Blitzed

Out of the three in The Playbook series this one may be my least favorite. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the shit out of it. I love that the Lady Mustangs, the football puns, the hot men, and Denver are common threads in every book and the relationship is the only thing that changes in each. Don't get me wrong I adored big strong Maxwell; I just don't  love Brynn. She's been a feature in all three books; owning a hot female oriented bar in Denver and being friends with all the NFL player's wives and girlfriends. Now it's her turn to fall for a football player - but she's not quite ready to be in a relationship. Ever since her mother abandoned her when she was a teen she's shied away from commitment; assuming that true love isn't real. Well she clearly hadn't met Maxwell yet. Steamy, cute, and wonderful. I hope there are a ton more books in this series!

Intercepted

A quick fluffy romcom, that I couldn't put down. Will this win any awards? No. Was this fun? Hell yes. Marlee is one lucky girl; she's the girlfriend of an NFL star and she gets to live in a palace. The downside is she has to live in said palace (god it's ostentatious and ugly), put up with the wives of the other team players (only one girl in that group is actually worth knowing), and work around her boyfriend's dreams and plans. Plus when the hell is he going to propose already? They've been together since high school? Everything falls apart when she discovers that her boy has been cheating on her for months and who is there to catch her? The teams quarterback, the man she slept with 4 years ago. Even though she's still attracted to him and vividly remembers how good he was in bed; Marlee swears off athletes. She's had enough of them. But maybe she'll end up changing her mind. Cute, quirky, fun, and steamy. I definitely plan on reading the rest in this series!

Undefeated

This book was amazing from start to finish. I admired author, Steve Sheinkin, for his wonderful book, "The Port Chicago 50",  but "Undefeated" has turned me into an unabashed mega-fan. Sheinkin's writing style is amazing. I don't give a crap that his non-fiction is intended for young adults, they're easily accessible, filled with pictures, great writing, and eloquence, perfect for adults too. I learned SOO MUCH from this book. I had heard of Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner but I didn't really know diddly squat about them, let alone anything about the Carlisle Indian School Football Team. I'm not huge into sports, but that didn't matter, everything in this book was fascinating, from the beginnings of football, the ill treatment of Native Americas to the awful boarding schools forced on many of their children that wiped out language, dress, and cultural ties to their heritage; this book was a sports and history lesson rolled into one. WONDERFUL!

The One & Only

Giffin, Emily. The One & Only. 12 CDs. unabridged. 15 hrs. Books on Tape. 2014. ISBN 9780804127585. 

Shea Rigsby has been in a rut her entire life she just doesn't realize it. Born and raised in Walker, Texas Shea's whole life has revolved around football. After graduating from college she stayed behind in her hometown to work for the college athletic department, not even considering any other options. It also didn't help that her best friend's father is the legendary Walker football coach and close personal friend. When tragedy strikes the Walker community Shea finds herself closely examining her future. Is this what she truly wants out of life? At Coach's insistence she starts to branch out of her safety net and see what awaits her. Shea is forced to confront her fears, see the truth in others, and follow her heart. Shea's story starts fast and compelling but slowly peetered out to it's inevitable conclusion. Along the way were several cringe worthy moments and awkward scenarios. Narrator, Sofia Willingham saved this story from being too bogged down in football and awkwardness, and her cool narration kept the story engaging. For fans of chick lit and Emily Giffin.  - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin IN