes her tick.

The fun part of writing a character like Lainey is that her journey isn’t just about falling love. Her struggle to connect with her new teammates on the Seattle Falcons is a huge part of the book, and allowed for the lighter moments in the story. Having to build a brand new team in a new league from the ground up means Lainey can’t just rely on herself anymore. She has to find a way to work with a group of women who have been her opponents and competitors in the past. Ultimately, developing a bond with her teammates is what gives Lainey the confidence to open herself up to love.

That’s the story of how Lainey Lukas came to be. I hope you enjoy reading about her as much as I enjoyed writing her!

~~Sara~~

 

Giveaway beige

Sara’s publisher is offering an ecopy of FOR THE WIN to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

IMPORTANT: The  ebook download will NOT work with a Kindle e-reader

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please follow Sara Rider on Twitter.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

5. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

6. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

7. Please follow The Reading Cafe on Tumblr

8. Giveaway is open to USA only. The download will NOT work with Kindle e-reader.

9. Giveaway runs from June 4 to June 8, 2016

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Quarterback Draw by Jaci Burton – Review & Giveaway

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Quarterback Draw by Jaci Burton – Review & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Playing For Keeps

 Grant Cassidy knows how to be a football star—flash that dazzling smile, throw the winning pass, get the girl. But while the hot quarterback loves the game and the lifestyle, no woman has come close to catching his heart.  Then he matches wits with a smart, gorgeous model, and Grant finds himself wanting more than a fling.

Supermodel Katrina Koslova might live in a world of glitz and camera flashes, but she works hard to provide for the family that relies on her. She doesn’t have time for fun—much less a boyfriend—but Grant seems determined to be the exception to Katrina’s rule. Their explosive chemistry is undeniable, but Katrina’s afraid to let go and rely on anyone but herself. Grant intends to ease her fears and prove he’s a man of style and substance.

Review:

Quarterback Draw is book 9 in Jaci Burton’s Play by Play series and I can only say this series just keeps getting better and better. Jaci never ceases to amaze me with her ability to write a sports themed story complete with a hot romance between her main couple. This time up its pro football player Grant Cassidy and supermodel Katrina Koslova. All I can say is these two steamed up the pages from their first meeting. The chemistry between Grant and Katrina is off the charts and gets hotter and hotter as their relationship progresses. I absolutely loved the relationship between Grant and Katrina, they are two well balanced characters who couldn’t be more perfect for one another. Another plus in Jaci’s column is her ability to write the perfect match in her hero and heroine. Somehow they always seem to balance each other out and make each other’s lives better for it. Even though their chemistry is combustible and off the charts, Jaci doesn’t rush a thing between them. Another thing I enjoy about Jaci’s stories, she never rushes the romance, she lets it build and simmer until the perfect moment in the story and then it’s no holds bared between our couple. The romance takes off and there’s no turning back, which is how it plays out between Grant and Katrina.

One of the things I liked most about this relationship is Grant’s patience, tenderness and romancing of Katrina. Even though she’s a world class supermodel, she’s had a tough go of life, having to raise her brother and sister from when she was 18. Which meant she pretty much put her social life on hold to make sure her siblings had a good chance at life. When Grant learns she’s a virgin, he doesn’t question her reasons, instead he listens to all she has to say, understands her and decides to be the best damn teacher when it comes to sex. Let me just say, I’d let him be my teacher any day 😉 Grant definitely knows what he’s doing in the bedroom, along with being a kickass quarterback for his pro football team. Watching Grant and Katrina’s relationship develop slowly and passionately was a lovely treat to read. Jaci does a fantastic job of allowing Katrina to spread her wings in the romance department, while at the same time being a little apprehensive because she’s always got her siblings best interest at heart. She feels that whatever she does in her life will affect her siblings, so she’s always mindful of that. Katrina is a very endearing character that has the reader falling in lover with her from the start. She’s a female lead that any woman reading this story can relate to and respect. As for Grant, his character gives me hope for the male species. He’s just a wonderful human being, who’s chivalrous, kind hearted, knows how to treat a woman, is sexy as hell and a stellar athlete. I absolutely loved him and he had my toes curling on more then one occasion, he’s definitely swoon worthy material in my book.

Quarterback Draw is a well balanced and written story. The romance between Grant and Katrina is endearing and lovely to read. They really are the perfect couple. Like I said earlier their chemistry is off the charts and ensnares the reader from their first meeting. The secondary characters, Anya and Leo(Katrina’s siblings) and Grant’s family(parents and siblings) are loveable, give us more insight into our couple both as individuals and as a couple, while adding another dimension to the story. On top of a well written and passionate romance between Grant and Katrina Jaci also keeps us riveted with the sport side of things with every football game scene. She does a fabulous job of writing these scenes and making the reader feel like they are actually sitting in a football stadium cheering Grant on. How she manages to do that baffles me every time, but I couldn’t be happier with these scenes as I love my sports. All in all this is another successful addition to her Play by Play series and I for one can’t wait for the next installment. Next up is Grant’s brother Tucker and he’s a pro baseball player. One of my fave sports, and I’ll be sure to bring you all the play by play details about that one.

Until next time, happy reading.

Reviewed by Marcie

 

giveaway

Jaci’s publisher is offering a paper copy of QUARTERBACK DRAW to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow JACI BURTON  on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only.

9. Giveaway runs from February 20-24, 2015

 

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Game for Marriage by Karen Erickson-a review

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GAME FOR MARRIAGE (Game For It #1) by Karen Erickson-a review

Game for Marriage

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

GOODREADS –About The Book: Released January 11, 2013

He’s going in deep to make her his…

Struggling artist Sheridan Harper never imagined she’d spend a sizzling night with Jared Quinn, the smoking-hot star quarterback of her local professional football team, the San Jose Hawks. And she’s even more shocked when Jared’s publicist offers her a proposition: a fake marriage to keep Jared out of the gossip mags. Being that close to Jared would be too tempting, so to protect her heart, she insists on secretly including a clause forbidding sex between them.

Jared just wants to keep his starting QB job and keep it in San Jose. His reputation as a ladies’ man has landed him in the headlines one too many times, but there’s something about his kind, passionate new wife that tempts him beyond reason. Any sort of intimacy between them is completely forbidden, but as their bodies fall in deep, will their hearts follow suit?

********************

REVIEW: GAME FOR MARRIAGE is the first storyline in Karen Erickson’s new Game For it series focusing on a team of professional football players and their love lives or lack there of. This is Jared and Sheridan’s storyline

Jared has a reputation as a lady’s man but one that has been tainted by a scandal that has rocked his team as well as his personal and public life. Hoping to clear up any misconceptions, the team publicist/lawyer hopes to arrange a ‘marriage of convenience’ where both parties will benefit in the end: Jared’s reputation healed and the ‘bride’ will come away with money to spare. Following a one night stand with struggling artist Sheridan Harper, Jared and his legal team propose a marriage of convenience whereby after one year, both will go their separate ways.

As you can image, this is a contemporary romance storyline and our married couple will eventually fall in love. But there are many hazards and complications involved with a marriage in name only especially the clause of ‘no sexual contact’ added by Sheridan. Hoping to keep the arrangement professional, Sheridan didn’t realize that her growing attraction to her new husband included losing her heart to a man now suffering on the playing field as well as in his personal life.

The relationship between Jared and Sheridan is sexually charged as well as filled with tension and some heartbreaking moments especially when Jared discovers the who behind the ‘ no sex ‘ clause. When their secret marriage is discovered to be a ruse separation seems to be the only answer–Jared will continue to suffer on the playing field and it will the woman who has stolen his heart that must rescue the man with whom she has fallen in love.

GAME FOR MARRIAGE is a cute, charming romantic storyline about two people who belong together but because of a clause in the contract must suffer the rejection and heartbreak that only true love will know. When they finally acknowledge their love for one another, the journey will have been well worth the reward. 

Copy supplied by the author.

Review by Sandy

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