hopevollm's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
I just didn’t like these characters
kfriend's review against another edition
4.0
**4.5 stars**
Kayley Loring is my go-to for laugh-out loud, swoony romances, and I was so excited to see what my favorite sweet and funny author would do in a duo with Connor Crais. And, all in all, I really enjoyed their first outing together. Decker is heartfelt and sexy, a fun start to this series and this duo’s collaboration.
Our hero is the titular Decker, a seasoned professional footballer looking at the back end of his lustrous career playing quarterback. But his placid football bubble is rocked when the beloved team owner passed away unexpectedly, leaving ownership of the team to his somewhat estranged daughter, Hannah. Decker and Hannah have an immediate spark and quite a adorable meet cute, and all the flirty occurs, especially as Hannah struggles to manage a football organization when she knows very little about football.
This writing duo melds together so well- each character has a distinct and compelling voice, but the writing style is consistent and engaging across POVs. Both characters are really likable and compelling, and the chemistry sparkles. Crias’ influence is clear- there’s a crisp and magnetic male influence not just to the tone but to the content- this definitely is a sports story. This story is quite as raucous and laugh out loud funny as I’m used to with Kayley (and truth be told, I did miss that), but it’s got a whole lot of sweet charm, and we do have the usual lower-drama Kayley Loring story tone. And I appreciated this pairing finding their own collective voice and giving this series its own approach- not quite as novel as I’m used to from Kayley, but lovable and enjoyable nonetheless. I’m curious to see how this duo’s vibe evolves over time, and I’d be interested in reading some of the secondary characters' stories.
Overall, a strong outing for this first-time writing pair, and I’m excited for what is to come. Together they create a light, heartfelt, sincere, and playfully cute romance that has plenty of sizzle, and a couple I was invested in finding their HEA. Feel-good and fun and a solid start to what will most certainly be a one-click partnership between these two authors.
Kayley Loring is my go-to for laugh-out loud, swoony romances, and I was so excited to see what my favorite sweet and funny author would do in a duo with Connor Crais. And, all in all, I really enjoyed their first outing together. Decker is heartfelt and sexy, a fun start to this series and this duo’s collaboration.
Our hero is the titular Decker, a seasoned professional footballer looking at the back end of his lustrous career playing quarterback. But his placid football bubble is rocked when the beloved team owner passed away unexpectedly, leaving ownership of the team to his somewhat estranged daughter, Hannah. Decker and Hannah have an immediate spark and quite a adorable meet cute, and all the flirty occurs, especially as Hannah struggles to manage a football organization when she knows very little about football.
This writing duo melds together so well- each character has a distinct and compelling voice, but the writing style is consistent and engaging across POVs. Both characters are really likable and compelling, and the chemistry sparkles. Crias’ influence is clear- there’s a crisp and magnetic male influence not just to the tone but to the content- this definitely is a sports story. This story is quite as raucous and laugh out loud funny as I’m used to with Kayley (and truth be told, I did miss that), but it’s got a whole lot of sweet charm, and we do have the usual lower-drama Kayley Loring story tone. And I appreciated this pairing finding their own collective voice and giving this series its own approach- not quite as novel as I’m used to from Kayley, but lovable and enjoyable nonetheless. I’m curious to see how this duo’s vibe evolves over time, and I’d be interested in reading some of the secondary characters' stories.
Overall, a strong outing for this first-time writing pair, and I’m excited for what is to come. Together they create a light, heartfelt, sincere, and playfully cute romance that has plenty of sizzle, and a couple I was invested in finding their HEA. Feel-good and fun and a solid start to what will most certainly be a one-click partnership between these two authors.
worabora's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ea82625's review against another edition
Dnf @ 13%, fmc was very bitter about her dad. Just something wasn’t sitting right with me.
amandaj6's review against another edition
5.0
oooooh…..this was a good one
I’m glad I ended up waiting to read this because I ended reading during the Super Bowl, lol. I’ve read more about football than I’ve actually watched it. But Decker and Hannah. Oh goodness, there were so many laugh out loud moments. But I loved watching both Hannah and Decker growing themselves and together as a couple.
I’m glad I ended up waiting to read this because I ended reading during the Super Bowl, lol. I’ve read more about football than I’ve actually watched it. But Decker and Hannah. Oh goodness, there were so many laugh out loud moments. But I loved watching both Hannah and Decker growing themselves and together as a couple.
celbell's review against another edition
3.0
(Johnny) Decker & Hannah
This book is really good and I liked it a lot! But for me personally it's a 3.5 because this is the book that's helped me decide for sure that I don't like football romances. Because if I did this book would be 4 or 5 stars easily.
This book is well written, well executed, and the characters are likeable but I still just wasn't all that into it. So if this book couldn't get me into a football romance then that must mean football romance isn't for me!
Anyway, if you like sports romances (in general) or *are* more of a football romance person definitely pick this up and give it a try!
This book is really good and I liked it a lot! But for me personally it's a 3.5 because this is the book that's helped me decide for sure that I don't like football romances. Because if I did this book would be 4 or 5 stars easily.
This book is well written, well executed, and the characters are likeable but I still just wasn't all that into it. So if this book couldn't get me into a football romance then that must mean football romance isn't for me!
Anyway, if you like sports romances (in general) or *are* more of a football romance person definitely pick this up and give it a try!
authordaisyjane's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
trish_beautifulchaosreviews's review against another edition
5.0
I can't say I am surprised at how great this book is--Kayle Loring and Connor Crais more than exceeded expectations in their first joint writing project. Let's be honest, they both have snark and sarcasm on lockdown, so it was bound to at least be funny. But I was not expecting was the overall heart(?), soul(?), heck I don't know, I just know four days later I'm still thinking about Decker and Hannah and the massive squishy heart feeling I'm still carrying.
Told from dual POVs, Connor brings his writing voice for Decker, and it is a perfect foil for Kayley's Hannah. The sometimes smirky, snarky, and frequently patient Decker tries to help the business-minded number cruncher Hannah understand the sportsball team that has been left to her by her father. Hannah, clutching her copy of Football for Dummies, is trying to not only not fail but not become Boston's most hated person for messing with the beloved Tomcats. What we discover (no spoilers here) is she is shrewd. You will have to read this delightful story to understand how well these characters are written. We meet possible main characters for the next book in the series, but I don't think we've seen the last of Decker and Hannah as she will be continuing to grow into her role of the owner of the Tomcats, and with Decker, by her side, I'm sure we will hear from him as well.
Decker gets five footballs
Told from dual POVs, Connor brings his writing voice for Decker, and it is a perfect foil for Kayley's Hannah. The sometimes smirky, snarky, and frequently patient Decker tries to help the business-minded number cruncher Hannah understand the sportsball team that has been left to her by her father. Hannah, clutching her copy of Football for Dummies, is trying to not only not fail but not become Boston's most hated person for messing with the beloved Tomcats. What we discover (no spoilers here) is she is shrewd. You will have to read this delightful story to understand how well these characters are written. We meet possible main characters for the next book in the series, but I don't think we've seen the last of Decker and Hannah as she will be continuing to grow into her role of the owner of the Tomcats, and with Decker, by her side, I'm sure we will hear from him as well.
Decker gets five footballs
andireadsromance's review against another edition
5.0
If you’re familiar with Kayley’s recent books and you’ve listened to any of them in audio, you’ve more than likely heard Connor Crais. On a whim (and a free Audible credit), I picked up A Very Bossy Christmas in 2020 and fell in love with a voice. That opened the door for me and audiobooks and I became a fan of both Kayley’s and Connor’s that day (Mackenzie Cartwright too!). So, when you hear one of your favorite narrators is taking a stab at writing a romance with one of your favorite authors, it’s a no brainer that you’re going to read it.
We get the sassy, sarcastic heroine and the swoony hero we’re all used to with Kayley’s books. Hannah is the lady boss who knows nothing about football, but inherits a football team from her estranged father who was more a father to the team than he was to her. Reformed playboy Decker, is definitely the big brother on the team and wants another Super Bowl Win before retirement. They want to dislike each other, but the chemistry is just too strong and they have to work together to get Decker and the team a win.
It’s refreshing to get a male influence writing the male MC in a dual narrative. There’s a definite focus on football, but it’s not so much that your eyes will glaze over and lose interest. It’s written well and works with the plot very well as Hannah has to learn these things too, to become a knowledgeable owner. I consider myself a sports fan. I grew up watching baseball with my grandparents (Go Padres!), I used to consider myself a Chargers fan (until they moved to LA - boo!), and I am now an enthusiastic supporter of English football (Come on you Spurs!) and local soccer (Up the Loyal!). I know enough about these sports to follow along pretty well, but I feel like I learned a lot about football reading this book.
In addition to the humor and steam we can expect from Kayley, this book also had a lot of heart. I love that Hannah wanted to learn about football to be more connected to the team and I love that Decker took the time to help her.
Overall, I loved it. Kayley and Connor made the perfect teammates for this one and definitely made a touchdown. I can’t wait for more collaborations from them; the next book in this series and A Very Vegas Valentine’s Day.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We get the sassy, sarcastic heroine and the swoony hero we’re all used to with Kayley’s books. Hannah is the lady boss who knows nothing about football, but inherits a football team from her estranged father who was more a father to the team than he was to her. Reformed playboy Decker, is definitely the big brother on the team and wants another Super Bowl Win before retirement. They want to dislike each other, but the chemistry is just too strong and they have to work together to get Decker and the team a win.
It’s refreshing to get a male influence writing the male MC in a dual narrative. There’s a definite focus on football, but it’s not so much that your eyes will glaze over and lose interest. It’s written well and works with the plot very well as Hannah has to learn these things too, to become a knowledgeable owner. I consider myself a sports fan. I grew up watching baseball with my grandparents (Go Padres!), I used to consider myself a Chargers fan (until they moved to LA - boo!), and I am now an enthusiastic supporter of English football (Come on you Spurs!) and local soccer (Up the Loyal!). I know enough about these sports to follow along pretty well, but I feel like I learned a lot about football reading this book.
In addition to the humor and steam we can expect from Kayley, this book also had a lot of heart. I love that Hannah wanted to learn about football to be more connected to the team and I love that Decker took the time to help her.
Overall, I loved it. Kayley and Connor made the perfect teammates for this one and definitely made a touchdown. I can’t wait for more collaborations from them; the next book in this series and A Very Vegas Valentine’s Day.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.