The Playbook, Book 4
From the publisher:
With the stakes this high, it’s no longer just a game for the Mustang’s quarterback in this romance by the author of Blitzed.
Elliot Reed is living her best life—or pretending to. She owes it to her dad’s memory to be happy and make the most of her new job as Strategic Communications Manager for the Denver Mustangs. Things are going well until star quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. decides to use the field as his stage and takes a knee during the national anthem.
As the son of a former professional athlete, Quinton knows the good, the bad, and the ugly about football. He’s worked his entire life to gain recognition in the sport, and now that he has it, he’s not about to waste his chance to change the league for better. Not even the brilliant but infuriating Elliot, who the Mustangs assign to manage him, will get Quinton back in line.
A rocky initial meeting leads to more tension between Quinton and Elliot. But as her new job forces them to spend time together, Elliot realizes they may have more in common than she could’ve imagined. With her job and his integrity on the line, this is one coin toss that nobody can win.
This is one of my favorite series and I’m happy to report Alexa Martin nailed it once again with her latest, Snapped. If you are not familiar with this series, I urge you to read them all, and read them in order. If that sounds too overwhelming, they all stand alone beautifully so read what you will.
Martin is the wife of a former NFL player and brings that experience to her fictional team, the Denver Mustangs. Just like in real life, some of the characters have been traded to other teams, and not like real life, all these football players are great men: honest, loving, monogamous, kind, and generous. Like I said, not real life. But that’s the fun of a romance!
There is a new quarterback on the Mustangs, and he is Black. If you don’t follow football, just know that while the league is majority Black players, not so with the quarterback position. Or the coaches. Or the owners. Martin brings these inequities to the forefront, in addition to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy,) and the problems the older, retired players have with minimal pensions and no health coverage. That changed for the newer players, and I love how Martin makes a point of discussing how these old guys are trotted out for honors at games, while left to rot on the sidelines for the rest of their lives. Sorry, this really upsets me.
Anyway, it’s a great romance between Quinton, the new quarterback, and Elle, the new publicist for the Mustangs. Quinton starts taking a knee and causing the sort of backlash that used to be a problem, AKA Colin Kaepernick. And the owner of the Mustangs decides that Elle, who is biracial but looks Black, should take him on and make it all go away. Oh, and just for shits and giggles, there is a trump-like bigot running for president and making Quinton’s taking a knee a political statement.
The first meeting, the “meet-cute” that we all love, is a good one. Elle’s name is actually Elliot, so when Quinton is told to meet Elliot for a lunch meeting, it’s no surprise that when she approaches him, he blows her off. Badly. He just assumes she is a groupie and tells her in no uncertain terms that she is not his type. By the time he figures out what is really happening, it is too late and they are on a path of enemies to lovers. Martin takes this familiar trope and runs with it.
Of course there is a happy ending, but I couldn’t put this book down until I got there. I was completely immersed in their world. I love all the characters Martin has introduced me to over the course of this series, and Quinton and Elle fit right in. Martin has given us another terrific romance with a perfect helping of reality. Don’t miss it!
NOTE: ‘Intercepted’ Drama Series From 50 Cent & La La Anthony In Works At Starz, based on this series. I can’t wait!
10/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™
SNAPPED by Alexa Martin. Berkley (October 20, 2020). ISBN 978-0593102503. 352 pages.
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