I really loved Chess and Finn - together and separately! It felt like a true opposites-attract and they came together in the best ways. This may be one of my favorite epilogues EVER.

This book is A LOT - like A LOT. It's pretty heavy, CWs are: miscarriage - off page - Finn has a one-night-stand with someone they become pregnant and they miscarry at about 5 months there is lingering sadness from this event for Finn and the ex; Chess had ovarian cysts removed - and other health problems - that made it impossible for her to become pregnant; Chess has parents that aren't emotionally abusive but are mostly out of the picture I think it's important for romance to include some of these heavier themes - not in every book, of course. I mentioned in an update while reading that I really wish I had found some CWs prior to reading because I just was not ready for what was in the book. I went thru many reviews and was unable to find any - this book came out a few years back prior to the popularity of CWs being included in reviews (or even author's notes being common). FYI: This author did a great job of including and author's note in the VIP series and I appreciate that! I also greatly appreciate all reviewers who strive to provide CWs in their reviews. This year I have really tried to include them in all my reviews and I hope to get better at recognizing what to include. ( )

3.5 stars

this installment didn't grab me as much as the other books. The meddling mom and the depressed baby mama annoyed me. ( )

I was just about to ditch this author forever. She skews NA, and that is not my particular thing. It is not an age thing, I read lots of books with characters in their 20s. Her female characters' issues though are overdramatized, and her male characters are so instantaneously ready to lay down their autonomy that it was hard for me to root for the ladies' team or to invest in an HEA. I picked this up thinking I would give Callihan one last chance, and I liked it! A lot! I loved Chess. Her whole demeanor felt familiar. Really bad things happened, and she dealt with them like an adult. And I loved that Finn (like Chess) did not take to his bed or punch people when problems arose in their relationship (See, The Game Plan, the book before this, for a story where the MCs did exactly that.) He worked harder, he was sad but he had a job to do. Their temporary breakup scene (there is always one of those) was too abrupt and dramatic and the patch-up was contrived even by romance standards, but I will allow it.

I want to note that I loved how Callihan talked about New Orleans in the book. She got on the page what (I imagine) it is like to liv in the Garden District, a very unique and wonderful place. She also did a serviceable job with the small portion of this set in New York. Some stuff was off by a mile. Nonbinary hipsters who work in tech and the arts and live in Soho don't go to a lot of Irish pubs. Also she says the pub in question is "downtown" but there in not much farther downtown to go once you are in Soho, and nowhere one would find an Irish pub and a sports bar near one another except maybe down by the Seaport, and that would be finance bro territory -- even (the lamentable but old and famous) McSorley's is in the Village, so uptown from Soho. Still, I appreciated that she talked about the buzz that makes this place worth it, and acknowledged that two artsy types would struggle to pay the rent on a small studio. I recently read a romance where the character had a Manhattan apartment that was "near the business district" and nothing else was going to work for me after that. The "business district"? Where would that be? How would that be separated from the non-business district precisely? Okay, tangent over. My point is Callihan created a sense of place that indicated she had actually stepped onto the soil (or in this case for both cities, the broken concrete) of the places she described. ( )

Kristen Callihan is a must read author for me. I do not even read the book description before I purchase because I am so certain I will love anything she writes. Her stories are great but her characters are what really draw me in. The are totally realistic and also completely swoon worthy. I know when I read one of her books I will become totally obsessed with it. ( )

Wow.. This book was unexpectedly good. I used to be very much into star crossed lovers, destined romances a long time ago and I have only started reading them again. This book was very enjoyable with good themes of friends turned lovers, importance of communication between partners and dealing with grief.
I especially loved Finn who despite being the famous great looking quarterback is also very funny, flirty, sometimes cheesy and not above showing his vulnerable side to the woman he loves. Chess is fierce and sassy and though she has her own issues with loss and abandonment, it was great to see her give a chance to herself to fall in love.
The writing is very funny and easy flowing, the banter between Chess and Finn is quite adorable and sexy and the development of their romance is done very well. I never thought I would I would like sports romances, considering I know nothing about football but I thoroughly loved this one and will probably check out other books by this author. ( )