Sometimes love isn’t part of the plan. Sometimes it’s the backup plan.

Lucas Hale built his entire life around football.
The franchise quarterback.
The GOAT.
The man everyone on his team counts on.

Recovering from a devastating shoulder injury, the veteran quarterback signs with the Lone Star Rebels for one last chance to prove he still belongs in the league.

There’s just one problem—Dr. Emery Porter.

The Rebels’ new injury specialist isn’t impressed by Lucas’s charm—or his determination to push through pain.

She’s seen the scans.
She knows the damage.
And if she clears him to play, it might mean destroying his career for good.

But the more time they spend together, the more dangerous everything becomes.
For Emery’s career.
For Lucas’s future.
And the harder it becomes to remember where professional boundaries end—and where love begins.

Because if Lucas keeps playing, he could lose everything.
And if Emery stops him . . . she might lose the man she’s fallen for.

Sometimes the biggest risk isn’t losing the game.
It’s losing what you never thought you wanted.

Amazon | Goodreads

Emery is starting over in a new city, trying to reclaim her life after her marriage ended. Lucas is also starting over, trying to salvage his career in a new city, with a new team and a shoulder that has probably been injured too many times.

From their first meeting, who they are as people becomes pretty clear. They have a chance meeting, not knowing who the other is, and then find out later that they are going to be part of each other’s daily life in a work capacity. The attraction is for the most part pretty immediate, so the yearning as they come to terms with their feelings as well as war with if they can risk a relationship considering they both work for the Lone Star Rebels is pretty intense.

Watching their developing friendship and then romantic relationship while both working through their own problems is great, and further enhanced by the fact that we get POVs from both of them. Lucas doesn’t know who he is if he can no longer play football and Emery is fighting her own battles to cement herself with the team and keep her dream job. Their desires clash when questions arise regarding Lucas’ shoulder and Emery has to decide what to reveal to the coaches and trainers.

I appreciated that while there was definitely conflict and some difficulties faced by them, they worked their way through them and became stronger. Their chemistry and banter were top notch and had me laughing.

I’d love to check out the upcoming books in the series as well as I felt there were definitely some side characters I could see getting their own stories.

Happy reading!

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