Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Single-mom Poppy Patterson is barely making ends meet when her high-school sweetheart, TK Moore, who disappeared soon after she became pregnant, shows up at the Denver nightclub where she works. Famous for his looks and talent, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs has scads of money, fans, and women, but what he's been missing for the past 10 years is the woman standing in front of him stuffed into a too-small corset. Poppy wants to hate him, but the sparks between them are undeniable, so now she must tell TK about their son, Ace, and brace herself for the big letdown. But TK wants in, and Poppy is cautiously optimistic. They take their time merging their lives together while dealing with people who want to tear them apart as well as TK's risky profession. Martin expertly captures the struggle between the need for a quiet, ordinary life and the demands of an all-star career path that invites gossip, grudges, and jealousy. In this delicious follow-up to Intercepted (2016), Martin once again draws on her own experience as an NFL wife to create a winning sports romance. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
A hardworking single mom comes face to face with the gorgeous star athlete who got away in the second installment of a football romance series by a fresh-voiced newcomer to the genre. Poppy Patterson doesn't love her job as a scantily clad server at a nightclub in downtown Denver, but she loves the way it supports her as a single mother to 9-year-old Ace. Ten years have passed since Poppy, pregnant and abandoned by her family, fled Indiana to raise her son and try, unsuccessfully, to forget his father. TK, the famously fun-loving starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, never understood why Poppy left him back in high school, since she never told him she was pregnant. When they run into each other at the club, their sizzling attraction is just as strong as ever: "TK unravels me in ways I thought impossible. I've lived such a guarded, half-life for so many years, he's a shock to my system." Poppy questions her past decisions as she and TK try to work their relationship out. Martin (Intercepted, 2018) expertly parlays her experience as the spouse of a former NFL player into compelling scenes not just of big games, but of lesser-explored preseason matchups, training camp, and the social dynamics Poppy must face as the new girlfriend of the star player. Poppy leaps off the page as a contemporary biracial woman navigating dating, motherhood, and career with seriousness and a fantastic sense of humor. TK's character is less distinct, partly due to the novel's deep first-person point of view. Martin sets up some big-stakes tropes—reunited lovers, secret baby—but they lack the emotional payoff readers expect because she rushes through them to set up even more. By the time Poppy throws up yet another barrier in Chapter 37, readers might be tempted to give up as well. A strong female lead, laugh-out-loud scenes, and an authentic pro-football setting are offset by an overstuffed romance plot that makes this more of a field goal than a to u chdown. Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Reviews
Copyright 2018 Library Journal.LJ Express Reviews
In Martin's second installment of the "Playbook" series (after Intercepted), Poppy Patterson has always done what it takes to make ends meet, and slinging drinks at a gentlemen's club is currently paying the bills. Her only concern is providing for her beloved nine-year-old son, Ace. Poppy is stunned to see football players from the Denver Mustangs at her workplace and even more aghast at running into TK Moore, one of their hottest players and her former high school sweetheart. Poppy never thought she would lay eyes on TK again after he turned his back on her when she first found out she was pregnant. She certainly didn't anticipate the attraction between them or that she would have to find a way to tell him about his son. Martin has a talent for creating independent, relatable heroines and steamy love scenes, and this second-chance romance does not disappoint. The football details and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) subplot enhance the story and can be enjoyed even by those who may be hesitant to read sport-centered romances. VERDICT Readers who enjoyed Intercepted will definitely want to read more about the love interests of the Mustangs.-Nicole J. Suarez, Frankfort P.L. District, Frankfort, IL (c) Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
In the second installment of the Playbook series, Martin (