Review: Best Player (The Cleat Chasers #3) by Jaqueline Snowe

Book info:

Title:  Best Player
Author:  Jaqueline Snowe
Series:  The Cleat Chasers #3
Genre:  NA sports romance
Release Date:  August 6th, 2019
Publisher:  Finch Books
Source:  E-galley from YA Bound Books which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4  stars

Synopsis:
Falling for my brother’s best friend is not an option—right?

Kenzie Hill needs a place to stay the summer before college, so when a spot opens up at her brother Aaron’s ‘baseball’ house, she accepts. Living with a bunch of dudes who walk around shirtless won’t distract her—she has plans and nothing will get in her way. Not even her brother’s best friend.

Tanner Johnson has one thing on his mind—his future in the MLB. After choosing to wait another year before entering the draft, he now dedicates every second to getting better on the field, or letting loose. His best friend’s sister shouldn’t even register on his radar.

The first kiss is an accident and the second leads to more. They agree it’ll just be a fling and that Aaron can never know. Kenzie’s just starting her future, while Tanner’s is already planned.

Falling for her brother’s best friend was never an option—but what happens when suddenly, it is?

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of underage characters drinking. There are abusive and absent parents and a parent with cancer.


My Review:
 So, this is a harder review to write than the one I did for book 2 in the series, The Game Changer.  But, while I had some of the same issues in this one that I had with the first book, Challenge Accepted, I really did like the characters and the story in this one enough that I still gave it a full 4 stars instead of the 3.5 stars I was debating.   I totally got all the issues that Tanner and Kenzie had with having more than a fling. And I feel the way that they handled all of it actually was pretty realistic.  Neither wanting to give the other the wrong idea in order to not scare them away.  The sex scenes were very steamy, although I found some of the dialog in them to be kind of hokey and a little over the top.  Especially for a girl who is just barely a freshman in college.  The only thing I feel was left a little unresolved was Tanner's dad.  And since we didn't really have anything major happen with Kenzie and Aaron's dad, (thank goodness, they need a little break from that), it was just a little bit of sadness with that, but more for what they'd dealt with so far.  Now, the reader advisor - Yes, there was underage drinking, but again, that was realistic for a college freshman. Sorry.  I'm not going to get upset about that, it fit the story.  This was another that I was turning pages constantly whenever I had time to read, because I wanted to know how the story would go.  I love all the characters, and hope there will be another in the series, especially since there is at least one more roommate in this house that was gone for the summer, and he needs a woman still, right?

Review: The Game Changer (The Cleat Chasers #2) by Jaqueline Snowe

Book info:

Title:  The Game Changer
Author:  Jaqueline Snowe
Series:  The Cleat Chasers #2
Genre:  NA sports romance
Release Date:  April 2nd, 2019
Source:  E-galley from YA Bound Book Tours for review which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
Pretending to date your best friend is always a good idea…right? Wrong.

Greta Aske has a lot on her mind, and a string of bad dates has her giving up on men, at least for the time being. Her life contains a little too much drama, meaning she needs a break and to save money and get good grades. The perfect solution presents itself—pretend to date the campus playboy. That’ll keep the guys away for sure.

Aaron Hill is desperate to save his baseball career because, with his dad fighting cancer, he damn well knows he can’t ask for a single penny from his parents. Baseball is his past, present and future, so when a scandal threatens his chance in the MLB, he turns to his best friend for help. A fake relationship will keep him out of trouble. It’s perfect, really. Greta’s taking a break from dating and Aaron needs to focus on training.

Nothing could go wrong…as long as neither falls for the other. But when lines are crossed, what’s real and fake blurs and the two are forced to face their fears. Could Greta be the game changer Aaron needs?

Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of underage characters drinking and scenes of violence. There is also a family member with cancer.


My Review:
The first book in this series, Challenge Accepted, was one that while it had a good story, I had some issues with it overall.  So at first I wasn't sure if I would give this one a try. But man am I glad that I did, because I loved this one!  Honestly,  I didn't have any of the issues with this one that I did with the first, and so this was a win-win for me.  I couldn't keep from turning the pages as I read (or tapping the screen I guess on my phone since it was an e-book).  I could barely put it down to do anything else, because I was so eager to find out what would happen next.  I'd say Aaron was definitely someone I'd want for a book boyfriend, or real boyfriend, because he was so sexy and damn!  That's just it, so much hotness with him.  Towards the end I was getting a little frustrated with them just not telling each other, but as I've mentioned with romances, I know that's all part of the drama!  It can't be all perfect, right?  But this book is a winner.  I also enjoyed spending time with the couple from the first book, because they were a great couple and there were some really good moments in that first book that I enjoyed.  I look forward to reading more in this series about the other guys that we get to know in these stories.